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A Brief History of the Arbutus Area and Nearby Communities

Photograph: The Relay Viaduct Hotel

• Arbutus Area and Nearby Communities
• Lansdowne Area History
• Relay Area History
• The Arbutus Oak
• Tom Day Boulevard
• The "Farm School" and Plaque Dedication
• Arbutus Library History
• Memories of the Arbutus Library

The name Arbutus came from the abundance of trailing Arbutus flowers that once covered the area. Seven small villages played a part in the history of the Arbutus area. According to Ross Rainey these were Avalon, St. Denis, Relay, Lansdowne, Violetville, Halethorpe and Arbutus. All but Avalon remain active communities today.

A vast iron ore pit and springs of sulfur water gave the main road the name Sulphur Spring Road. Horse carts run by the B&O Railroad were brought in and the changing place for the horses became Relay Station. Another railroad station was added on Sulphur Spring Road and the Sulphur Spring Hotel sprang up. Water from the nearby springs was thought to have great medicinal value. As more and more people traveled on the new railroad, the Viaduct Hotel (pictured) was built in Relay, which became a popular stopover between Baltimore and Ellicott City.

St. Denis was named after Dennis Smith, a colorful character who was a local politician and ran a toll bridge over the Patapsco River. The name Halethorpe was taken from the English words "hale", meaning healthy and "thorpe", a small village. Violetville was another village inspired to name itself after a local wildflower.

Lansdowne was another area rich in iron ore. The many pits left from mining filled with water which formed ponds and streams. The railroad opened Coursey Station and Lansdowne became known as a B&O town. The name Lansdowne came from the British who named it after the Prime Minister William Petty, the Marquis of Lansdowne.

For more details on the history of the Arbutus area, visit the Arbutus Library.

Brief History of the Lansdowne Area

In the late 1800's the Whitaker Iron Co. mined for ore in Lansdowne. Abandoned pits from the mining were filled up by underground springs creating small ponds and lakes. Lansdowne was mostly farmland including the Kessler farm, MacLeod farm and Wades farm.

When the railroad came Lansdowne became known as a B&O town. Most people worked for B&O, commuting by train into Baltimore City. The first station was named Coursey Station. The Coursey Station senior housing center takes its name from this.

The two main roads were Hammonds Ferry Road and Hollins Ferry Road, both of which led to the Patapsco River where you could take a ferry across to the other side.

Early churches included the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, St. Clement's Catholic Church, Lansdowne United Methodist Church, Lansdowne Christian Church and the First Baptist Church. The site of the original wooden school house was on the property that is now St. Clement's.

In the area known as Baltimore Highlands is a legendary mansion called English Consul. The land and house were owned by William Dawson, the first English Consul to Maryland. One legend claims that Dawson had a brother who was transported from England to America in disgrace. Each year he was to receive a whip lashing as punishment for the crime he had committed. This took place on the English Consul estate. Another legend has it that the mansion was a stop on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. In 1909 a developer purchased the estate. It was eventually divided into the areas known as Baltimore Highlands, Rosemont, Friendship Gardens and the small section still called English Consul.

In the 1950's housing developments sprang up in the Baltimore Highlands and Riverview areas. Schools were built for these neighborhoods. In Lansdowne the Lansdowne Elementary School, Lansdowne Junior High (middle school) and Lansdowne Senior High were known as the "Golden Education Triangle".

In the early 1960's the B&O closed the railroad crossing and Lansdowne Boulevard was constructed, connecting Lansdowne to Washington Boulevard, bridging over the railroad tracks. A tunnel was also constructed under the tracks for pedestrian crossing. Some old railroad cars were erected as a museum and shopping area alongside Hammonds Ferry Road and the railroad tracks.

In the 1980's Baltimore County Recreation and Parks opened a large parcel of land for public use. Southwest Area Park is located on the Patapsco River just below Baltimore Highlands.

A small library was built by Baltimore County in 1966, on Third Avenue. In 1993 the Lansdowne Library was closed due to budget cutbacks. The building was then used as the Southwest Community Center, serving the area's needs for adult education and other county services.

In 1989 the Lansdowne/Baltimore Highlands Senior Center was built directly behind the library building. After the new Senior Center opened the Baltimore County Police Department operated a PAL (Police Athletic League) Center in the former library. In 2006, the PAL Center moved to a new facility on the grounds of Lansdowne Elementary School and in April of that same year a newly remodeled Lansdowne Library re-opened for the public.

For more information about Lansdowne, please contact the Arbutus Library.

Condensed History of Relay, Maryland
Prepared by the Arbutus Library

In 1830 the first railroad track had its debut from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills which ran 13 miles. The first trains were horse-drawn wagons that ran on rails made of wood. Since the distance between the two towns was considered too long for one team of horses, a new team, known as a relay was secured at the halfway point of the trip. The town of Relay was given its name at the spot where the first team of horses were exchanged.

Even though Peter Cooper lost the race with the Tom Thumb he started the era of the Iron Horse on August 28, 1830 in Relay.

Benjamin Latrobe designed the Thomas Viaduct and John McCartney, an engineer from Ohio built the bridge. Construction of the "bridge that couldn't be built" took three years. The bridge was named the Thomas Viaduct in honor of Phillip Thomas who was the first president of the B&O Railroad. The bridge stretches 612 feet from Baltimore County to Howard County and is still in use today. A monument stands today, designating government and railroad officials connected to the project.

Samuel Morse's workshop for the telegraph was located at 5128 South Rolling Road. The first commercial telegraph service opened May 24, 1844. The telegraph pole was invented at this time because the stone base of the land was too difficult to dig the normal trench for placement of the telegraph wire.

The Eighth New York and Sixth Massachusetts regiments and Cook's Boston Battery occupied Relay during the Civil War on May 5, 1861. A Civil War fort was located on the property of Margaret Bennett, where her current home is still standing after being constructed in 1800 on Gundry's Lane. In August of 1862 the 138th Pennsylvania Volunteers came to Relay. Their commander was Colonel Sumwalt. The regiment had a total of 36 officers and 820 enlisted men. They made their headquarters at the Relay House and had come to the area to protect the railroad.

Construction began on the Relay Station (Viaduct Hotel) in 1872. The gothic structure was built of Patapsco granite and trimmed in red seneca stone. The two-story porch on the river side of the hotel gave visitors a magnificent view of the Patapsco Valley and the Thomas Viaduct. Due to the decline in train travel the Relay Station was closed in 1938 after 108 years of continuous service. The station was later torn down in the 1950's. In 1964 the Thomas Viaduct was declared a National Historical Landmark.

During World War II Relay was the sight of the first conscientious objector camp in the United States. The men worked in the nearby state park and nursery.

Photograph: The Relay Town Hall

Relay was home to one of the first Volunteer Fire companies in Baltimore County. In 1892 on Arlington Avenue there stood a one room building which housed a hand drawn fire engine. In 1911 the present two story structure was built and the hand drawn engine was replaced by a large hose carriage and three paid firemen. In 1920 Baltimore County built a new fire house on Washington Boulevard in Halethorpe and the Relay Volunteer Fire company was no longer needed. The Relay Improvement Association, which was incorporated in 1910, took over ownership of the building in 1945.

The first public library in Baltimore County was also housed in the Town Hall. The library was established in 1928 and the books could be borrowed there until the 1970's.
The Relay Town Hall has also been home to the Women's Club of Relay, Grandfathers Club of Relay, Teen Center, Relay Garden Club, the Relay Golden Age Club, Chesapeake Gem and Mineral Society and the Red Cross, to name a few. The building continues to be supported today by the Relay Improvement Association and local volunteers.

The items mentioned in this report were contributed by members of the Relay Improvement Association, and only briefly touch on the history of Relay. More information can be obtained by reading Daniel Toomey's book, A History of Relay Maryland and the Thomas Viaduct. The Arbutus library also maintains a file on the history of Relay.

The Arbutus Oak Tree

Photograph: A view of the Arbutus Oak Tree

Photograph: Another view of the Arbutus Oak Tree

A little known piece of living history exists in Arbutus. The Arbutus Oak is a large white oak tree that is approximately 289 years old. Many Indian artifacts have been found around the tree. The gravestone of Emmanuel Wade has been placed under the tree, a reminder of the Wade family farm that was divided by the building of the highway. But the tree leads a lonely life.

Some years ago it was cut off from the community by the Baltimore Beltway and Interstate 95. It sits on a grassy knoll between the outer loop of I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) and the exit ramp for northbound I-95. Because it is so hard to reach, many people do not even know it is there. In 1972 the local Lions Club took on the task of maintaining the tree and erected a plaque to mark it. (The original plaque disappeared. A second plaque now hangs on the wall in the Arbutus library.) Today the Maryland State Department of Natural Resources is responsible for the tree, one of several hundred in Maryland that are more than 200 years old. So the next time you are traveling south from Baltimore on I-95, take a look at the Arbutus Oak, quickly, before you pass it by!

Tom Day Boulevard

Tom Day Boulevard is a one block street that runs between Oregon Avenue and Southwestern Avenue in Halethorpe. The boulevard was named for Tom Day who is remembered as living one street over from the present Tom Day Boulevard. Tom Day was one of the first Halethorpe soldiers killed during WWII. It is unconfirmed whether or not he was the first. He served in the army and was killed during the D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach. Tom Day's name is included on a plaque, in the Church of the Ascension, of those in the area killed during WWII.

A. Anderson , 9/94
Sources: American Legion Dewey Loman Post 109; also interview with former residents of Halethorpe.

History of the Arbutus Library

The Arbutus Library began in 1948 when local residents such as George Klein, Beatrice Williams and Elsie Ijams, discussed starting a local library with members of the Kiwanis Club and local business people. A library was created in the basement of the Arbutus Hardware store at 5417 East Drive. The Kiwanis gave $300; and a new floor was donated. A large table and 10 chairs were also acquired. Alberta Klein, George's wife, obtained more than 400 books from friends and local residents. Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Ijams would drive around picking up the donations. Each book was officially stamped by George and Alberta. Frances Herrmann, one of their 14 children, recalled "I remember Mother and Dad, late at night, stamping the book pages. I believe they stamped each book on page 17 and another page that I don't remember." This was done for sentimental reasons, as seventeen was the age that her mother married her father. On February 16, 1948, there were about 1500 books with more than 400 new children's books. 150 library cards were originally issued. Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Ijams devoted much time and energy to this project. They could always be found in the library greeting people and helping them to select a book.

The Arbutus-Halethorpe Free Library was such a great success that in the early 1950's it needed to move into larger quarters over the A&P supermarket, when it became a part of the Baltimore County Public Library system. Gloria Grikit, who retired as clerical supervisor in 1989, fondly recalled days over the A&P when she and the librarian found time to make slipcovers right in the library. In 1962 the library moved into a more modern building on Sulphur Spring Road, where it remained for 30 years.

As the community grew and changed so did the library and in 1992 it moved yet again into the Arbutus Business Center. This new building added space and made the library completely handicapped accessible. Throughout all these changes the Arbutus branch has remained a library with a small-town, friendly atmosphere.

Memories of the Arbutus Library

I remember the pet contests held on the parking lot. Every contestant won a blue ribbon for something. I remember the Halloween programs when the children paraded thru the library in their costumes. I remember the haunted house created in the basement of the "old" library. I remember the big book sales and flea markets held out on the parking lot. I remember the Saturday they were giving flu shots in the Health Center under the library. Just about every person that received a flu shot borrowed something from the library. We were not prepared for the influx. I remember wading thru all the pollsters when they had voting booths in the basement of the library.--G. Ries

In 1948 at age 10 I joined the Arbutus Library. I received one of the first cards. It was located in the basement of the Arbutus Hardware store and it was very nice. Mrs. Williams was the librarian, Mrs. Ijams was the clerk. Mrs. Williams gave me a great love for books and she was a great librarian. I read every dog and horse story that they had. It was a really nice place to go as a little girl and now 60 years later I work here. It is great and we are blessed to have this facility.--G. E. Lewis

I'm not sure if May 7, 1998 is too recent to qualify as a memory of the Arbutus Library, but what occurred there on that date brought back many 50 year old personal memories for me. Recently, my daughter had my picture and service record from World War II placed in the Navy Log Online computer at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. This computer is on the internet. I saw that picture and service record for the first time on an Arbutus Library computer on that date. My special thanks to librarian Mrs. Ellen Ray for assisting me at the computer and for providing me with a print out of that document. Also I wish to thank all the librarians, past and present who have assisted me in various ways during my fifty years of visiting the Arbutus Library.--W. E. Pfeifer

Occasionally there are some customers that come in the category of "characters". We had this one customer that whenever he came into the library he had this habit of calling me "Reds" and telling another staff member "Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?" He would want to occasionally try and tell us something "off color". So one day I was on the return desk and I saw this customer coming into the library. I sort of drifted back to the workroom (unbeknownst to me, the girl with the dark circles under her eyes saw him too). We both almost got stuck in the doorway trying to avoid him. We wound up behind the door in the workroom. Seeing my co-worker (Jean), I said, "Well! what are you doing here?" (We both started laughing and to this day it is one of my favorite memories). --P. Wagner

One of my favorite stories is of the "virgin". I was helping a hard of hearing senior citizen, who spoke very loudly, to fill out an application for a dog tag. I asked her if the dog was spayed, "You know fixed." She replied loudly that "There was no need for me to be fixed, as I am a virgin." I explained that I wasn't talking about her but I was asking about the dog. She then told me that neither she nor the dog was "fixed" as both of them were still virgins.--G. Ries

As a maintenance worker for the library, I have one memory and it happened about a year ago. I was changing door handles on the staff restroom, when the door closed and the handle fell off. This is normal except I was inside with no tools, so I had to call for help through the key hole. Fortunately someone was in the room next door and was able to hand me a screwdriver to open the door with. Since then I change all door knobs from the outside.--R. Broadnax

I have visited libraries thru out the states between Maine and Florida. I always manage to obtain local information as well as the latest read. I have yet to meet a librarian I did not like. Having said this, I must tell you the librarians at Arbutus are my favorites! You are proficient as well a efficient and the overall treatment is just like best friends. (They are attractive as well!) I have great respect and admiration for the work and service of each librarian and it is always a joy for me to visit!--W. Bradshaw

A friendship started over 50 years ago with Elsie Ijams. We met at Arbutus Methodist Church and she asked me to help at daily bible school. I had 2 girls and she had a son, we worked and had a friendship that lasted until she passed away. Elsie and Bea Williams helped at Arbutus Elementary school and started a library at the hardware store on East Drive. Elsie's son took books on his way to the library that she and Bea started in the late 40's. They then moved to a bigger place on East drive over the A&P store a couple blocks up from the hardware store. Elsie read to children every Saturday morning at this library. I put my children on a bus and she would meet the bus and take them to the library, they were 7 and 8 years old. The next place the library was at Sulphur Spring Road, we made good use of the library, I worked there part time in the 70's. Bea and Elsie were more than giving their dedication to the library. They were both retired from the library that they helped to start in the 40's - until they left in the late 70's and early 80's. I miss them still and hope this helps in the 50 year anniversary of the library. Good luck and by the way I still visit the library when I can.--H. J. Masenheimer

I remember my mom, Brenda Miller, taking me to programs at the old library as young or younger than 3. My favorite was and still is the Summer Reading Club program. I started before there was a "Read-to-me" program. I appreciate all the friendly librarians who work and did work at the Arbutus Library. I am very happy to give something back to the "Summer Reading Club program" by volunteering as a "Summer Reader Clubhelper."--K. Miller

I always loved to read and it was my best school subject. My best Saturday afternoons were spent in a dark corner of the Arbutus Library reading books like "Big Red" and "Moffat in the Middle." Dad would drop me off outside and I'd climb the dark stairway and turn right to avoid the pungent odor of the beauty parlor at the top of the stairs. On days I didn't spend curled up on the rug in the corner of this treasury of books, I'd spend 5 cents on a Highs ice cream cone or 25 cents on a matinee movie at the Hollywood. I was proud to carry my Arbutus Library card in my Lassie wallet. As a student in Elementary Education courses at UMBC I coped with automating the card catalog by scrolling A-Z on the archaic, huge, self-service machine. I loved learning PC skills on the keyboard, "quick" library Catalog as a veteran teacher at the "new" library across the street. In all locations, the librarians were helpful to me and my children and I'm thankful. My 3rd graders read the Nancy Drew stories I had to buy with my birthday money in the 1950's. (The public library didn't carry such "generic" literature.) Times have changed and imagine renting a movie with a library card! --P. T. Distefano

I never did like heights, but I loved playing dress up. The library had a Halloween costume party and I had my favorite costume on. My dilemma was that the function was held in the cellar down a long, dark flight of stairs. I fought my fear and descended to quietly watch the affair. Mom took my brother and I to all special events for children at the Arbutus Library.--A. Distefano

I finally turned 12 and wanted to earn some spending money. The library led a Red Cross Babysitting class but it was on my birthday! I spent the whole day listening, learning, and practicing CPR on the dummy so I could be a certified, card carrying babysitter for all the little kids on my street all summer. I thank the library for this chance even if it was on my birthday. I loved the homemade ice cream making day. My picture was in the Times with my tongue licking my lips. I got up in the front of the line and it was lots of fun at the library.--L. Distefano

I worked as a page in the Arbutus Library from 1969-1971. It was my first job and I absolutely loved it! I have always been an avid reader and to have a job working with books was pure joy! I remember Mrs. Ijams, Mrs. DeBoy and Mrs. Birdsong, the librarian. There was a real family atmosphere among the staff. In my senior year of high school, the boy who was going to take me to my senior prom cancelled the date. One of the other pages, a nice young man named Bernie, took me to my senior prom. I've never forgotten his kindness. --D. R. Christianson

My family and I moved to the Arbutus area in the early 50's. I seem to remember going to the library up a stairway over the old A&P store on East Drive. There was a large room with tables of books and shelves around the sides. There was a drug store down stairs next to the stairway. My girls were only about 3 and 5 years old at the time. Does anyone else remember this? I think Mrs. Williams was the librarian at that time. We always loved to go to the library. My youngest daughter got a job there when she was old enough. She was a page and helped out when Catonsville opened their new library. After she graduated from high school, she graduated from Western Maryland College and had a career with Bell Atlantic. The other daughter went to work for the Telephone Company and now is with St. Agnes Hospital for over 23 years. So you can see they gained a lot from the education they received in Arbutus and the library, and we all love to read. In re-verifying this with my younger daughter, she remembered not being allowed to take out her book selection. She came home and told me and I went down and told the librarian to let her have the book. She was 10 years old and a very precocious reader. It was a teen-age adventure book, and after that they let her take out whatever she wanted. There were no so-called "bad" books in the library in those days, anyway. The ladies were looking after our kids, however. Last, but far from least are my memories of Mrs. Dale Dyson. She was a lovely lady and so helpful in finding a book that I liked. She liked to read the same type of book I did and always had a suggestion for me. She died far before her time and is greatly missed. If I remember correctly, she also started the coupon box.--R. Phelps

My favorite memory was when I first took out a book. I remember it like it was today, it was the Cat in the Hat. It was a great book and that was also the day I got my first library card. I felt so special and grown up it was a great day. Oh, and I shouldn't say it but a lady that worked there, said have a nice day. But since I was new she showed me all the sections and now the library is one of my favorite places to go. I also want to thank you for your kindness and support and don't forget the good books.--M. C.

One of my favorite memories as a librarian at the Arbutus Branch was of a special patron who regularly came in to look for books. As an elderly woman she would walk to the library from her home nearby, at least once a week. She lived alone with her two little dogs for company. But her favorite books didn't fit her image at all! She loved espionage novels and suspenseful mysteries. She was a prolific reader and would share with us all her tips on the best books she had read. She had a good sense of humor and was always glad to see us and ask us how we were. Frances Hallmayer died on January 25, 1997. I still miss seeing her and will always remember her fondly.--S. Fridrich

My best memories of the library are of the staff and customers I have worked with. One of our favorites is Mr. Ray Norris. For years he has come to the library and supplied us with donuts and pastries! I'm sure this has helped us perform better in our jobs! As a retired gentleman he was a very talented wood craftsman. He always offered us his latest creations at special prices. Many of us still have clocks, birdhouses and other beautiful woodworks he made in our homes. When we moved into our new building he gave us napkin holders and a paper towel roller for out staff lounge. He often comes in just to say hello and brighten up our day.--S. Fridrich

My memories at Arbutus library are funny and cool. Because when I was 5 it was my first time here. I did not know how to use a computer, so I just hit the keys and nothing would happen. So I went to the information desk and the librarian who helped me was very helpful and nice. Ever since then I love coming to the library. --T. Brown

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The text version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
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