When a Sears House is not a Sears house

A local street is named for the Sears mail order kit houses: Sears House Court, Ellicott City. But, the 1921 house was actually by Gordon Van Tine Co. of Iowa. The wood was precut for every part of the house and numbered. Then the 'kit' was sent by train to be assembled by owner or local craftsman. More on the Sears House Court house (pictured); a small 2-family bungalow in EC, and some ways to detect if a house you've seen or own is a true kit house.

Children's play areas around Howard County MD

Several include historic sites (Children’s Museum in c1812 Quaker school, oldest train station, Enchanted Forest), many local farms, indoor activity centers, libraries, and more.

Near Wilde Lake, a tot slide has been incorporated within the ruins of historic Bleak House.

Ben Franklin staying young ... described by Andrew Ellicott

After completing the survey of the extension of the Pa and Va boundary (the continuation of the Mason-Dixon line) in 1784 and the western border of PA in 1785, Major Andrew Ellicott, 31 years old (1754-1820) was invited to spend a day - Dec 4, 1785 - with the 79 year old Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Franklin's "little room" was "filled with old philosophical Instruments, Papers,Boxes, Tables, and Stools" and at 10:00 Franklin set water over the fire (over a 'Franklin fireplace?) and shaved himself.  Fighting aging, he insisted on doing it all himself rather than to give in, thus increasing his "infirmaries."  Franklin described changing his course at age 70... and "walked back" the years, rather than age.

Easton Sons Funeral Home & Haunted Ellicott City

Bernard Fort and brother William 'cabinetmaker and undertaker' came to Ellicott City from England. They had a small place in 1836 but in 1878 Bernard Fort built a new funeral parlor crossing the stream (Tiber River). Clinton Easton bought it in 1891, continued by son Milton, who built a new building in 1931 and then to his son, Clinton. Building on left, carriage house with hearse on second floor, at right rear. EC haunted taped talks.

St. Charles' College 1911 fire, now Terra Maria ruins

Surrounded by homes, the assembly hall ruins are all that remain of the St. Charles' College, started in 1831, for young men preparing for the priesthood. Articles about the March 16, 1911 fire, and the building of the Assembly Hall five years earlier (1906), below.

EC 250 - Ellicott City is 250 years

EC250 Ellicott City, Maryland's Sestercentennial. Events, information HERE

Below are some past talks on tape about Ellicott City and Howard County.

"Wyoming" - Dorsey, Howard, and Wyoming Rolls

Wyoming... not the state, but the Howard County country home ("farm") of Ben and Jane Howard who inherited his father Col John Eager Howard's mansion "Belvidere" in Baltimore to use during the winter. "Waverly" his brother Gov. George Howard's home, was a few miles west of "Wyoming." They lived in Howard County from at least 1842 to 1845 then sold it to a Dorsey. It is gone and only a few mentions remain.

Early cooking in Ellicott City

From hearth cooking 250 years ago to cookstoves, from beehive bake ovens to Reip ovens to ovens in the cookstoves, there were many changes in cooking during Ellicott City's first one hundred years. EC was the home of the first Maryland cookbook author, and another woman author had a successful 1873 fundraising cookbook.

George Ellicott house

George Ellicott built a large stone house in 1789 across from their flour mill and next to his brother Jonathon. It was actually two houses or a back wing connected and a third portion for the kitchen. An 'observatory' was on the third floor. The first Marylander to write a cookbook (Elizabeth Ellicott Lea) in 1845, was born in this house. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

The 18th century almanacs of Andrew Ellicott

Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) - surveyor extraordinaire, inventor, astronomer and, though born a Quaker, became a Major in the Revolutionary War - wrote at least thirteen yearly almanacs from 1781-1793, even during the war.  He calculated each monthly chart and composed a prose segment on predictions and biographies as the "Allegheny Philosopher". 

His early editions were published by Mary K. Goddard (1738-1816), the woman newspaper publisher and Baltimore postmaster who bravely printed the Declaration of Independence.

Ellicott family founders of EC - 250 years ago

The remarkable Ellicott brothers - Joseph, Andrew, John, with some financing from Nathaniel - created the state-of-the-art mill and the town of Ellicott mills in 1772. 1854 image of George, Jonathon and John homes.

Christmas traditions in America and England

During the lockdown I have been busy finding talks, demos and cook-alongs for my calendar of food history virtual talks, which left little time for this blog. So here are the talks which were taped (many were not). The first is from the nearby Laurel Historical Society.

Influenza in Howard County 1918-1919

During the last three months of 1918 there were 1,854 cases with 19 deaths from Influenza.  While there were cases in each month of 1919, the first two months were the worse (715, 149) for a total 936 cases.  The quarantine notice warned the milkman to pour the milk into the vessels left outside, and not touch them, or pay a fine of $5-100 ($75-1,500).  Click on images to enlarge. More on the notice for milkmen HERE

EC nurse in WWI hospital in France

Florence Adele Hunt (1873-1954) was head nurse at Hospital 101 at St. Nazarain during a fierce battle and the influenza epidemic when they had 850 patients one day.  She lived with her parents Mary Ellen and Joseph Hunt at 'Bridgewater Farm' and graduated from Johns Hopkins Training School for Nurses.

Barnum Hotel feeding 500 in 1855

Andrew McLaughlin (1802-1863) owned the Patapsco Hotel in Ellicott's Mills from c1830 until it was sold by lottery tickets in 1834.  A year later he bought into his father-in-law's hotel in Baltimore - Barnum Hotel.  More info in past post HERE  Charles Weld (1813-1869) visited the huge hotel while McLaughlin owned it and although the rooms were full they had a bath and breakfast.

Patapsco River at Woodstock measurements 1899

PATAPSCO RIVER AT WOODSTOCK, MARYLAND.

Daily gage height, in feet, of Patapsco River at Woodstock, Maryland, for 1899

Granite Quarry at Ellicott’s Patapsco Mills 1815

Benjamin Brown wrote that he leased the early quarry at Ellicott's mills and his announcement/advertisement was picked up by a London weekly! The granite was used to build the Cathedral and other buildings in Baltimore, particularly in "Columns or Pilasters of any dimensions, Basement Stories or Fronts of Houses, door or window Cases and Cills."

Deborah Disney's Hotel and 'tavern' 1830s to 1860

Deborah McLaughlin Disney (c1798-  ) was a remarkable businesswoman who leased the hotel(not tavern), then bought it in 1840. An acre was sold for a new courthouse and jail; the deed even stated where Court Street would run, and they had to build a "substantial fence."  She increased the hotel size by 1844. "Mrs. Disney's Hotel" or the Union Hotel was a "commodious and well-established hotel," with a 4 story brick addition on the west side, a stable for 70 horses, running water at the stable yard with room for a flower garden, 8 acres to grow vegetables and hay, and outbuildings.  She sold it in 1860.

Patapsco Manor Sanitarium in Ellicott City 1914 ad

Started in 1907, the Patapsco Manor Sanitarium was bought in 1939 by Issac H. Taylor of Taylor furniture and became Taylor Manor until Sheppard Pratt used the buildings 2002-2020.  The Taylor family is now building even more homes on this land above old Ellicott City, despite the risk of more flooding of Main Street.

Gray's Patapsco Cotton Factory 1815 in operation, 1820 fire

Gray had improved the old paper factory for cotton in 1815, but in five years there was a terrible fire.  200 workers - mostly women and children - were left without a job, so money was raised for their relief.  Previous posts HERE