Maryland Route 273
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 273 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 16.58 miles (26.7 km) from U.S. Route 1
(US 1) west of Rising Sun
east to the Delaware
state line near Appleton, where the highway continues east as Delaware Route 273 (DE 273). MD 273 is the main east–west highway of northern Cecil County
, connecting Conowingo
(via US 1), Port Deposit
(via MD 276
, and Rising Sun with Newark, Delaware
via the communities of Calvert
and Fair Hill, where the highway intersects MD 272
and MD 213
, respectively. The state highway also provides access to Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. MD 273 contains a section of MD 274 Truck between MD 274
in Rising Sun and MD 272 in Calvert.
MD 273 west of Fair Hill was constructed as one of the original state roads, with the portion west of the intersection of Sylmar Road east of Rising Sun constructed as part of US 1 in the 1910s. The first sections of MD 273 proper were paved in the early 1910s west of Calvert. The final section of the state highway between Fair Hill and Appleton was completed around 1930. MD 273 was also assigned to the original state road between the Susquehanna River
and Octoraro Creek
when US 1 was moved to a new alignment serving Conowingo Dam
in the late 1920s; that segment was returned to county maintenance in the late 1950s. MD 273 was extended west to its present western terminus when the Rising Sun Bypass was completed in 1957.
before meeting MD 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway) at a roundabout
. The state highway enters the town of Rising Sun, where its name changes to Main Street and the highway intersects the western end of MD 274 (Queen Street). After leaving the town limits, MD 273 becomes Telegraph Road and intersects Sylmar Road and Half Mile Turn, both of which are old alignments of US 1. The state highway passes the Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site
and the Plumpton Park Zoo before crossing North East Creek
.
MD 273 continues east through farmland to the community of Calvert, where the highway passes Calvert Manor and intersects MD 272, which heads south as North East Road and north as Chrome Road. An old alignment, Brick Meetinghouse Road, partially parallels the present course to the south, providing access to East Nottingham Friends Meetinghouse
. MD 273 crosses Little North East Creek, intersects Blue Ball Road, and meets Little Elk Creek Road, which leads to Little Elk Farm
and the historic home Hopewell
. The state highway crosses Little Elk Creek just west of Rock United Presbyterian Church
as the highway reaches Fair Hill, where the old alignment of Fair Hill Drive parallels MD 273 to the south before the intersection with MD 213, which heads south as Singerly Road and north as Lewisville Road. Beyond MD 213, MD 273 passes through Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, a state park most well known for its equestrian facilities. The state highway passes through a mix of fields and forest, passing under three service bridges. MD 273 parallels an abandoned alignment of Telegraph Road as it crosses Big Elk Creek
. The state highway leaves the state park just west of Appleton Road, passing through a mix of farmland and residential subdivisions in Appleton before reaching its eastern terminus at the Delaware state line. The highway continues east as DE 273 (Nottingham Road) into Newark.
in 1909. The state road continued west from MD 273's present terminus near Rising Sun along the present and old alignments of US 1 to the Conowingo Bridge
over the Susquehanna River. By 1910, portions of this state road were under construction between Oakwood and Octoraro Creek and from the east town limit of Rising Sun to about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Sylmar Road. Both of those segments were completed in 1911; in addition, another section was under construction from east of Sylmar Road to Calvert. The state road was completed from the Conowingo Bridge to Oakwood in 1914 and under construction from Calvert toward Blue Ball in 1915.
The gap between Octoraro Creek and the east limit of Rising Sun was under construction in 1919 and completed by 1921, providing an all-weather road between the Conowingo Bridge and halfway between Calvert and Blue Ball. The section of MD 273 between Appleton and the Delaware state line was also paved by 1921. The western section of modern road was extended through Blue Ball by 1923. The remaining highway between Calvert and Fair Hill was constructed between 1924 and 1926. The final piece of MD 273 was completed between Fair Hill and Appleton in 1930. US 1 was assigned to the section of the state road west of Sylmar Road and MD 273 was later marked on the eastern portion to Newark. MD 273 was also marked on the portion of the original state road between the defunct Conowingo Bridge and Octoraro Creek—Old Conowingo Road, Ragan Road, and Connelly Road—left behind when US 1 was moved to a new alignment serving Conowingo Dam in 1928.
What is now MD 273 west of Sylmar Road was improved through widening and relocations to improve curves between 1952 and 1956. MD 273 was extended west through Rising Sun to its present western terminus in 1957 when US 1 was moved to the Rising Sun Bypass. MD 273 was relocated through Calvert starting in 1956, leaving behind Brick Meetinghouse Road. The portion of MD 273 west of Octoraro Creek was transferred to county maintenance in 1959. MD 273 was realigned to a perpendicular intersection with US 1 at its western terminus in 2001. Rising Sun Road west of the intersection was retained to serve as a ramp from northbound US 1 to eastbound MD 273 and was designated MD 273A. The roundabout at the junction of MD 273 and MD 276 was constructed in 2003.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Rising Sun
|0.00
|, Oxford, PA
|Western terminus
|-
|0.06
|Rising Sun Road west
|Officially MD 273A; signed as MD 273 eastbound from US 1; no through traffic westbound
|-
|0.66
|
|Roundabout
|-
|1.60
|
|Western terminus of MD 274 Truck
|-
|Calvert
|6.16
|, Nottingham, PA
|MD 274 Truck continues south on MD 272
|-
|Fair Hill
|12.22
|, Lewisville, PA
|
|-
|Appleton
|16.58
| – Newark, DE
|Eastern terminus; Delaware
state line
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The state highway runs 16.58 miles (26.7 km) from U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
(US 1) west of Rising Sun
Rising Sun, Maryland
Rising Sun is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,702 at the 2000 census.-Overview:Rising Sun is located at ....
east to the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
state line near Appleton, where the highway continues east as Delaware Route 273 (DE 273). MD 273 is the main east–west highway of northern Cecil County
Cecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
, connecting Conowingo
Conowingo, Maryland
Conowingo is a small community in western Cecil County, Maryland, USA.Conowingo is a Susquehannock word for "at the rapids".Conowingo was originally located on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River at the confluence of the Conowingo Creek with the river...
(via US 1), Port Deposit
Port Deposit, Maryland
Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay...
(via MD 276
Maryland Route 276
Maryland Route 276 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Jacob Tome Memorial Highway, the state highway runs from MD 222 in Port Deposit north to U.S. Route 1 near Rising Sun. MD 276 is named for Jacob Tome, a lumber magnate, state senator, and...
, and Rising Sun with Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
via the communities of Calvert
Calvert, Maryland
Calvert is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States, about 6 miles east of Rising Sun. It is named for George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore....
and Fair Hill, where the highway intersects MD 272
Maryland Route 272
Maryland Route 272 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Turkey Point within Elk Neck State Park north through North East to the Pennsylvania state line near Calvert, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 272...
and MD 213
Maryland Route 213
Maryland Route 213 is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from Maryland Route 662 in Wye Mills, Queen Anne's County north to the Pennsylvania border in Cecil County, where it continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 841...
, respectively. The state highway also provides access to Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. MD 273 contains a section of MD 274 Truck between MD 274
Maryland Route 274
Maryland Route 274 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Joseph Biggs Memorial Highway, the state highway runs from MD 273 in Rising Sun east to MD 272 in Bay View. In conjunction with MD 272, MD 274 connects Rising Sun with Interstate 95 in central...
in Rising Sun and MD 272 in Calvert.
MD 273 west of Fair Hill was constructed as one of the original state roads, with the portion west of the intersection of Sylmar Road east of Rising Sun constructed as part of US 1 in the 1910s. The first sections of MD 273 proper were paved in the early 1910s west of Calvert. The final section of the state highway between Fair Hill and Appleton was completed around 1930. MD 273 was also assigned to the original state road between the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
and Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek
Octoraro Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, joining it above the Susquehanna's mouth at Chesapeake Bay. The Octoraro rises as an East and West Branch in Pennsylvania. The East Branch and Octoraro Creek form the southern half of the border between Lancaster and Chester counties until...
when US 1 was moved to a new alignment serving Conowingo Dam
Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam is a large hydroelectric dam in the Lower Susquehanna River. The dam, one of the largest non-federal hydroelectric dams in the US, is classified as a medium height, masonry gravity type dam...
in the late 1920s; that segment was returned to county maintenance in the late 1950s. MD 273 was extended west to its present western terminus when the Rising Sun Bypass was completed in 1957.
Route description
MD 273 begins west of Rising Sun at a perpendicular intersection with US 1, which heads south as Conowingo Road and north as the Rising Sun Bypass. The state highway heads south then immediately turns east onto Rising Sun Road. Rising Sun Road to the west of the intersection is signed as MD 273 eastbound from US 1 and is closed to through traffic westbound. MD 273 heads east as a two-lane road through farmland, passing through the hamlet of HarrisvilleHarrisville, Cecil County, Maryland
Harrisville is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The Nathan and Susannah Harris House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
before meeting MD 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway) at a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
. The state highway enters the town of Rising Sun, where its name changes to Main Street and the highway intersects the western end of MD 274 (Queen Street). After leaving the town limits, MD 273 becomes Telegraph Road and intersects Sylmar Road and Half Mile Turn, both of which are old alignments of US 1. The state highway passes the Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site
Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site
Jeremiah Brown House and Mill Site is a Colonial-era mill complex and national historic district at Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland, United States...
and the Plumpton Park Zoo before crossing North East Creek
North East River
The North East River is the northernmost arm of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the United States. Entirely tidal, it extends for from the town of North East, southwest past Charlestown to the main body of Chesapeake Bay between Carpenter Point and Red Point. The river is fed by North East Creek and...
.
MD 273 continues east through farmland to the community of Calvert, where the highway passes Calvert Manor and intersects MD 272, which heads south as North East Road and north as Chrome Road. An old alignment, Brick Meetinghouse Road, partially parallels the present course to the south, providing access to East Nottingham Friends Meetinghouse
East Nottingham Friends Meetinghouse
East Nottingham Meetinghouse, or Brick Meetinghouse, is a historic Friends meeting house located at Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland. It consists of three different sections: the Flemish bond brick section is the oldest, having been built in 1724, by ; the stone addition containing two...
. MD 273 crosses Little North East Creek, intersects Blue Ball Road, and meets Little Elk Creek Road, which leads to Little Elk Farm
Little Elk Farm
Little Elk Farm is a historic home located at Providence, Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is a late-18th-century -story, stone main section, with a smaller -story stone wing...
and the historic home Hopewell
Hopewell (Providence, Maryland)
Hopewell is a historic home located at Providence, Cecil County, Maryland. It is a -half story, mid-18th-century stone structure with a gable roof. It is one of the earliest farmhouses still standing in the broad Elk Creek valley....
. The state highway crosses Little Elk Creek just west of Rock United Presbyterian Church
Rock United Presbyterian Church
Rock United Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located at Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland. It is a rectangular building of uncoursed rubble stone construction, three bays wide by three deep, with a steeply pitched slate-clad gable roof. It was originally constructed in 1761, and...
as the highway reaches Fair Hill, where the old alignment of Fair Hill Drive parallels MD 273 to the south before the intersection with MD 213, which heads south as Singerly Road and north as Lewisville Road. Beyond MD 213, MD 273 passes through Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, a state park most well known for its equestrian facilities. The state highway passes through a mix of fields and forest, passing under three service bridges. MD 273 parallels an abandoned alignment of Telegraph Road as it crosses Big Elk Creek
Elk River (Maryland)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is about long, and as the most northeastern extension of the Chesapeake Bay estuary, serves as one entrance to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It is located in Cecil County, Maryland, with its headwaters extending...
. The state highway leaves the state park just west of Appleton Road, passing through a mix of farmland and residential subdivisions in Appleton before reaching its eastern terminus at the Delaware state line. The highway continues east as DE 273 (Nottingham Road) into Newark.
History
The portion of MD 273 west of Fair Hill was marked for improvement as one of the original state roads by the Maryland State Roads CommissionMaryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
in 1909. The state road continued west from MD 273's present terminus near Rising Sun along the present and old alignments of US 1 to the Conowingo Bridge
Conowingo Bridge
Several incarnations of the Conowingo Bridge crossed the Susquehanna River at the original location of Conowingo, Maryland, USA, about two miles upstream of the Conowingo Dam, which replaced it.- History :...
over the Susquehanna River. By 1910, portions of this state road were under construction between Oakwood and Octoraro Creek and from the east town limit of Rising Sun to about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Sylmar Road. Both of those segments were completed in 1911; in addition, another section was under construction from east of Sylmar Road to Calvert. The state road was completed from the Conowingo Bridge to Oakwood in 1914 and under construction from Calvert toward Blue Ball in 1915.
The gap between Octoraro Creek and the east limit of Rising Sun was under construction in 1919 and completed by 1921, providing an all-weather road between the Conowingo Bridge and halfway between Calvert and Blue Ball. The section of MD 273 between Appleton and the Delaware state line was also paved by 1921. The western section of modern road was extended through Blue Ball by 1923. The remaining highway between Calvert and Fair Hill was constructed between 1924 and 1926. The final piece of MD 273 was completed between Fair Hill and Appleton in 1930. US 1 was assigned to the section of the state road west of Sylmar Road and MD 273 was later marked on the eastern portion to Newark. MD 273 was also marked on the portion of the original state road between the defunct Conowingo Bridge and Octoraro Creek—Old Conowingo Road, Ragan Road, and Connelly Road—left behind when US 1 was moved to a new alignment serving Conowingo Dam in 1928.
What is now MD 273 west of Sylmar Road was improved through widening and relocations to improve curves between 1952 and 1956. MD 273 was extended west through Rising Sun to its present western terminus in 1957 when US 1 was moved to the Rising Sun Bypass. MD 273 was relocated through Calvert starting in 1956, leaving behind Brick Meetinghouse Road. The portion of MD 273 west of Octoraro Creek was transferred to county maintenance in 1959. MD 273 was realigned to a perpendicular intersection with US 1 at its western terminus in 2001. Rising Sun Road west of the intersection was retained to serve as a ramp from northbound US 1 to eastbound MD 273 and was designated MD 273A. The roundabout at the junction of MD 273 and MD 276 was constructed in 2003.
Junction list
The entire route is in Cecil CountyCecil County, Maryland
Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Rising Sun
Rising Sun, Maryland
Rising Sun is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,702 at the 2000 census.-Overview:Rising Sun is located at ....
|0.00
|, Oxford, PA
Oxford, Pennsylvania
Oxford is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Oxford is the closest town to Lincoln University. The population was 4,315 at the 2000 census.-History:The borough was once called Oxford Crossing and Oxford Village....
|Western terminus
|-
|0.06
|Rising Sun Road west
|Officially MD 273A; signed as MD 273 eastbound from US 1; no through traffic westbound
|-
|0.66
|
|Roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
|-
|1.60
|
|Western terminus of MD 274 Truck
|-
|Calvert
Calvert, Maryland
Calvert is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States, about 6 miles east of Rising Sun. It is named for George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore....
|6.16
|, Nottingham, PA
Nottingham, Pennsylvania
Nottingham is an unincorporated community located in West Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The community is located at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Pennsylvania Route 272 near the border with East Nottingham Township a short distance north of the Maryland border. It is home to...
|MD 274 Truck continues south on MD 272
|-
|Fair Hill
|12.22
|, Lewisville, PA
|
|-
|Appleton
|16.58
| – Newark, DE
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
|Eastern terminus; Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
state line
External links
- MD 273 @ MDRoads.com
- MD 274 Truck signed along MD 273