Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Aloha to Ellicott City (part 1) - Historic Town



Ellicott City is the seat of Howard County.   From Wikipedia,

In 1772, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, chose the picturesque wilderness, upriver from Elk Ridge Landing to establish a flour mill. John, Andrew, and Joseph Ellicott founded Ellicott's Mills, which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East.


In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore. The station, built of huge blocks of locally quarried granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America".


My adventure began at the Thomas Isaac Cabin, built in 1780. 


Volunteers offer commentary to the small room depicting early Colonial life.


Behind the cabin, a local band celebrated the end of a charity run. 


Walking towards town, I discovered a book shop ...


... in the former Disney Tavern! 


Modern amenities, such as electric power lines, detract from the vintage look of this Colonial town.


The Colonial homes have been converted into small businesses, such as silver shop ...


... a hair salon ...


... tea room ...


... and family restaurant.  


The Catholic church stands guard over the city.   It is noteworthy that Charles Carroll contributed to Maryland's development in Colonial America - Carroll is the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.


Back to Wikipedia,

Like Rome, Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic District, which is on the banks of the Patapsco River. Continuing the Rome analogy, the small tributary of the Patapsco that forms the narrow valley followed by Main Street is named the Tiber River. Several deep stream valleys converge at this location, which increases the risk of flooding but at the same time creates the town's dramatic heights. Historic Ellicott City sits on Ordovician granite whose outcrops can be seen lining Main Street.


 The Firehouse Museum sits atop of one hill ...


... offering a glimpse of a time gone by.  


One resident created her own garden among the town's granite buildings. 


What is the history of your town/county/state?   

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City 
  
Next post:  Antique shopping in Ellicott City

8 comments:

  1. Love these pictures....off the top of my head I can't think of any historical towns in my area.

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  2. I love how you always find beauty in everything and take such lovely photos. :)

    Not much history where I live. Canada is a relatively new country compared to others.

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  3. Great pics and learning a lot :) Oh, Pittsburgh has a long and varied past: The history of Pittsburgh began with centuries of Native American civilization in the modern Pittsburgh region. Eventually French and British explorers encountered the strategic juncture where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio. The area became a battleground when France and Britain fought for control in the 1750s.
    Following American independence in 1783, the village around Fort Pitt continued to grow. The region saw the short-lived Whiskey Rebellion, when farmers rebelled against federal taxes on whiskey. The War of 1812 cut off the supply of British goods, stimulating American manufacture. By 1815, Pittsburgh was producing large quantities of iron, brass, tin, and glass products. By the 1840s, Pittsburgh had grown to one of the largest cities west of the Allegheny Mountains. Production of steel began in 1875. By 1911, Pittsburgh was producing half the nation's steel. Pittsburgh was a Republican party stronghold until 1932. The soaring unemployment of the Great Depression, the New Deal relief programs and the rise of powerful labor unions in the 1930s turned the city into a liberal stronghold of the New Deal Coalition under powerful Democratic mayors. In World War II, it was the center of the "Arsenal of Democracy", producing munitions for the Allied war effort as prosperity returned.
    Following World War II, Pittsburgh launched a clean air and civic revitalization project known as the "Renaissance." The industrial base continued to expand through the 1960s, but after 1970 foreign competition led to the collapse of the steel industry, with massive layoffs and mill closures. Top corporate headquarters moved out in the 1980s and in 2007 the city lost its status as a major transportation hub. The population of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area is holding steady at 2.4 million, and is 65% white. It has flourishing services, education, medicine, arts and high tech sectors and sports teams.

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  4. Nice pics; not a lot of history here

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  5. Our city has a long history. It was the first capital of the US.

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  6. What a wonderful little town. Our town has lots of historic buildings. It was founded in the late 1600s.

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  7. So much history, the pictures are fabulous. Nothing interesting in this town.

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  8. There's quite a bit of history in my neck of the woods. We have the Chisholm Trail and lots of historic buildings. Mary Martin was born not too far from where I live.

    Great pictures, Kim. While I never got to sight see like you have, we do have friends in Ellicott City.

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