About 66,000 people live there. It is the seat of Howard County, Md.
It is Ellicott City, but it is not a city. It’s unincorporated, but most certainly not uninspiring.
The town has been battered by floods, most recently in 2016 and again in 2018. Its resilience has resulted in an unofficial, spiritual nickname, “E.C. Strong.”
Its official nicknames include “Old Ellicott City” and “Historic Ellicott City.” Further, its many buildings where ghosts are said to dwell have given it another moniker, “Haunted Ellicott City.” The Howard County Tourism Council actually promotes tours of several mansions, the firehouse, a railroad bridge and other places said to be haunted.
Ellicott City’s very history is haunted by other spirits, of a sort, that date to the days of Prohibition.
Oddly, from 1867 to 1935, Ellicott City was a city – until a kerfuffle over the burden of saloon taxes lost during Prohibition being placed on residents led to the dissolution of the city charter.
That flap over liquor taxes resulted in Ellicott City’s distinction of being the largest unincorporated county seat in the country. Better than that, various magazines, blogs and cable TV shows have consistently ranked the town high in lists such as “Most Uniquely American Towns” and “Best Places to Live in the United States.”
The town has promoted itself as being built on seven hills that form the Tiber River Valley. Sound familiar? Think Rome.
That narrow river valley meets the Patapsco River, and with other streams that flow into the Patapsco, create worse-case scenarios when storms hit. Repeated attempts to control potential flooding have been made. The latest, unfortunately, calls for the building of a tunnel that would necessitate the demolition of several historic buildings in town.
There will still be enough to see and do in E.C. for a day of shopping in the many boutiques, dining in the many restaurants, sampling wine and craft beers, and exploring the many museums and historical sites in town.
Inside the B&O Ellicott City Station, what is the oldest surviving railroad station in the country, is a free museum, and in its small yard are several pieces of rolling stock. It is a must for serious railfans.
The Firehouse Museum towers over Main Street, and a short (uphill) walk away is the county’s historical society museum, adjacent to the circa 1843 courthouse.
Farther up the hill, propped atop the highest ground of the hilly city, is the Patapsco Female Institute, which has gone down in history as one of the first such schools for young women in the country. It operated from 1837 to 1891, with its Greek Revival building later serving as a resort, a private residence, a theater and a nursing home. It is now a special events center and is open for tours on a limited schedule.
Photographers will enjoy the many picturesque streetscapes and examples of architecture from several periods and styles in a city (er, town) close enough to major highways to be quite accessible, but far enough away from them to have its own, individual (and did I mention hilly?) charms.
