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Ellicott City, Maryland

Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 75,947 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous unincorporated county seat in the country.

Ellicott City's historic downtown – the Ellicott City Historic District – lies in the valleys of the Tiber and Patapsco rivers. The historic district includes the Ellicott City Station, which is the oldest surviving train station in the United States, having been built in 1830 as the first terminus of the original B&O Railroad line. The historic district is often called "Historic Ellicott City" or "Old Ellicott City" to distinguish it from the surrounding suburbs that extend south to Columbia and west to West Friendship.

Milling
In 1766, James Hood used the "Maryland Mill Act of 1669" to condemn 20 acre for a mill site adjacent to his river-side 157 acre property. His gristmill was built on the banks of the Patapsco River where the Frederick road (later known as the National Road, then U.S. Route 40, then Maryland Route 144) crossed the river. The site was later known as "Ellicott's Upper Mills". His son Benjamin rebuilt the corn grinding mill after one of the frequent Patapsco floods in 1768. Benjamin Hood then sold the mill to Joseph Ellicott in 1774 for 1,700 pounds. In later years the B&O Railroad ran through the property, with track laid over the graves of the Hood family.

On 24 April 1771, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia, chose the picturesque wilderness several miles upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (today's Elkridge, Maryland), the uppermost part of the river then navigable by tobacco-loading sailing merchant ships in the 18th century, to establish a flour mill, purchasing 50 acre of Baltimore County land from Emanuel Teal and 35 acre from William Williams. In 1775 they expanded their holdings with 30.5 acre from Bartholomew Balderson and Hood's Mill. John, Andrew, and Joseph Ellicott founded "Ellicott's Mills", which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East. Nathaniel sold his partnership in 1777, and Joseph sold all but his Hood's Mill ownership the next year. The town retained the name "Ellicott's Mills" when the U.S. Postal stop opened on October 7, 1797.

The Ellicott brothers constructed sawmills, smithies, stables, an oil mill, a grain distillery, and grain mills. They helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat instead of tobacco and also by introducing Plaster of Paris fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. The Ellicotts produced the product until a fire on 11 January 1809. Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, a rare Roman Catholic and a wealthy landowner with the largest fortune then in colonial America, was an early influential convert from tobacco to wheat. By 1830, the founders' families could no longer support operations as "Ellicott and Company" or "Johnathan Ellicott and Sons". By 1840, the Ellicott family sold off their interests in the two flour mills, the granite quarry, the saw mill and plaster mill.

Rail
In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore, the first commercially operated cargo and passenger railroad in the country. The B&O was organized in 1827 and had its "first stone" laid the following year with major ceremonies on July 4, Independence Day, with the beginning of construction. The Ellicott City Station, built on an embankment across the corner of the town and along the Patapsco River and intersecting Tiber Creek stream, with its "Oliver Viaduct", named for a B&O board member Robert Oliver crossing over the National Road of large blocks of locally quarried gray granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the National Park Service. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America". In 1829, New York industrialist and Baltimore foundry-owner Peter Cooper began testing his iron steam engine, Tom Thumb (1791–1883), on the B&O Railway. This was the first time a steam locomotive was used to transport persons over rails in the United States. The famous race between Tom Thumb and a horse-drawn rail carriage took place between Relay Junction on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills towards Baltimore in August 1830. Even though the horse won the race due to a sudden broken drive belt on the Tom Thumb, it heralded the time when steam engines steadily improved, and the soon-to-be steam-operated railroad became a vital link in the town's economy and later expanding to the city of Baltimore's economic supremacy along with the state in the nation. The site of the Howard County Courthouse, which was built from 1840 to 1843 in the former western Howard District of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, was so designated for the new temporary district in 1839, and continued and was expanded later when Howard County became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851, as one of the 23 counties (plus Baltimore as an independent city) in the state of Maryland. The town in 1851 was in a spate of depression as low costs shut the Maryland Machine Manufacturing Company. Over 80 vacant dwellings lined the Howard County side of the river. By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area.

At the start of the Civil War on April 19, 1861, "Gaithers Raiders", part of the Confederate "Howard County Dragoons" from Oakland Manor, marched through Ellicott's Mills to Baltimore, responding to the Baltimore riot of 1861, before heading south to join J. E. B. Stuart. Later that month, Union Army troops seized the "Winans Steam Gun" which had been en route to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, at Ellicott's Mills. The experimental gun had been developed by local Southern-sympathizer railroad builder and industrialist Ross Winans. In the fall of 1862, the 12th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was assigned to guard Ellicott's Mills, setting up the 1,200-man Camp Johnson on the lawn of the nearby Patapsco Female Institute. On July 10, 1864, the third Confederate invasion of the North, led by General Jubal Early, forced the retreat of the Federal troops under the command of General Lew Wallace down the National Pike from the Battle of the Monocacy to the B.& O.'s Ellicott's Mills station and to Baltimore. The one-day delay by Wallace's small force at Monocacy Junction enabled Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to rush troops in time to defend the U.S. capital. Homes and churches in Ellicott's Mills were temporarily used as hospitals for the Union wounded.

In 1866, cholera broke out. In the same year, the Granite Mills cotton factory owned by Benjamin Detford burned down.

Incorporation and disincorporation
In 1867, a city incorporation charter was secured for Ellicott's Mills forming a local government with a mayor and council, and the name was changed to "Ellicott City".

The first mayor was E. A. Talbot, who lived in a stone house and operated a lumber yard at the base of the river. His business was washed away in the flood of 1866, and again in 1868. He was offered a clear title on his home from his opponent Issacs if he threw his reelection, which he did. Talbot relocated uphill to a brick and granite store designed by Charles Timanus that houses the Ellicott City Brewing Company today.

Howard County built its first jailhouse, the Ellicott City Jail, also called Emory Jail or Willow Grove, on Emory Avenue in 1878. The stone jail intended for 12 inmates operated until the Howard County Detention Center opened in 1983.

In 1879, political gangs controlled the polling locations, shooting and wounding African American Ellicott City voters. The deputy sheriff declined to arrest the leaders for fear of his life and further outbreaks of violence.

In H. L. Mencken's best-selling memoir Happy Days, 1880–1892, he described his childhood in the chapter "Rural Delights" while living with his parents in their rented home in Ellicott City.

Ellicott City favored the temperance movement, enacting a law against "spiritous, fermented or intoxicating liquors" in 1882, taking effect May 1, 1883. This was shortly changed to limit sales of liquor to licensed shops that did not sell other goods, providing the primary source of the town's tax income.

Trolley service was proposed from Baltimore to Ellicott City in 1892, approved on April 20, 1895, and implemented in 1899. The service ran a double-ended streetcar for most of its service life until 1955, when the Baltimore Service commission recommended a bus replacement, which lasted only two years. The Catonsville & Ellicott City Electric Railway Company rail line was later converted to a hiking trail.

In February 1895, shop owner Daniel F. Shea was murdered by Jacob Henson. Henson was tried and sentenced to death. Fearing that Governor Brown might release Henson due to insanity, a group of residents broke into the jail and lynched Henson on Merricks Lane with a sign saying "Brown cannot rule our cort". Governor Brown condemned the citizens and ordered all prisoners sentenced to death be sent to the Maryland Penitentiary from then on.

After a difficult start in 1896, granite mining was started.

In 1907, Taylor Manor started as the Patapsco Manor Sanitarium built on property along New Cut Road. In 1939 the facility was purchased by Issac Taylor and run as the Pinel Clinic. Taylor operated an optometrist business and Taylor's Furniture on Main Street. In 1948 the facility expanded to 48 beds, and in 1968 it expanded to 151 beds. The modernist circular rotunda stands out at the center of campus. Taylor Manor covered more than 70 acre. In 2000, the facility became a branch of Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital.

In 1924, the Display Machine Doughnut Corporation moved to Ellicott City from New York, occupying the site of the 1916 Patapsco Flouring Mill built on the ruins of the former Elicott and Gambrill's mills. The company made doughnut mix and doughnut manufacturing machines as the Doughnut Corporation of America.

The only chartered city in the county, Ellicott City lost its charter in 1935 with a proposal from Senator Joseph Donovan, as the tax base from saloon fees lost in Prohibition caused citizen protest when taxes were shifted to residents.

On April 27, 1941, a fire gutted the eight-story doughnut factory, but it rebuilt, providing doughnut mixes to WWII troops. In January 1942, an emergency room was set up in the post office for civilian defense for the ongoing war effort.

In 1943, the Metropolitan District was formed to bring water and sewer to Ellicott City, sponsored by newspaperman P.G. Stromberg, I.H. Taylor, Charles E. Miller, Marray G. Peddicord, John A. Lane, and W. Emil Thompson.

Suburban development
In 1955, County Commissioner Norman E. Moxley created the city's first major subdivision, Normandy Heights. The first major shopping center, Normandy Shopping Center, was constructed. Alda Hopkins Clark purchased the Ellicott City First Presbyterian Church to donate it to the Howard County Historical Society.

In 1958, The Goddess, a film loosely based on Marilyn Monroe's life, was shot on location in the city.

Before 1962, the only polling location for Howard County voters was in Ellicott City. In May 1962, voters were offered a second location to vote, also in Ellicott City at the National Armory on Montgomery Road.

The same year, the state health department ordered the city to stop dumping its raw sewage into the Patuxent River and develop a modern septic system.

In 1964, the Corinthian Conservation Company was proposed to operate a Title I private-nonprofit partnership to implement a slum eradication program in Ellicott City, demolishing residences, and replacing them with 75% federal-funded apartment complexes.

In 1977, the county chose a site outside of the city for a new landfill, leading to the closure of the local New Cut Road landfill which served the county from 1944 until May 1980 for trash and hazardous materials. The New Cut landfill became the Worthington Dog Park. In 2011, a portion of the former 83 acre landfill site was developed with a $462,000 grant from the Maryland Energy Administration to build onsite solar arrays to power Worthington Elementary.

Ellicott City has historically been home to a population of poverty-class and working-class Appalachian and Southern migrants who came north looking for jobs. Many were factory workers who subsequently worked in the mills of Ellicott City. Many of the Appalachian migrants came from the mountains of Tennessee, earning Ellicott City the nickname "Little Sneedville", after the town of Sneedville, Tennessee where many of the migrants had come from. By the mid-1980s, the "hillbilly" community had faded. Many of the migrants from Tennessee returned, while others lived in apartments along Route 40. By 1985, Ellicott City had experienced gentrification, becoming associated with antique shopping.

Historic Main Street has been the site of several devastating fires, most notably in November 1984, three in 1992 and again on November 9, 1999. The 1984 fire was started by Leidig's Bakery's faulty air conditioning unit and destroyed six buildings; the 1992 fires were by arson, and the 1999 six-alarm blaze which destroyed five businesses and caused an estimated $2 million in damage was accidentally started behind a restaurant by a discarded cigarette.

The fairy tale-themed amusement park, the Enchanted Forest, was located in the western part of the area. The park closed to the general public since the early 1990s. A shopping center (called the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center) was built on its parking lot. Many of the attractions have been moved to Clark's Elioak Farm in a rural area in the southwest corner of the Ellicott City CDP, where they are being restored. The Enchanted Forest was featured in the 1990 John Waters-directed film Cry-Baby.

At midnight on August 21, 2012, a CSX coal train derailed on the Old Main Line Subdivision. Two 19-year-old girls who were sitting on the railroad bridge over Main Street were killed when coal was dumped on them.

In 2012, the Forest Diner closed, ending a 66-year business as a traditional polished metal roadside diner, making way for 38 apartments.

In 2014, the Hiene House and Ellicott City Jail were placed on the Preserve Howard top-ten most endangered list due to walkway and parking lot construction plans.

In 2015, Ellicott City was inducted as a new member of Tree City USA.

Koreatown
Ellicott City has been home to a large Korean population along its Route 40 corridor, where numerous Korean-owned businesses and restaurants operate. Around 12,000 Korean-Americans currently live in Howard County, officials say. In Ellicott City, they make up 24 percent of the population. In 2017, Governor Larry Hogan dedicated a section of Route 40 from Rogers Avenue to Greenway Drive as "Korean Way", paying homage to the community's Korean culture. Ellicott City's Koreatown has been widely recognized for revitalizing declining shopping centers along the U.S. highway.

Floods
The town is prone to flooding from the Patapsco River and its tributary the Tiber River. These floods have had a major impact on the history of the town, often destroying important businesses and killing many. Ellicott City has had major devastating floods in 1817, 1837, 1868, 1901, 1917, 1923, 1938, 1942, 1952, 1956, 1972 (Hurricane Agnes), 1975 (Hurricane Eloise), 1989, 2011, 2016, and 2018. The 1868 flood washed away 14 houses, killing 39 to 43 (accounts vary) in and around Ellicott City. It wiped out the Granite Manufacturing Cotton Mill, Charles A. Gambrill's Patapsco Mill, John Lee Carroll's mill buildings, and dozens of homes. One mill was rebuilt by Charles Gambrill, which remained in operation until a fire in 1916.

A 1923 flood topped bridges, in 1952 an 8 ft wall of water swept the shops of Ellicott City, and a 1956 flood inflicted heavy damage at the Bartigis Brothers plant. On June 21, 1972, the Patapsco River valley flooded 14.5 ft from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes, taking out a concrete bridge, destroying the Jonathan Ellicott home, and the 1910 Victor Blode water filtration plant, and flooding Main Street to the Odd Fellows hall. The Old Main Line of the B&O Railroad also sustained serious damage.

On September 27, 1975, the town was flooded 9.0 ft from Hurricane Eloise. Floods also occurred September 22, 1989, from Hurricane Hugo, and on September 7, 2011, flooding 11.0 ft from Tropical Storm Lee.

2016 flood
On July 30, 2016, a storm dropped 6 in of rain in two hours on the community. The resulting flash flood caused severe damage in historic Ellicott City, especially along Main Street. Many homes, roads, businesses, sidewalks, and more were destroyed by the flooding, including the town's landmark clock. A state of emergency was declared, and two people died as a result of the flooding.

2018 flood
On the afternoon of May 27, 2018, historic Main Street flooded again, after the region received over eight inches of rain in the span of two hours, just days before the new flood emergency alert system was to become operational. Homes, businesses, and infrastructure, including roads and the town's clock, were again damaged or destroyed. One person died, a National Guard member swept away while trying to save others.

Flood control
In 2017, the Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan was unveiled but after the 2018 flood the plans had to be re-evaluated. A $140 million multi-tiered five-year plan was chosen by County officials. The plan includes building a tunnel requiring the removal of nine historic structures.

The removal of nine or ten historic buildings was opposed by preservationists as well as residents and Democrat Calvin Ball defeated incumbent Republican Allan Kittleman as county executive. Ball halted the work of Kittleman to study five plans. One would involve removing six buildings and another only four buildings. Two plans called for boring underground tunnels that was considered too expensive.

The plan chosen involves tearing down four buildings and boring a 15-foot diameter tunnel through 1,600 feet of the granite hillside. Ten buildings were purchased and six will be stabilized and restored. The plan is not to solve the flood problem but mitigate it from over four feet to under one foot of flooding on the streets.

Geography
Ellicott City is in northeastern Howard County, bordered to the east and north by the Patapsco River, which forms the Baltimore County line. The Ellicott City census-designated place (CDP) extends to the northwest beyond Marriottsville Road and to the southwest beyond Centennial Road. It is bordered to the south by Columbia at Maryland Route 108 and to the southeast by Ilchester at Maryland Route 104 and Bonnie Branch Road. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 77.9 sqkm, of which 77.6 sqkm are land and 0.3 sqkm, or 0.41%, are water.

Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic District, which is in the Tiber River valley immediately west of the Patapsco River. The Tiber River is a small tributary of the Patapsco that forms the narrow valley followed by Main Street. Several deep stream valleys converge at this location, which increases the risk of flooding, but at the same time creates the town's heights.

The heart of the Historic District is Main Street, where the oldest structures of the town stand. Smaller neighborhoods within the district include Tongue Row adjacent to Old Columbia Pike, and the West End, at the western end of Main Street.

Neighborhoods
The remainder of the Ellicott City CDP ("Greater Ellicott City") includes the neighborhoods of:

 * Oella (Baltimore County)
 * Dorsey's Search
 * Centennial
 * Elioak
 * Turf Valley
 * Font Hill
 * Dunloggin
 * Waverly
 * Mount Hebron
 * Saint Johns Lane
 * Bethgate
 * Valley Mede
 * Bethany Manor
 * Normandy
 * Linwood
 * Long Gate
 * Taylor Village
 * Worthington
 * Brampton Hills
 * Montgomery Meadows
 * Jonestown
 * Ilchester
 * Wheatfield

Geology
Historic Ellicott City sits on the Silurian or Ordovician Ellicott City Granodiorite. Outcrops can be seen lining Main Street. Several granite quarries were in operation in Ellicott City in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with frequent thunderstorms. Spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures. Winter is often considered chilly by U.S. standards, with lighter rain showers of longer duration. Sporadic snowfall can occur in winter, but is usually relatively light. The Köppen classification is humid subtropical. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year, with 3 - 5 in falling each month.

2010
As of the census of 2010, there were 65,834 people, 23,734 households, and 18,150 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,188.8 PD/sqmi. There were 24,672 housing units at an average density of 822.4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 64.5% White, 22.9% Asian, 8.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.1% some other race, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 23,734 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were headed by married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.20.

In the CDP, the population was distributed by age with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $103,464, and the median income for a family was $120,064. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $29,287. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 20,250 households, and 15,288 families residing in the town. The population density was 679.8 /km2. There were 20,789 housing units at an average density of 250.6 /km2. The racial makeup of the town was 78.33% White, 7.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 2.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 20,250 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the town the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $79,031, and the median income for a family was $91,968. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,316. 3.3% of the population and 2.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.3% were under the age of 18 and 4.9% were 65 or older.

Tourism

Ellicott City has been called one of the most haunted small towns on the East Coast. The Howard County Tourism Council runs a Ghost Tour that visits several places with reputations for paranormal activity. Among these are the mansions Lilburn, Hayden House, and Mt. Ida; the B&O railroad bridge that crosses Main Street in the center of the town; the old Ellicott City Firehouse; and the Patapsco Female Institute.

Tourist attractions include:
 * Centennial Park
 * Ellicott City Station
 * Enchanted Forest
 * Shrine of St. Anthony
 * The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
 * Trolley Line Number 9 Trail

Representation in Congress
From 2003 to 2023, Ellicott City was a part of Maryland's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat Elijah Cummings until his death in 2019, followed by Kweisi Mfume until congressional redistricting.

Since 2023, Ellicott City, along with the rest of Howard County, has been a part of Maryland's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat John Sarbanes.

County government
Ellicott City houses numerous county offices, departments, and courthouses. The Howard County Circuit Courthouse is located on Court Avenue, on a hilltop north of the downtown area. The Howard County District Courthouse is located close by on Martha Bush Drive, which houses district courtrooms and the county clerk's office. The County Executive and Council, along the departments of Community Services, Education, Elections, Employment, Health, Law Offices, Licensing, Natural Resources, Planning, Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, and Transportation are located in the George Howard Government Campus on Court House Drive.

Police and fire
The Howard County Police Department headquarters is located in the George Howard Government Campus on Court House Drive. The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services provides service from two stations in Ellicott City: Station 2 on Montgomery Road, and Station 8 on Old Frederick Road and Bethany Lane.

List of mayors

 * 1) George Ellicott 1867
 * 2) E.A. Talbot  (served 2 terms) 1867-1868
 * 3) Daniel J. McCaulty 1873
 * 4) James E. Vansant before 1877
 * 5) Christian Eckert 1890
 * 6) Dr. Mordecai Gist Sykes 1893-?, 1922-? serving three times
 * 7) Robert Yates 1900-?, 1904-?
 * 8) Joseph H. Leishear 1907–1909
 * 9) John H. Kraft 1909-?

Education
Ellicott City proper is served by Mount Hebron High School, Centennial High School, Wilde Lake High School, and Howard High School in the Howard County Public School System; Marriotts Ridge High School and River Hill High School serve most of the rest of the CDP area. The Homewood Center and the system's other specialized school, along with the central offices, also have Ellicott City addresses, though in fact they are on the northern edge of Columbia.

Middle schools serving the CDP are Burleigh Manor, Dunloggin, Bonnie Branch, Mount View, Folly Quarter, Ellicott Mills and Patapsco. The elementary schools include Veterans, Ilchester, Northfield, Centennial Lane, Manor Woods, St. Johns Lane, Waverly, Worthington, Triadelphia Ridge, and Hollifield Station.

St. John's Parish Day School is located 1.5 mi west of the town center, and Glenelg Country School is located at the western edge of the CDP.

Transit
Ellicott City is served by the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) by Route 405 (Yellow Line) travelling from the Columbia Mall to the Miller Branch Public Library. The Maryland Transit Administration also provides commuter bus service via Lines 150 and 345. Dorsey station is the nearest MARC Train, located 9 miles away in Elkridge. The station is accessed off of Route 100 and is equipped with over 800 spaces.

Numerous paths and trails surround Ellicott City for recreational and commuting purposes. The Grist Mill Trail in Patapsco Valley State Park runs parallel to the Patapsco River in Baltimore County, connecting Ilchester Road to Gun Road in Relay. The trail is known for the Patapsco Swinging Bridge. The Trolley Line Number 9 Trail in nearby Oella also connects Ellicott City to Catonsville.

Roads
Major east–west routes in Ellicott City include:
 * Maryland Route 144 (Main Street)
 * US 40.svg U.S. Route 40 (Baltimore National Pike)
 * I-70.svg Interstate 70 traveling east to west from Frederick to Baltimore
 * Maryland Route 103 (Montgomery Road).

Other major highways in Ellicott City include:
 * US 29.svg.S. Route 29 (Columbia Pike) has its northern terminus at I-70, then travels southward towards Columbia and Washington, D.C.
 * Maryland Route 100 terminates in the south part of Ellicott City and travels eastward towards Glen Burnie.

North-south cross routes include Bethany Lane, Centennial Lane, Chatham Road, Marriottsville Road, Ridge Road, Rogers Avenue (Maryland Route 99), and Saint Johns Lane.

Airports
Nearby airports include Baltimore-Washington International Airport, 10 mi southeast of Ellicott City, and Glenair Airport in Glenelg, 10 miles to the west.

Notable people

 * Jeff Altenburg, racing driver
 * Edith Clarke, pioneering electrical engineer
 * Frank Cho, comics writer/artist, and creator of Liberty Meadows
 * Ray Ciccarelli, American professional stock car racing driver
 * Taylor Cummings, lacrosse player
 * Divine, actor
 * Dijon Duenas, musician
 * Bryce Hall, American social media personality
 * Samuel Hinks, Mayor of Baltimore from 1854 to 1856
 * Aaron Maybin, former professional football player for the New York Jets of the National Football League; went to high school in Ellicott City
 * Robert G. Millar, Christian Identity leader whose evangelical group was first established in Ellicott City
 * Ken Navarro, contemporary jazz guitarist and composer
 * Creig Northrop, real estate agent, broker, and CEO of Northrop Realty
 * Alexis Ohanian, internet entrepreneur, activist and investor
 * Aaron Russell, professional volleyball player for the United States national team
 * Snail Mail, band of Mount Hebron High School alum Lindsey Jordan
 * Edward Snowden, NSA leaker
 * Peter Solomon, Major League Baseball player for the Houston Astros.
 * The Dangerous Summer, American rock band
 * Martha Ellicott Tyson (1795–1873), Quaker elder, author, and co-founder of Swarthmore College

title: Ellicott City, Maryland


text:
North Laurel, Maryland

North Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The published population was 4,474 at the 2010 census. This population was substantially less than the CDP's population in 2000, and was the result of an error in defining the boundary prior to tabulation and publication of 2010 Census results. The corrected 2010 Census population is 20,259. North Laurel is adjacent to the City of Laurel, which is located across the Patuxent River in Prince George's County.

Geography
North Laurel is located in the southern corner of Howard County at 39.13444°N, -76.86278°W (39.134343, −76.862690). It is bordered to the north by Savage and Columbia, to the west by Scaggsville, to the south in Prince George's County by the city of Laurel, and to the southeast in Anne Arundel County by Maryland City. The southern boundary of the CDP is defined by the Patuxent River, which is also the Howard County/Prince George's County line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the North Laurel CDP has a total area of 16.4 km2, of which 16.3 km2 is land and 0.1 km2, or 0.6%, is water. (these area measurements differ from those initially published by the Census Bureau.

Demographics
The North Laurel CDP as defined for the 2010 census was smaller than the CDP that was defined for the 2000 census. In 2010, portions of the earlier North Laurel CDP were split off into the Scaggsville and Fulton CDPs. Demographic figures from the 2000 census are therefore significantly different from the published figures from 2010. The substantially lower population, however, was the result of an error in defining the CDP boundary prior to tabulation and publication of 2010 Census results. The Census Bureau noted the error in its published errata. The corrected counts for North Laurel CDP for 2010 are 20,259 population, 7,593 housing units, and land area of 6.3 square miles. The corrected boundary and population are reflected in subsequent data from the American Community Survey. North Laurel gained territory formerly within the Savage-Guilford CDP for Census 2000, located south of the Little Patuxent and Middle Patuxent Rivers and east of Interstate 95. This territory was the portion defined as North Laurel in official 2010 Census data products.

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,468 people, 7,235 households, and 5,281 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,007.3 PD/sqmi. There were 7,453 housing units at an average density of 730.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 33.5% African American, White, 32.4%, 0.32% Native American, 17.1%% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.5% of the population.

There were 7,235 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the CDP proper, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 37.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,836, and the median income for a family was $75,068. Males had a median income of $48,043 versus $35,149 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,991. About 2.5% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Prehistoric times
The edge of the Arundel Formation underlies the North Laurel area. The astrodon, a herbivorous sauropod, was present about 112 million years ago. Prior to 10,700 B.C. North Laurel was a spruce forest evolving into a boreal forest occupied by mammals ranging from mastodon to sloth. By 3000 B.C. the vegetation was similar to modern plant life. Humans have lived along the Patuxent River since at least 6500 B.C. By the time of European contact, the lands in the region were occupied by various tribes of Algonquin speaking Native Americans.

Recent history
The Patuxent River was first named ("Pawtuxunt") on the detailed map resulting from the 1608 voyage upriver by Jamestown settler John Smith. The early English settlers progressively explored further northward from the mouth of the river, eventually reaching the area that is now North Laurel. In the 1620s the Susquehannocks pushed the Piscataway tribes out to the southeast to reduce competition occupying the area as far south as the Potomac River. The Susquehannocks were well armed hunters and profited from beaver trading with the English. By 1632 Lord Baltimore had claimed title to issue land grants in Maryland through Charles I of England. In 1652, the Susquehannocks made a treaty with Marylanders to keep trade flowing and receive arms to use against the Iroquois to the north. By 1675, efforts were underway to eliminate the Susquehannocks from the region.

The North Laurel region was surveyed into land grants with colorful names in the mid-1700s. The largest grant was Warfield's Range, followed by Wincopion Neck. Smaller grants in the area include (from north to south) The Addition, Ridgley's Neck, Bare Hills, Poplar Range, Grover's Lot, Poplar Bottom, Holland's Chance, Snowden's Intent, Clark's Walks, Snowden's New Birmingham, Brother's Partnership, Warfields Neglect, Sappington's Sweep, Nellsons Rainbow, Lasswells Hopewell, and Davis's Hills. The oldest structure in Howard County was situated on Warfield's Range. The log cabin built in 1696 was moved to Elkridge to accommodate a Newburn development, and was destroyed by arson. The post road from Washington to Baltimore was constructed in 1740, which ran along its eastern boundary. Used by George Washington regularly, the road would remain the principle route between Baltimore and Washington for 200 years.

By the 1800s tobacco farming was the primary crop in North Laurel. Soil conservation was poor, leaving farms to switch crops or abandon farms. The founding of the Laurel grist mill in 1811 and the Savage Mill in 1822 brought an industrial economy to the area. Slavery was a common practice among the farmers in North Laurel until after emancipation. Runaway slave ads were regularly placed in the Baltimore Sun newspaper.

In the summer of 1834, Irish (Corkians) and German (Fardown) workers clashed at the B&O construction site at North Laurel. Fardowns burned shanties used by Corkian workers. A militia of 60 men were led by General Ridgley to keep the peace between the rival factions. In 1835 the rail line between Baltimore and Washington was completed next to the post road.

North Laurel was located in Anne Arundel County until 1860, when it became part of the newly subdivided Howard County.

In 1890, a syndicate purchased portions of the Burr, Brightwood, Kennedy, and Wheeler farms next to the B&O track to form a town named "North Laurel" adjacent, which did not materialize. The Patuxent Springs became a small tourist destination at the turn of the century.

In 1901, Ernest Lyon founded the Maryland Industrial and Agricultural Institute for Colored Youths near the Patuxent River to serve African Americans during the era of racial segregation in the United States.

In 1910, the Southern Real Estate Company of Pittsburgh bought one of Gustuavas Ober's North Laurel farms totaling 550 acre for $70,000. The lots were subdivided to form Laurel Park. Many of the lots remained undeveloped for over 100 years. Several remaining lots were purchased with eminent domain and exchanged with Cornerstone Homes to consolidate enough land to build the North Laurel Civic Center and park. In 2013, Howard County sold the remaining wooded lots on the parkland to build Park Overlook.

The next year, Senator Arthur Pue Gorman's daughter, Grace "Daisy", built her home, Overlook, on 140 acre of land along Murray Hill Road inherited from her father. Her husband, R.W. Johnson, was the first manager of the Laurel race track. The property has been the home to land developer and ambassador Kingdon Gould Jr. since 1952.

In 1948, police raided Rocway Towers, putting an end to a short-lived effort to bring Washington-funded gambling casinos to Laurel. The Stucco Roadhouse built in the 1920s to resemble a mission house was the site of a 1948 gangland murder and prostitution into the 1970s. It remains in operation today as a used car dealership. The same year, Freestate Raceway, a second racetrack featuring harness racing, was opened.

In 1959 the plan was announced that Interstate 95 would be built through the farms of eastern Howard County. In October 1962, 47 acre were rezoned for apartments at the corner of Whiskey Bottom Road and All Saints Road to take advantage of the future highway exit in North Laurel. An additional 27 acre of land was given to the county in school exchange for approving such a dense development. To the north, school board member Rob Moxley was secretly buying and swapping 10000 acre of farmland for Howard Research and Development to build Columbia. On 21 September 1963, the Laurel Planning and Redevelopment Corporation took out $520,000 in loans to buy 100 acre of the land to build Whiskey Bottom Apartments, which was resold to Whiskey Bottom Properties in 1966 for $1,000,000. The loan officer Ralph Lublow was tried for taking secret bonuses for the project, and in 1978 was released due to insanity after ordering hitmen to murder fellow businessmen Morton Hollander and Alvin Blum. On June 17, 1964, the Howard County Public School system applied for a P.L. 815 federal loan intended to fund schools for the children of federal workers that were being relocated to support Cold-War buildups. The project that would support the rapid population increase from the Whiskey Bottom development would become Whiskey Bottom Road Elementary School.

By 1963, the county anticipated growth from 44,000 to nearly 260,000 by the year 2000 (a mark reached by 2004). It also anticipated that despite the massive growth in population from the new 100,000-person "planned city" of Columbia, the Sixth Election District would be the most populated section of Howard County after 1975.

In 1991, Freestate Racetrack was targeted for development. The Coca-Cola company sought the site for a bottling plant that was eventually built in Hanover, Maryland. On 8 September 1992, a man and a teenager attempted a series of failed carjackings starting at the southbound rest stop at I-95 through the Bolling Brook subdivisions. The men carjacked the vehicle of Dr. Pam Basu and her 22-month-old daughter at a stop at Horsham and Kightsbridge road. Basu attempted to retrieve her daughter, and was dragged to death along Gorman Road. The suspects were caught in western Howard County after a police chase. As a direct result of the violent incident, the Federal Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 (FACTA) was created, the first federal carjacking law. The 1992 act, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 2119, took effect on October 25, 1992.

In 2006, the Rouse Company developed luxury townhomes at Stone Lake, a former quarry. The quarry was trash dump in the 1950s and closed in 1973. In 1976, Rouse proposed using the site for the profitable commercial landfill operations requiring dumping fees in competition with the Alpha Ridge Landfill. The site filled with rain and groundwater becoming the location of multiple drownings.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: North Laurel, Maryland


text:
Savage-Guilford, Maryland

Savage-Guilford was a census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States, for the 2000 U.S. Census, at which time its population was 12,918. It consisted of the unincorporated community communities of Savage and Guilford. At the 2010 U.S. Census, the area was re-delineated as the Savage CDP.

History
The Savage-Guilford road ran between the Savage Mill to the Commodore Joshua Barney House, to Guilford Road. It was one of the earliest in the region to have electric lighting supplied by Henry Baldwin from the Savage Manufacturing Company. Nearby Savage remained a segregated company town which made the area an unofficial border for African American communities forming closer to Guilford prior to the civil rights era.

Geography
Savage-Guilford is located at 39.14361°N, -76.82472°W (39.143607, −76.824616).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 5.0 square miles (12.9 km2), of which, 4.9 square miles (12.8 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.80%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,918 people, 4,811 households, and 3,314 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,616.7 PD/sqmi. There were 4,943 housing units at an average density of 1,001.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 65.84% White, 23.34% African American, 0.36% Native American, 5.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.39% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.62% of the population.

There were 4,811 households, out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 44.1% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $64,983, and the median income for a family was $70,917. Males had a median income of $45,457 versus $39,777 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,798. About 3.7% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Savage-Guilford, Maryland


text:
Betterton, Maryland

Betterton is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 345 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Betterton is located at the mouth of the Sassafras River on the upper Chesapeake Bay in Kent County, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore region of the Bay and Delmarva Peninsula in the Eastern United States). The GPS coordinates are 39.36778°N, -76.06083°W (39.367863, -76.060877).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.00 sqmi, of which 0.99 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

Betterton Historic District
The Betterton Historic District consists of a collection of vernacular Victorian era-style wooden frame resort structures. The district includes many of the homes, hotels and cottages built to accommodate steamboat passengers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable buildings within the district include the hotels and boarding homes which catered to the steamboat passengers, several churches, and summer cottages, dating from the golden age of the passenger steamboats on the Chesapeake Bay.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, (maintained by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior) in 1984.

History
The recorded history of Betterton dates back to the 17th century. The Fishall Patent was granted in 1664, later becoming known as Fish Hall. The house located at 104 Ericsson Avenue contains foundation bricks dating back to 1698. In 1715, Edward Crew leased Fish Hall and the name was changed to Crews Landing. For the next 100 years, Crews Landing was a small fishing village and then later a port for the waterborne transport of local farm produce to urban markets. In 1851, Richard Townsend Turner (a Quaker) named the town “Betterton” after the family of his wife Elizabeth Betterton. The Turner pier, and later the Ericsson pier, provided access to the town for the shipping trade. Eventually townspeople rented out rooms to the travelers, salesmen, and shippers attracted to the beach. Mr. Turner built the Rigbie Hotel (demolished in August 1986) and Mr. Crownhart built the Belmont Hotel (destroyed by fire in 1956). These were joined by such lodging establishments as the Betterton, the Chesapeake, the Country Cousin, the Southern, and many others.

Steamboat traffic from downtown Baltimore's "The Basin" (now Inner Harbor) and Philadelphia on the excursion cruises like the Old Bay Line (Baltimore Steam Packet Company, 1840-1962) and the competing Ericsson Line (and others, such as the Wilson Line later) brought the visitors and vacationers from the Middle Atlantic cities. The Ericsson Line was named after John Ericsson (1803-1889), the Swedish-American inventor of the "screw propeller" (and of Civil War revolutionary naval Ironclad warships) to more speedily and efficiently power ships. It was this invention that allowed steamboats to be built with narrow enough beam to allow them to traverse the recently opened Chesapeake and Delaware Canal then only 25 feet wide (before it was later widened and improved), connecting the upper Chesapeake with the Delaware River and Bay. Betterton was an easy and natural stop for boats using the canal and the explosion in steamboat traffic along the American East Coast brought growth and prosperity to Betterton. For some time before the turn of the 20th century, there were 11 scheduled steamboat landings daily at Betterton's piers. The boom period for Betterton is generally thought to be from 1918 to 1930, when increasing numbers of restaurants, taverns, dance halls, bowling alleys, and amusement arcades all helped create the bayside town's pleasure resort image.

It eventually declined along with neighboring competing Tolchester and Tolchester Beach after the 1949-1952 construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis to Kent Island and increasing automobile traffic over improved U.S. Routes and Interstate Highways systems in following decades to North Atlantic Ocean beaches and growing resort towns there like Ocean City, Maryland and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Government
Betterton is governed by a mayor and a town council with four members. Town council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the town hall. The town hall is located in the Betterton Community Center, a former Catholic church refurbished as town offices and a museum, on Main Street.

Transportation
The primary means of travel to and from Betterton is by road. The only state highway serving the town is Maryland Route 292, which has its northern terminus at the north end of town.

Betterton Beach
Betterton Beach is located at the foot of Main Street. The beach has 300 ft of frontage for swimming. The water is generally free of sea nettles because the water is not very salty. The beach has public restrooms (seasonal), a boardwalk, a fishing jetty, a public landing, and reasonable parking. A picnic pavilion is nearby.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 345 people, 156 households, and 88 families residing in the town. The population density was 348.5 PD/sqmi. There were 317 housing units at an average density of 320.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.5% White, 2.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 156 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.6% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.94.

The median age in the town was 46.9 years. 18.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.3% were from 25 to 44; 36.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 376 people, 164 households, and 102 families residing in the town. The population density was 423.9 PD/sqmi. There were 277 housing units at an average density of 312.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.29% White, 2.13% African American, 4.52% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.24% of the population.

There were 164 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,477, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $27,188 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,848. About 6.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is in the Kent County Public Schools. Kent County Middle School is in Chestertown, and Kent County High School is in an unincorporated area, in the Butlertown census-designated place with a Worton postal address.

The community was formerly assigned to Worton Elementary School. In 2017 the school board voted to close Worton Elementary.

title: Betterton, Maryland


text:
Chestertown, Maryland

Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,532 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Kent County.

History
Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English colony of Maryland's six Royal Ports of Entry. The shipping boom that followed this designation made the town at the navigable head of the Chester River wealthy. In the mid-eighteenth century, Chestertown trailed only Annapolis and was considered Maryland's second leading port.

A burgeoning merchant class infused riches into the town, reflected in the many brick mansions and townhouses that sprang up along the waterfront. Another area in which Chestertown is second only to Annapolis is in its number of existing eighteenth century homes.

As of the 1790 census, Chestertown was the geographical center of population of the United States.

Chestertown was incorporated in 1805, and was named for the Chester River.

Airy Hill, the Bernice J., Brampton, Carvill Hall, Chester Hall, the Chestertown Armory, the Chestertown Historic District, Chestertown Railroad Station, Denton House, Gobbler Hill, Godlington Manor, the Island Image, Lauretum, Radcliffe Mill, Reward-Tilden's Farm, Rose Hill, the Silver Heel, the Charles Sumner Post No. 25, Grand Army of the Republic, Thornton, Washington College: Middle, East and West Halls, and White House Farm (Chestertown, Maryland) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
Chestertown is at 39.21944°N, -76.06833°W (39.219328, -76.068424).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.91 sqmi, of which 2.60 sqmi is land and 0.31 sqmi is water. As of the first US Census in 1790, Chestertown was the geographical center of the nation's population.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, wet winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chestertown has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,252 people, 1,971 households, and 984 families living in the town. The population density was 2020.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,361 housing units at an average density of 908.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 74.2% White, 20.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.

There were 1,971 households, of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.1% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.65.

The median age in the town was 34.9 years. 12.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 28.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.4% were from 25 to 44; 19.1% were from 45 to 64; and 23.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 43.1% male and 56.9% female.

Chestertown Tea Party Festival
In May 1774, five months after the British closing the port of Boston after the Boston Tea Party, the citizens of Chestertown wrote a set of resolves that prohibited the buying, selling, or drinking of tea. Based on these resolutions, a popular legend has it that the citizens held their own "tea party" on the Chester River in an act of colonial defiance.

The Chestertown Tea Party Festival celebrates Chestertown's colonial heritage with a weekend of events on Memorial Day weekend, including a re-enactment of the legendary "tea party." A parade begins the festival, marching down High Street to the Chester River, and then follows with colonial music and dance, fife and drum performances, puppet shows, colonial crafts demonstrations and sales, military drills, and a walking tour of the historic district. In the afternoon, re-enactors, playing the part of angry citizens and Continental Soldiers, march to the docks where redcoats (played by members of the Maryland Loyalist Battalion) defend the ship for a short skirmish, then retire. The ship, the schooner Sultana, is then boarded by the angry citizens, and the tea is thrown into the Chester River.

Schooner Sultana
In 1997, John Swain came up with blueprints for a reproduction of the American-built yacht, later Royal Navy schooner HMS Sultana (1768), planning the construction and home of the ship to be centered in Chestertown. In the same year the non-profit group Sultana Projects, Inc. was formed by Swain and supporters to fund construction of the ship. A shipyard was constructed and the keel for the Sultana was laid in October 1998. Over 3,000 students participated in the community and educationally led effort, with a core group of volunteers logging over 150,000 hours of time building the ship. Over 10,000 people were at the launching of the ship in March 2001, and since then more than 8,000 students a year have boarded the Sultana for educational trips. The Sultana also plays a key role in the Chestertown Tea Party, as it is now the official boat of the staged re-enactment. The Schooner Sultana website offers more detailed information on the ship.

Honors and accolades
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, named Chestertown, Maryland, to its 2007 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. Chestertown was selected from 63 destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations, and local communities.

In 2008, Progressive Farmer magazine honored Kent County and Chestertown by naming it #1 in "Best Rural Places to Live in America". "For a county to be in Progressive Farmer's Best Places list, they hold them to the usual standards — good schools, health care, safety and other desirable qualities. But what makes Kent stand out is its residents' resolve to maintain a solid rural heritage."

First Friday
On the first Friday of each month, Chestertown residents, as well as neighboring towns' residents make their way down to Chestertown's main street. Many shops like "Walnut & Wool", "The Finishing Touch" & "Twigs and Teacups" open their doors to visitors and put their merchandise on display. This event draws many people from the surrounding town area, as well as many students from Washington College.

Education
It is in the Kent County Public Schools. Henry Highland Garnett Elementary School (Henry Highland Garnet), which had about 264 students as of 2021, and Kent County Middle School are in Chestertown, while Kent County High School is in an unincorporated area with a Worton postal address. The former Chestertown High School moved from its original 1915 building in 1953. In 1971 Kent County High opened and the former Chestertown High became Chestertown Middle School. The middle school became the consolidated Kent County Middle in 2010.

The town is home to Washington College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1782. Washington College is the tenth oldest college in the USA. George Washington was a founding patron.

Kent County public library maintains the Chestertown Branch.

The college is known nationally as the home of the Sophie Kerr Prize, which is awarded to the graduating senior with the most literary potential. The award is near $50,000 annually. The most recent prize, worth $61,382 was awarded at a ceremony in Baltimore to Alex Stinton, an Eastern Shore native.

The town is also home to Radcliffe Creek School, founded in 1996. The school is open to students with, and without, diagnosed learning disabilities. Radcliffe Creek was created for students ages 4 through 14, but a preschool program called 'little creek' was recently added as well. Students from several counties throughout Maryland attend the school.

Media
The Chestertown Spy is an online news source for Chestertown and the Chester River community.

The Kent County News, a weekly newspaper, covers news of the town and county.

WCTR Radio has been a local community resource since 1963. Originally an AM daytime station, it now has two FM frequencies: FM 106.9 in Chestertown serving Kent County, and FM 96.1 in Wye Mills, serving Queen Anne's County.

Transportation
The primary means of travel to and from Chestertown is by road. Maryland Route 213 is the most significant highway serving the town, and is the main north–south road along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Other state highways serving the town include Maryland Route 20, Maryland Route 289, Maryland Route 291 and Maryland Route 514.

Notable people

 * Tallulah Bankhead, actress (buried at St. Paul's Church in Fairlee)
 * Gilbert Byron, author, born in Chesterton
 * James M. Cain, author of Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice, lived in Chestertown in his youth
 * Ezekiel Chambers, U.S. senator for Maryland, 1826–1834, and judge
 * Miriam Cooper, silent film actress, best known for The Birth of a Nation
 * Richard Ben Cramer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author
 * Samuel Eccleston, Roman Catholic bishop, fifth Archbishop of Baltimore, from 1834 to 1851
 * Henry Highland Garnet, abolitionist
 * R. Clayton Mitchell Jr., member of Maryland House of Delegates, 1971–1993, and its Speaker from 1987 to 1993
 * Bill "Swish" Nicholson, two-time MLB National League home run and RBI leader
 * James Nicholson, officer in the Continental Navy during American Revolutionary War
 * Joseph Hopper Nicholson, U.S. congressman for Maryland's 7th congressional district, 1799-1806 and judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, 1806-1817
 * Constance Stuart Larrabee, photographer/photo-journalist, best known for her South African portraiture and World War II European photo-journalism as South Africa's first female war correspondent
 * James Peale, painter
 * James Pearce, U.S. senator for Maryland, 1843–1862, and congressman; buried in New Chester Cemetery in Chestertown
 * Ira Smith, college baseball player
 * William Smith, founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church and first president of Washington College
 * Ryan Thompson, Major League Baseball player
 * Justin Unruh, Musician band Major League
 * George Vickers, U.S. senator for Maryland, 1867-1873
 * William Holland Wilmer, president of the College of William and Mary, president of the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies of the Protestant Episcopal Church
 * Robert Wright, U.S. senator, 1801–1806, Governor of Maryland, 1806–1809, and U.S. congressman for Maryland's 7th congressional district, 1810-1817 and 1821-1823

title: Chestertown, Maryland


text:
Galena, Maryland

Galena is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 612 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Galena is located at 39.34167°N, -75.87833°W (39.341680, -75.878444).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.36 sqmi, all land.

History
Galena was founded in 1763 under the name Down's Cross Roads, after William Downs, a local tavern owner. The name was later changed to Georgetown Cross Roads sometime before 1813, and finally to Galena in 1858. The name comes from a supposed silver mine in the vicinity of the town, which extracted the metal from the lead ore known as galena. There is, however, no geological evidence for galena deposits on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and the story is likely apocryphal.

Transportation
The primary means of transportation to and from Galena is by road, and several state highways serve the town. Maryland Route 213 is the most prominent of these, entering the town from the north and exiting to the west on its generally north-south route along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland Route 290 does the opposite, entering from the south and departing towards the east, with the two highways meeting at a crossroads in downtown Galena. A third highway, Maryland Route 313, runs concurrently along MD 290 from its junction with MD 213 southwards, separating from MD 290 a short distance south of town on its way towards the southern Delmarva.

Businesses
Galena is home to a variety of small businesses for its size. Along with many antique shops, there is a diner, confectionery shop, convenience store and deli, organic and healthfoods market, pizza parlor, and recording studio, and wedding videography studio.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 612 people, 271 households, and 169 families living in the town. The population density was 1700.0 PD/sqmi. There were 284 housing units at an average density of 788.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.3% White, 2.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 3.9% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.0% of the population.

There were 271 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the town was 45.1 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 20.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 428 people, 190 households, and 121 families living in the town. The population density was 1,208.2 PD/sqmi. There were 202 housing units at an average density of 570.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.79% White, 3.50% African American, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 190 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 1.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,813, and the median income for a family was $53,068. Males had a median income of $35,096 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,858. About 1.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is in the Kent County Public Schools. Galena Elementary School is in the town. Kent County Middle School is in Chestertown, and Kent County High School is in an unincorporated area with a Worton postal address.

The former Galena High School consolidated into Kent County High in 1971, with the former Galena High becoming Galena Middle. The former Galena Middle School consolidated into Kent County Middle in Chestertown in 2010. The former middle school building became Galena Elementary School in 2010. Before Galena Elementary existed, it was assigned to Millington Elementary.

Kent County public library maintains the North County Branch.

title: Galena, Maryland


text:
Rock Hall, Maryland

 Rock Hall, is a waterfront town located directly on the National Chesapeake Scenic Byway in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,310 at the 2010 census.

History
Originally called Rock Hall Crossroads, the city is now a fishing, sailing and recreational boating town situated on the upper Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the center of Kent County's maritime industries, and is also a popular tourist destination. It was established in 1707. The city was named for a mansion made of white sandstone, and was incorporated in 1908.

Rock Hall served as a shipping point for tobacco, seafood and other agricultural products, as well as a passenger transport connection for travelers during the Colonial era. Later, fishing and seafood processing became the town's largest industry.

The town missed out on receiving a railroad connection in 1872, when the Kent County Railroad set out to build from Massey via Chestertown and connect with a ferry to Baltimore for both passengers and freight. The company went bankrupt in 1877, having only built a stub from Chestertown to a place called Belair or Parsons and abandoning the rest unfinished.

Rock Hall Harbor remains a working harbor with an active fleet of commercial watermen, charter fishing and commercial sailing boats. It has three museums including a waterman's museum.

Hinchingham and Trumpington are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.55 sqmi, of which 1.34 sqmi is land and 0.21 sqmi is water.

Transportation
The main method of transportation in and out of Rock Hall is by road, and two state highways serve the town. The primary highway serving the town is Maryland Route 20, which connects eastward from Rock Hall to Chestertown. Maryland Route 445 also traverses the town on a north-south alignment.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,310 people, 630 households, and 374 families residing in the town. The population density was 977.6 PD/sqmi. There were 930 housing units at an average density of 694.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.0% White, 5.8% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 630 households, of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.57.

The median age in the town was 54.3 years. 15.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.4% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 30% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,396 people, 654 households, and 408 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,050.3 PD/sqmi. There were 834 housing units at an average density of 627.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.91% White, 5.52% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.

There were 654 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,833, and the median income for a family was $38,672. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $21,429 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,521. About 10.5% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
A variety of retail shops are located on Main Street. Oyster collection, crabbing and fishing contribute to the economy as do charter boats for fishing trips. Tourism is also a source of income, particularly over the summer months and on special events weekends such as the Pirates and Wenches Weekend. It is also a center in the area for July 4 celebrations.

Government
The town has a Weak Mayor-Council-Manager form of government. As of 2023, the mayor is James Cook.

Education
It is in the Kent County Public Schools. Rock Hall Elementary School is in the town. Kent County Middle School is in Chestertown, and Kent County High School is in an unincorporated area with a Worton postal address.

The former Rock Hall Middle School consolidated into Kent County Middle in Chestertown in 2010.

Kent County public library maintains the Rock Hall Branch.

Notable people

 * Lambert Wickes (1735–1777), captain in the Continental Navy
 * Wylie F. L. Tuttle (died 2002), real estate developer responsible for the development of Tour Montparnasse built his residence there

title: Rock Hall, Maryland


text:
Ashton-Sandy Spring, Maryland

Ashton-Sandy Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The CDP is designated to include the two unincorporated communities of Ashton and Sandy Spring, as well as the smaller community of Brinklow. It had a population of 5,746 as of the 2020 census.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of 7.6 sqmi, 7.6 sqmi of which is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.26%) of which is water.

Demographics
As of census 2010, there were 5,628 people, 1,839 households, and 1,434 families residing in the area. The population density was 740.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,936 housing units at an average density of 254.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the area was 71.7% White, 14.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8.3% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.

There were 1,839 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the area the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

A 2013 survey estimated that the median household income in the area was $119,432, and the median income for a family was $163,403. Males had an estimated median income of $86,250 versus $94,861 for females. The estimated per capita income for the area was $62,468. The survey estimated about 6.9% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Ashton-Sandy Spring, Maryland


text:
Barnesville, Maryland

Barnesville is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It was incorporated in 1888. The population was 144 at the 2020 census.

History
The Maryland General Assembly chartered the town of Barnesville in 1811 and named it in honor of its earliest settler, Williams Barnes. In its early years, the village developed as a regional center for industry and commerce, with two taverns, a blacksmith shop, and a resident physician, a Dr. Lisle. In the 1830s, Barnesville Academy operated on the Hays Farm under the leadership of Irish immigrant Thomas Carr Lannan. Jesuit Ministers from Frederick first held mass in Barnesville and led in the creation of St. Mary's Church in 1807. The church yard contains several graves from immigrant workers who died of cholera while building the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Barnesville Baptist Church was organized in 1871 and still worships in its original frame building on the east side of the town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.49 sqmi, all land.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Barnesville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 172 people, 67 households, and 55 families living in the town. The population density was 351.0 PD/sqmi. There were 71 housing units at an average density of 144.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.3% White, 2.3% African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 67 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 10.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the town was 48 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 13.4% were from 25 to 44; 40.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 161 people, 59 households, and 49 families living in the town. The population density was 330.7 PD/sqmi. There were 65 housing units at an average density of 133.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.89% White, 1.86% African American, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 59 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.2% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 11.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $78,791, and the median income for a family was $79,581. Males had a median income of $52,188 versus $50,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,001. None of the population or families were below the poverty line.

Town government
The Town of Barnesville is an incorporated municipality in Montgomery County in the state of Maryland. Management of the town's affairs is the responsibility of three commissioners, elected biannually. The commissioners select from among them a president who is informally known as the mayor of the town.

Elected in May 2021 were Mildred Callear, Maria Castner Miller and Michael S Zuckerman. Mildred Callear was again selected as the president of the commissioners for the 2021-2023 session.

Past presidents of commission

 * 1948-1950 Mary Morningstar
 * 1950 L. B. Moon
 * 1950-1959 Mark P. Jeffers
 * 1959-1963 Harold Cooley
 * 1963-1965 Leslie Tod Luhn
 * 1965-1969 Elizabeth H. Tolbert
 * 1969-1971 Jerome Offutt
 * 1971-1975 George Wood
 * 1975-2001 Elizabeth H. Tolbert
 * 2001-2008 Peter T. Menke
 * 2008-2017 Luke Fedders
 * 2017-present Mildred O. Callear

Barnesville community
At the top of a ridge with views of Sugarloaf Mountain to the north and the Catoctin Mountain and Blue Ridge ranges to the west, Barnesville enjoys a connection with the rhythms of the natural world while being within commuting distance to Washington, D.C. The town's motto "A Caring Community" is a testament to the sense of place enjoyed by the town's residents and their neighbors in the Agricultural Reserve of Western Montgomery County.

Barnesville is served by the MARC commuter rail system. The station building was originally a gas metering station in Rockville; it was moved to Barnesville in 1977.

Education
Barnesville is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools.

Schools that serve Barnesville include:
 * Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences, a private school for children who are three years of age through eighth grade
 * Monocacy Elementary School
 * John Poole Middle School
 * Poolesville High School

Transportation
The only state highway serving Barnesville is Maryland Route 109. MD 109 follows a northeast–southwest alignment but is signed north–south. Northeast of Barnesville, MD 109 interchanges with Interstate 270 and Maryland Route 355 in Hyattstown. To the southwest of Barnesville, MD 109 intersects Maryland Route 28 on its way to Poolesville.

Notable people

 * Laurence A. Abercrombie, United States Navy admiral
 * Virginia Hall, OSS agent

title: Barnesville, Maryland