The "Down by the Bayou" Story

My altered Polaroid print taken of the Bayou Hotel
 in Havre de Grade, Maryland about 20 years ago.

It was an ordinary day.  Visiting the city of Havre de Grace, Maryland with our friends Jerry and Just Sue to have lunch and explore the city which is located at the mouth of the Susque- hanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  The city was named after the port city of Le Havre, France and means "Haven of Grace".  Carol and I have visited the city a few times a year for the last 30+ years and at one time i sold my altered Polaroid photographs in the small town.  

My digital photo taken today of the old Bayou Hotel.

Last year Havre de Grace was honored by the Smithsonian magazine as one of America's 20 best small towns to visit.  The weather today is in the low 50s with just a wisp of wind.  After eating lunch at the Tidewater Grill, we hopped in the car for a tour of the quite city.  As we reached the southeastern most point in the city, we saw what probably was at one time the most majestic building in the city, The Bayou Hotel.  

The rear of the Bayou which faces the Susquehanna flats.

Construc- tion of the hotel began in 1917.  It was built with solid 18 inch Hartford County fieldstone walls and 14 inch wooden beams.  The hotel opened its doors in 1921 with an upscale clientele.  The hotel featured a large lobby and 60 guest rooms with baths.  The main dining room was located on the first floor and opened onto a large terrace where those dining were treated to a fantastic view of the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  

What a view it would have been from one of these chairs.

I can imagine watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand, wearing a top hat or veiled hat and sampling the fare caught just offshore in the Susque- hanna flats.  Close by stood the Concord Point Lighthouse, second oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay.  With the stock market crash and a devastating fire in 1929, the hotel was forced to close it's doors.  Wasn't long before the Francis Sisters bought the grand hotel and converted it into a senior home for women under the name St. Francis Villa.  

Aerial photograph taken from the "Bing" website
which shows the boardwalk of Havre de Grace winding
it's way around the rear of the Bayou Hotel.

It remained that way until 1953 when a Dr. Foley purchased the villa and began renting apartments in the building.  During this period the Bayou suffered yet another fire due to criminal behavior.  Then, 23 years later, the City of Havre de Grace was given the building.  In 1983 the National Park Service, in conjunction with the Maryland State historic Society, designated the Bayou as a National Historic Structure and directed its conservation.  A year later the once famous hotel was  transformed into high end condominiums.  As I walked the grounds today, taking photos,  I realized I was infringing upon a large flock of geese who evidently call the property home, based on the huge amount of geese poop I realized I was walking through.  As I stood, looking out over the head of the bay, I could see why the Bayou is such a beautiful place to call home.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.