This Month In County History

1948: Sandy Point property acquired

Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. announced on Sept. 2, 1948, that the state would acquire the beachfront property that would later become Sandy Point State Park.

The vote to acquire the Chesapeake Bay parcel was considered so critical that the governor and comptroller held an emergency meeting of the Board of Public Works in Ocean City, with the state treasurer phoning in his vote from Baltimore. The scenic property, encompassing more than 500 acres, was offered to the state by the owner, William H. Labrot.

Newspaper reports indicate part of the property was a gift, with the rest sold to the state for $160,000. The estimated cost of filling marshy areas in the tract was $315,000. Labrot's offer was widely seen as a move to thwart plans for establishing a Naval Academy airport at Sandy Point.

Source: The Sun