Carpenter Point was the site of the first permanent settlement in Cecil County, established on July 20, 1658 when William Carpenter patented 400 acres of land called Anna Catherine Neck, abutting Bay Head Creek, now Principio Creek; The Cecil Historical Trust, Inc.: At The Head of The Bay, A Cultural and Architectural History of Cecil County, Maryland, Maryland Historical Trust Press, Crownsville, Md., 1996.