Historic Ellicott City Jail May Receive New Life Thanks To Grant

Ellicott City MD

10 December, 2021

4:21 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The historic 1850 Ellicott City jail located at 1 Emory Street will undergo a facelift thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to Preservation Maryland. The grant will be used to assess feasibility for reuse of the jail as well as architectural/engineering, stabilization or rehabilitation activities that support future reuse. "Ellicott City has always perfectly balanced old and new. As we explored plans to reuse the historic Courthouse in Ellicott City, it became clear that the old jail on the adjacent property provided a unique opportunity to preserve and examine a piece of our history," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. "This grant award is a great first step in the process and we're grateful to Preservation Maryland for their partnership on this effort and commitment to moving this project forward." According to the blog Historic Homes of Howard County, jail and courthouse were underground railroad markers. The stone section under the porch roof was the original jail built in 1851 and is located behind the courthouse, which was built in 1843.