Museum of Howard County History Exhibits

Whether it’s daily life in a 19th-century mill town, the history of the 4-H club, or a closer look at the lives of the county’s founding fathers, our permanent collection along with periodic themed exhibitions of artifacts and information provide visitors with a deeper understanding and a hands-on experience of Howard County history.
Lesson Plans

Ongoing Exhibits

ELLICOTT CITY: A VISUAL HISTORY

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Ellicott City: A Visual History

This new permanent exhibit at the Museum of Howard County History features images and artifacts from the Howard County Historical Society collection illustrating Ellicott City Main Street’s history from the 1880s to present day.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: THE FLOODS OF ELLICOTT CITY

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A River Runs Through It: The Floods Of Ellicott City

The Museum of Howard County History opened the exhibit “A River Runs Through It: The Floods of Ellicott City” on Saturday, November 12, 2016. The exhibit illustrates the numerous flood events that have plagued the small historic town since its founding, focusing on the Floods of 1868, 1952, 1975, and 2016. The exhibit features images and artifacts from the Howard County Historical Society’s collection as well as items donated by businesses affected by the 2016 floods.

The Museum of Howard County History is free to the public and open Friday to Sunday, 1:00-5:00.

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

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FEATURED OBJECTS

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GIFT SHOP

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Did You Know?
The first railroad station in America was built at Ellicott's Mills -- the terminus of the original 13 miles of track in the country in 1830.
In the 19th century, Ellicott City was a resort where the wealthy escaped the heat and stink of Baltimore in the summer. Both this collapsible key and a more regularly shaped companion were found around 1940 at the Howard House. This hotel on Main Street also provided space to the local Masonic Society. The key is shown against a piece of the original Howard House china.

Howard House Collapsible Key & Plate

Thomas Johnson (1732-1819) was a delegate to the 1774 and 1775 Continental Congress. His family's factory near Frederick, Md. manufactured ammunition for the rebels. He was the first governor of Maryland after the Revolutionary War, serving from 1777 to 1779. George Washington appointed Johnson an associate judge on the Supreme Court in 1791, where he authored the Court’s first written opinion. Thomas Jefferson nominated Johnson for U. S. Secretary of State, but he declined the appointment due to ill health. Johnson retired to Rose Hill Manor near Frederick, Maryland, where he died in 1819.

Thomas Johnson’s Dentures

This 1885 pipe organ built by the A. B. Felgemaker Company of Erie, Pennsylvania, is housed in the Society’s museum, formerly the First Presbyterian Church of Ellicott City. This magnificent building features stained and leaded glass windows, including three windows “hidden” behind the organ. One, referred to as “The Rose Window,” features two cherubs. Melissa Jarvis Branch (1845-1918), wife of the Reverend Henry Branch, who served as minister of the church from 1882 to 1909, donated the window in memory of two of their children who died in infancy. When the church relocated in the late 1950s, Alda Hopkins Clark, first president of the Howard County Historical Society, purchased the church building and donated it to the society in memory of her husband, the Honorable Judge James Clark Sr. The building was adapted for use as the Museum of Howard County History. One can enjoy collection displays, exhibits, organ concerts, lunch ’n learn lectures, entertaining programs, and even weddings within its walls.

A.B. Felgemacher Organ