Boundaries:
Park Drive to the north, Patapsco River to the east, private property lines to the south and west (for Historic Ellicott City).

Home is where ... This house is indicative of Ellicott City's historic architecture. (Sun photo by Emily Deutschman, Special to SunSpot)
Schools:
Centennial Lane Elementary School, Hollifield Station Elementary School, Ilchester Elementary School, Manor Woods Elementary School, Northfield Elementary School, St. John's Lane Elementary School, Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School, Waverly Elementary School, Worthington Elementary School, Bonnie Branch Middle School, Burleigh Manor Middle School, Dunloggin Middle School, Ellicott Mills Middle School, Patapsco Middle School, Centennial High School, Howard High School and Mt. Hebron High School.

Places of worship:
Ellicott City is home to 25 churches, ranging in denomination from Methodist to Seven Day Adventist. Both St. Peter's Episcopal and Emory United Methodist churches are in the historic district.

Population:
About 41,396 people live in the 51.46 square miles that make up Ellicott City.

Best local haunts in the historic district:

  • Ellicott City B & O Railroad Station Museum, the oldest railroad station in the United States is located at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Main Street.
  • Make history at the Heritage Orientation Center (410-641-1944), where you can unearth the city's past through photographs and other memorabilia. The center is located at the corner of Main Street and Ellicott Mills Drive.
  • Trace your roots at the Howard County Historical Society Museum's Genealogy Club.

    Something wicked this way comes: Supposedly, many spirits occupy the Ellicott Cemetery. (Sun photo by Emily Deutschman, Special to SunSpot)
    Creepiest ghost tour:
    "The Hauntings of Ellicott Mills" tour. For more information, call the Howard County Board of Tourism at 410-313-1900.

    Best places for quick getaways:

  • The Inn at Paternal Gift Farm
  • The Wayside Inn
  • Peralynna Manor (in Columbia)

    Best place to meet a blind date:
    Bean Hollow Roastery & Espresso.

    Best place to impress someone on a second date:
    Tersiguel's.

    Most intriguing confection:
    Fisher's Bakery's airbrushed photo cakes.

    Best place to find a disco ball and adult-sized fairy wings:
    Forget-Me-Not Factory.

    Live or baked? Fisher's is known for its delicious baked goods and photo cakes. (Sun photo by Emily Deutschman, Special to SunSpot)
    Best place to get free food and maybe see a ghost:
    Stillridge Herbs on Main Street, once rumored to be the home of a "pushy" specter, dishes out free samples of its sauces -- from chutneys to salad dressings -- every weekend from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

    Mark your calendars:
    Weekend Heritage Tours of Ellicott City in September, Holiday Train Gardens at the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Museum in November, Midnight Madness (when all the shopkeepers go crazy and keep their stores open until midnight) on the first Friday of December, and ghost tours running from April through December.


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