Maryland.gov Home

Maryland's National Register Properties

Back to Results List



Photo credit: Don Cook, 01/2003 		Ellicott City Historic District
Inventory No.: HO-78
Date Listed: 7/31/1978
Location: Ellicott City, Howard County
Category: District
Period/Date of Construction: 1772-1950
Resources: 153 (114 contributing, 16 non-contributing)
Description: When the Ellicott brothers purchased the site for their mill along the Patapsco River in 1772, they had to literally hack their way through the wilderness. The first building constructed by the Ellicotts was a log hut to house men and supplies. Within a few years they had built their mill, a store, and houses for themselves and their workers in the vicinity of the river which supplied the mill's power. Gradually as the town grew toward the East along Main Street, it was limited not by the river banks, but by the great outcroppings of native granite which abound in the area. Ellicott City's hilly terrain, the granite, and the river limited the city's expansion as it does today. Streets rise steeply from the riverfront, winding around great mounds of granite to finally attain the more open residential sites above the town. In 1868 Ellicott City suffered its first major flood and in addition to many of the buildings along the Patapsco, many of the mills between Sykesville and Ellicott City were destroyed. After this tragedy, commerce began to shift to Baltimore City. Just as the terrain determined where buildings were built, the culture of the early settlers determined how they were built. The Ellicotts and many of the workers they brought with them to settle the land were Quakers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They were plain people in taste as well as religion. Using local materials, wood, cut granite, and rubble stone, they built structures which reflected their humble origins. Later, in the mid 19th century, one finds a few attempts at aggrandizement in the Greek Revival buildings, but even these are restrained and unadorned. A few examples of Victorian architecture can be found along Main Street and a few of the early mill buildings have been Victorianized. Ellicott City has approximately seven buildings in the 1700-1800 period; 110 buildings in the 1800-1850 period; 80 buildings in the 1850-1900 period; 60 buildings in the 1900-1950 period, and 12 buildings in the 1950-present period. The almost 200 buildings constructed before 1900 are for the most part viable working buildings still serving a useful function in the community. Significance: Ellicott City is an extremely well preserved 19th century mill town whose sturdy architecture has remained intact and unaltered. The town thrived as a residence for workers from the textile factories (now extinct) along the Patapsco River, an important depot on the metropolitan branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a stopping point along the Old National Road (which passed through the town on Main Street), and as the county seat of Howard County. The industrial and transportation associations declined in importance with the advent of the 20th century. However, the physical environment remained unchanged. The dramatic topography of the town which drops steeply to the Patapsco sets Ellicott City apart from its environment. The sloping streets and the predominance of granite make it reminiscent of an English industrial town. Ellicott City was never a grand town as was late-18th century Annapolis. The majority of its architecture consists of solidly built structures which lack the details and forms required for easy classification into architectural styles such as Federal or Greek Revival. Ellicott City's architectural fabric derives from a broad vernacular interpretation of national styles. Ellicott City also derives significance from its association with the Ellicott family. In 1772, three Quaker brothers, Joseph, John, and Andrew Ellicott, bought 700 acres of land along the Patapsco River at the present site of Ellicott City. The Ellicott brothers possessed an unusual talent for success in any field. The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, family profited from the decline of the tobacco trade, and the increase in wheat production. They established grist mills powered by the Patapsco and arranged transshipment and export of wheat through the construction of roads and bridges, as well as a wharf in Baltimore Harbor. The Ellicotts were credited with the invention of the wagon brake and for the introduction of plaster of paris as a fertilizer. As builders, they financed schools, a Quaker meeting, stores, and a series of granite houses in Baltimore County. As industrialists, they operated an iron works and rolling mill.

District Resources (153) (114 contributing, 16 non-contributing)

From associated listing in National Register nomination form. C = Contributing, NC = non-contributing, blank = not evaluated.

AddressStatusResource Name and MIHP (if any)
3542 Church RoadCHouse
3552 Church RoadCVictorian House
3560 Church RoadCAmerican Foursquare House
3565 Church RoadCVictorian House
3574 Church RoadCAmerican Foursquare House
3575 Church RoadCHouse
3585 Church RoadCCarpenter Gothic Cottage
3611 Church RoadCHO-345 -- The Vineyard (Devine House)
3655 Church RoadCHO-60 -- Patapsco Female Institute, ruins (Patapsco Heights Hotel, Burg Alnwick Hotel, The Hilltop Theatre)
3749 Church RoadCHO-58 -- Angelo Castle (Angelo Cottage, Castle Angelo)
3788 Church RoadCHO-57 -- The Manse
3791 Church RoadCHO-56 -- Kenkins-Powell House (Jonathan Ellicott House, MacGill House)
3799 Church RoadCHO-55 -- Emory Methodist Church
3802 Church RoadCHO-436 -- Dr. Isaac J. Martin House (Kroh House)
3829 Church RoadCHO-61 -- The Firehouse Museum (Old Howard Co. Fire Department Building, Old Howard Co. Public Library)
3421 Church Road (3421 Martha Bush Drive)CHO-193 -- Linwood (Linwood Children's Center)
Church Road & Sylvan LaneCHO-609 -- Church Road and Sylvan Lane Survey District
3879 College AvenueCHO-355 -- Lilburn Cottage
3899 College AvenueCHO-353 -- Lilburn Mansion (Balderstone's Mansion, Hazeldene)
3899 College AvenueCHO-354 -- Lilburn Smokehouse
8324 Court AvenueCHO-285 -- Weir House (Second School Building, Planning Office)
8328 Court AvenueCHO-50 -- First Presbyterian Church (Howard County Historical Society Building)
8343 Court AvenueCHO-437 -- Bright House, Lawyer's Row (Reuben Johnson House)
8355 Court AvenueCHO-100 -- Bicentennial Headquarters Building
8360 Court AvenueCHO-51 -- Howard County Courthouse
3600 Fels LaneCHO-763 -- House
3713 Fels LaneCHO-581 -- Fort-Heine House (Barnard or Bernard Fort House)
3646 Fels Lane (House at 3640)CHO-979 -- William and Elizabeth Robinson House
8469 Hill StreetCHO-557 -- Mount Misery
8448 Main StreetCHO-315 -- George Burgess House
8480 Main StreetCHO-1135 -- Burgess House/Yates Grocery
Main Street (MD 144)CHO-332 -- Oliver Viaduct
Main Street (MD 144)CHO-591 -- National Pike Milestone No. 10
8000 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-72 -- Bridge Market (E.T. Clark Property, Radcliffe's Emporium, Louis T. Clark Grocery)
8004-8024 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-70 -- Patapsco Hotel (Thomas' Patapsco Hotel, Stewart's Hotel, Wilson Patapsco Hotel, Ellicott City Times)
8028-8036 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-86 -- Railroad Hotel (Turn Over a New Leaf, The Meeting House)
8044-8046 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-62 -- The Town Hall (Opera House, Rhodey's Emporium)
8048-8056 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-577 -- Hill, Robbins, Carter's 5 shops on Main Street
8053 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-330 -- Phoenix Emporium (George Goeller Building, P. Valmas Building)
8060 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-98 -- Lauman House (Alda Baptiste, Tongue Row Fabric Boutique)
8066-8068 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-88 -- Cacao Lane Restaurant (Hunt's General Store, Millinery Shop, Edward Alexander House)
8074-8082 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-89 -- Bernard Campbell House (Froogle Fashions, Import Specialties)
8080 Main Street (MD 144)C 
8081 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-360 -- Boone House (Stone Shop)
8086 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-97 -- John Williams' House (Pairo & Pairo Law Offices)
8090 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-99 -- Margaret Smith Gallery (Norton's Drug Store)
8098 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-52 -- Patapsco National Bank
8109-8111 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-586 -- Katydid
8113 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-359 -- Crosscurrents (Caplan's Frame Shop)
8120 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-94 -- Samuel Powell House (Chateau Wine Supplies, Rhodey Beer Garden, Navicki's (Votta's) Shoe Repair)
8126-8132 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-79 -- I.O.O.F. Lodge Building (Annie's)
8129 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-357 -- Stillridge Herb Shop (Caplan's Stone Shop)
8133 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-358 -- Mumbles and Squeaks (Fissel's Stone Shop)
8180-8182 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-69 -- Walker-Chandler House, Mrs. Rowland Bounds' House (Ellicott Country Store)
8186-8192 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-90 -- Charlotte Tazewell House (Lena McCauley Brick House)
8198 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-53 -- Samuel Powell House
8202 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-68 -- Howard House
8267 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-752 -- Ellicott City Post Office
8289 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-1102 -- Ellicott City Garage (Reedy Electric)
8298-8304 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-82 -- Disney's Tavern, H.H. Tamburo Shop (Mount Misery, Fabric House, Sprecher House)
8308 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-341 -- Talbott Lumber Company (Ellicott Mills Brewing Company)
8329-8333 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-325 -- Caleb Merryman's Two Frame Buildings (Abend House, Kirkwood's Double House)
8345 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-362 -- Ida Holzweig's Double Stone House #2 (State Farm & Antiques Etc.)
8357 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-361 -- Ida Holzweig's Double Stone House #1 (Brown Law Office)
8385 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-573 -- The Judge's Bench (Buzz Suter Building)
8394 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-64 -- Thomas Isaac's Log Cabin (Stanton's Log Cabin)
8398 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-340 -- Old Howard County Courthouse
8450 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-583 -- Samuel Burgess Carriage House
8454 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-338 -- Sam Caplan House (Burgess Tenant House, Miller's House)
8490 Main Street (MD 144)C 
8516 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-483 -- S.E. Yates House
8532-8534 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-336 -- William Moore House
8572 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-482 -- Catherine Kuhn House
8624 Main Street (MD 144)CHO-334 -- George White Shop
8340 Main Street (MD144) (formerly 8398 Court Avenue)CHO-343 -- Curran-Boerly House (The History Shoppe)
2711 Maryland AvenueCHO-71 -- Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station, Freight Building, & Turntable
3709 Old Columbia PikeCHO-1133 -- Fahey House and Shop
3774 Old Columbia Pike (MD 144)CHO-308 -- Manelli Cottage
3782 Old Columbia Pike (MD 144)CHO-550 -- Latimer House
3771 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-67 -- Friends Meeting House (Quaker Meeting House)
3771 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-66 -- Quaker Burial Grounds
3771 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-65 -- Ellicott Family Burial Grounds
3786-3790 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-307 -- David Myer's House
3801-3803 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-305 -- Esther Rettger's Two-Part House
3815 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-303 -- Bruce Smyser's Double House
3817 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-363 -- Charles Ringly House #2
3820 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-302 -- Charles Ringley's House
3821 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-304 -- Paul Perkins House
3825 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-301 -- Tuten's Cottage, site
3829 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-300 -- Broxton
3832 Old Columbia Pike (MD 987)CHO-558 -- Prestage's Folly
3709 Park Avenue (Formerly 1 Emory Streety)CHO-54 -- Howard County Jail
3691 Sarah's LaneCHO-59 -- Mount Ida
8205 St. Paul PlaceCHO-298 -- St. Peters Rectory & Parish House
St. Paul StreetCHO-76 -- St. Paul's Catholic School (Patapsco National Bank)
3744 St. Paul StreetCHO-493 -- Sydney C. Robertson House
3749 St. Paul StreetCHO-348 -- St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church
3755 St. Paul StreetCHO-347 -- St. Paul's Church Rectory
3760-3766 St. Paul StreetCHO-350 -- Sam Caplan Double Houses
3768-3776 St. Paul StreetCHO-346 -- John Baker Five Houses
3420 Sylvan LaneCVictorian House
3541 Sylvan LaneCFrame House
3570 Sylvan LaneCVictorian House
3578 Sylvan LaneCVictorian House
3581 Sylvan LaneCFrame House
3621 Sylvan LaneC 
3641 Sylvan LaneCFrame House
8069 Tiber AlleyCHO-83 -- Collier's Grist Mill (Bernard Fort CM, Ellicott City Mills, E.C. Electric Light and Power Co.)
Tiber Alley over Tiber RiverCHO-669 -- Bridge (SHA HO-107)
3732 Tongue RowCHO-312 -- Hi Ho Silver (Wexford House Shop)
3736-3742 Tongue RowCHO-311 -- R&R Unlimited Antiques
3744-3748 Tongue RowCHO-310 -- Rebel Trading Post & The Arms Room (Ijams Shop)
3752-3754 Tongue RowCHO-309 -- Esther Rettger's Shop (Pieter Meerschaert's Shop)
3723 Tongue Row (3723 Old Columbia Pike)CHO-313 -- George Anderson Shop (Day-O'Neal-French House)
Church RoadNC 
3431 Church RoadNCCottage
3496 Church RoadNCHouse
3538 Church RoadNCHO-1127 -- John and Hattie Groener House
3542 Church RoadNCHouse
3557 Church RoadNCHouse
8390 Church RoadNCTenant House
Court AvenueNCOffice Building
Ellicott Mills DriveNCApartments
Junction of Columbia Pike and Main StreetNCMovie House
Old Columbia Pike over Tiber RiverNCHO-680 -- Bridge No. HO-132 (Old Columbia Pike over Tiber River)
8396? Park DriveNCCottage
8380 Park RoadNCHouse
3530 Sylvan LaneNCHouse
3649 Sylvan LaneNCAluminum-sided House
Sylvan Lane over tributary of Sucker BranchNCHO-741 -- Bridge (SHA HO-111)
Circuit Court Building HO-637 -- Confederate Monument
3675 College Avenue HO-1003 -- Joseph and Virgile McAllister House, site
3700 College Avenue HO-590 -- Rock Hill College (Rock Hill Academy)
8360 Court Place HO-284 -- Oak Lawn (Hayden House, former Board of Ed. Building)
3637 Fels Lane HO-1131 -- Ezra and Ann Fell House
8197 Main Street HO-1132 -- Taylor's Furniture Store
8472-8478 Main Street HO-1136 -- Yates Apartment
8505-8507 Main Street HO-1002 -- Somerville Double Tenant House
8137 Main Street (MD 144) HO-1008 -- Washington Trust Company (Commercials & Farmers Bank; Farmers & Mechanics Bank)
8390 Main Street (MD 144) HO-984 -- Third Ellicott City Firehouse
8454 Main Street (MD 144) HO-339 -- Sam Caplan's Cottage, site
3793 Mulligan Hill Lane HO-333 -- Ellicott Cottage Lots 3 and 4 (Dennis Mulligan's Two Brick Houses, Mulligan's Brick Duplex House)
3988 Mulligan's Hill Lane HO-1120 -- Mulligan's Frame Duplex Houses (Mulligan's Hill Frame Duplex Houses)
3816 New Cut Road HO-352 -- Butke's Log House, site
3711 Old Columbia Pike HO-1134 -- Ridgely Building
3779 Old Columbia Pike HO-78-1 -- Angevina Cottage
Old Columbia Pike (MD 987) HO-306 -- Friends Meeting House Historic Marker
St. Paul Place HO-351 -- Old St. Peter's Church Rectory, site
St. Paul Place HO-299 -- St. Peters Episcopal Church, site
Sylvan Lane HO-732 -- Mentzel Paper Company Site
3405 Sylvan Lane Frame Cottage
3531 Sylvan Lane Frame House
3645 Sylvan Lane Frame Cottage