Ellicott City in Howard County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Howard County Jail, 1851
National Park Service Underground Railroad
— Network to Freedom —
The Howard County Jail, located at 1 Emory Street, in the Historic District of Ellicott City, Maryland, was the location where freedom seekers and those charged with encouraging enslaved persons to run away or rise up against their masters or similar charges during the age of enslavement were held from January 1852 through the end of slavery in Maryland on November 1, 1864. The Maryland General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Board of Commissioners of Howard District to levy taxes to create the jail. The jail was accepted for use on December 16, 1851. Among the prisoners held were runaways like Augusta Spriggs and Richard Martin, held as a fugitive without a pass.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom series list. A significant historical date for this entry is December 16, 1851.
Location. 39° 16.154′ N, 76° 47.86′ W. Marker is in Ellicott City, Maryland, in Howard County. Marker can be reached from Court Place, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3730 Court Place, Ellicott City MD 21043, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mount Ida (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Votes For Women (about 500 feet away); The Patapsco Female Institute (about 500 feet away); Howard County Courthouse, 1843 (about 500 feet away); Sunflower Church (about 500 feet away); Word Wars I, II and Korea Memorial (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Patapsco Female Institute (about 500 feet away); Wootton Law Offices (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellicott City.
Also see . . . Howard County Jail. Maryland Historical Trust Architectural Survey File PDF (Submitted on December 20, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 651 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 19, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7, 8, 9. submitted on December 21, 2017, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.