Mark Russo Creations creating art on Main Street 2023

For a few months this fall, artist Mark Russo painted some bright vibrant paintings on the boards of Great Panes and Phoenix Emporium on lower Main Street, Ellicott City. He cleverly made the two art pieces look like stained glass, on the building (Great Panes) which used to make and sell stained glass. Likewise the painting for the Phoenix Emporium includes an imaginative version of the brick wall breaking apart, and the phoenix (bird) rising. Unfortunately those buildings and two others will be demolished this January. So go down and see these creative paintings quickly!

ALERT the wall mural was torn down early.

Large iron safes washed away in 1868 flood

Two iron safes weighing a ton were swept downstream during the 1868 flood. Following the next large flood in 1889, there were hopes that the safes containing gold, cash and company books could be found. But neither safe was found. Excerpt is from the Baltimore Sun, June 3, 1889 newspaper.

Visitors thronged to Ellicott City just days after the July 24, 1868 flood

Ferries and a newly constructed foot bridge charged "tourists" from Baltimore and the country ten cents to get closer to see the damage of the flood by Monday July 27... the flood was Friday evening.

Trying to tame the floods - Stormwater Staircase; Tiber branch, Hudson branch, New Cut

The Hudson and Tiber 'branches' (more like streams in dry weather) join in parking lot D behind the visitor's center (old post office).  The Tiber branch enters from the pipe on the left, and the Hudson branch flows under Main St. then under the building in the upper right. They become the Tiber branch as it proceeds east, joined by New Cut stream, then flows into the Patapsco River.

Ellicott City flood.... again

Less than two years after the last devastating flood of 2016, Main Street was flooded again on Sunday May 27, 2018.  Within a few mile swath 9.5 inches of rain pummeled us over a short time in the afternoon, however less than 15 miles south there was no rain.

An old stone building - the first county courthouse - turned into orientation center behind the log cabin museum, is now gone; as is the road on left side of the photo.

8113 Main St., to be torn down after 2016 Ellicott City flood, had connections to Elizabeth Ellicott Lea

Elizabeth Ellicott Lea (1793-1858), whose cookbook Domestic Cookery was first published in 1845, had ties to the shorter of the two adjoining buildings due to be torn down. The old building sets over the Tiber branch (usually more of a stream) on hand-hewed wooden beams forming a truss system (like a bridge).  Incredible. For about 200 years these buildings have been held up by wood. [HO-586] The supporting wall between the frame (wood) buildings was destroyed during the flood, making it a hazard. Lea was born in the George Ellicott home (below).

Ellicott City's flash flood of 2016

On Saturday night, July 30, over SIX inches of rain fell in TWO hours (most was during one hour) the resulting river of water was funneled between the hills encasing the historic town and onto Main Street forcing cars into buildings and down into the raging Patapsco River.  The surge of the river reached the bottom of the glass street lamps on the bridge! Note the mud.  Reports say the Patapsco River crested at 14 feet, and surged to over 27 feet. 36 hours later the jumble of cars, debris and mud have been removed from the bridge, but branches and debris shoved against the railing.

Incredibly high flood levels sign on Main Street

Floods and more floods have done various degrees of damage over the years.  Recording just the major floods, this sign on the Oliver Viaduct (part of the stone railroad bridge was destroyed by a flood) is striking.  There is a number on the railing of the horrific 1868 flood when waters reached 21.5 feet above street level.  Jonathon Ellicott's home was lost in the 1972 flood but his brother George's home survived and has since been moved uphill.
A month after I posted about the flood sign we had yet another flood - July 30, 2026, and also two years later on May 27, 1018. The sign washed away but was found and now in the HoCo museum.