North Point State Park
Encyclopedia
North Point State Park is a Chesapeake Bay
waterfront park located in Edgemere, MD. The park is situated on the grounds that once were the home of Bay Shore Amusement Park, which was one of the premiere amusement parks in Maryland from 1906 - 1947. Current visitors to the park can enjoy hiking, wading, birdwatching, bicycling, fishing, picnicking, group events, and remnants of Bay Shore Park, such as the restored Trolley Station and fountain.
, as it hosted the route to Baltimore traveled by British troops intent on invading the city from the Southeast. Several skirmishes were fought there. In 1925 Jimmy Doolittle
won the Schneider Trophy
seaplane race held at the park that year. When it was first created, the park held buildings for dining, dancing and bowling. It also hosted a beach, with bathhouse facilities and recreational slides and rides, from which bathers could access the Chesapeake Bay. Various other amenities were added over the years, including several piers.
At its inception, the park could be accessed only by a trolley
owned by United Railway and Electric Company, which also owned the park. It remained accessible only by trolley until the 1940s.
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
waterfront park located in Edgemere, MD. The park is situated on the grounds that once were the home of Bay Shore Amusement Park, which was one of the premiere amusement parks in Maryland from 1906 - 1947. Current visitors to the park can enjoy hiking, wading, birdwatching, bicycling, fishing, picnicking, group events, and remnants of Bay Shore Park, such as the restored Trolley Station and fountain.
History
Built in 1906, Bay Shore Park was a major attraction for Baltimoreans who took the trolley out from the city. Evidence suggests that the area on which the park was built was first occupied by humans 9000 years ago. It had been utilized for farming for around three and a half centuries prior to its conversion to parkland. It was also a point of importance during the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, as it hosted the route to Baltimore traveled by British troops intent on invading the city from the Southeast. Several skirmishes were fought there. In 1925 Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
won the Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
seaplane race held at the park that year. When it was first created, the park held buildings for dining, dancing and bowling. It also hosted a beach, with bathhouse facilities and recreational slides and rides, from which bathers could access the Chesapeake Bay. Various other amenities were added over the years, including several piers.
At its inception, the park could be accessed only by a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
owned by United Railway and Electric Company, which also owned the park. It remained accessible only by trolley until the 1940s.