Perry Hall: The Gunpowder River
by David Marks
Historian, Perry Hall Improvement Association
Walking along the Gunpowder River is like stepping back in time. It makes one imagine a
Perry Hall long since past, when Indians roamed the gurgling, churning waters on their way
to the mighty Chesapeake Bay. The lofty trees which guard the Gunpowder were casting long
shadows when Europeans settled Perry Hall, built a community, and help develop a nation.
Today's Gunpowder River might be tamed by man and nature, yet its beauty remains one of
Perry Hall's treasures. Since 1959, large acreage on both sides of the Gunpowder River has
been acquired for a state park, with numerous trails, historic sites, and places to ponder
nature. The Gunpowder River frames northern and eastern Perry Hall, enclosing suburban
neighborhoods within a green oasis.
The river is actually two main branches. Great Gunpowder Falls includes the watershed
nearest to Perry Hall. It begins near Prettyboy Reservoir, in northern Baltimore County,
then opens into a huge body of water at Loch Raven Reservoir. Leaving Loch Raven
Reservoir, it narrows into a gurgling river as it approaches Kingsville, Perry Hall, and
White Marsh. At Days Cove, Great Gunpowder Falls merges with Little Gunpowder Falls, a
smaller branch which forms the 30 mile-long border between Baltimore and Harford Counties.
Great Gunpowder Falls was designed by nature to accommodate an average flow of about
260 million gallons every day. The river was once wild, especially the four-mile stretch
between Belair and Harford Roads. Following Baltimore City's construction of Loch Raven
Reservoir in 1881 the river was largely tamed? with the dam holding nearly 500 million
gallons of water. Subsequent improvements to the dam raised its capacity to 23.7 billion
gallons, transforming the mighty Gunpowder River into a gently-rolling trickle. Most of
the Gunpowder's water now flows from local streams. In Perry Hall, these branches include
Jenifer Run, Cowen Run, Long Green Branch, Sweathouse Branch, Perry Hall Branch, and Cow
Branch.
One mystery is the river's name. The stream was probably called Gunpowder because of
the saltpetre which James Denton discovered along its banks in 1665. Saltpetre is an
ingredient for gunpowder. Legend has it that when local Indians witnessed the power of
gunpowder, they bartered with European settlers and planted it along the river, hoping the
man-made chemical would grow.
It is believed that Captain John Smith sailed up the Gunpowder River in the 17th
Century, stopping when the rocks impeded his exploration. He met two Indian tribes along
the way the Massawomeks and the Susquehannocks, who welcomed the visitor with peace pipes
and gifts. It was during this same journey in 1608 that Captain Smith discovered iron ore
in Maryland, leading to intense industrialization along rivers like the Gunpowder.
In Perry Hall, iron ore was mined at local sites, shipped to furnaces near the
Gunpowder River, and converted into pig iron for use at forges and blacksmith shops. Early
furnaces transformed the pig iron directly into pots, stove plates, and other items.
During wartime the iron was converted into ammunition and rifles for the fledgling
American army. Much of the fuel for the Gunpowder furnaces was supplied by woodcutters who
cleared the land west of the river.
It is believed that Stephen Onion built a furnace, the Gunpowder Iron Works, on the
Great Gunpowder Falls in 1743, since iron bolts have been found in rocks about a half mile
east of the present Philadelphia Road bridge. In 1749, the Maryland Gazette
reported that the Onion furnace was destroyed by the flooding of the river. The furnace
was rebuilt, expanded to seven houses, and sold in 1769. The property was later the site
of the Joppa Iron Works, and the adjacent land was purchased by Harry Dorsey Gough, the
wealthy proprietor of Perry Hall Mansion. Forge Road, near the Gunpowder River, was
probably named for the intense iron industry in this part of Perry Hall.
By 1781, a separate company, the Nottingham Iron Company, was operating two forges at
Philadelphia Road and the Great Gunpowder Falls. This part of the river was once called
"Long Calm," where gentle, broad water welcomed visitors to the area. In one
30-week period during 1856, the Nottingham Iron Company at "Long Calm" produced
1 100 tons of iron. Ruins of this active industrial site can still be found.
The 1911 Maryland Geological Survey identifies eight mining sites in the Gunpowder
region. All of these have long been abandoned, and although most have either been lost to
nature or development, several still rest along banks of the Great Gunpowder Falls. Ore
banks were concentrated in eastern Perry Hall, in the rural region between Belair and
Philadelphia Roads. The Gerst mine supplied iron ore for the furnace at "Long
Calm." Other mining sites were located on the Tremper and Wagenfeuhr properties,
along Cowenton Avenue, and at the Cook and Lohman properties near present-day Joppa View
Elementary School. An intrepid explorer might still be able to find ruins of these old
mines, now long abandoned.
Gunpowder Copper Works gained a national reputation. This gristmill, which still stands
near Harford Road and the Great Gunpowder Falls, was operated by Levi Hollingsworth from
1811 to 1838. During the War of 1812, Gunpowder Copper Works supplied the United States
Navy with copper sheathing for ships. Following the war, the plant refined copper from
Frederick County mines for the dome of the US Capitol, which had been destroyed by the
British. Hollingsworth's dome lasted until the expansion of the Capitol in the 1860's.
![[ Photograph of Levi Hollingworth's Copper Works, on the Great Gunpowder
Falls River ]](hist_pe_copper.jpg)
Photograph of Levi Hollingworth's Copper Works,
on the Great Gunpowder Falls River.
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Today, the Gunpowder watershed is primarily known for its winding
trails, abundant trout, and good rapids for inner tubing. Visitors can learn more about
the region at the park's new headquarters: the restored Jerusalem Mill in Kingsville,
which opened recently. They can also join the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, an
organization which promotes this Perry Hall treasure.
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