Abingdon, MD

Starting along the Bush River and extending northwest toward Emmorton, the unincorporated community of Abingdon provides a rural setting near three major parks: Bush Declaration Natural Resources Management Area, Bynum Run Conservation Area, and Harford Glen Park. Abingdon has a long history dating back to colonial times. Captain John Smith explored the Bush River in 1608, naming it after a river near his home in England, Willowbyes Flu. In 1740, one of the future signers of the Declaration of Independence was born in Abingdon -- William Paca.

Abingdon was the site of the nation's first Methodist college, Cokesbury College. It opened in 1787 and ceased to exist in 1796, after a fire. A historical monument marks the former location of the school. Woodside, a historic house in Abingdon, was built in 1823. The Bush Declaration Natural Resources Management Area features a historical marker -- it was here that the first Declaration of Independence was signed in 1775 and was considered the beginning of the American Revolution.

Abingdon is just south of I-95, allowing commuters to quickly reach Baltimore, roughly 22 miles southwest. Abingdon is also convenient to Hammerman Area Beach, Aberdeen Proving Ground, and Phillips AAF.