Liriodendron mansion in Bel Air highlights Harford County history while serving as museum and event venue

The Liriodendron, a 19th-century mansion on roughly 100 acres in Bel Air, serves as both a local history museum and a popular event venue while remaining county property operated by a nonprofit foundation.

"The mansion was built in 1898," said Kathy Dermont, executive director of the Liriodendron. "The mansion is owned by Harford County government, but it is operated by a nonprofit foundation." Dermont said the site hosts gallery exhibitions, meetings and weddings and that the foundation has helped make the property financially sustainable.

The mansion’s museum highlights the life and work of Dr. Howard Atwood Kelly, who is credited in the museum narrative with several contributions to modern gynecologic care and surgical practice. Speakers on the program noted that instruments such as the Kelly clamp bear his name and that the mansion’s displays explain his role in early Johns Hopkins medical practice. "This was his summer home," Dermont said, describing portraits and artifacts displayed in the museum room.

John Street, a member of the Liriodendron foundation board, recounted growing up nearby and described the mansion’s impact on the community, noting street names and landmarks tied to the Kelly family. Guests on the program said Harford County took possession of the property in 1977 and that private donors and foundation supporters helped adapt the house for public use.

The site also hosts rotating art exhibits curated for the mansion’s gallery spaces. Program participants cited recent displays of hooked-rug work and said exhibits regularly draw visitors from around the region. Susan Tobin was identified on the program as the mansion’s curator.

For weddings and private events, managers said the grounds and gardens—including a famed wisteria that typically blooms from mid-April through mid-May—are a major draw. Dermont described a recent addition, the Kelly Salon, which provides prep space for bridal parties; she explained that bridal parties commonly arrive four to five hours before the event and vacate the salon around 3:00 p.m. on the day of a wedding. "We do approximately 70 plus weddings a year," she said.

County Executive Bob Castsilly praised the foundation’s role in preserving the property while limiting taxpayer cost. "The foundation has made the property largely self-sustaining," he said on the program, thanking donors and volunteers who helped restore utilities and maintain the estate.

The Liriodendron remains open to the public for museum visits and special events; program participants directed listeners to the Harford County website and the Liriodendron site for hours and booking information. The episode closed with a call to view upcoming exhibits and events at the site.

The program presented history, operations and visitor information; it did not record any formal county action on the property during the episode.