BCPL History and Genealogy - Perry Hall - The Maryland State Fish and Game Protective Association.
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The Maryland State Fish and Game Protective Association
by David Marks
Historian, Perry Hall Improvement Association

It's one of Perry Hall's hidden treasures, a collection of woods, ponds, and winding trails tucked inconspicuously along one of the busiest thoroughfares in our community. When the Maryland State Fish and Game Protective Association opened at its present site in 1963, White Marsh was nothing but quarries and old mines, Belair Road was a country lane, and deer roamed the great expanse in between. Today, this refuge is one of the last undeveloped areas in Perry Hall, although many residents drive by it on Honeygo Boulevard without ever realizing its hidden beauty

The Maryland State Fish and Game Protective Association is a twenty-six acre wildlife refuge in eastern Perry Hall adjacent to Honeygo Boulevard and north of Silver Spring Road. It borders Honeygo Park, which will be developed by the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks into a nature and community center for Perry Hall. The Association ceded three of its original twenty-nine acres to the county for Honeygo Park.

I was fortunate to take a tour of this property on a cold Sunday morning one February. Al Thompson, a member of the Association Board of Directors, pointed out the extensive trails, ice covered lakes, and wildlife tracks made through the snow-covered hills. Except for the low, faint hum of Silver Spring Road, the only sounds were those of Honeygo Run gurgling in the distance, doves taking flight, and geese returning from their winter retreat.

This was exactly how the founders of the Association wanted it. The club traces its history to a meeting on May 8th, 1874, when a group of Maryland businessmen gathered at Lehman's Hall in Baltimore to form the "Maryland Association for the Protection and Preservation of Fish and Game." The club thinned out, but twenty-one years later, it was resuscitated by another group of sportsmen and community leaders. The first meeting of the revived club was held at Baltimore's Carrollton Hotel on March 5th, 1895. Subsequent events were organized at the Maryland Academy of Science. The Maryland State Game and Fish Protective Association now claims itself as the oldest conservation club in the United States. It predates the modern environmental movement, which began with President Theodore Roosevelt, by nearly a generation.

The Association moved to its present location in 1963, when the Samuel Pistoria family, former owners of Turf Valley Country Club, donated twenty-nine acres of land they owned in the remote Perry Hall area. Shortly thereafter, two ponds were were constructed by the Campbell Company, which operated quarries and construction in White Marsh. The ponds were stocked with fish and used for the recreation of the club's members and local youth groups.

On August 25th, 1963, ground was broken by Col. William H. Triplett on a permanent hall and caretakers residence. Before this, the members used a 16 x 16 army tent. In the three decades since, the club has developed an extensive archery range and full camping facilities, which are used by members, their guests, and local Scouting and conservation groups. The main hall has been used for bull and oyster roasts, wedding receptions, and special events like the club's 100th anniversary in 1995. There are also seasonal fund-raisers and picnics, including a Super Bowl/Wild Game Feast, a fishing rodeo, an Easter egg hunt, and a family crab picnic.

The property is home to the Vignt Neuf Archery Club, which was formed in the 1950's and boasts one of the most active archery programs in the United States. The club holds seven tournament shoots every year, with a fourteen-target outdoor range, an eighteen-lane heated indoor range, and a three-target broad head range. The archery course is open to experts and beginners. The Association hall is home to the White Marsh squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

An oasis in the middle of suburbia, the Maryland State Game and Fish Protective Association reminds residents of a wilder, freer past. As development continues, it is important to have this final link to the way Perry Hall used to be. It is also critical for residents to take part in the many activities which this-hidden treasure makes possible.

This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
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