Harney, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harney, Maryland
Unincorporated community
Harney, Maryland Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Harney, Maryland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Caroll
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)

Harney is a small community in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. It's known for being the home of the 'World's Best Carnival' and the Harney Volunteer Fire Company since 1951. Before 1892, it was called Monocacyville.

Where is Harney?

Harney is located near the start of the Monocacy River. It sits at an important crossroads. These roads are Conover Road (running east-west) and Harney Road (running north-south). Other smaller roads like Bowers Road and Baptist Road also meet here.

Nearby Towns and Cities

Harney is close to several other communities:

• To the south: Longville
• To the southwest: Emmitsburg
• In Pennsylvania:
  • West: Natural Dam
  • North: Mt. Joy Township and Barlow
  • North-northeast: Two Taverns
  • East-northeast: Littlestown
  • East: Kingsdale

Harney's History: A Timeline

Harney has a long and interesting history, from its early days as a crossroads to its role in the Civil War.

Early Days and Roads

• 1763: The famous Mason-Dixon survey placed a marker north of where Harney would later be. This marker was replaced in 1976.
• 1808: A road was approved in Pennsylvania connecting Gettysburg to Maryland. This helped people travel to places like Taneytown.
• 1825: A new west-east road, connecting Emmitsburg and Littlestown, opened. This road crossed the existing north-south Gettysburg-Taneytown road, making Harney an important crossroads. By 1895, these roads had names like Gettysburg Street and Littlestown Street.

Businesses and Community Life

• 1815: Nicholas Eckes built one of the first homes nearby and worked as a shoemaker. His family continued this trade for many years.
• 1824: The very first store in what would become Monocacyville opened. Over time, the community grew to have three hotels and other shops.
• Around 1839: Another small store opened. Later, a wagon-making business started here.
• 1864: A cabinet-making business began in Harney.
• 1878: A blacksmith shop, which had been in the Fream family, closed down.
• 1886: Harney had a general store, and the postmaster lived there for a while.
• 1887: The first public school in Harney started in a room above a store. Later, it moved to the second floor of a new building.
• 1892: A mill in Harney, called Centennial Mill, got new equipment to help it work better.
• 1895: Harney had several businesses, including two general stores, a hotel, and a blacksmith shop. There was also a mill nearby.
• Around 1897: Monocacyville was renamed Harney. This happened when a local storekeeper agreed to hold mail for customers. The post office was named after General William S. Harney.
• 1921: An automobile repair shop opened in Harney.
• 1954: Miller's General Store was open. Another general store owner, A. C. Leatherman, had run a store for 29 years!
• 1992: The Harney General Store, which was the last one in the community, closed its doors.
• Around 1992: Harney Woodworking started, making cabinets.

Harney During the Civil War

Harney played a small but important role during the American Civil War.

• July 1, 1863: On the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, several Union Army generals and troops passed through Monocacyville (Harney's old name).
  • General Hancock traveled through Harney to take command at Gettysburg.
  • Hancock's II Corps (Union Army) also marched through Harney on their way to the battlefield.
  • Ames Battery G set up an overnight camp near Harney before their battle at The Peach Orchard in Gettysburg.
  • George G. Meade, the Union Army commander, also passed through Harney on his way to Gettysburg.

Community Organizations and Events

• 1866: The Evangelical United Brethren Church was founded in Harney. It had a cemetery, now called Sunrise Cemetery. The church closed after 1955.
• 1890: St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church was established. They laid the cornerstone for their church building.
• 1893: The Lutheran church bought land for their Mountainview Cemetery.
• 1900: The Mason and Dixon Lodge, No. 69 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded. The Lutheran church later bought their hall in 1942.
• 1915: Harney had community recreation areas where churches held baseball games and picnics.
• Around 1947: The Harney Baseball Club built a baseball field with a grandstand. They played in local leagues for many years. Later, the field was used for softball and is now owned by the Lutheran church.
• October 4, 1947: The Monocacy Valley Memorial Post 6918 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was started with 30 members. They later built a clubhouse.
• 1951: The Harney Volunteer Fire Company was created. They started with a siren and two fire extinguishers!
• 1951: Harney also had a 4-H club, which is a youth organization focused on agriculture and community.
• June 1955: The Maryland governor spoke at the opening of the new Carroll County Fire Department Station 11.
• By 1976: The Harney Lions Club had formed, helping the community.

Modern Times

• September 12, 1979: Harney was officially added to the GNIS, which keeps track of place names.
• 2008: The Harney fire company's service area was expanded to cover more ground.
• Around 2010: A fire destroyed a former hotel building in Harney.