Conowingo, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Conowingo is a small community in western Cecil County, Maryland
, USA.
Conowingo is a Susquehannock
word for "at the rapids".
Conowingo was originally located on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River
at the confluence of the Conowingo Creek with the river. Conowingo was at the rapids that were the first navigation obstacle on the Susquehanna upstream of the Chesapeake Bay
, the location of an early stretch of canal. It was also the site of the Conowingo Bridge
.
A 90 foot fall of the river at the rapids dictated the location of the Conowingo Dam
and thus the resulting inundation of the Old Conowingo site by the subsequent Conowingo Reservoir. At the completion of the dam in 1928, the Conowingo Post Office was relocated to the hill above the dam.
Conowingo is not an incorporated municipality, nor a US Census Bureau designated place.
Octorara Farm
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
side of the dam. It was initially a company town to house the dam's plant managers and workers. From the 1980s to 2000, the power company leased the homes to non-workers. In October, 2000, the village was shuttered. And in 2001 the power company donated the land to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the buildings to the local fire companies for training.
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, USA.
Conowingo is a Susquehannock
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
word for "at the rapids".
Conowingo was originally located on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
at the confluence of the Conowingo Creek with the river. Conowingo was at the rapids that were the first navigation obstacle on the Susquehanna upstream of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, the location of an early stretch of canal. It was also the site of the Conowingo Bridge
Conowingo Bridge
Several incarnations of the Conowingo Bridge crossed the Susquehanna River at the original location of Conowingo, Maryland, USA, about two miles upstream of the Conowingo Dam, which replaced it.- History :...
.
A 90 foot fall of the river at the rapids dictated the location of the Conowingo Dam
Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam is a large hydroelectric dam in the Lower Susquehanna River. The dam, one of the largest non-federal hydroelectric dams in the US, is classified as a medium height, masonry gravity type dam...
and thus the resulting inundation of the Old Conowingo site by the subsequent Conowingo Reservoir. At the completion of the dam in 1928, the Conowingo Post Office was relocated to the hill above the dam.
Conowingo is not an incorporated municipality, nor a US Census Bureau designated place.
Octorara Farm
Octorara Farm
Octorara Farm is a historic home located at Conowingo, Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It was built in sections dating from the period between 1775 and 1840. The main block is a -story brick structure of high style Greek Revival architecture; it was probably added to the earlier rear...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
Conowingo Village
A new town, named Conowingo Village, was created in 1928, on the Harford CountyHarford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
side of the dam. It was initially a company town to house the dam's plant managers and workers. From the 1980s to 2000, the power company leased the homes to non-workers. In October, 2000, the village was shuttered. And in 2001 the power company donated the land to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the buildings to the local fire companies for training.
Geography
- Original location: 39°40′56"N 76°11′51"W
- Present location (of Post Office): 39°40′36"N 76°9′44"W
