Ilchester
The Milltown of Ilchester and the Thistle Manufacturing Company were located along the east bank of the Patapsco River between Ellicott City and Catonsville. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) was built through Ilchester in 1830. Ilchester did not, however, become a major stop for the B&O due to its steep grades and the tavern was unsuccessful.
Ellicott sold his tavern and 110 acres of land to a Redemptorist church order in 1866. The church used the Ellicott estate to start a college, initially called Mount Saint Clemens and several additions to the original building were made, including the construction of a chapel. The parish moved the church to a new facility in 1958 and eventually, enrollment at the college declined, leading to its closure in 1972. The State of Maryland purchased a portion of the campus in 1987 and added the land to adjacent Patapsco Valley State Park.
Additional Information:
- Catonsville 1880 to 1940, From Village to Suburb by Joseph Arnold and Ed Orser
- Catonsville – Images of America by Marsha Wight Wise.
- Catonsville Rails to Trails
- Catonsville at the Turn of the Century Baltimore County Public Library-Digital Maryland
- It All Started on Winters Lane by Louis Diggs
