The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-08-18
AN OLD TALE REToLD.
Baltimore Reporter Makes a Trip to
"Towsontown"-What He Saw on
the Way and After He Got
Here-The Story Seems
Quaint Now,


Here-The Story Seems
Quaint Now.
From the Baltimore Gazette, August LIST, 1872.
There are two roads that lead to the first toll
gate on the York road. Only few years ago
the toll-gate was approachable on the one hand
by "a shady county road sweeping for Charles
street, and on the other by the York road turn
pike. Now a railway runs along the old line of
country road through beautiful country scenes,
and by handsome houses to the toll-gate, and a
line of railway runs, too, from the corner of
Holiday and Baltimore streets, out Hillen street
and Greenmount avenue, to the same toll-gate,
which is now surrounded by village of thriving
proportions, and showing all the elements of
thrift.
THE WAvERLY RAILWAY.
The village that clusters around the toll-gate
took the name Waverly from the Scottish pre-
objections of one of its most prominent citizens,
and it has grown daily in such proportions that
1t has a railway of its own. Waverly in former
years was called Huntington, after Lady Hun
tingdon. The Waverly Railway commences at
the terminus of the Charles street railway, and
the first noticeable building, where all the resi-
dences are well constrr led, is the Huntingdon
Avenue M. E. ChurcI >Cis neat edifice, and
Is to be noticed as northernmost steeple on
the city line. The Abody Heights is much i'm
proved by handsom> buildings, and the avenues
are well laid out. The ride is altogether pleas
ant one, and its rural character attracts much
attention and travel A large part of what is
now Waverly in 1856 was purchased by several
enterprising gentlemen and was laid out by them
and at once extensively improved.
At this time land In this vicinity was worth
$3.50 to 5000 per acre, but under the impetus Of
these improvements its value was enhanced
until the lots lease for 70 cents per foot. equal
foabout 1000 per acre. The village contains
number of stores and town hall, with library
and free reading room. There is in the village
also tine brick and stone Episcopal Church.
There are now two hundred and fifty or three
understanding houses within radius of two
miles. having population of 1900 to 1000 per-
sons, and The question of being incorporated is
frequently mooted at waverly. The ground be-
tween the ioll-gate and the city, known as the
'Quaker's Portion" and "Frisby's Woods" has
also become thickly populated, and two villages,
called Friendship and Oxford, have sprung up
between Wa7erly and the city. The property
within the two miles from the Hartford road and
the Charles street road has increased in value
from 100000 or $4,000 to between s., 0OOO 600 and
V1sooOtoSSf
THE BALTIMORE AND TowsONTOwN ROAD.
The Baltimore and Towsontown road is owned
by the Baltimore and Yorktown Turnpike Com
pany. Its construction was commenced on the
1st of May, 1868, and cars commenced running
from Baltimore to Towsontown on the 10th OF
July, 1858. For the remainder of the year, 1858,
404O5 passengers were carried, averaging about
q cents for each passenger. In 1854, 1532T9 pas
sengers were carried, averaging II cents per
passenger. In 1855. 167.20l passengers were car
ried, averaging 10 cents per passenger In 1865,
1e3,149 passengers were carried, averaging IL
cents per passenger. In 1857, 231, 1896 passengers
were carried, averaging II cents per passenger.
In 1862 43 1924 passengers were carried averaging
IL cents per passenger. In 1870, 453, 1888 passen-
gers were carried, averaging IL cents per passen-
ger. The total receipts for 1870 were nearly
9,OOO or about $135 per day. The receipts at
the beginning of the road were only about $50
to $40 per day. When the road started it took but
IS horses to run it. Now it requires near hum
dred. The number of passengers carried runs
from 800 to 5000 per day. The cost of the road
and its equipments was 100000. James G. Will
son, ESQ.,, president of the Turnpike Company
is president of the Railroad Company also.
Henry Tyson, ESQ.,, president of the City Pas
senger Railway, is superintendent, and Mr.. A.
D. Sanks, agent Cars leave Baltimore for Tow
sontown at half-past each hour from $50 A. NJ.
to $50 P. NJ, and at 10 and II P. NJ. Leave Tow
sontown for Baltimore each hour from A. NJ. to
Top. N.
PLACES ALONG THE ROAD.
The first place noticeable is the establishment,
just opposite Greenmount, of Mr.. ]. J. Pent-
land, florist. His grounds display great care
and are very handsome. Immediately on pass
ing North avenue comes the farm of Captain
Kennedy. comprising park of three hundred
ornamental trees. This is followed by several
neat and cosy houses, owned by Mr. John Kno-
block, and brick store kept by Mr.. Theodore
A. Bokel. Oxford is to the right of the road.
about three-quarters of a mile from the city
limits and contains several handsome houses.
Most of the residences were built by MIR. L. d.
Clemens, the owner of the larger portion of the
land. This side of Waverly is the fine place of
Mr.. Samuel Brady, which bears an antique APP
pearance. The fine appearance of St. Johns
Church at Waverly, enriches the landscape.
On the left of the road, beyond Waverly, is the
fine Wilson estate and opposite is the we'll
known Mcdonald estate, recently purchased by
A. s. Abel. Esq. Opposite are the elegant resi-
dences of Mrs. Gen. Mcdonald, Mr.. Charles R.
Taylor, DIR. r. Sappington, MIR. Atkinson, A. j.
Lownds and others also a double cottage erect
ed by Messrs. Dugan & Baldwin. Shaw's Hill
is next reached, and to the right runs Arlington
avenue, connecting the York and Hillen roads,
about mile and quarter in length, on which
are the country seats of Messrs. ]. P. Ringgold,
Robinson Gator and st. George W. Tackle. A
short distance from Shaw's Hill is the Cold
Spring Hotel.
In Govanstown is new church of the Metho-
dist Episcopal denomination, of which Rev. r..
C. Hasup is pastor, and another called st. Mary g
Catholic Church, of which Rev. Father Lyman
is pastor. Then follows the property of Mr.
David M. Perine. Charles street avenue is con-
nected with the York road by Homeland avenue.
and with the Hillen road by Woodbourne avenue.
On the main road are the neat and attractive
residences of Mr.. VIM. Miller, Walter Dryer,
DIR. ]. Robert Ward, the Govane Presbyterian
Church, the places of Mr.. Charles H. Nicolai,
Cumberland Dugan, George Freshman, Mr..
Schwartman, Mr.. Swartz e. Myers, r. j. Git
tinQs, Mr.. Sadtler, Mr.. Harrison, George Brown,
VIM. E. Hooper, Mr.. Rieman and H. G. Turn
bull. Above Mr.. Turnbull's is a road leading to
the Sheppard Asylum, an institution founded
by Moses Sheppard for insane people, and ad-
Joining are the houses of James 1. Fisher and
r. ]. Cuttings. Opposite the latter, on the con-
fines of Towsontown, is the home of John E.
Owens, the comedian. The terminus of the rail-
road is the centre of the principal street of
Towsontown, the capital town of Baltimore
county.
Towsontown is named after General Towson.
soldier of the war of 1912 and 1874 conspicuous
for gallantry at Lunday's Lane. He resided in a
house situated in the centre of Towsontown,
but it has been torn down and removed. When
he lived here the place was very small village,
and of no importance to the county. In 1851
there was separation between the city and
Baltimore county and Towsontown was selected
as the county seat of Baltimore county after q
warm contest between the friends of Clover Hill,
the old alms-house property, Timonium and
Cookeysville. as to the geographical centre. The
contest has only recently subsidized, for several
years ago meetings were held by residents of
the county in favor of the removal of the county
seat to the old alms-house property. which was
only quieted by the sale of that property to pri-
vate parties. fine )urt house has been built
of blue limestone, in which are all the county
offices and the school board, and it is surrounded
on two sides by lawyers offices and on the other
by dwellings,. Among the offices we notice those
of Colonel T. Sturgis Davis, Jervis Spencer. Jr.
John II. Handy, A. w. Machen. r. j. Cuttings