History of the Freedom Community

History of the Freedom Community. . Around 1750, the community of Eldersburg was founded by John Elder, who was given a land grant from the King of England for as much land as Elder could stake out in 24 hours. John Elder staked an 800-acre farm named Perseverance on a stagecoach route between Baltimore and Frederick, now known as Liberty Road. Shortly after, the intersection now known as MD 32 and MD 26 became a center of commerce containing two taverns, a blacksmith shop, and two general stores. The nearby intersection of MD 26 and Ridge Road featured a trading post, court house, and turkey roost., After the Revolutionary War, the Village of Elders was re-named to Freedom after the method by which lots were sold. For each lot purchased, the buyer was given an adjoining free lot. By the early 1800's, the largest property in the County was the 3,000 acre Springfield estate, laid out for William Patterson one of the original directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Patterson's daughter Elizabeth eloped to marry Jerome, prince brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Although Elizabeth did marry Jerome, Napoleon later had the marriage annulled., In 1825, James Sykes bought 1,000 acres of land and rebuilt an existing saw and grist mill, and later built a cotton factory in the area that would later become Sykesville. During this time, Sykesville and the Freedom area saw tremendous growth and development and in 1837, Carroll County was created out of the western part of Baltimore County and the eastern part of Frederick County.