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50-642: The northeast end of the line is at Halethorpe, Maryland, (BAA 5.8) just north of the historic Thomas Viaduct , where it meets the Baltimore Terminal Subdivision and the Old Main Line Subdivision . Its southwest end is at the yard north of Washington Union Station , at a junction with the Metropolitan Subdivision and Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor . Between Elkridge and Laurel (BAA 21.7),

100-527: A captured Winans Steam Gun while camping on Lawyers Hill, a community of summer estates built over the years by residents such as Caleb Dorsey ( "Belmont" ), Baltimore City Supreme Bench Judge George Washington Dobbin (" the Lawn "), Thomas Donaldson ("Edgewood"), John Latrobe ("Fairy-Knowe"), and the Penniman family home ("Wyndhurst"). Some of these families had slaves . Their estate cottages were built along

150-491: A large bridge on a curve. The design called for several variations in span and pier widths between the opposite sides of the structure. This problem was solved by laying the lateral pier faces on radial lines, making the piers essentially wedge-shaped and fitted to the 4-degree curve. The viaduct was built by John McCartney of Ohio , who received the contract after completing the Patterson Viaduct . Caspar Wever,

200-467: Is 4 feet (1 m) wide and supported by cast iron brackets and edged with ornamental cast iron railings. The viaduct contains 24,476 cubic yards (18,713 m ) of masonry and cost $ 142,236.51, equal to $ 4,201,024 today. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States. Construction began on July 4, 1828, with the original route following the upper branch of

250-478: Is located in the eastern corner of Howard County at 39°12′7″N 76°45′1″W  /  39.20194°N 76.75028°W  / 39.20194; -76.75028 (39.202057, −76.750157). It is bordered to the north by Ilchester , to the northwest by Columbia , to the southwest by Jessup , to the southeast by Anne Arundel County , and to the northeast, across the Patapsco River , by Halethorpe (part of

300-625: Is represented by Congressman Kweisi Mfume ( D ). Congressional District 3 covers central Elkridge; from south of Montgomery Road and east of Interstate 95 to roughly US Route 1 and the Anne Arundel County border. Congressman John Sarbanes ( D ) represents District 3. Lastly, Congressional District 2, represented by Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger ( D ), spans southward of Adcock Lane and Route 100. Elkridge comprises two county council districts: 1 and 2. Councilperson Liz Walsh represents central Elkridge from approximately westward from

350-489: Is still in use today, making it one of the oldest railroad bridges still in service. This Basket-handle arch stone bridge with three centers is divided into eight spans . The bridge deck is 26' wide, broad enough to hold a double track. It was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, II , then B&O's assistant engineer and later its chief engineer. The main design problem to overcome was that of constructing such

400-762: The Capital Limited to Chicago and the National Limited to St. Louis . With the advent of Amtrak on May 1, 1971, B&O ended its passenger train service, except for local Baltimore and Washington commuter trains. In 1986, CSX acquired the B&;O and all of its trackage, including the Thomas Viaduct. Today, MARC 's "Camden Line" train service runs daily trains over the Viaduct. See Capital Subdivision . During design and construction,

450-726: The Arbutus CDP) in Baltimore County . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km ), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ), or 0.12%, is water. The following neighborhoods and communities are within the Elkridge census-designated place : Northern Elkridge ( Historic Elkridge Landing ): north of Bonnie View Lane and Hanover Road to

500-545: The Howard County Conservancy and surrounding schools. Troy Park is under construction surrounding Troy Hill Manor . Elkridge is home to a number of small tributaries of the main waterway, the Patapsco River , that are used for recreation. They include: Elkridge's main corridor is defined by Washington Boulevard , a historical road traveled by George Washington and known for "Dead Man's Curve" during early automotive travel. Interstate 95 forms

550-669: The Patapsco River which led west to Ellicott's Mills (later renamed Ellicott City) from the lower Patapsco which is the "Basin" (now Inner Harbor ) at downtown Baltimore and the Baltimore Harbor and Port of the lower river estuary leading southeast 15 miles to flow into the Chesapeake Bay . ( See Baltimore Terminal Subdivision and Old Main Line Subdivision . ) In 1835, the Washington Branch

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600-667: The Revolutionary war . In 1825, Jansen Town burned, taking out all of the oldest buildings at the Landing and 9 out of 10 houses in the village. The same year, on October 12, 1825, the Elkridge Landing postal stop was created. Elkridge has historic churches, including Melville Church on Furnace Avenue. Its original building was the first Methodist church built (1772) and was visited on the circuit rides of Francis Asbury . Saint Augustine Church, on Old Washington Road,

650-709: The University of Maryland Baltimore County , the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville Campus, Anne Arundel Community College Arundel Mills Campus, and Howard Community College . In 1984, Howard County Public Library opened the Elkridge Community Branch Library in a storefront on U.S. Route 1 . The Elkridge Branch opened in August 1993. The library was replaced by an innovative, 33.1 million dollar building on

700-770: The Western Maryland Railway ). In 1980 the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System to form CSX Corporation . In 1987 the CSX Corporation merged the B&O into the C&;O, then, later that same year, merged the C&O into CSX Transportation (CSXT), which now owns the line. Thomas Viaduct The Thomas Viaduct spans the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley between Relay, Maryland and Elkridge, Maryland , USA. It

750-500: The 18th century, Elkridge is adjacent to two other counties, Anne Arundel and Baltimore . Elkridge qualifies as the oldest settlement in its present county, when Howard was a part of Anne Arundel County. Its location on the Patapsco River was a key element in its growth. The Maryland General Assembly elected a law to erect a 30-acre (120,000 m ), forty-lot town at the pre-existing settlement of Elkridge Landing to be called "Jansen Town" in 1733. In 1738 an attempt to formalize

800-950: The Anne Arundel County boundary and northward from Ducketts Lane and Harwood Park. The second council district runs southward from Harwood Park and Ducketts Lane is represented by Councilperson Opel Jones. Elkridge has several K–12 educational facilities: Hanover Hills Elementary school, Rockburn Elementary School , Elkridge Elementary School , the Ducketts Lane Elementary School . Elkridge middle schools include: Thomas Viaduct Middle school, Elkridge Landing Middle School on Montgomery Road and Mayfield Woods Middle School off of Mayfield Avenue. High school students in Elkridge usually attend either Howard High School in Ellicott City or Long Reach High School in Columbia. Nearby secondary-level institutions include

850-530: The B&O main line at Relay , roughly 7 miles (11 km) from Baltimore. Notable structural features on the original line include the Thomas Viaduct , the first multi-span masonry railroad bridge in the United States, and the largest bridge in the country when it was completed in 1835; and the earliest example of an iron truss bridge designed by Wendel Bollman and installed at Savage .   The first B&O passenger station (1835–1851)

900-530: The B&O to build a branch from their main line within eight miles (13 km) of Baltimore , to Washington, D.C. As this line would take much business from the parallel turnpikes , especially the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike , the charter specifically allowed those companies to subscribe to the stock of the railroad. Construction began in July 1833, and the line opened on August 25, 1835, splitting from

950-429: The CDP. The population density was 2,799.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,081.0/km ). There were 8,719 housing units at an average density of 1,107.5 per square mile (427.6/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.58% White , 9.59% African American , 0.21% Native American , 6.47% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.95% from other races , and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of

1000-555: The Capital Subdivision's rail alignment forms the border between Howard and Anne Arundel counties, having been built before Howard County was created from western Anne Arundel County in 1844. MARC Train 's Camden Line , descended from B&O commuter service between Baltimore and Washington, operates over the entire length of the main line. In 1831, the Maryland General Assembly authorized

1050-644: The Thomas Viaduct was nicknamed "Latrobe's Folly" after the designer Benjamin Latrobe II because, at the time, many doubted that it could even support its own weight. Contrary to these predictions, the Thomas Viaduct survived the great flood of 1868 as well as Hurricane Agnes in 1972, two floods that wiped out the Patapsco Valley and destroyed nearly everything in their path; and to this day, it continues to carry 300- ton (270 tonne ) diesel locomotives passengers and heavy freight traffic . The bridge

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1100-524: The Viaduct on its list of the top 10 endangered historic places in Howard County. The Patapsco Heritage Greenway group announced plans to add handrails to the bridge in 2015. Elkridge, Maryland Elkridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County , Maryland , United States. The population was 15,593 at the 2010 census. Founded early in

1150-757: The aging system. Water transportation has ceased since decreasing water levels on the Patapsco have made it unnavigable. The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland Line 409 (Purple) travels from Laurel Town Center to Elkridge. The line follows Washington Boulevard, and circles Rowanberry Drive and Montgomery Road, terminating at Elkridge Corners Shopping Center. Also, Maryland Transit Administration has commuter bus service on Line 320 along Washington Boulevard. Dorsey Station , located in southern Elkridge, provides MARC Camden Line service. Saint Denis Station in nearby Baltimore County also provides MARC service. The Baltimore Light Rail can be accessed by

1200-403: The application of a grout mixture to the stone spandrels filling. Nevertheless, the bridge is still indicative of the way in which the B&O track and major structures were put down in the most permanent manner possible. At an unknown date, railing blocks were removed from the north side of the deck, and a bracketed walkway was added, giving more lateral clearance. Little work had been done on

1250-400: The average family size was 3.16. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 44.4% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP

1300-408: The county line. Western Elkridge : west of I-95 and north of Maryland Route 100 . Central Elkridge : east of I-95 , south of Bonnie View Ln, north of Howard Ln. Southern Elkridge : south of Maryland Route 100 , north of Montevideo Road, east of Waterloo Road to the county line. As of the census of 2000, there were 22,042 people, 8,324 households, and 5,793 families residing in

1350-551: The current location of Louisiana Avenue . When the Washington Terminal Company opened Washington Union Station in 1907, that alignment was changed to the current routing, partially using the former location of Delaware Avenue. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway acquired control of the B&O in 1962, and the B&O and C&O both became a subsidiaries of the Chessie System in 1973 (Along with

1400-593: The deck of the viaduct while mock " baptizing " them with a pint of whiskey . Soon after its completion, two European engineers visited the Viaduct and reported on it. During the period of 1834-1835, Michel Chevalier was commissioned by the French government to study the North American canal and railroad networks. Chevalier produced a two-volume report, "Histoire et description des voies de communication aux etats-Unis (1840–1841). By 1838, Franz Anton von Gerstner

1450-428: The east of Elkridge, and will eventually include an interchange with Hanover Road, providing another method of travel to Elkridge from the south. The historic B&O rail line owned by CSX provides the eastern border for most of Elkridge. The combination freight and passenger corridor overrides the water supply for Elkridge and Howard County, which is electronically monitored to detect precursors of explosive failures in

1500-402: The northwestern edge of the Elkridge census-designated place, and Interstate 895 crosses the northern corner of the community. Interstate 195 passes just east of Elkridge, with access from its Exit 3 with Washington Boulevard. Maryland Route 100 runs through the southern part of Elkridge, providing access to Ellicott City and Glen Burnie . The Baltimore-Washington Parkway travels just to

1550-408: The population. There were 8,324 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and

Capital Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

1600-569: The railroad's chief of construction, supervised the work. The span of the viaduct is 612 feet (187 m) long; the individual arches are roughly 58 feet (18 m) in span, with a height of 59 feet (18 m) from the water level to the base of the rail. The width at the top of the spandrel wall copings is 26 feet 4 inches (8 m). The bridge is constructed using a rough-dressed Maryland granite ashlar from Patapsco River quarries , known as Woodstock granite . A wooden-floored walkway built for pedestrian and railway employee use

1650-588: The same site in 2018. Elkridge includes a range of recreational areas throughout the town. Patapsco Valley State Park runs along the Patapsco River in North Elkridge, with entrances on Landing Road, River Road, and South Street in nearby Relay . Rockburn Branch Park in West Elkridge provides athletic fields, playgrounds, and nature trails. Also in West Elkridge, Belmont Manor and Historic Park hosts private events as well as nature programs with

1700-674: The top of the Lawyers Hill, including along Old Lawyers Hill Road, on which at one corner stands the Elkridge Assembly Rooms. This community hall, built in 1871, was a neutral meeting place for entertainments for Northern and Southern sympathizers of the neighborhood and owned by them as stockholders. Neighbors did not betray neighbors and each protected others' property from advancing troops. Many homes remain, while others burned and have not been rebuilt, such Fairie Knowe in 1850 and 1900. The Lawyers Hill Historic District

1750-470: The town failed with the death of the commissioners before passage. In 1750 a second attempt to formalize the town was attempted around the lands of Phillip Hammond. By comparison, Baltimore Town consisted of only 25 dwellings at that time. A third petition was filed in 1762. The settlement was founded as a place where planters, who each had a wharf along the river, could bring their tobacco crop to be loaded on English trading ships. Later, Elkridge Landing

1800-486: The viaduct until the repairs of 1937 and 1938, which, according to a 1949 report by the Chief Engineer of the B&O, would keep future maintenance to a minimum. From the 1880s to the 1950s, Thomas Viaduct carried B&O's famed Royal Blue Line passenger trains between New York and Washington. Until the late 1960s, the bridge also carried B&O passenger trains traveling to points west of Washington, such as

1850-599: The world. Built in 1833, its architect was Benjamin Latrobe, Jr. The B&O first used horse-drawn coaches in relays, hence Relay Station was added. The viaduct also carried the Tom Thumb , and the first telegraph message from Washington, D.C. , stating " What hath God wrought ?" was wired across. Elkridge did not escape the Civil War . Union troops guarded the Thomas Viaduct and the thoroughfare to Baltimore with

1900-499: Was $ 65,835, and the median income for a family was $ 71,923. Males had a median income of $ 47,329 versus $ 35,802 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 27,629. About 2.0% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. Elkridge is included in three congressional districts: 2 , 3 , and 7 . Congressional District 7 occupies areas north of Montgomery Road and west of Interstate 95, and

1950-693: Was built as the seaport dock for the community. In 1755 the Elkridge Furnace was founded at the Elkridge Furnace Complex , a historic iron works located on approximately 16 acres (65,000 m ) and including six remaining buildings of an iron furnace which operated into the 1860s. The millrace that fed water to the furnace was filled in during the 1920s to create the current "Race Road". The Hockley Forge and Mill were created upstream in 1760. In 1781, Lafayette camped light infantry at Elkridge Landing en route to Virginia during

2000-530: Was built in 1845 and opened its parochial school in 1870. Elkridge had a rich history of industries, including pig-iron forging, basket weaving, paper, cotton and grist milling, as well as employment from the B&;O Railroad . The Thomas Viaduct , located over Levering Avenue at the entrance to the Patapsco Valley State Park , is the oldest multiple-arched curved stone railroad bridge in

2050-592: Was commissioned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O); built between July 4, 1833, and July 4, 1835; and named for Philip E. Thomas , the company's first president. Some claim it to be the world's oldest multiple arched stone railroad bridge. However, the Sankey Viaduct on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened in 1830 and finally completed in 1833. At its completion, the Thomas Viaduct

Capital Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

2100-453: Was completed, a 15-foot (5 m) obelisk with the names of the builder, directors of the railroad, the architect (engineer) and others associated with the viaduct was erected at the east end in Relay, by builder John McCartney. On one side the monument reads: The Thomas Viaduct, Commenced July 4, 1833 Finished, July 4, 1835 . He also celebrated the completed work by having his men kneel on

2150-412: Was constructed, including the Thomas Viaduct. This new line branched at Relay , the site of a former post road hotel and changing point for stage horses. The 1830s Relay House served as a hotel until it was replaced by the $ 50,078.41 (equal to $ 1,273,661 today) Viaduct Hotel in 1872. The Gothic combination railroad station and hotel operated until 1938 and was torn down in 1950. When the Thomas Viaduct

2200-534: Was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 28, 1964, and administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. In 2010, the bridge was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers . In 2014 and 2015, the non-profit historic preservation organization Preservation Howard County placed

2250-589: Was essential for supply trains to reach the capital of the Union during that conflict. Union troops stationed along its length heavily guarded the bridge to prevent sabotage. In 1929, extensive mortar work on the masonry was carried out, and again in 1937. To counteract the deterioration of the masonry, the Thomas Viaduct underwent more cosmetic upgrades in 1938 performed by the B&O Maintenance of Way Department. The work consisted primarily of improving facilities for drainage, relocation of loose arch ring stones, and

2300-418: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The Washington Turnpike Road Company built what is now Washington Boulevard between 1796 and 1812, creating a major north–south land route that is now U.S. Route 1 . As automobiles became a popular alternative to rail, the corridor became the key road and commercial corridor between Baltimore and Washington. With increased travel speeds, Elkridge

2350-615: Was located west of the Capitol , at 2nd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. In 1851, the New Jersey Avenue Station was built at a point slightly north of the Capitol, on New Jersey Avenue NW, in the area now called Union Station Plaza. Trains reached that location via the current location of West Virginia Avenue , street-running trackage on I Street NE and Delaware Avenue , and private right-of-way just south of

2400-525: Was the "... leading engineer and scholar of the emerging railroad industry on the continent of Europe." Because of railroad growth in the United States, von Gerstner felt the need to study American railroads, including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Thomas Viaduct. Until after the American Civil War , the B&O was the only railroad into Washington, D.C. ; thus, the Thomas Viaduct

2450-407: Was the largest railroad bridge in the United States and the country's first multi-span masonry railroad bridge to be built on a curve. In 1964, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark . In 2010, the bridge was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers . The viaduct is now owned and operated by CSX Transportation and

2500-572: Was the location of "Dead Man's Curve" near Ducketts Lane. In 1915, bus service was started between Elkridge and the terminal adjacent to the Montgomery Ward Warehouse and Retail Store in Baltimore. In 1939, the Andrews Brothers opened the first mobile home park in Elkridge. In 1987, Howard County commissioned studies to develop commercial properties that were not detailed in the 1980 general plan. Elkridge

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