Ellicott City, MD Summary

The main reason to travel to Ellicott City, located a few miles to the southwest of Baltimore in the Patapsco Valley, is to gain a glimpse into the way America used to be.

Ellicott City was founded as a Quaker community in 1772 by brothers John, Joseph, and Andrew Ellicott, who were looking to build a gristmill. They built the Jonathan Ellicott house and store and traded as Ellicott & Company.

In July 1827 the Army Corps of Engineers left Baltimore to examine a route west from Baltimore to Ohio, determining the best course through the Patapsco Valley.

Charles Carroll, 91 years old and the only surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, was there on July 4, 1828, to turn the first sod.

In 1830 the Baltimore and Ohio Railway constructed the “Old Main Line” to the town from Baltimore, thus challenging the existing form of land transport, horse-drawn carriage. The famous race involving the steam-driven engine on wheels, Tom Thumb, and a horse-drawn cart saw the Tom Thumb lose after a band blew off its boiler, but it was a hint of things to come. The horse may have won, but steam power was here to stay.

Today, Ellicott City’s Historical Society is located in a pre-1790 building. Also in Ellicott City are the Firehouse Museum and the County Courthouse at the summit of Mt Misery. The story of those who built the railroad can be found at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station Museum.

In July 1868 a flood swept down the Patapsco Valley and wiped out much of the town. Among what can be seen today is one span of what was once a three-span bridge called the Oliver Viaduct, built to carry the railroad across Main Street and spanning the Tiber branch of the Patapsco River. The outline of the original turntable can still be seen on the south side of the station. Passenger service was discontinued in 1949.

Lodging options are limited in town, making Ellicott City preferable as a day trip from Baltimore.