Towson, Maryland
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Towson () is an unincorporated community and a
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 Baltimore 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. The population was 59,533 in the 2020 census. It is 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 Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorporated county seat in the United States (after Ellicott City, the seat of nearby Howard County, southwest of
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 ...
).


History


1600s

The first inhabitants of the future Towson and central Baltimore County region were the
Susquehannock The Susquehannock, also known as the Conestoga, Minquas, and Andaste, were an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian people who lived in the lower Susquehanna River watershed in what is now Pennsylvania. Their name means “people of the muddy river.” T ...
people, who hunted in the area. Their region included all of Baltimore County, though their primary settlement was farther northeast along the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...
.


1700s

Towson was settled in 1752 when Pennsylvania brothers, William and Thomas Towson, began farming an area of Sater's Hill, northeast of the present-day
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
and Joppa roads. William's son, Ezekiel, opened the Towson Hotel to serve the growing number of farmers bringing their produce and livestock to the
port of Baltimore The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a Port, shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's la ...
. He built the hotel at current-day Shealy Avenue and York Road, near the area's main crossroads. The village became known as "Towsontown". The property in West Towson came from two land grants: 400-acre Gott's Hope in 1719, and Gunner's Range in 1706.''A Brief History of West Towson'', by David A. Loizeaux In 1790, businessman Capt. Charles Ridgely completed the Hampton Mansion just north of Towsontown, the largest private house in America at the time. The Ridgelys lived there for six generations, until 1948. It is now preserved as the Hampton National Historic Site and open to the public.


1800s

Grafton Marsh, a surgeon during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, and his brother Josiah Marsh settled their families in a collection of early houses known as Gott's Hope that was part of a group along Joppa Road. They consolidated four of the structures into a larger dwelling that they called "Marshmont". The brothers went into business together as medical practitioners. Neither had any heirs but were joined in practice later by their nephew, Dr. Grafton Marsh Bosley, who eventually inherited the medical practice, the Marshmont compound, and a 140-acre farm. The farm extended west of York Road, south of Joppa Road, north of the Sheppard Pratt Hospital, and east of Woodbine Avenue.''The Jeffersonian'', Towson MD, Friday, November 16, 1945 (Vol. XXXV - No. 4) In 1869, Bosley and his wife Margaret Nicholson then built a new home in an area of the property known as "Highlands" or "Highland Park", which they named "Uplands". The ratification of the second Maryland Constitution of 1851 provided for the jurisdictional separation of the former Baltimore Town, founded in 1729. Baltimore Town had served as 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 ...
since 1767, now the City of Baltimore, since its incorporation in 1796–97 by the General Assembly of Maryland. Several tortured sets of negotiations occurred to divide the various assets of the city and the county, such as the downtown courthouse of 1805, the city/county jail of 1801 along the Jones Falls (at East Madison Street) and the almshouse, which was also jointly owned. After a series of elections and
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
s, on February 13, 1854, Towson became, by popular vote, the choice of the remaining, now mostly rural, eastern, northern and western portions of the county as the new county seat of Baltimore County. Historical marker, Towson Courthouse, Baltimore County Historical Society. The Baltimore County Courthouse, still in use by 2015, with its various annexes (and the separate county courts and administrative building), was originally designed by the local city architectural firm of Dixon, Balbirnie and Dixon. It was completed within a year, constructed of limestone and marble donated by the well-known Ridgely family of nearby Hampton Mansion, on land donated by Towson doctor Grafton Marsh Bosley. The courthouse was subsequently enlarged in 1910 through additional designs for north and south wings by well-known and regarded city architects, Baldwin & Pennington. Additional expansions later in 1926 and 1958 eventually created an H-shaped plan for the courthouse. An additional modernistic Baltimore County Courts Building, with room for the new charter government since 1956 and administration of a county executive and
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...
, plus administrative and executive departments, was erected in 1970–71 across a plaza to the west of the older historic courthouse. The old Baltimore County Jail was built in 1855, and was later replaced in the 1980s by a new modern Baltimore County Detention Center, north of the town on Kenilworth Drive, with an addition constructed in the 2010s. From 1850 to 1874, another notable land owner, Amos Matthews, had a farm of that—with the exception of the largely natural parcel where the Kelso Home for Girls (currently Towson YMCA), was later erected —was wholly developed into the neighborhoods of West Towson, Southland Hills and other subdivisions, beginning in the middle 1920s. During 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 ...
, Towson was the scene of two minor engagements. Many local citizens were sympathetic to the Southern Confederate cause, so much so that Ady's Hotel (later named the Towson Hotel) and the current site of the 1920s-era Towson Theatre (later the Recher Theatre), flew the Southern flag. The Union Army found it necessary to overtake the town by force on June 2, 1861. During the raid, the Union Army seized weapons from citizens at Ady's Hotel. A local paper, in jest, refers to the "strongly fortified and almost impregnable city of Towsontown" and downplays the need for the attack, stating, "the distinguished Straw, with only two hundred and fifty men, has taken a whole city and nearly frightened two old women out of their wits." The second engagement took place around July 12, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces. On July 10, 1864, a 135-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the
Northern Central Railway The Northern Central Railway (NCRY) was a Class I Railroad in the United States connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Sunbury, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania R ...
to the north in nearby Cockeysville, under orders from Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, of
Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in, and the county seat of, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. Frederick's population was 78,171 people as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Maryland, second-largest ...
. The First and Second Maryland Cavalry, led by Baltimore County native and pre-war member of the Towson Horse Guards, Maj. Harry W. Gilmor, of Glen Ellen, attacked strategic targets throughout Baltimore and Harford counties, including cutting telegraph wires along Harford Road, capturing two trains and a Union general, and destroying a railroad bridge in Joppa, Maryland. Following what became known as Gilmor's Raid, the cavalry encamped in Towson overnight at Ady's Hotel, where his men rested and Gilmor met with friends. The next day, a large federal cavalry unit was dispatched from Baltimore to overtake Gilmor's forces. Though outnumbered by more than two to one, the Confederate cavalry attacked the federal unit, breaking the federal unit and chasing them down York Road to around current-day Woodbourne Avenue, within Baltimore city limits. Gilmor's forces traveled south along York Road as far south as Govans, before heading west to rejoin Gen. Johnson's main force. Following the war, Gilmor served as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner in the 1870s. The Towson fire of 1878 destroyed most of the 500 block along the York Turnpike, causing an estimated $38,000 in damage. During the summer of 1894, the Towson Water Company laid wooden pipes and installed fire hydrants connected to an
artesian well An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...
near Aigburth Vale. On November 2, 1894, Towson was supplied with electric service through connection with the Mount Washington Electric Light and Power Company.


1900s

At the beginning of the century, Towson remained largely a rural community. Land continued to be sold by the acre, rather than as home parcels. Most residences lay within Towson proper: no houses existed west of Central Avenue along Allegheny or Pennsylvania Avenues, and there were only three homes along the West Chesapeake Avenue corridor. In the 1910s, the Maryland State Normal School (MSNS) (now known as
Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its foundin ...
) was relocated to Towson. The Maryland Legislature had established the MSNS in 1865 as Maryland's first teacher-training school, or normal school. The institution officially opened its doors on January 15, 1866, however as time passed enrollment in the school grew exponentially, which rendered the facilities inadequate. In 1910, the General Assembly formed a committee to oversee site selection, budget, and design plans for a new campus. It settled on an site in Towson. The General Assembly financed the $600,000 move in 1912. Construction then began in 1913 on the Administration Building, now known as Stephens Hall. In September 1915, the new campus, comprising Stephens Hall, Newell Hall, and the power plant, began classes. The college underwent numerous name changes, settling on Towson University in 1997. As the growth of Baltimore's suburbs became more pronounced after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, considerable office development took place in Towson's central core area. Many of the large Victorian and colonial-style residences in the vicinity of the Court House were demolished in the 1980s and 1990s to make way for offices and parking. In 1839, Epsom Chapel became the first Christian house of worship in Towson, used by various denominations. Due to population growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several churches were built to serve the community, such as Calvary Baptist Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, and Towson Presbyterian Church. Epsom Chapel was demolished in 1950 when
Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...
sold a portion of its property for development of the Towson Plaza shopping center, now Towson Town Center. First Methodist Church moved in 1958 to land also acquired from Goucher College, and is now Towson United Methodist Church. Author Robert Coston, who grew up in the area of Towson now called " Historic East Towson", recalled in an interview the unique
African-American history African-American history started with the forced transportation of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Africans to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. The European colonization of the Americas, and the resulting Atlantic slave trade, ...
of that area during the mid-century:
I think that the Towson, Maryland area that I am familiar with differs from other parts of Maryland because of the proximity to one of the largest slave plantations in the country. The Ridgely Plantation which owned all of the property from Baltimore County to Baltimore City and other surrounding areas. ... This was a very unique place of which I have never heard of any equal to it. Every African American school age child in Baltimore County had to attend school at some point at Carver in East Towson. ... I realize now that as a youngster the older African Americans avoided talking about slavery or the nearby Ridgely Plantation because they themselves were not too far removed from slavery itself.
Prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, racially restrictive covenants were used in Towson to exclude African-Americans and other minorities.


Geography

Towson is located at (39.392980, −76.609562). 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 is land and (1.06%) is water. The community is located immediately north of Baltimore City, inside the Beltway ( I-695), east of I-83 and along York Road. Its census boundaries include Pikesville to the west, Lutherville and Hampton to the north, Parkville to the east, and
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 ...
to the south. Major neighborhoods in Towson include: Anneslie, Idlewylde, Fellowship Forest, Greenbrier, Southland Hills, Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Wiltondale, Towson Manor Village, Hunt Crest Estates, Knollwood-Donnybrook, Campus Hills, East Towson, Knettishall, Loch Raven Village and West Towson. Ruxton and Riderwood, which lie to the west, are considered a part of Towson. Eudowood is a Towson neighborhood named after Eudocia, the wife of Dr. John T. Stansbury, on whose former estate it is situated.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system Towson has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Government

Both the Baltimore County Public Schools, and the Baltimore County Police Department possess headquarters that are located in Towson.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 Census there were 59,533 residents in Towson. Of these 72.3% were White, 15.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.9% Asian, and 4.2% Hispanic. The percent of persons age 25 years and over with a high school diploma or higher was 96.5%. 66.9% of people had a Bachelors' degree or higher. The median household income was $93,435 and per capita income was 52,444. 11.3% of people were living in poverty.


2000 census

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 51,793 people, 21,063 households, and 11,331 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 21,997 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.9% White, 7.53% African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.7% Asian, and 1.9% Hispanic. There were 21,063 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,775, and the median income for a family was $75,832 (these figures had risen to $64,313 and $98,744 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $49,554 versus $38,172 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 $32,502. About 2.5% of families and 7.7% 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 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.


Transportation


Roads

Major roads in Towson include: * Allegheny Avenue *Auburn Drive *Bellona Avenue *Bosley Avenue *Burke Avenue * Charles Street (MD-139) * Chesapeake Avenue * Cromwell Bridge Road * Dulaney Valley Road (MD-146) * Fairmount Avenue * Goucher Boulevard *Hillen Road * Joppa Road * Loch Raven Boulevard * Osler Drive *
Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...
* Providence Road * Putty Hill Avenue * Stevenson Lane * Towsontown Boulevard * Washington Avenue * York Road (MD-45)


Public transportation

The Towson area has several bus lines operated by the
Maryland Transit Administration The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Washington ...
. These include: * Route 3, which serves the Loch Raven Boulevard corridor, with selected trips along Joppa Road * Route 8, which operates along York Road to Lutherville and downtown Baltimore (formerly the #8 streetcar line) * Route 11, which serves Towsontown Boulevard, the Charles Street corridor, and GBMC hospital * Route 12, which operates along York and Dulaney Valley Roads to Stella Maris Hospice at the times needed for the facility's change of shift. * Route 48 QuickBus, which operates between Towson Town Center and downtown Baltimore along the same route as #8, except with limited stops for a speedier trip * Route 55, which operates cross-county service to Parkville, Overlea, Rosedale, and Essex Towson also has
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
service to downtown Baltimore and BWI Airport along its periphery via the Lutherville and Falls Road stops, though there are no stops actually in Towson. Towson University and
Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...
also operate bus services for their students, and th
Collegetown Shuttle
has several stops in the area. In October 2021, Towson began providing a free bus service circulating through Towson called the Towson Loop.


Pedestrians and bicycles

The Towson Bike Beltway opened in September 2014. It includes the addition of bicycle lanes on several major streets encircling the downtown area. The main loop includes Bosley Avenue (which is part of Maryland Route 45 Bypass), Fairmount Avenue, and Goucher Boulevard; these three roads will receive full bike lanes. The rest of the loop, utilizing Hillen Road and Towsontown Boulevard, will receive signage alerting motorists to expect an increase in bicycle traffic on those roads. After this initial construction, several spurs are envisioned to branch from the main loop, with several reaching as far south as the Baltimore city line.


"Ma and Pa" Railroad

Railroad service began to Towson on April 17, 1882, with construction of the Baltimore & Delta Railway Company, soon renamed the Baltimore & Lehigh Railroad, and later reorganized as the
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , colloquially known as the "Ma and Pa", was an American short-line railroad between York, Pennsylvania, York and Hanover, Pennsylvania, formerly operating passenger and freight trains on its original line be ...
. The "Ma and Pa", as it was affectionately known locally, formerly operated between Baltimore and
York, Pennsylvania York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...
, through Towson. Its passenger station was located just west of York Road on Susquehanna Avenue. Passenger service was discontinued on August 31, 1954, and the railroad line through Towson was finally abandoned altogether on June 11, 1958, leaving only the stone abutments where the tracks crossed York Road on a steel girder bridge. One passenger on the last passenger train recalled that many riders came from as far away as
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, to participate in the historic event, along with members of the
National Railway Historical Society The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for the historical development of Rail transport, railroads. It is headquartered in Phila ...
. Historic Towson, a local group of history buffs, installed a bronze plaque on the west abutment in 1999, commemorating the defunct railroad's place in Towson's history.


Shopping and other attractions

Towson features some of Baltimore County's largest shopping centers as well as other popular venues of interest. These include:


Hampton Mansion

Hampton National Historic Site is operated by the U.S.
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 ...
. The home and grounds were formerly the core of the vast Ridgely estate. The site includes the Ridgely's 18th-century Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The National Park Service offers free admission and guided tours.


Towson Town Center

Towson Town Center is Baltimore County's largest indoor mall, with four stories of shops and a parking garage. Nearby is Allegheny Avenue, the main street of downtown Towson, with a variety of eateries and stores.


Towson Square

A new outdoor mall, Towson Square, was under construction in 2013. After quick construction, the Square opened in October 2014.


The Shops at Kenilworth

The Shops at Kenilworth, formerly known as Kenilworth Park and also as Kenilworth Bazaar, is a small indoor mall located on Kenilworth Drive.


Towson Place

Towson Place is a major shopping area near Joppa Road, Goucher Boulevard, and Putty Hill Avenue. Built on the site of the Eudowood Sanatarium, the original Eudowood Plaza shopping center was an open mall anchored by Montgomery Ward. Renovated in the early 1980s to an indoor mall and renamed Towson Marketplace, the location was then redeveloped in 1998 as an open-air collection of big box stores and other stores and restaurants. Towson Place is next to Calvert Hall College High School, a
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 ...
Lasallian Christian Brothers secondary school which moved in 1960 to its suburban location from its original site, founded 1845 in the city's Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood on Cathedral Street at West Mulberry Street.


TU Arena and Unitas Stadium

Towson University's arena
TU Arena TU Arena, formerly SECU Arena, is a 5,200-seat multi-purpose arena on the Towson University campus in Towson, Maryland, United States. The arena was completed and opened in 2013, and now hosts the Towson Tigers men's basketball, men's and women's ...
and stadium Johnny Unitas Stadium are both the main venues for Towson Tigers athletics and other events. TU's Towson Center formerly held the Towson Tigers' men's and women's basketball teams, women's gymnastics and women's volleyball teams.


Education


Colleges and universities

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its foundin ...
is a public school in southern Towson. Its student population is greater than 20,000, making it the second largest institution in the University System of Maryland. TU is home to the largest business school in the state, with 2,500 students. It was founded in 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School for the training of teachers. Originally the school was located at several sites in the city. It underwent several name changes before moving in 1915 to an expansive campus just south of Towson on the west side of York Road. The administration and classroom structure, later named Stephens Hall, has a
cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...
in red brick with limestone trim in English Tudor/Elizabethan/ Jacobethan architecture style, and was by several other similar campus buildings to the northeast in similar style. Also located in Towson is
Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...
, a small private liberal arts school that was founded in 1885. Goucher was a
women's college Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Some women's colleges admit male st ...
until it went coeducational in 1986. It was established as the Women's College of Baltimore, and its founders, pastors John Goucher, who would later become its namesake, and John B. Van Meter were closely affiliated with
Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...
. The school was originally based in Baltimore city and moved to its current campus in Towson in 1953. The old campus in Baltimore, which the school no longer owns or occupies, is now known as Old Goucher and is a registered historic district. The current 287-acre campus of the school in Towson was also notably registered as a historic district and in 2007 it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
for its unique and innovative architecture.


Public schools

Towson is served by the Baltimore County Public Schools district, and the Baltimore County Board of Education headquarters is also located there. There are three high schools. Towson High School, founded in 1873, was the first
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
provided. It is the second oldest in the school system, and Towson's largest, with its most recent stone structure constructed in 1949. Loch Raven High School dates from 1972. The Carver Center for Arts and Technology is a local
magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...
and vocational-technical secondary school in a newly constructed building. It was established in 1984 and known as the Central Technical High School. It was renamed for the African-American scientist
George Washington Carver George Washington Carver ( 1864 – January 5, 1943) was an American Agricultural science, agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent bla ...
(1864–1943), and to remember the previous Carver High School in Towson. That school had served black residents of the county for several decades in the previously racially segregated public school system before the early 1960s, when the suburban county lagged behind fully integrating after the 1954 landmark '' Brown vs. Board of Education'' decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Towson is served by nine public elementary schools in the school district: Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Riderwood, Hampton, Lutherville Lab, West Towson, Halstead Academy, Pleasant Plains and Cromwell Valley Regional Magnet School of Technology, which serves students from all over Baltimore County. Towson is served by two public middle schools, Dumbarton Middle School and Loch Raven Technical Academy. Some students are also zoned to attend Ridgely Middle School in Lutherville further north. Also located in Towson is Ridge Ruxton School, a
special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...
school serving the central area of Baltimore County, including Reisterstown,
Owings Mills Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. Per the 2020 census, the population was 35,674. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus o ...
, Parkville, Cockeysville, and Hunt Valley. The school describes itself as offering "programs for students from three to twenty-one years of age who have been identified as developmentally delayed, intellectually limited, autistic-like, and/or multi-handicapped".


Private schools

The Towson area has a number of long-established private schools at the secondary school level, including
Loyola Blakefield Loyola Blakefield is a private Catholic, college preparatory school run by the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus in Towson, Maryland and within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It was established in 1852 by the Jesuits as an all-boys scho ...
, Calvert Hall College High School, Concordia Preparatory School, and Notre Dame Preparatory School.


Notable people

*
Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (; November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second of two vice presidents to resign, the first being John C. ...
(1918–1996),
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
, 1969-1973 *
All Time Low All Time Low is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson ...
, pop punk band * Albert Cassell (1895–1969), architect * William Purington Cole Jr. (1889–1957), U.S. Congressman for Maryland's 2nd District, 1927–1929 and 1931-1942 * Mel Kiper Jr. (born 1960),
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
draft analyst *
Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...
(1945–1988), actor, the drag persona of Harris Glenn Milstead * Jeff Donnell (1921–1988), film and TV actress * Charles S. Dutton, actor who attended Towson University * F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), writer * Jane Frank (1918–1986), artist * Sally Lucas Jean (18 June 1878 – 5 July 1971), Health educator and nurse * Bill Kramer (executive), Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences * Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996), film actress * G. E. Lowman (1897–1965), radio evangelist * Luigi Mangione (born 1998), suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (businessman), Brian Thompson * Nicholas Mangione (1925–2008), real estate developer and owner of Turf Valley, Maryland, Turf Valley * Victor A. McKusick (1921–2008), internist and clinical geneticist * Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame National Football League, NFL defensive end (Dallas Texans (NFL), Dallas Texans, History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts) * Kimmie Meissner, figure skater and last US world figure skating champion * Ana Montes, Defense Intelligence Agency Senior Analyst convicted of spying for Cuba * Anita Nall (born 1976), 1992 Summer Olympics gold medalist swimmer * Michael Phelps (born 1985), swimmer, holds record for most gold Olympic medals, most gold medals in individual events and most career Olympic medals * Charles Ridgely III (1733–1790), Hampton National Historic Site, Hampton estate founder and ironworks owner * Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829), Governor of Maryland, 1815-1818 * Eliza Ridgely of Hampton National Historic Site, Hampton (1803–1867), 'The Lady with a Harp' * Thomas Roberts (news anchor), Thomas Roberts, dayside anchor and occasional prime time fill-in on MSNBC * Don Shula (1930–2020), head coach and player with the History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts; led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history; holds NFL record for most wins as a head coach * Nathan Towson, Major-General Nathan Towson (1784–1854), distinguished officer of the War of 1812; former Paymaster of the US Army; namesake of Fort Towson, Oklahoma * Johnny Unitas (1933–2002), Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback (History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers) * Ricky Van Veen, owner and co-founder of CollegeHumor website * John Waters, filmmaker and activist


Medical facilities

* Greater Baltimore Medical Center * St. Joseph Medical Center (Towson, Maryland), St. Joseph Medical Center * The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Sheppard Pratt Hospital


In popular culture

*In the 1990s Towson was the center of the Towson Glen Arm music and art collective. *The fictional character Elaine Benes, of the 1990s NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', is from Towson. *The fictional character Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Sam Fisher of the ''Splinter Cell'' video game series by Ubisoft was born in Towson, and lives in a townhouse near Towson Town Center, as stated in the novelizations of the series by Raymond Benson. *Tom Clancy's fictional CIA analyst character, Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy), Jack Ryan, was born in Towson. *The 1994 black comedy film ''Serial Mom'', about an unassuming housewife with a penchant for murder, was filmed and set in Towson. *In the 2012 book ''Hitman (franchise), Hitman: Damnation'', also written by Raymond Benson, fictional presidential nominee Dana Linder was Towson's Representative in the United States House of Representatives, US House and later Maryland's junior United States Senate, US Senator.


See also

*Stoneleigh-Rodgers Forge, Maryland, Stoneleigh-Rodgers Forge, a former
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 ...
located within Towson during the 1960 United States census, 1960 census *Early Drinking straw, Drinking Straws and Swizzle Sticks, by Glassips Inc. invented and manufactured in Towson 1930-1979. *United States Post Office Towson Branch


References


External links


Historic Towson Inc.

Towson Town Center

Towson Chamber of Commerce

Towson Junior Chamber

The Greater Towson Committee

Towsontown Spring Festival
* A Short History of the WTNA, by Richard Parson

{{Authority control Towson, Maryland, 1752 establishments in Maryland Census-designated places in Baltimore County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland County seats in Maryland Populated places established in 1752