The Bayou

The Bayou. . Construction began on the Bayou in 1917. Built with solid 18" thick Harford County fieldstone walls and 14" thick wooden beams, it took four years to complete., The Bayou Hotel opened for business in 1921. It's stunning facilities included a large lobby and 60 guestrooms with baths. The main dining room was located on the first floor and opened onto a large terrace where the diner could have a spectacular view of the Upper Bay. A building just north of the hotel (currently the Decoy Museum) was at one time the hotel's enclosed, heated swimming pool. A small garage was tucked under the pool for guests' automobiles., The stock market crash and a fire in 1929 signaled the beginning of the demise of the Bayou as a grand hotel. The hotel was forced to close it's doors. The building was purchased by the Franciscan nuns for use as a home for the aged. A chapel was added to the water front side of the building., In 1953, the Bayou was purchased and converted into apartments. In the early 70's the building again suffered a fire and in 1976, it was abandoned and given to the city of Havre de Grace. The Bayou was boarded up, stripped of it's plumbing and heating systems and for several years sat empty., In September 1983, the National Park Service in conjunction with the Maryland State Historic Society designated the Bayou a national historic structure and and directed it's preservation. In 1984 the city sold the building and it was renovated and is now condominiums.