In Washington, DC, where I live and work, the residents think we have a sort of a monopoly on local history, and we do have a lot. But about 30 miles east of Washington, and just west of Baltimore, Ellicott City is a fascinating trip back in time – over 200 years! And it's one I make several times a year.
When you enter Ellicott City, Maryland, two things look totally out of place – power lines and automobiles!
Its first residents were the three Ellicott brothers, John, Andrew and Joseph, Quakers who moved down from Pennsylvania in 1772 to try their hand at farming wheat. And the settlement prospered and soon became the end of the line for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The old station is now a museum.
Today, many of the buildings date back to the 1800’s, and are still standing despite two major floods and a fire in 1999 (started by a careless smoker) that destroyed six historic buildings.
The antique shops along Main Street have some amazing stuff, and every time I go there, I do a little early Christmas shopping. And if you are inclined to shop till you drop, there are some wonderful little eateries where you can catch a second wind.
Ellicott City is also famous for having some of the most brazen ghosts in the state of Maryland. They even haunt the town web site with their own ghostly page!
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