Elkridge in Howard County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Orange Grove: A Small Neighborly Community
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
1. Orange Grove: A Small Neighborly Community Marker
"Life was quite and serene. The difference between then and now much like the difference between the raucous blare of the Diesel horn and friendly warmth of the whistle on a distant locomotive." - Thomas Phillips, Orange Grove in 1900Orange Grove was once home to more than a dozen flour mill workers and their families. Prior to 1905, nine houses and an combination one-room church/school lined the river. Cows grazed in the pasture where the pavilion now stands, each home owned by Patapsco Flour Mill Company, which operated a mill across the river.
Neighbors gathered at the village water pump not only to collect drinking water, but also to exchange news. The minister, teacher, doctor, butcher, and produce grocer traveled on foot, horseback or horse-drawn wagon to service the community or sell their wares.
Of the town's 41 people in 1900, 19 were children. Thomas Phillips, who grew up here, reminisces how the river valley was a magnificent playground with opportunities for mischief and fun. Children enjoyed snow-sledding and ice skating on the lake created by the mill's dam. One of the favored pastimes was "chestnut
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As you wander through the park today, imagine the different sights, sounds and smells of Orange Grove when it was a mill town.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1900.
Location. 39° 14.458′ N, 76° 45.007′ W. Marker is in Elkridge, Maryland, in Howard County. Marker is on River Road, on the right when traveling east. In the Orange Grove Area of Patapsco Valley State Park, at the head of the Cascade Falls Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Elkridge MD 21075, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Back to Nature in the Patapsco Valley (here, next to this marker); Besley Demonstration Campsite (here, next to this marker); Patapsco Superlative: (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Building America's First Railroad (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Destructive Power of the Patapsco (approx. 0.6 miles away); The River Makes Electricity (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Changing River Valley (approx. one mile away); Bringing Trade to Baltimore (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elkridge.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
2. Orange Grove: A Small Neighborly Community Marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
3. Orange Grove: A Small Neighborly Community Marker
Orange Grove School Children circa 1895. Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
4. Orange Grove Mill
Orange Grove town and mill viewed from downstream. Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
5. Cascade Inn
The Cascade Inn, one of the homes in Orange Grove, was once used as the park's headquarters. Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
6. One of the Homes
One of the homes owned by the Orange Grove Flour Mill Company. Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, April 26, 2014
7. Cascade Falls Trailhead
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2014, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 400 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 27, 2014, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
