The Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop, also known as Felicity, is a historic property at 5471 Old Columbia Road in

Oakland Mills, Maryland Oakland Mills is one of the 10 villages in Columbia, Maryland, Columbia, Maryland, United States. It is located immediately east of Town Center, across U.S. Route 29 in Maryland, U.S. Route 29. Neighborhoods in the village of Oakland Mills incl ...

Buildings

The Columbia Road was contracted on 6 January 1810 by the Maryland General Assembly to establish a toll road from

Ellicott City Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...

to Georgetown. The property includes a 1.5-story wood-frame house, built c. 1820, a single-story blacksmithy, a smokehouse, and the remains of a spring house. The buildings are set close to the south side of the road. The house was built by the Ridgely family, who owned the original Oakland Mills flour mill complex that appeared on the Anne Arundel County tax list in 1798. The wood stable was used to raise

Percheron The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and k ...

workhorses for local farms. Both the house and smithy are extremely well preserved; the smithy, which ceased operation in 1950, houses one complete forge and parts of a second.

Subsequent owners

In 1878, Samuel F. Whipps (1831–1909) moved from his father William Whipps' house at "Rebecca's Lot" (now Whipps Family and Public Cemetery) to Felicity. He operated the Oakland Mills post office and blacksmith shop with his son William Whipps. Future Circuit Court Judge James A. Clark Sr. worked for a Mr. Whipps on-site in the late 1800s. The property was later purchased by a Mr. and Mrs. Frank Collins. Most recently the property has been purchased by Genevieve & Thomas Engleman, who reside there. OaklandMills Store and Dwelling

21st century

The property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2011. A 2001 book, "''Roads to Howard's Past'' ", boasted about the

Maryland Department of Transportation The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is an organization comprising five business units and one Authority: * Maryland Transportation Authority (Transportation Secretary serves as chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority) * M ...

circumventing the historic properties, but by 2014 the historic register was changed to declare the property was not historic. County Executive

Ken Ulman Kenneth "Ken" Ulman (born May 4, 1974) is an American attorney, founder and CEO of a consulting firm, Margrave Strategies, and former Democratic politician in Howard County, Maryland. Prior to working in the private sector, Ulman served as coun ...

was part of the 2010 ground breaking for a road-widening project in front of the historic structures. The project to increase traffic capacity and develop extra density in downtown Columbia reduced the property size, relocated Old Columbia Pike, and installed sound walls.

Gallery

File:Oakland Mills Blacksmith House Front.jpg, Oakland Mills Blacksmith House Front File:Oakland Mills Blacksmith Shop Front.jpg, Oakland Mills Blacksmith Shop Front File:Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Front Together.jpg, Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Front Together File:Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Behind.jpg, Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Behind File:Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Behind 2.jpg, Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop Behind 2

References

External links