Evening star., 1939-06-25
Two Brothers
Found Spot
In 1771
L'Enfant Ideas
Carried Out By
Maj. Ellicott
By John CIagett Proctor.

attractive places around Washing
ton, some of which, however, being
off the main road or beaten path, so
to speak, are not visited as fire.
quently as other places not near
as interesting. Indeed, when We
motor north to Philadelphia New
York or maybe to Atlantic City we
are usually in a hurry-or think we
are-and naturally take the most
direct route to our destination and
in doing so pass up some of the
most beautiful scenery-just a mile
or two away-in the whole coun-
try. And so, perhaps, it is this i'm
aginary and cultivated hurry that
causes us to miss so many delight
full views that others, who have
more time to spare, are not willing
to miss.
Not so long ago the writer Wis
tied what to his mind is one of the
most captivating places within an
hours ride of Washington, and it
does have a certain connection with
this city, since the family for whom
the place is named had one men,
ber. Andrew Ellicott, who not only
laid out the 10-mile square COM
prising the original District Of Co.
lumbia, but also surveyed and
marked of the streets, avenues and
reservations of the Capital City, sur
veyed many of the lots and COM
pleted the unfinished work left by
Mai. Pierre Charles PEnfant.
The place the writer has in mind
Is Ellicott City, the so-called Switz-
erland of America, the county seat
of Howard County, Md, and though
not as old a town as many places
in the United States, yet there are
certainly few that have the appear
ance of looking more quaint or
older.
Hills as Setting.
Ellicott City Originally called FL
licotts Mills occupies site on the
Patapsco River about 10 miles west
OF Baltimore. The old Baltimore
Frederick road runs directly through
1t and forms its Main" street. The
business section is surrounded by
lofty hills, from some points of
which an enhancing view of the
Patapsco may be had. The Coles
vile pike leads directly to this old
town from Washington and, as one
approaches it, he feels as though
he were entering an Old World city
that had been there for centuries,
for many of the houses are built of
stone, some having the appearance
of being set in the side of cliffs,
while here and there is a bowlder
of huge size, and everywhere nature
has endowed it with the appearance
of antiquity.
The territory upon which this city
stands was purchased about It'll
by the brothers Joseph, Andrew and
John Ellicott and here they erected
mills for the grinding of wheat
and other grains. An account of
this purchase, written by Martha
E. Tyson, in 1865, says that the
purchase embraced the lands on
both sides of the Patapsco for 4
miles in extent, and included all
the waterpower within that distance,
being 2 miles above and 2 below
the mills. The purchasers, or set
tiers mentioned, were sons of An
drew Ellicott, who emigrated to
Bucks County, Pa, in 1870.
Bought Big Tracts.
Conflicting dates are found of both
the purchase and settling of the site
selected by the Ellicotts on the Pa
tapsco River. Joseph Ellicott and
Judith, his wife, parents of Andrew
Ellicott, who laid out the District
of Columbia, are said to have settled
on these lands in December, 1774,
bringing along with them their nine
children and six orphan children of
a deceased friend and former neigh
Dor, William Evans. Two extensive
tracts of land were purchased, as be-
fore indicated, and mills built upon
them. To one was given the name
of Ellicott's Lower Mills, to the other
Ellicott's Upper Mills. In subse-
quent division of property, the upper
mills were assigned to Joseph Eli
colt. Several of the early family
mansions still exist, two being close
to the old mill race and opposite the
site where the original mill is said
to have stood, and which is now
occupied by the Doughnut Corp. of
America, makers of doughnut ma
chimes and prepared mixers; quite
an extensive plant, directly on the
Frederick turnpike to Baltimore, ia
miliar to motorists as Route 40.
Apparently these dwellings were
not the first to be erected by the
Ellicotts, for the original ones were
constructed of logs, to accommodate
the mechanics and laborers, brought
from Philadelphia to help in the en-
terprises of promoters.
1t is indeed interesting to look
backward to the Revolutionary
period and note how really wild,
uncultivated and substantially un-
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