Ellicott City, Maryland
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Ellicott City is an
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in, and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of, Howard County,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, United States. Part of the
Baltimore metropolitan area The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is part of the larger ...
, its population was 75,947 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous unincorporated county seat in the country. Ellicott City's historic downtownthe Ellicott City Historic Districtlies in the valleys of the
Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
and Patapsco rivers. The historic district includes the Ellicott City Station; it is the oldest surviving train station in the United States, having been built in 1830 as the first terminus of the original B&O Railroad line. The historic district of the town is often called "Historic Ellicott City" or "Old Ellicott City" to distinguish it from the surrounding suburbs that extend south to Columbia and west to West Friendship. The city is commonly referred to as the "Heart and Soul of Maryland" due to its historical character and geographic location.


History


Milling

Prior to the establishment of Ellicott City, the main crossing of the
Patapsco River The Patapsco River ( ) mainstem is a river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howar ...
connecting
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
with western Maryland stood about three miles north at what is now Hollifield (Old Frederick Road and Johnnycake Road). The main road continued west towards Mount Airy and Frederick along what later became Maryland Route 99. The first mill at that site on the river had been built by Christopher Gardiner in about 1716. Near this place, in 1766, James Hood used the "Maryland Mill Act of 1669" to condemn for a mill site adjacent to his river-side property, where he built a
gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
. His son Benjamin rebuilt the corn grinding mill after one of the frequent Patapsco floods in 1768. On 24 April 1771, three
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
brothers from
Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the List of counties in Pennsylvania, four ...
, north of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, chose the picturesque wilderness several miles upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (today's Elkridge, Maryland), the uppermost part of the river then navigable by
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
-loading sailing merchant ships in the 18th century, to establish a
flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
mill, purchasing of Baltimore County land from Emanuel Teal and from William Williams. John,
Andrew Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...
, and Joseph Ellicott founded "Ellicott's Mills", which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East. In 1774, Joseph Ellicott purchased Hood's Mill for 1,700 pounds, which became known as "Ellicott's Upper Mills". In 1775 the brothers expanded their holdings with from Bartholomew Balderson. Nathaniel sold his partnership in 1777, and Joseph sold all but his Hood's Mill ownership the next year. With the development of Ellicott's Mills, the main road connecting Baltimore to the west shifted southward from the Upper Mills to the Lower Mills at Ellicott City. This route later was incorporated into the Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike and the
National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
. The town retained the name "Ellicott's Mills" when the U.S. Postal stop opened on October 7, 1797. The Ellicott brothers constructed sawmills, smithies,
stables A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
, an oil mill, a grain distillery, and grain mills. They helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
instead of
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
and also by introducing
Plaster of Paris Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. The Ellicotts produced the product until a fire on 11 January 1809. Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), the last surviving signer of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
, a rare
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
and a wealthy landowner with the largest fortune then in colonial America, was an early influential convert from tobacco to wheat. By 1830, the founders' families could no longer support operations, and by 1840, the Ellicott family sold off their interests in the two flour mills, the granite quarry, the saw mill and plaster mill.


Rail

In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
outside
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, the first commercially operated cargo and passenger railroad in the country. The B&O was organized in 1827 and had its "first stone" laid the following year with major ceremonies on July 4,
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
, with the beginning of construction. The Ellicott City Station, built on an embankment across the corner of the town and along the
Patapsco River The Patapsco River ( ) mainstem is a river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howar ...
and intersecting Tiber Creek stream, with its "Oliver Viaduct", named for a B&O board member Robert Oliver crossing over the
National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
of large blocks of locally quarried gray granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
by the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America". In 1829, New York industrialist and Baltimore foundry-owner
Peter Cooper Peter Cooper (February 12, 1791April 4, 1883) was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the ''Tom Thumb (locomotive), Tom Thumb'', founded the Cooper Union ...
began testing his iron steam engine, ''Tom Thumb'' (1791–1883), on the B&O Railway. This was the first time a steam locomotive was used to transport persons over rails in the United States. The famous race between ''Tom Thumb'' and a horse-drawn rail carriage took place between Relay Junction on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills towards Baltimore in August 1830. Even though the horse won the race due to a sudden broken drive belt on the ''Tom Thumb'', it heralded the time when steam engines steadily improved, and the soon-to-be steam-operated railroad became a vital link in the town's economy and later expanding to the city of Baltimore's economic supremacy along with the state in the nation. The site of the Howard County Courthouse, which was built from 1840 to 1843 in the former western Howard District of
Anne Arundel County, Maryland Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, Mar ...
, was so designated for the new temporary district in 1839, and continued and was expanded later when Howard County became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851, as one of the 23 counties (plus Baltimore as an independent city) in the state of Maryland. The town in 1851 was in a spate of depression as low costs shut the Maryland Machine Manufacturing Company. Over 80 vacant dwellings lined the Howard County side of the river. By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area. At the start of the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
on April 19, 1861, "Gaithers Raiders", part of the Confederate "Howard County Dragoons" from Oakland Manor, marched through Ellicott's Mills to Baltimore, responding to the Baltimore riot of 1861, before heading south to join J. E. B. Stuart. Later that month, Union Army troops seized the " Winans Steam Gun" which had been en route to Harpers Ferry, Virginia, at Ellicott's Mills. The experimental gun had been developed by local Southern-sympathizer railroad builder and industrialist Ross Winans. In the fall of 1862, the 12th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was assigned to guard Ellicott's Mills, setting up the 1,200-man Camp Johnson on the lawn of the nearby Patapsco Female Institute. On July 10, 1864, the third Confederate invasion of the North, led by General Jubal Early, forced the retreat of the Federal troops under the command of General Lew Wallace down the National Pike from the Battle of the Monocacy to the B.& O.'s Ellicott's Mills station and to Baltimore. The one-day delay by Wallace's small force at Monocacy Junction enabled Lt. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
to rush troops in time to defend the U.S. capital. Homes and churches in Ellicott's Mills were temporarily used as hospitals for the Union wounded. In 1866,
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
broke out. In the same year, the Granite Mills cotton factory owned by Benjamin Detford burned down.


Incorporation and disincorporation

In 1867, a city incorporation charter was secured for Ellicott's Mills forming a local government with a mayor and council, and the name was changed to "Ellicott City". The first mayor was E. A. Talbot, who lived in a stone house and operated a lumber yard at the base of the river. His business was washed away in the flood of 1866, and again in 1868. He was offered a clear title on his home from his opponent Issacs if he threw his reelection, which he did. Talbot relocated uphill to a brick and granite store designed by Charles Timanus that houses the Ellicott City Brewing Company today. Howard County built its first jailhouse, the Ellicott City Jail, also called Emory Jail or Willow Grove, on Emory Avenue in 1878. The stone jail intended for 12 inmates operated until the Howard County Detention Center opened in 1983. In 1879, political gangs controlled the polling locations, shooting and wounding
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Ellicott City voters. The deputy sheriff declined to arrest the leaders for fear of his life and further outbreaks of violence. In H. L. Mencken's best-selling memoir '' Happy Days, 1880–1892'', he described his childhood in the chapter "Rural Delights" while living with his parents in their rented home in Ellicott City. Ellicott City favored the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...
, enacting a law against "spiritous, fermented or intoxicating liquors" in 1882, taking effect May 1, 1883. This was shortly changed to limit sales of liquor to licensed shops that did not sell other goods, providing the primary source of the town's tax income. Trolley service was proposed from Baltimore to Ellicott City in 1892, approved on April 20, 1895, and implemented in 1899. The service ran a double-ended
streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...
for most of its service life until 1955, when the Baltimore Service commission recommended a bus replacement, which lasted only two years. The Catonsville & Ellicott City Electric Railway Company rail line was later converted to a
hiking trail A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. " ...
. In February 1895, shop owner Daniel F. Shea was murdered by Jacob Henson. Henson was tried and sentenced to death. Fearing that Governor Brown might release Henson due to insanity, a group of residents broke into the jail and lynched Henson on Merricks Lane with a sign saying "Brown cannot rule our cort". Governor Brown condemned the citizens and ordered all prisoners sentenced to death be sent to the Maryland Penitentiary from then on. After a difficult start in 1896, granite mining was started. In 1907, Taylor Manor started as the Patapsco Manor Sanitarium built on property along New Cut Road. In 1939 the facility was purchased by Issac Taylor and run as the Pinel Clinic. Taylor operated an
optometrist Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...
business and Taylor's Furniture on Main Street. In 1948 the facility expanded to 48 beds, and in 1968 it expanded to 151 beds. The
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
circular rotunda stands out at the center of campus. Taylor Manor covered more than . In 2000, the facility became a branch of Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital. In 1924, the Display Machine Doughnut Corporation moved to Ellicott City from New York, occupying the site of the 1916 Patapsco Flouring Mill built on the ruins of the former Elicott and Gambrill's mills. The company made
doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
mix and doughnut manufacturing machines as the Doughnut Corporation of America. The only chartered city in the county, Ellicott City lost its charter in 1935 with a proposal from Senator Joseph Donovan, as the tax base from saloon fees lost in
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
caused citizen protest when taxes were shifted to residents. On April 27, 1941, a fire gutted the eight-story doughnut factory, but it rebuilt, providing doughnut mixes to WWII troops. In January 1942, an emergency room was set up in the post office for civilian defense for the ongoing war effort. In 1943, the Metropolitan District was formed to bring water and sewer to Ellicott City, sponsored by newspaperman P.G. Stromberg, I.H. Taylor, Charles E. Miller, Marray G. Peddicord, John A. Lane, and W. Emil Thompson.


Suburban development

In 1955, County Commissioner Norman E. Moxley created the city's first major subdivision, Normandy Heights. The first major shopping center, Normandy Shopping Center, was constructed. Alda Hopkins Clark purchased the Ellicott City First Presbyterian Church to donate it to the Howard County Historical Society. In 1958, '' The Goddess'', a film loosely based on
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
's life, was shot on location in the city. Before 1962, the only polling location for Howard County voters was in Ellicott City. In May 1962, voters were offered a second location to vote, also in Ellicott City at the National Armory on Montgomery Road. The same year, the state health department ordered the city to stop dumping its raw sewage into the Patuxent River and develop a modern septic system. In 1964, the Corinthian Conservation Company was proposed to operate a Title I private-nonprofit partnership to implement a slum eradication program in Ellicott City, demolishing residences, and replacing them with 75% federal-funded apartment complexes. In 1977, the county chose a site outside of the city for a new landfill, leading to the closure of the local New Cut Road landfill which served the county from 1944 until May 1980 for trash and hazardous materials. The New Cut landfill became the Worthington Dog Park. In 2011, a portion of the former landfill site was developed with a $462,000 grant from the Maryland Energy Administration to build onsite solar arrays to power Worthington Elementary. Ellicott City has historically been home to a population of poverty-class and
working-class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
Appalachian and Southern migrants who came north looking for jobs. Many were factory workers who subsequently worked in the mills of Ellicott City. Many of the Appalachian migrants came from the mountains of Tennessee, earning Ellicott City the nickname "Little Sneedville", after the town of Sneedville, Tennessee where many of the migrants had come from. By the mid-1980s, the "hillbilly" community had faded. Many of the migrants from Tennessee returned, while others lived in apartments along Route 40. By 1985, Ellicott City had experienced
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
, becoming associated with antique shopping. Historic Main Street has been the site of several devastating fires, most notably in November 1984, three in 1992 and again on November 9, 1999. The 1984 fire was started by Leidig's Bakery's faulty air conditioning unit and destroyed six buildings; the 1992 fires were by
arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...
, and the 1999 six-alarm blaze which destroyed five businesses and caused an estimated $2 million in damage was accidentally started behind a restaurant by a discarded
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...
. The
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...
-themed amusement park, the Enchanted Forest, was located in the western part of the area. The park closed to the general public since the early 1990s. A shopping center (called the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center) was built on its parking lot. Many of the attractions have been moved to Clark's Elioak Farm in a rural area in the southwest corner of the Ellicott City CDP, where they are being restored. The Enchanted Forest was featured in the 1990
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
-directed film '' Cry-Baby''. At midnight on August 21, 2012, a
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
coal train derailed on the Old Main Line Subdivision. Two 19-year-old girls who were sitting on the railroad bridge over Main Street were killed when coal was dumped on them. In 2012, the Forest Diner closed, ending a 66-year business as a traditional polished metal roadside diner, making way for 38 apartments. In 2014, the Hiene House and Ellicott City Jail were placed on the Preserve Howard top-ten most endangered list due to walkway and parking lot construction plans. In 2015, Ellicott City was inducted as a new member of Tree City USA.


Koreatown

Ellicott City has been home to a large Korean population along its Route 40 corridor, where numerous Korean-owned businesses and restaurants operate. Around 12,000 Korean-Americans currently live in Howard County, officials say. In Ellicott City, they make up 24 percent of the population. In 2017, Governor Larry Hogan dedicated a section of Route 40 from Rogers Avenue to Greenway Drive as "Korean Way", paying homage to the community's Korean culture. Ellicott City's
Koreatown A Koreatown (), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have only been in existence s ...
has been widely recognized for revitalizing declining shopping centers along the U.S. highway.


Floods

The town is prone to flooding from the Patapsco River and its tributary the Tiber River. These floods have had a major impact on the history of the town, often destroying important businesses and killing many. Ellicott City has had major devastating floods in 1817, 1837, 1868, 1901, 1917, 1923, 1938, 1942, 1952, 1956, 1972 (
Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...
), 1975 ( Hurricane Eloise), 1989, 2011, 2016, and 2018. The 1868 flood washed away 14 houses, killing 39 to 43 (accounts vary) in and around Ellicott City. It wiped out the Granite Manufacturing Cotton Mill, Charles A. Gambrill's Patapsco Mill, John Lee Carroll's mill buildings, and dozens of homes. One mill was rebuilt by Charles Gambrill, which remained in operation until a fire in 1916. A 1923 flood topped bridges, in 1952 an wall of water swept the shops of Ellicott City, and a 1956 flood inflicted heavy damage at the Bartigis Brothers plant. On June 21, 1972, the Patapsco River valley flooded from the remnants of
Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...
, taking out a concrete bridge, destroying the Jonathan Ellicott home, and the 1910 Victor Blode water filtration plant, and flooding Main Street to the
Odd Fellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in 18th-cen ...
hall. The Old Main Line of the B&O Railroad also sustained serious damage. On September 27, 1975, the town was flooded from Hurricane Eloise. Floods also occurred September 22, 1989, from Hurricane Hugo, and on September 7, 2011, flooding from Tropical Storm Lee.


2016 flood

On July 30, 2016, a storm dropped of rain in two hours on the community. The resulting
flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...
caused severe damage in historic Ellicott City, especially along Main Street. Many homes, roads, businesses, sidewalks, and more were destroyed by the flooding, including the town's landmark clock. A state of emergency was declared, and two people died as a result of the flooding.


2018 flood

On the afternoon of May 27, 2018, historic Main Street flooded again, after the region received over eight inches of rain in the span of two hours, just days before the new flood emergency alert system was to become operational. Homes, businesses, and infrastructure, including roads and the town's clock, were again damaged or destroyed. One person died, a National Guard member swept away while trying to save others.


Flood control

In 2017, the ''Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan'' was unveiled, but after the 2018 flood, the plans had to be re-evaluated. A $140 million multi-tiered five-year plan was chosen by County officials. The plan includes building a tunnel requiring the removal of nine historic structures. The removal of the buildings was opposed by preservationists as well as residents and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. Ball halted the work of Kittleman to study five plans. One would involve removing six buildings and another only four buildings. Two plans called for boring underground tunnels that was considered too expensive. The plan chosen involves tearing down four buildings and boring a 15-foot diameter tunnel through 1,600 feet of the granite hillside. Ten buildings were purchased and six will be stabilized and restored. The plan was not to solve the flood problem but mitigate it from over four feet to under one foot of flooding on the streets. The removal and construction work began in January 2024, and was completed in summer 2024. The partial removal and renovation of the other six is still underway as of February 2025.


Geography

Ellicott City is in northeastern Howard County, bordered to the east and north by the
Patapsco River The Patapsco River ( ) mainstem is a river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howar ...
, which forms the Baltimore County line. The Ellicott City
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) extends to the northwest beyond Marriottsville Road and to the southwest beyond Centennial Road. It is bordered to the south by Columbia at Maryland Route 108 and to the southeast by Ilchester at Maryland Route 104 and Bonnie Branch Road. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.41%, are water. Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic District, which is in the Tiber River valley immediately west of the Patapsco River. The Tiber River is a small tributary of the Patapsco that forms the narrow valley followed by Main Street. Several deep stream valleys converge at this location, which increases the risk of flooding, but at the same time creates the town's heights. The heart of the Historic District is Main Street, where the oldest structures of the town stand. Smaller neighborhoods within the district include Tonge Row (also spelled Tongue Row) adjacent to Old Columbia Pike, and the West End, at the western end of Main Street.


Neighborhoods

The remainder of the Ellicott City CDP ("Greater Ellicott City") includes the neighborhoods of: * Oella (Baltimore County) * Dorsey's Search * Centennial * Elioak * Turf Valley * Font Hill * Dunloggin * Waverly * Mount Hebron * Saint Johns Lane * Bethgate * Valley Mede * Bethany Manor * Normandy * Linwood * Long Gate * Taylor Village * Worthington * Brampton Hills * Montgomery Meadows *
Jonestown The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, an American religious movement under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became in ...
* Ilchester * Wheatfield


Geology

Historic Ellicott City sits on the
Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 23.5 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the third and shortest period of t ...
or
Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
Ellicott City Granodiorite. Outcrops can be seen lining Main Street. Several granite quarries were in operation in Ellicott City in the late 1800s and early 1900s.


Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with frequent
thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
s. Spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures.
Winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
is often considered chilly by U.S. standards, with lighter rain showers of longer duration. Sporadic snowfall can occur in winter, but is usually relatively light. The Köppen classification is humid subtropical. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year, with falling each month.


Demographics


2010

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 65,834 people, 23,734 households, and 18,150 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 24,672 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 64.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 22.9% Asian, 8.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.0%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.1% some other race, and 2.8% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. There were 23,734 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were headed by
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.20. In the CDP, the population was distributed by age with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $103,464, and the median income for a family was $120,064. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was $29,287. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.


2000

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 20,250 households, and 15,288 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 20,789 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 78.33%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.34%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.55% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 2.14% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. There were 20,250 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.22. In the town the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $79,031, and the median income for a family was $91,968. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,316. 3.3% of the population and 2.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.3% were under the age of 18 and 4.9% were 65 or older.


Economy


Tourism

Ellicott City has been called one of the most haunted small towns on the East Coast. The Howard County Tourism Council runs a Ghost Tour that visits several places with reputations for
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
activity. Among these are the mansions Lilburn, Hayden House, and Mt. Ida; the B&O railroad bridge that crosses Main Street in the center of the town; the old Ellicott City Firehouse; and the Patapsco Female Institute. Tourist attractions include: * Centennial Park * Ellicott City Station * Enchanted Forest * Shrine of St. Anthony * The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company * Trolley Line Number 9 Trail


Government


Representation in Congress

From 2003 to 2023, Ellicott City was a part of Maryland's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat
Elijah Cummings Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecess ...
until his death in 2019, followed by Kweisi Mfume until congressional redistricting. Since 2023, Ellicott City, along with the rest of Howard County, has been a part of Maryland's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Sarah Elfreth.


County government

Ellicott City houses numerous county offices, departments, and courthouses. The Howard County Circuit Courthouse, originally located on Court Avenue on a hilltop north of the downtown area, moved in 2021 to a new building adjacent to the Columbia Hills neighborhood. The Howard County District Courthouse is located close by on Martha Bush Drive, which houses district courtrooms and the county clerk's office. The County Executive and Council, along the departments of Community Services, Education, Elections, Employment, Health, Law Offices, Licensing, Natural Resources, Planning, Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, and Transportation are located in the George Howard Government Campus on Court House Drive.


Police and fire

The Howard County Police Department headquarters is located in the George Howard Government Campus on Court House Drive. The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services provides service from two stations in Ellicott City: Station 2 on Maryland Route 103, Montgomery Road, and Station 8 on Maryland Route 99, Old Frederick Road and Bethany Lane.


List of mayors

# George Ellicott 1867 # E.A. Talbot (served 2 terms) 1867-1868 # Daniel J. McCaulty 1873 # James E. Vansant before 1877 # Christian Eckert 1890 # Dr. Mordecai Gist Sykes 1893-?, 1922-? serving three times # Robert Yates 1900-?, 1904-? # Joseph H. Leishear 1907–1909 # John H. Kraft 1909-?


Education

Ellicott City proper is served by Mount Hebron High School, Centennial High School (Ellicott City, Maryland), Centennial High School, Wilde Lake High School, and Howard High School (Howard County, Maryland), Howard High School in the Howard County Public Schools, Howard County Public School System; Marriotts Ridge High School and River Hill High School serve most of the rest of the CDP area. The Homewood Center and the system's other specialized school, along with the central offices, also have Ellicott City addresses, though in fact they are on the northern edge of Columbia. Middle schools serving the CDP are Burleigh Manor, Dunloggin, Bonnie Branch, Mount View, Folly Quarter, Ellicott Mills Middle School, Ellicott Mills and Patapsco. The elementary schools include Veterans, Ilchester, Northfield, Centennial Lane, Manor Woods, St. Johns Lane, Waverly, Worthington, Triadelphia Ridge, and Hollifield Station. St. John's Parish Day School is located west of the town center, and Glenelg Country School is located at the western edge of the CDP.


Transportation


Transit

Ellicott City is served by the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) by Route 405 (Yellow Line) travelling from the The Mall in Columbia, Columbia Mall to the Miller Branch Public Library. The Maryland Transit Administration also provides commuter bus service via Lines 150 and 345. Dorsey station is the nearest MARC Train, located 9 miles away in Elkridge, Maryland, Elkridge. The station is accessed off of Maryland Route 100, Route 100 and is equipped with over 800 spaces. Numerous paths and trails surround Ellicott City for recreational and commuting purposes. The Grist Mill Trail in Patapsco Valley State Park runs parallel to the Patapsco River in Baltimore County, connecting Ilchester, Maryland, Ilchester Road to Gun Road in Relay, Maryland, Relay. The trail is known for the Patapsco Swinging Bridge. The Trolley Line Number 9 Trail in nearby Oella also connects Ellicott City to Catonsville.


Roads

Major east–west routes in Ellicott City include: *Maryland Route 144 (Main Street) * U.S. Route 40 in Maryland, U.S. Route 40 (Baltimore National Pike) * Interstate 70 in Maryland, Interstate 70 traveling east to west from Frederick to
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
*Maryland Route 103 (Montgomery Road). Other major highways in Ellicott City include: *U.S. Route 29 in Maryland, U.S. Route 29 (Columbia Pike) has its northern terminus at I-70, then travels southward towards Columbia and Washington, D.C. *Maryland Route 100 terminates in the south part of Ellicott City and travels eastward towards Glen Burnie, Maryland, Glen Burnie. North-south cross routes include Bethany Lane, Centennial Lane, Chatham Road, Marriottsville Road, Ridge Road, Rogers Avenue ( Maryland Route 99), and Saint Johns Lane.


Airports

Nearby airports include Baltimore-Washington International Airport, southeast of Ellicott City, and Glenair Airport in Glenelg, Maryland, Glenelg, 10 miles to the west.


Notable people

* Jeff Altenburg, racing driver * Edith Clarke, pioneering electrical engineer * Frank Cho, comics writer/artist, and creator of ''Liberty Meadows'' * Ray Ciccarelli, American professional stock car racing driver * Taylor Cummings, lacrosse player * Divine (actor), Divine, actor and drag queen * Dijon Duenas, musician * Andy Freed, radio announcer for the Tampa Bay Rays * Bryce Hall, American social media personality * Brian Harvey (American runner), Brian Harvey, distance runner, 3-time Olympic Trials qualifier * Samuel Hinks, Mayor of Baltimore from 1854 to 1856 * Aaron Maybin, former professional football player for the New York Jets of the National Football League; went to high school in Ellicott City * Robert G. Millar, Christian Identity leader whose evangelical group was first established in Ellicott City * Ken Navarro, contemporary jazz guitarist and composer * Creig Northrop, real estate agent, broker, and CEO of Northrop Realty * Alexis Ohanian, internet entrepreneur, activist and investor * Aaron Russell, professional volleyball player for the United States men's national volleyball team, United States national team * Snail Mail (musician), Snail Mail, band of Mount Hebron High School alum Lindsey Jordan * Edward Snowden, National Security Agency, NSA leaker * Peter Solomon (baseball), Peter Solomon, Major League Baseball player for the Houston Astros * The Dangerous Summer (band), The Dangerous Summer, American rock band * Martha Ellicott Tyson (1795–1873), Quaker elder, author, and co-founder of Swarthmore College


References


External links

*
VisitEllicottCity.com
{{Authority control Ellicott City, Maryland, 1772 establishments in Maryland Populated places established in 1772 County seats in Maryland Census-designated places in Howard County, Maryland Quakerism in Maryland Ethnic enclaves in Maryland