Harford Memorial

By 1910, Havre de Grace was a bustling city of over 4,000 people. It was well equipped to provide almost everything that its citizens needed, except for a hospital. There were a number of able doctors available to attend to everyday medical needs, but if someone needed surgery or long-term treatment, they had to go to a Baltimore hospital. Havre de Gracians appealed to the Maryland General Assembly for funds to build a hospital, but they were rejected. Not deterred, they decided to raise the funds on their own. Led by Murray Vandiver, S.J. Seneca, and others, a committee initiated a subscription campaign to raise $13,000 for the endeavor. A number of fundraisers were conducted, including a baseball game between Havre de Grace and Rising Sun and a special movie screening at the Willou Theatre. In a lucky twist of fate, Mrs. Mattie Baker offered to sell her property to the Hospital Committee for $10,500. To help with the purchase, the Havre de Grace City Council pledged $2000 to the project. In March 1911, the Havre de Grace Hospital of Harford County was incorporated and the next month the Hospital purchased the Baker property. The Havre de Grace Hospital was renamed Harford Memorial Hospital in 1936. By 1943, the old building was demolished and a modern hospital was erected. That building went through numerous expansions and renovations throughout the decades.

 

In 1984, Harford Memorial Hospital merged with Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The entity became known as Upper Chesapeake Health. It later joined the University of Maryland Medical System in 2011, becoming UM Harford Memorial Hospital. UM Harford Memorial Hospital closed its doors on February 6, 2024, as the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health moved its healthcare services to new facilities.