Havre de Grace,
Maryland was once famed as a rendezvous for devotees of rod, gun and track,
could very well have been termed the metropolis of Harford County, although not
the county seat. One notable feature of its glory days was the Hotel Bayou, in
its day a strictly up-to-date hostelry, with accommodations for 150 to 200
guests, four stories high, with commodious basement floor, and equipped with
all the appointments of a metropolitan hotel of the first class. It was located
on a bluff overlooking the broad Susquehanna River, commanding a fine view of
this far-famed stream, down to where it merges into the Chesapeake Bay, with
the lofty shores of Cecil County in the distance, and surrounded by well-kept
grounds and the beach front on the river.
During the open season for duck shooting, hundreds of sportsmen from almost
every section of the country, visited Havre de Grace and the vicinity to try
their skill and luck on the wary birds which flock about the Susquehanna flats
and nearby localities. Here were to be had the canvasback duck, the red head,
black head, mallard, goose and other wild migratory members of the feathered
tribe. Hunting was often arduous and tiring work and hunters, after a siege in
the blinds, appreciated the comforts that a a hotel like the Bayou could offer.
Then there is the shad seine hauling season, which is made annually in the
spring of the year, the scene of which was but a short distance from the city.
Every spring and fall there were short seasons of horse racing at Havre de Grace, which attracted thousands
of turf devotees from a radius of two hundred miles or more. The fine mile
track saw records made and broken by mounts from the most notable stables in
the United States. Owners, trainers, managers and what not comprise another
class of clientele for the modern hotel and they showed their appreciation of
the hospitality of the Bayou.
From the beginning, the hotel was under the management of Baltimore restaurateur
William Pinkney West, familiarly known as "Pink" West, a boniface
known to nearly every bon vivant in the land for the epicurean delights he
created. His name was a synonym for gastronomic pleasure and the cuisine was
maintained on the standard of his reputation.
The hotel building is
a three and a half story, 60x128 foot, eleven bay by five bay building built of
vari-colored Maryland field stone from Harford County, Maryland. The hotel was
designed by John B. Harmon of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
and built by Edwin F. Piersol. Originally intended
to be the Shadyside Inn, construction began about 1919. In July 1921 the
project was taken over from E.J. Piersol by the Bayou Club, Albert S.J. Owens, President, to finish the hotel.
After many delays and postponements, the formal grand opening of the Hotel
Bayou was held on October 15, 1921.
A Colonial Revival porte-cochere
with a deck above it shelters the entrance and extends across the driveway. It
is supported by four posts resting on brick piers. Across the five recessed
bays of the rear elevation, facing the water, is a one story, five bay enclosed
porch, having fluted applied-columns between the bays. The railing around the
top of the porch is the same as on the porte-cochere. Rubble stone balconies
are found on the third floor of all elevations.
The hotel is entered
through a large Tudor arch in the center bay. Within the arched opening are
double glass doors framed with wood. The hotel originally contained 52 bedrooms
and suites, a large dining room, three smaller dining rooms, a roof garden, and
a sun parlor.
The below grade entrance
to the basement, reached by stairs, is also on the front of the hotel. The full
basement originally contained the hotel's kitchen.
The property also
contained a large fireproof garage and a 20x60 foot indoor swimming pool.
Known for its culinary delights, a few of the
recipes from the Hotel Bayou have been preserved for posterity, despite the short life of the hotel. In 1932 recipes
for Smothered Cat Fish and Stewed Maryland Snapper were published in "Eat,
Drink And Be Merry in Maryland," which had been provided to the author by the
hotel.
The hotel closed in 1934 when "Pink" West
left the hotel. The building was then purchased by the Franciscan
Sisters and was used as a home for old ladies, named St. Francis Villa. In
1953, when the Order vacated the building, it was purchased by Dr. Charles
Foley, who converted it into apartments. In 1976, Dr. Foley sold part of the
property to the county/state and donated the remainder, including the Hotel
Bayou building, to the City of Havre de Grace. The City acquired the property
with the idea of saving the area between Tydings Island and Concord Point from
future commercial development. While the structure sat vacant after 1976,
several fires were set by vandals, causing thousands of dollars of damage to
the interior of the structure. In August 1978, a public hearing was held to
discuss a proposed City Charter amendment to allow sale of the property without
public referendum. The hearing provided a podium for expression of the strong
citizen interest in retaining ownership of the Hotel Bayou building. The Hotel
Bayou was sold in July of 1983, to Havre de Grace Ventures Limited Partnership
for the purpose of restoring it to its original grandeur and using its basic
architectural style to provide luxurious rental units.
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