Castle Thunder was a house constructed on Frederick Road in 1787. It belonged to

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an Irish-American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic sign ...

, the last surviving signer of the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...

. Carroll gave the home to his daughter, Mary Carroll, and her husband,

Richard Caton Richard Caton (1842, Bradford – 1926), of Liverpool, England, was a British physician, physiologist and Lord Mayor of Liverpool who was crucial in discovering the electrical nature of the brain and laid the groundwork for Hans Berger to disco ...

, after they got married at

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

on November 25, 1787. The home stood from 1787 to 1907. The house was used as an inn for travelers. Prior to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, a private school was conducted at the house by Carrie Coale and her daughter. In 1907, the house was bought by former

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

senator

John Hubner John Hubner (December 26, 1840 – September 8, 1920) was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland Senate. Early life John Hubner was born on December 26, 1840, in Bavaria, Germany to Michael and Mary Hubner. His father was a lu ...

and torn down to make room for the residence of Arthur C. Montell, a cashier of the First National Bank of Catonsville. The Catonsville branch of the

Baltimore County Public Library Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL), established in 1948, is a public library system located in central Maryland and headquartered in Towson, MarylandMaryland State Archivesbr>Baltimore County, Maryland: Public Library September 29, 2015. B ...

was later built at the house's location, which currently stands. A commemorative plaque was built at the house's location in front of the library in 1966. The plaque went missing in July 2018 and was found, damaged, by the

Maryland State Highway Administration The Maryland State Highway Administration (abbreviated MDOT SHA or simply SHA) is the state transportation business unit responsible for maintaining Maryland's numbered highways outside Baltimore City. Formed originally under authority of the Ge ...

. Repairs for the sign were estimated to be $350.

References

{{coord, 39.27049, -76.73959, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-MD, display=title Houses in Baltimore County, Maryland Houses completed in 1787