Old Ellicott City in Howard County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Waterwheel
David Hess
| | 2022 | |
A wheel intervenes in the flow of water, stirring its energy and harvesting it for its power.
Before electricity, waterwheels propelled an industrial revolution along the Patapsco River. As waterwheels turend, laborers worked, converting wheat into flour, cotton into textiles, iron into nails.
Ellicott City's history is entwined with water and its capacity for both progress and destruction. The waterwheel flows with the current, not against it, and is a reminder of the respect required to coexist with this beautiful and powerful ecology.
Erected 2022 by the Fund for Art in Ellicott City; David Hess, sculptor.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 39° 16.042′ N, 76° 47.896′ W. Marker is in Ellicott City, Maryland, in Howard County. It is in Old Ellicott City. It is on Old Columbia Pike south of Main Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8221 Main St, Ellicott City MD 21043, United States
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Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Firehouse Museum (within shouting distance of this marker); The Howard House Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Day-French-Puhl House (within shouting distance of this marker); Taylors (within shouting distance of this marker); Yates Market & Hardware (within shouting distance of this marker); Walker-Chandler House (within shouting distance of this marker); Baltimore Regional Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); Taylor's Row (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellicott City.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
