Dr. Who's Tardis is a "Little Free Library" to open this Sunday on Dr. Who Day - Nov 23

The long-running British TV show Dr. Who has a Tardis... now Old Ellicott City has one to house books in a large "Little Free Library" (take a book, leave a book). One can be transported through time and space in the Tardis (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), and the interior is larger than the exterior. "Books: They're Bigger on the inside..." clever sign in this Tardis.

The big blue box mysteriously appeared in Tiber Park (by the B&O RR Station) in early October. And now we know it's a Tardis... and will open this Sunday.

So check out this fun Tardis ... and leave some books if you have extras to build the selection. While you are there take the kids to the nearby free large model train displays for the holidays (details below).

Col. John Eager Howard and sons during the War of 1812

The namesake for Howard County and owner of land there ("Waverly") was too old to fight, but his sons helped protect Fort McHenry and Baltimore. Howard's "Lodge Farm" [H on map, width of the penisula, to top of map] on Patapsco Neck was next to Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely (of Hampton Mansion) [R] and in the way of the British who landed at North Point [X] on Sept. 12, 1814.

Although the British had beaten the Americans in a battle north of Washington DC, then burned the Capitol and White House, they would be delayed by fierce fighting going to Baltimore, their General Ross was killed and Fort McHenry survived a bombardment from the ships (there's a song about it).

Mischievous Ellicott boys, the store and electricity

In the 19th century, a few people, including Ben Franklin, experimented with electricity for science or entertainment. Joseph Priestly wrote the book The History and Present State of Electricity, with original experiments in 1769. One image from the book is at left.

An Ellicott descendant related in his 1882 book how some grandsons of the founders set up electrical devices around the stove in the Ellicott's store in order to shock unsuspecting locals.

Ellicott store or warehouse before 1790

Martha Ellicott Tyson (1795-1873), daughter of George Ellicott (1760-1832) and Elizabeth (Brooke) Ellicott (1762-1853) was raised in his stone home across from the mill and store/warehouse. She wrote about the history of many buildings and people in her Maryland Historical Society article 1865. Image from 1854.