Conowingo, Maryland

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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.

However the 90 foot fall of the river at the rapids dictated the location of the Conowingo Dam and thus the resulting inundation of the original 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.

[edit] Conowingo Village

A new town, named Conowingo Village, was created in 1928, on the Harford County side of the dam. It was initially a company town to house the dam's plant managers and workers. From the 1980's 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.

[edit] External links

• A History of Maryland’s Lower Susquehanna Region
• Larger section of the 1900 topographic map
• Section of the 1942 topographic map
• Google cache of Exelon's 2001-07-19 Conowingo Village Press Release
• "ConoWHAT???", amatuer video documentary and commentary on life in Conowingo

[edit] Geographical

Original location: 39°40′56″N, 76°11′51″W

Present location (of Post Office):

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.6768° -76.1623°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA