Havre de Grace City Map Poster

About Havre de Grace

The city was named after the French port of Le Havre de Grâce. The name "Havre de Grace" was given to the Maryland town at least as early as 1689, and is used in a land grant from King William III dated May 20, 1694. It is also found on a map of 1770 by Augustine Hermann (1730–1802), who surveyed most of Maryland during his career as an engineer for George Washington's agents. The phrase means "Harbor/Port/haven [of] grace." In 1868, John Wray purchased property near where the Susquehanna River flows into Chesapeake Bay and built a large hotel called Wray Castle that became known for its elaborate banquets served with fine wines from France and other countries; it had its own pier so guests could arrive via steamboat or yacht directly to their rooms without having to go through Baltimore first.