Maryland Municipal League Geotrail - Bel Air Traditional Cache

Bel Air is located 20 miles north of Baltimore, Maryland, and 80 miles south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River flows across Harford County just north of Bel Air where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay to the east. A center for local and national transportation since colonial times, US Route 1 is still part of Main Street. What was once a prosperous tobacco economy has now evolved into a lively community of financial institutions, retail facilities, governmental activities, and educational centers.

In 1773, the Maryland Assembly in Annapolis responded to a request to divide Baltimore County to establish a new county. This new county was named Harford in honor of Henry Harford, recently named Lord Proprietor of the Province of Maryland. Henry Harford was born in London on April 15th, 1758, the illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, sixth Lord Baltimore, and Hester Rhelan of the Kingdom of Ireland.

As this new county grew, settlement spread from the coast to the central and northern portions of the county. The Maryland General Assembly recognized the need to locate the county seat in an area accessible to the whole population. Thus, in 1782, Scotts Old Fields or Belle Air became the county seat. The original town was laid out with the center at the highest elevation and sloping in all directions from the courthouse lot. In addition to the courthouse and the jail, located directly across the street from the courthouse, there were 42 half acre lots, 21 per side, lining Main Street.

In 1786, the current spelling of Bel Air was adopted and by 1830, the town contained four hotels, a large boarding school, 27 dwellings and the Bel Air Academy. Initially court was held in the old stone building at the corner of Baltimore Pike and Main Street. To provide a proper building, in 1788 county citizens were taxed two shillings, six pence per hundred pounds of property. The assessment paid for a brick courthouse located at its present site. Unfortunately, this building was destroyed by fire in 1858. It was immediately replaced with the main part of the present structure and additions were made in 1904 and 1982.

The town developed slowly, incorporating in 1874. The post Civil War building boom combined with the growth of the County's canning industry, the creameries, and the construction of the Ma & Pa Railroad in 1884, created a thriving center which provided government, financial, legal, and retail services for much of the surrounding agricultural community.

Bel Air grew as a gathering place. County residents visited hotels, restaurants, shops, and social events, such as the Annual Chautaugua horse races and the County Fair. New housing developments took over the old farms and orchards that once surrounded the town, expanding Bel Air's borders and introducing new residents to the community. Developments, such as Howard Park and later Shamrock, provided much needed housing for new residents after World War II. For the first time, many residents were commuting to jobs outside of town, in occupations outside of agriculture. Along with the changing face of the community, a new phenomenon--the shopping center--was introduced on Baltimore Pike in 1965 with the opening of the Bel Air Plaza, adding retail stores and expanding resident's shopping opportunities.

Today, Main Street is a thriving retail, service, and government hub for the community, complimenting the shopping centers along Baltimore Pike. Additionally, the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, built in 1998, situated Bel Air as the medical center for the County.

Bel Air continues to offer a wide range of housing and cultural opportunities while maintaining a pleasant, small town atmosphere. The town takes pride in its rich agricultural traditions and its community spirit.

This regular Geocache is located along Main Street in downtown Bel Air, which has just undergone an extensive renovation. There is also a BENCHMARK within 8 feet of the cache location for those cachers who are interested in benchmarks. This particular benchmark acts as the geographical center of Bel Air.