Evening star., 1939-06-25


Ellicott Family
Well Known in
District
ner table were heavy metal, and
Kept bright as silver. They were
purchased by Joseph Ellicott in Lon
don. In this house hall was built
Tor the musical clock. The side
piazza overlooks the Patapsco, some
2OO feet distant, sparkling and sing
ing merrily over its rocky bed as it
moves between it's banks, on one
hand precipitous, and clothed in
beautiful forest, the other with rich
garden land along its length. The
old Frederick turnpike passes i'm
mediately in front of the house, and
Is continued over the river by a
gracefully constructed bridge"
But the Patapsco has not always
been so sparkling and merry, for in
1858, when it went on the rampage,
the water rose to the second floor
OF old home of Joseph Ellicott, and
the lives of so persons were lost in
this vicinity, due to the flood.
Here for awhile, Joseph Ellicott
lived with his son Andrew, who laid
out the Capital City, and it was to
this place that Joseph brought his
famous musical clock which he con-
structed in Bucks County, Pa,
about 1863, being assisted by An
drew Ellicott, when a youth of IS
years.
This clock was wonderful piece
OF mechanism. 1t had four faces
and played the following tunes and
several others not recorded: 'Ladys
Anthem" Capt. Reads Minuet,"
Address to Sleep" THE Hounds
Are All Out" "Willingham Frolic,"
The Lass With Delicate Air"
"Humors OF Mapping, Come, Brave
Boys; "Seamen's Hymn" God
Save the King" "Bellisle's March,"
THE Hemp Dresses" Harvest
Home" THE Pilgrim" "Ballanca's
Strain" King of Prussia's March"
Lovely Nancy" "The Mason's
Health" Nancy Dawson" Lads
and Lasses" and BLACK Sloven."
The only air here listed that the
writer recalls as having weathered
the years of time is Lovely Nancy"
the words of which go like this:
Farewell, my lovely Nancy, ten
thousand times adieu;
I'm going away to leave you to seek
for something new" etc.
In his visit to Ellicott City the
writer had the pleasure of meeting
Thadeus w. Crabster. who has in
his ancestry several lines of WE'LL
known Maryland families, and he
also had the pleasure of meeting
the postmaster, Mr.. Sullivan, who
was laboring under the disadvantage
Of an injured foot. But Mr.. Crab
ster, was willing to show the writer
some of the old landmarks, and
since he was well informed on the
subject his services were gratefully
accepted.
Visit to Institute.
The old Patapsco Female Insti-
tute, erected some time subsequent
to 1929, was visited. 1t is quite a
large building, in fair shape con-
sidering its age and stands on a
commanding hill overlooking the
Patapsco River. 1t is now occupied
for summer theatrical purposes. 1t is
said that winnie" Davis, "Daugh-
ter of the Confederacy" and the
mother of the Duchess of Windsor,
once attended this institute.
The Ellicotts were thoughtful and
progressive people, and for the &C
commodation of the laborers en-
gagged in their various activities they
built a house on wheels, which was
drawn from place to place by horses,
being the first movable building
seen in Maryland. 1t contained
conveniences for cooking every
thing but bread, which was always
baked and forwarded from the mills.
They also provided school for the
community, taught by the best in
structors.
The Female Institute began with
the gift of 7 acres of their wood
land forest as a desirable site for
the location of the buildings. George
Ellicott thought the State of Mary
land should do something toward
the project and therefore had in
cluded in the regulations of the in
stitute a condition which empow.
cred the principal of that estab-
lishment annually to educate eight
girls for which the State of Mary
land would pay out Of its own treas
ury. To this thoughtful gift some
acres were later added by purchase.
Another building visited was
Mount Ida, built about 1887 by
william Ellicott. It was later oc-
cupied by Judge Tyson, its present
owner and occupant being Louis T.
Clark. The Courthouse of Howard
County, located here. was also
visited, as was the old homes Of
John and Andrew Ellicott, and the
Ellicott Cemetery, where are buried
many persons Of this name, and
other families with whom they in
termarried.
According to sign near the ceme-
terry gate, the information Is given
that the superintendent is Norman
House.
Within the inclosure, among
others, the writer found buried here
Andrew and John Ellicott, two Of
Continued on Page C-5. Column s.