BCPL History and Genealogy - Perry Hall - The Gunpowder River.
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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.

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.

This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on 26 August 2008.
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