Photo Courtesy of the Harford Land Trust

Photo Courtesy of the Harford Land Trust

On September 24, representatives from Harford County Government, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Harford Land Trust (HLT), and the Davis family gathered at the 347-acre Belle Vue Farm in Havre de Grace to transfer ownership to Harford County and permanently preserve the historic property.

Located less than three miles from the centers of Havre de Grace and Aberdeen, Belle Vue Farm sits at the center of an area of land rich in natural and cultural resources known as Oakington Peninsula. 

The acquisition completes the longstanding goal of permanently preserving the only undeveloped area of privately owned Chesapeake Bay shoreline in Harford County. The property is contiguous to Swan Harbor Farm and Old Bay Farm to the north and Eleanor and Millard Tydings Park to the south. Together, these four properties total 1,250 acres of preserved land, 90% of which is now public parkland.

Belle Vue includes one mile of Chesapeake Bay coastline and 60 acres in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area. The Chesapeake Bay shore of Belle Vue encompasses two shallow tidal coves and associated wetlands. The area contains an ecologically fragile intertidal zone made up of cobble, sand, and mud. It provides ideal habitat for two nationally rare plant species and is home to significant bird, amphibian, and reptile populations.  

Photo Courtesy of the Harford Land Trust

The purchase price of $6,270,000 was paid by a combination of funding from Harford County Government, Maryland’s Program Open Space and Aberdeen Proving Ground in partnership with the Harford Land Trust.