| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — Adam the First |
| | The first large land grant in what is now Howard County. Patented October 1, 1687 to Adam Shipley who came to Maryland from England in 1668. This marks a section of the western boundary of the 500 acre grant. A Shipley family cemetery is located among the trees to the east of this marker.
Erected to commemorate the the 300th anniversary of the grant, October 1, 1987. — Map (db m3182) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — Christ Episcopal Church — “Old Brick” — 1711 |
| | Original log chapel of ease, Queen Anne’s Parish, erected on “New Years Gift,” a present from the Proprietary to Edward Dorsey and Charles Carroll. Improved and made Queen Caroline Parish Church, 1728. First rector, James McGill, served 1730–1776. Present building erected 1809. — Map (db m3183) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — Oakland Manor — Home of the Howard Dragoons |
| | Oakland was the family home of George R. Gaither, a successful Baltimore merchant who purchased the property in 1838. His son, George R. Gaither, Jr., served as captain of a local militia unit, the Howard Dragoons (mounted infrantrymen). Most of the Dragoons were landed gentry from throughout the county, many of them slave owners. Here they drilled, learning the intricate movements of mounted combat. On special occasions, such as Independence Day, the Dragoons staged parades for the residents . . . — Map (db m5287) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — The Granite Quarries — Patuxent Branch Trail |
| | Granite was quarried in the Guilford area beginning in the 1830s and continuing until 1925 - a span of almost a century. As the nearby cities of Baltimore and Washington expanded, there was a need for quality building stone for structures and monuments. Granite was also needed for railroads and bridges, as well as curbstones and cobblestones. At first, surface outcrops of granite were cut by hand. Later, transportation and technology had improved to make commercial quarrying feasible, and . . . — Map (db m20501) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — The Little Patuxent River — Patuxent Branch Trail |
| | River Facts
* The Little Patuxent River begins in Howard County near Alpha Ridge.
* It is joined by the Middle Patuxent River near Savage.
* It continues south to join the Patuxent River near Crofton in Anne Arundel County.
* The total length of the Little Patuxent river is 45 miles.
* The Little Patuxent River flows 25 miles in Howard County.
* The median daily flow at Guilford is 44 cubic feet per second.
* The greates flow at Guilford was during Hurricane Agnes in 1972, . . . — Map (db m20504) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — The Patuxent Branch of the B&O Railroad — Patuxent Branch Trail |
| | [picture of steam locomotive] Steam locomotive. A small saddle-tanker locomotive pushed and pulled freight cars around in the quarry, and hauled heavy loads of granite to the main line of the railroad. The saddle-tanker had a water tank that straddled the boiler, eliminating the need for a separate tender car. The small dome behind the smokestack carried sand, which was released by a pipeline onto the rails to improve traction when necessary. During the 19th and early part of the 20th . . . — Map (db m20499) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — The Pratt Through-Truss Bridge — Patuxent Branch Trail |
| | History: Railroad expansion in the 19th century required strong, dependable bridges to carry trains over ravines and rivers. Early bridges were built of stone that was sturdy but expensive. Timber bridges often had to be replaced as wood weathered or was burned by hot cinders from steam locomotives. When cast iron, and later wrought iron, came into use, bridges could be built of great strength and longer spans. By the turn of the 20th century, steel had replaced iron for railroad bridges. . . . — Map (db m20498) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Columbia — The Town of Guilford — Patuxent Branch Trail |
| | The Town of Guilford
History
Once, a thriving community prospered here along the banks of the Little Patuxent River. Guilford was a center for milling, quarrying, and cotton=cloth production in the late 18th through the early 20th centuries. It featured a post office, schools, churches, a general store, a hotel, and homes for the workers. One of the county's main roads passed through the center of town, and a spur track connected the town to the B&O Railroad.
Times . . . — Map (db m19884) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Cooksville — Cooksville |
| | Site of a skirmish between confederate cavalry commanded by General J.E.B. Stuart, and Maryland militia on June 29, 1863. The Confederates easily defeated their opposition and continued northwardly towards Hood’s Mill and Westminster. — Map (db m936) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Cooksville — Cooksville — Saving the Guns |
| | Gettysburg Campaign When Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart led his cavalry division north across the Potomac River
into Maryland in June 1863, about 400 Federals and civilians were captured and then paroled
in Brookeville. At the same time, Confederate Gen. Fitzhugh Lee’s brigade continued its march
north toward Hood’s Mill.
Near Cooksville, meanwhile, Capt. R.E. Duvall’s Co. A, Purnell Legion Md. Cavalry, had bivouacked on the National Road
with two ordnance rifles of Capt. W.D. . . . — Map (db m937) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Cooksville — Cooksville High School — 1935-1949 |
| | Site of the first public high school for African Americans in Howard County. Original site of Warfield Academy, became Mount Gregory School in 1867 for African Americans and was the genesis of Mount Gregory Church. Was a public elementary school by 1925. Through the efforts of the community, secondary grades were phased in beginning 1935, with the first students graduating in 1939. — Map (db m938) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Cooksville — Dr. Charles Alexander Warfield — (1751-1813) |
| | The grave of this Revolutionary War patriot is near this site. A member of the Sons of Liberty, he participated in the burning of the brig “Peggy Stewart,” at Annapolis, October 19, 1774, and also served as a major in the Elkridge Battalion during the war. — Map (db m3184) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Cooksville — Gettysburg Campaign — Invasion & Retreat |
| | After stunning victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, Virginia, early in May 1863, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee carried the war through Maryland, across the Mason and Dixon Line and into Pennsylvania. His infantry marched north through the Shenandoah Valley and western Maryland as his cavalry, led by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, harassed Union supply lines to the east. Union Gen. Joseph Hooker, replaced on June 28 by Gen. George G. Meade, led the Army of the Potomac from the Washington . . . — Map (db m935) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Besley Demonstration Campsite |
| | Recreational camping on Maryland's public lands began near this spot about 1916. Maryland's first state forester, Fred W. Besley, encouraged the public to participate in outdoor recreation on state forest lands in an effort to foster an appreciation for forest conservation, and to gain public support for acquiring more forest and park lands. To set an example, Besley and his family camped at the Cascade Falls area of Patapsco State Forest Reserve during the summer months. This site proved an . . . — Map (db m8772) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Elk Ridge Landing |
| | An important colonial port for shipment of Tobacco. Here in 1765 Zachariah Hood, Maryland’s “Stamp Act” agent, was hanged in effigy. Lafayette’s troops camped here April 17-18, 1781 on the way to engage Cornwallis in Virginia. George Washington passed here many times. — Map (db m3144) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Elk Ridge Landing |
| | An important colonial port for shipment of Tobacco. Here in 1765 Zachariah Hood, Maryland’s “Stamp Act” agent, was hanged in effigy. Lafayette’s troops camped here April 17-18, 1781 on the way to engage Cornwallis in Virginia. George Washington passed many times. — Map (db m3145) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Elkridge Furnace Inn — "Neighborhood Parlor" for Healing |
| | On May 5, 1861, U.S. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler occupied Relay, Maryland, with the 8th New York and 6th Massachusetts Infantry Regiments and Cook's Boston Battery of light artillery. Their mission was to prevent Confederate sympathizers from sabotaging the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Thomas Viaduct. Butler considered the viaduct the most important and vulnerable target for saboteurs in central Maryland because it was the only rail link to Washington, D.C. from the north. He stationed his men . . . — Map (db m5876) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Site of Roadsend Gardens |
| | Home of Spencer Heath (1876-1963), inventory of variable pitch airplane propeller, noted engineer, lawyer, author, and horticulturist. — Map (db m5869) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Elkridge — Supreme Sacrifice |
| | Erected in memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice and in honor of those who served in the Armed Forces of our country. — Map (db m8777) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — B&O Railroad Station — Keep Supplies Moving |
| | One of the first railroads in the country, constructed in 1830 of wooden rails that carried horse-drawn cars, extended from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills. This station was built the next year, and soon steel rails replaced wooden ones as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was constructed. The line became strategically important to the Union war effort in 1861, and the local Patapsco Guard were among the Federal troops that guarded the road. Supplies en route to the armies passed the station day . . . — Map (db m174) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Baltimore Regional Trail — A House Divided |
| | During the Civil War, Baltimore and its environs exemplified the divided loyalties of Maryland's residents. The city had commercial ties to the South as well as the North, and its secessionist sympathies erupted in violence on April 19, 1861, when pro-Confederate mobs attacked Massachusetts troops en route to Washington, D.C. Because of Baltimore's strategic importance, President Abraham Lincoln acted swiftly, stationing Federal troops in the city and jailing civilians suspected of disloyalty. . . . — Map (db m192) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Decatur Dorsey — Civil War Hero |
| | Howard County native Decatur Dorsey was one of only sixteen African American soldiers to received the Medal of Honor for courage under fire during the Civil War. Sgt. Dorsey, of Company B, 39th United States Colored Troops, earned his medal at the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia, on July 30, 1864. He bore the regiments flag during the charge through the Crater to the Confederate line. According to his Medal of Honor citation, Dorsey "planted his colors on the Confederate works in . . . — Map (db m5756) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department |
| | Headquarters of Howard County Fireman’s Association
Incorporated 1927
• • •
Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works Project No MD 100-F
• • •
Sponsors Board of Commissioners Howard County, Maryland • — Map (db m20589) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Ellicott’s Mills — A Town Divided |
| | By the 1850s, a prosperous community was located here around the Ellicott family gristmills and ironworks established in the 1770s. When the Civil War began in 1861, the town's population exceeded 2,000. Although the mill workers and merchants of Howard County primarily supported the Union, there were those in town with Confederate sympathies. The Hayden family lived on the hill behind you. Horace and William served in the 1st Maryland Cavalry, CSA. Horace entered the Staunton Virginia . . . — Map (db m150) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Ellicott’s Upper Mills — 1775 |
| | Joseph Ellicott (who with his brothers Andrew and John had established Ellicott’s Lower Mills, now Ellicott City, on the Patapsco River in 1772) built the Upper Mills and his home on “Fountaindale” near this spot in 1775. Remaining gravestones of the adjoining family burying ground were moved in 1974 to the Ellicott graveyard in Ellicott City. — Map (db m3185) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Friends Meeting House and Graveyard |
| | After founding the town of Ellicotts Mills in 1772, the Ellicott brothers established this burying ground in 1795 and built the adjacent Friends Meeting House in 1800. — Map (db m3186) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — MaryLandscapes |
| | The Bay is part of a vast interconnected ecosystem. Everything done on land affects the Bay and the plants and animals that live there.
Who is affected by the health of the Chesapeake Bay? The 48 major rivers, 100 smaller rivers, and thousands of tiny creeks that make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed are home to over 2,700 species of plants and animals and 15 million people. The Bay is part of a vast interconnected ecosystem. Sewage, manure, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and . . . — Map (db m149) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Patapsco Female Institute — Classes and Camps |
| | The stabilized ruin above you - the Patapsco Female Institute - served the young ladies of the North and South from 1837 to 1891. Amelia Hart Lincoln Phelps, a renowned author and educator, headed the school between 1841 and 1855. Concerned with the increasing division of the country during the period, she hoped to bring young women together in friendship. In 1850, she wrote, "my daughters, do something for your country by using the influence within your sphere, to allay the strife and . . . — Map (db m4271) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Road Versus Rails — The Rivalry Begins |
| | Ellicott City’s Main Street is the National
Pike, part of the road system that moved
Americans west. Only two decades after the
road was constructed, a new transportation
rival appeared. In 1831, America’s first
railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio, introduced
steam engines to the Patapsco River Valley.
The rivalry between the road and the
railroad came together here.
Noisy, dirty, and at first, unreliable, the
railroad soon gained the upper hand. By 1840,
a stage coach trip to . . . — Map (db m720) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — St. John’s Episcopal Church |
| | A chapel of ease of Queen Caroline parish, established 1728. Incorporated by Maryland General Assembly, 1822. Consecrated 1823 by Bishop James Kemp. Original land, “Dorsey’s Heaven,” deeded to church by Caleb and Elizabeth Dorsey. Present church built 1860. — Map (db m3341) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — Taylor's Row |
| | This row of 19th century utilitarian structures has been the architectural orphan of Ellicott City. Referred to on early maps as barns or sheds, these buildings were built between 1830 and 1870 to serve the livery trade. Because of their relative obscurity, they have been untouched and today very much resemble the original structures. They have withstood the threat of demolition and, wearing new faces, will continue to play a role in this historic community. — Map (db m8110) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Ellicott City — The National Road |
| | This marker stands on a part of the right of way of the historic and fabled National, or Cumberland Road. Commencing in 1806 it was built in segments by city, state, federal, and private means and was the first great commercial and travel link from Baltimore to the west. — Map (db m131) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Lisbon — New Lisbon — Servicing Travelers on the National Pike |
| | “New Lisbon” was established by Quaker Caleb Pancoast in 1802, who saw both need and opportunity to service travelers along the length of the National Pike. He also welcomed all religious denominations into his home, and allowed it to be used as a meetinghouse. Shortened to “Lisbon” in 1805, the town thrived, and by 1835, there were eight daily stagecoaches stopping at the old Stage Coach House, where horses were exchanged and food and lodging were provided. A fare on . . . — Map (db m5744) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Mariottsville — Waverly |
| | The forested land was patented in 1726 by Daniel Carroll of Upper Marlboro, who called it "The Mistake". Earliest part of house was built c. 1760 by Nathan and Sophia Dorsey. In 1786 Edward Dorsey sold 650 acres, including "The Mistake" to Colonel John Eager Howard, Revolutionary hero and later governor. When his son, George Howard, married prudence Gough Ridgely of "Hampton" in 1811, "The Mistake", then totaling 1,313 acres, became a wedding present to the couple. They changed the name to . . . — Map (db m3342) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Mariottsville — Waverly |
| | The forested land was patented in 1726 by Daniel Carroll of Upper Marlboro, who called it "The Mistake". Earliest part of house was built c. 1760 by Nathan and Sophia Dorsey. In 1786 Edward Dorsey sold 650 acres, including "The Mistake" to Col. John Eager Howard, Revolutionary hero and later governor. When his son, George Howard, married prudence Gough Ridgely of "Hampton" in 1811, "The Mistake", then totaling 1,313 acres, became a wedding present to the couple. They changed the name to "Waverly" after a popular 1814 novel by Sir Walter Scott. — Map (db m3343) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Poplar Springs — Poplar Springs — "From Drovers to Drivers" |
| | In the early 1800s, as settlers spread west from the Chesapeake Bay, the farming community of Poplar Springs grew up around the Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike, part of the system of roads making up the National Road. An endless parade of drovers and teamsters were just a two-day ride from Baltimore, known at that time as the “Monument City.” They were driving their geese, sheep, cattle, pigs and freight wagons east and west, to and from the busy port on “a smooth . . . — Map (db m5024) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Poplar Springs — Simpson & Mount Gregory United Methodist Churches — Creating a Unified Community of Strength |
| | Methodist churches were a source and inspiration for the budding African-American community as people moved
westward along the Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike, part of the National Road system. Both enslaved and free African-Americans worshipped, at
first, in white churches in the early 1800s. Forced into balconies away from the white congregations, they ultimately sought to create a unifying community of strength by building their own churches. Simpson Poplar Springs, the “Mother . . . — Map (db m5745) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Savage — Bollman Iron Truss Bridge — 1869 |
| | Spanning the Little Patuxent River is the sole surviving example of the bridging system invented, 1850, by Wendel Bollman, Baltimore engineer. It was the first system, entirely of iron, used by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the first in America. Through 1873 the company built about 100 such bridges. — Map (db m98) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Savage — Historic Savage Mill — Established 1822 |
| | The Mill "race" was filled with water from a point about a mile upstream where it converged with the Little Patuxent River at a wooden dam. The dam was destroyed in the early 1950's.
The water originally went directly through the "OLD WEAVE" building behind you and drove the looms, spinners equipment there and in the "CARDING" building through an elaborate system of shafts, belts and pulleys.
In 1916, with the construction of the "NEW WEAVE" building, the Mill race was diverted into . . . — Map (db m19713) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Savage Mill — Savage Mill — Vital Service to the Union |
| | The mill town of Savage served a vital need for the United States Army after the Civil War began in 1861. William Baldwin who had purchased the mills in 1859 manufactured canvas for cannon covers and tents. Although cotton was in short supply, Baldwin succeeded in acquiring enough to keep the mill operating. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Line transported Federal troops who occasionally camped in the meadow on the north side of Savage Switch.
Near here, at Annapolis Junction, Union . . . — Map (db m22462) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Sykesville — The Sykesville Bypass Bridge |
| | An Aluminum Bridge
This bridge is one of only six aluminum girder bridges in the United States, and the only one in Maryland. Despite its ordinary appearance, the bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering with worldwide significance.
The Sykesville Bypass Bridge stands today as it was originally built. It is two lanes wide and 2945 feet long. Three girder spans composed of triangular aluminum box beams are supported by two piers and two abutments of reinforced concrete. Among its . . . — Map (db m19222) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Waterloo — Spurrier's Tavern |
| | Thomas Spurrier's stood at nearby crossroads connecting two important overland routes in colonial days (now U.S. 1 and MD. 175.) George Washington stopped here at least 25 times between 1789 and 1798. His diary noted July 18, 1795: "Dined and lodged at Spurrier's where my sick horse died." Waterloo Inn later occupied the site, but this "popular resort" did not survive into the 20th century. — Map (db m3236) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Waterloo — Spurrier's Tavern — 'Waterloo' |
| | In 1771 William Spurrier opened a tavern at the intersection of the main routes linking Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis, now US 1 and MD 175. As traffic increased, it served as the first horse changing station for stages southbound from Baltimore; by 1811 the stable offered boarding for 80 horses. After 1815 owner Rosalie Stiers Calvert of Riversdale, a Belgian native, renamed the tavern 'Waterloo' to celebrate Napoleon's defeat. In 1835 a fire and competition from the new railroad put an . . . — Map (db m3237) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Waterloo — Spurrier's Tavern — Stood on this Site |
| | George Washington stopped here at least twenty five times between 1789 and 1798. On July 18, 1795, his diary says: "Dined and lodged at Spurrier's where my sick horse died." — Map (db m3238) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Waterloo — Trinity on the Pike — (Episcopal) |
| | Consecrated by Bishop Whittingham March 26, 1857, as chapel of ease for Christ Church, Queen Caroline Parish. Protestant Episcopal Convention approved separation from Christ Church in 1866. Trinity Parish admitted by Convention two years later. Bell tower added, 1867. Original frame building faced the road. Modified by stone extension, 1890. Rectory rebuilt in 1873 after a fire. — Map (db m3239) |
| Maryland (Howard County), Waterloo — Trinity White Oak |
| | (Seedling in 1768)
Prayer of Dedication
O glorious God, Whose perfect beauty
The wonderful design of all Thy work proclaim
Bless, we beseech Thee, this beautiful white oak,
Which we now name "The Trinity Oak"
And accept as Your gracious gift to this land
In remembrance of Your mighty power
Which extends throughout all creation;
And we ask that You continue to beautify this place
Of sanctuary with Your presence so that everything
That abides here will . . . — Map (db m3241) |
| Maryland (Howard County), West Friendship — Moving Goods on the National Road |
| | “Open a wide door, and make a smooth way for the produce of that Country to pass to our Markets.” George Washington, 1784
America’s founders looked west for the future success of the new country. The United States needed good roads and canals to open up frontier settlements. Baltimore was one of the first eastern cities to build a “smooth way” to the interior. Soon after 1800, this “Great Western Turnpike” became the first leg of a National . . . — Map (db m5742) |
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