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Bel Air, located
approximately 25 miles northeast of Baltimore, was designated
the fifth and final county seat of Harford County in 1782. At
that time, this tiny upstart village known as “Scott’s Old
Fields” consisted of four buildings. A new name followed
shortly— “Belle Aire,” which later became Bel Air.
The town grew slowly, boasting 225 people with 70 buildings,
including 38 houses, by 1858. Local road improvements and the
coming of the railroad boosted development. Between the Civil
War and the early 1900s, numerous stores, shops, and offices
opened, and the downtown began to assume the shape that is
evident today.
Bel Air today is a modern, progressive town of 10,000 people.
There is a pleasing mix of Victorian and contemporary housing as
well as a true “Main Street” business area with a diversity of
retail and professional occupancy. The town is the governmental
seat of Harford County and the center for the county’s
educational, professional, medical/health, and commercial
institutions. It has well-maintained streets and sidewalks,
manicured gardens and flower beds, and a network of convenient
parks.
The town government’s professional staff is augmented by
dedicated volunteers who serve on commissions, committees, and
boards. They help the town to function by reviewing development
plans, designing and planting gardens, organizing events, and so
forth. Fourth of July and Christmas parades, summer band
concerts, a fall Arts Festival, a 5-K run, a farmers market, and
lunch-time spring and fall concerts are some of the activities
that give evidence of Bel Air’s community pride and vitality.
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