Place:Bald Friar, Cecil, Maryland, United States

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NameBald Friar
TypeInhabited place
Coordinates39.7°N 76.2°W
Located inCecil, Maryland, United States


Bald Friar was originally a ford of the Susquehannah River lying just north of the modern Connowingo Dam. It was also known historically as "Fulton's Ferry". (See: 1766 Bald Friar Road Petition). Connowingo Dam was built downstream of Bald Friar's Ford in the 1920; waters of the resulting lake innundated the ford. The Bald Friars community previously located at the ford moved uphill, settling near the modern community of "Pilot", and retained the name "Bald Friars". Today, "Bald Friar" is described by the USGS as "an inhabited place", but it does not appear as such in the 2000 census. [need a fact check for this] As such the place name is probably only of historical interest.

From: Maryland Historical Markers Data Base, June 25 2009] (qv, for some nice local photos).

Maryland Historical Marker located at 39° 41.949′ N, 76° 10.442′ W.. This marker lies near Conowingo, in Octoraro Hundred, Cecil County, MD. It is on the left when traveling north on Rock Springs Road (Route 222), at the intersection of Rock Springs Road and Old Conowingo Road.

Near Pilot, two and one-half miles northwest of this point, lies the site of a Susquehanna fording used by Indians before the coming of the white man. By 1695, a barge provided ferry service to the colonists. The Conowingo Lake now covers the site. On April 12, 1781, Lafayette moved his troops south by way of this ford, followed by Rochambeau’s Artillery and baggage detachments on September 10 of the same year.

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