Those Places Thursday: Gunpowder River

Oblique air photo of Gunpowder River traveling through Loch Raven Reservoir, Maryland. August 2010. Photo by Jstuby [Public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

The Gunpowder River is a tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay. It is formed by the joining of the Gunpowder Falls (also known as Big Gunpowder Falls) and the Little Gunpowder Falls. It is 6.8 miles long. The Gunpowder River and the Little Gunpowder Falls form the boundary between Baltimore and Harford Counties, Maryland.

My 8th-great-grandparents John Greer and Sarah Day lived by the Great Falls of the Gunpowder River. Their land was surveyed in 1718.

The town of Joppa was located on the Gunpowder River and was an important colonial seaport. Tobacco was the main export.

In 1959, the Gunpowder Falls State Park was established to protect the Gunpowder River and the Big and Little Gunpowder valleys. The park includes trails, a beach, a marina, and areas for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking.

References
Gunpowder Falls State Park
Gunpowder River
Joppatowne, Maryland

Maryland Day

Maryland Tercentenary postage stamp, 1934. By U.S. Post Office [Public domain]. Available from Wikimedia Commons.

March 25 is Maryland Day. The day commemorates the arrival of the first settlers in Maryland. On 22 March 1634, two ships, the Ark and the Dove, landed at St. Clemens Island (now St. Mary's County).

Maryland Day was first observed in 1903, after the State Board of Education chose March 25 as a day to honor local history. In 1916, the Maryland General Assembly authorized Maryland Day as a legal holiday.

My 9th-great-grandfathers James Greer and Nicholas Day lived in Maryland, in the Gunpowder River area. James Greer's son John (born about 1688) married Nicholas Day's daughter Sarah. They were my 8th-great-grandparents.

References
Maryland at a Glance: Maryland Day - March 25
Maryland Day

Those Places Thursday: Day-Deans-King House

In 1696, my 9th-great-grandfather Nicholas Day purchased land in Baltimore County, Maryland, in the area that is now Kingsville. In 1710, his son, also named Nicholas Day, constructed a stone house on the land. The house is located at 11750 Belair Road (Route 1), Kingsville.

In his will, written on 31 March 1739 and proved on 25 May 1739, the younger Nicholas Day left this land, called William the Conquerer, to his sons Thomas and Laban Day. In 1748, Thomas and Laban sold the property to Reverend Hugh Deans, the rector of In 1748, Thomas and Laban sold the property to Reverend Hugh Deans, the rector of St. John's Parish in Joppa Town. He lived on the property until his death in 1777. The house's two-story ell was probably added while Reverend Deans was living on the property.

In 1816, the property was purchased by Abraham King. The town of Kingsville got its name from Abraham.

In 1913, Frank J. and Caroline Groettner purchased the property, and it became a restaurant, the Kingsville Inn. In 1969, Lassahn Funeral Home purchased the property, and a wood-frame addition was constructed about 1990.

Historic American Buildings Survey. E. H. Pickering, Photographer. December 1936 - Kingsville Inn (Interiors), 11750 Belair Road (U.S. Route 1), Kingsville, Baltimore County, MD. Available from Library of Congress.

Historic American Buildings. Survey E. H. Pickering, Photographer. December 1936 INTERIOR SHOWING MANTEL - Kingsville Inn (Interiors), 11750 Belair Road (U.S. Route 1), Kingsville, Baltimore County, MD. Available from Library of Congress.

11750 Belair Road, Kingsville, Maryland. From Google Earth.

References
Kingsville, Maryland
Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: Day-Deans-King House
Will of Nicholas Day, of Baltimore Co. dated 31 March 1738