Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland | ||
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FIPS code 24-78425 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 0591420 |
Towson (/ˈtaʊsən/)[2] is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat[3] of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorporated county seat in the United States (after Ellicott City, the seat of nearby Howard County, southwest of Baltimore).[4]
History
1600s
The first inhabitants of the future Towson and central
1700s
Towson was settled in 1752 when Pennsylvania brothers, William and Thomas Towson, began farming an area of Sater's Hill, northeast of the present-day
In 1790, businessman Capt. Charles Ridgely completed the Hampton Mansion just north of Towsontown, the largest private house in America at the time. The Ridgelys lived there for six generations, until 1948.[10] It is now preserved as the Hampton National Historic Site and open to the public.
1800s
Grafton Marsh, a surgeon during the War of 1812, and his brother Josiah Marsh settled their families in a collection of early houses known as Gott's Hope that was part of a group along Joppa Road. They consolidated four of the structures into a larger dwelling that they called "Marshmont". The brothers went into business together as medical practitioners. Neither had any heirs but were joined in practice later by their nephew, Dr. Grafton Marsh Bosley, who eventually inherited the medical practice, the Marshmont compound, and a 140-acre farm. The farm extended west of York Road, south of Joppa Road, north of the Sheppard Pratt Hospital, and east of Woodbine Avenue.[11] In 1869,[12] Bosley and his wife Margaret Nicholson then built a new home in an area of the property known as "Highlands"[13] or "Highland Park", which they named "Uplands".[9]
The ratification of the second Maryland Constitution of 1851 provided for the jurisdictional separation of the former Baltimore Town, founded in 1729. Baltimore Town had served as the county seat since 1767, now the City of Baltimore, since its incorporation in 1796–97 by the General Assembly of Maryland. Several tortured sets of negotiations occurred to divide the various assets of the city and the county, such as the downtown courthouse of 1805, the city/county jail of 1801 along the Jones Falls (at East Madison Street) and the almshouse, which was also jointly owned. After a series of elections and referendums, on February 13, 1854, Towson became, by popular vote, the choice of the remaining, now mostly rural, eastern, northern and western portions of the county as the new county seat of Baltimore County.[14]
The
The old Baltimore County Jail was built in 1855, and was later replaced in the 1980s by a new modern Baltimore County Detention Center, north of the town on Kenilworth Drive, with an addition constructed in the 2010s.
From 1850 to 1874, another notable land owner, Amos Matthews, had a farm of 150 acres (0.61 km2) that—with the exception of the 17-acre (69,000 m2) largely natural parcel where the Kelso Home for Girls (currently Towson YMCA), was later erected —was wholly developed into the neighborhoods of West Towson, Southland Hills and other subdivisions, beginning in the middle 1920s.[9]
During the Civil War, Towson was the scene of two minor engagements. Many local citizens were sympathetic to the Southern Confederate cause, so much so that Ady's Hotel (later named the Towson Hotel) and the current site of the 1920s-era Towson Theatre (later the Recher Theatre), flew the Southern flag.[18][19][20] The Union Army found it necessary to overtake the town by force on June 2, 1861.[21] During the raid, the Union Army seized weapons from citizens at Ady's Hotel.[21] A local paper, in jest, refers to the "strongly fortified and almost impregnable city of Towsontown" and downplays the need for the attack, stating, "the distinguished Straw, with only two hundred and fifty men, has taken a whole city and nearly frightened two old women out of their wits."[21]
The second engagement took place around July 12, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces. On July 10, 1864, a 135-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the
The next day, a large federal cavalry unit was dispatched from Baltimore to overtake Gilmor's forces. Though outnumbered by more than two to one, the Confederate cavalry attacked the federal unit, breaking the federal unit and chasing them down York Road to around current-day Woodbourne Avenue, within Baltimore city limits.[18][23][24] Gilmor's forces traveled south along York Road as far south as Govans, before heading west to rejoin Gen. Johnson's main force.[25]
Following the war, Gilmor served as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner in the 1870s.
The Towson fire of 1878 destroyed most of the 500 block along the York Turnpike, causing an estimated $38,000 in damage.[26][27]
During the summer of 1894, the Towson Water Company laid wooden pipes and installed fire hydrants connected to an
1900s
At the beginning of the century, Towson remained largely a rural community. Land continued to be sold by the acre, rather than as home parcels. Most residences lay within Towson proper: no houses existed west of Central Avenue along Allegheny or Pennsylvania Avenues, and there were only three homes along the West Chesapeake Avenue corridor.[29]
In the 1910s, the Maryland State Normal School (MSNS) (now known as Towson University) was relocated to Towson. The Maryland Legislature had established the MSNS in 1865 as Maryland's first teacher-training school, or normal school.[30] The institution officially opened its doors on January 15, 1866,[31] however as time passed enrollment in the school grew exponentially, which rendered the facilities inadequate. In 1910, the General Assembly formed a committee to oversee site selection, budget, and design plans for a new campus. It settled on an 80-acre (320,000 m2) site in Towson. The General Assembly financed the $600,000 move in 1912.[30] Construction then began in 1913 on the Administration Building, now known as Stephens Hall. In September 1915, the new campus, comprising Stephens Hall, Newell Hall, and the power plant, began classes.[32] The college underwent numerous name changes, settling on Towson University in 1997.
As the growth of Baltimore's suburbs became more pronounced after World War II, considerable office development took place in Towson's central core area. Many of the large Victorian and colonial-style residences in the vicinity of the Court House were demolished in the 1980s and 1990s to make way for offices and parking.
In 1839, Epsom Chapel became the first Christian house of worship in Towson, used by various denominations.[4] Due to population growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several churches were built to serve the community, such as Calvary Baptist Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, and Towson Presbyterian Church. Epsom Chapel was demolished in 1950 when Goucher College sold a portion of its property for development of the Towson Plaza shopping center, now Towson Town Center. First Methodist Church moved in 1958 to land also acquired from Goucher College, and is now Towson United Methodist Church.[8]
Author Robert Coston, who grew up in the area of Towson now called "Historic East Towson", recalled in an interview the unique African-American history of that area during the mid-century:
I think that the Towson, Maryland area that I am familiar with differs from other parts of Maryland because of the proximity to one of the largest slave plantations in the country. The Ridgely Plantation which owned all of the property from Baltimore County to Baltimore City and other surrounding areas. ... This was a very unique place of which I have never heard of any equal to it. Every African American school age child in Baltimore County had to attend school at some point at Carver in East Towson. ... I realize now that as a youngster the older African Americans avoided talking about slavery or the nearby Ridgely Plantation because they themselves were not too far removed from slavery itself.[33]
Geography
Towson is located at 39°23′35″N 76°36′34″W / 39.39306°N 76.60944°W (39.392980, −76.609562).[34]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.2 square miles (37 km2), of which 14.0 square miles (36 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (1.06%) is water.
The community is located immediately north of Baltimore City, inside the Beltway (
Major neighborhoods in Towson include: Anneslie, Idlewylde, Greenbrier, Southland Hills,
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Government
Both the Baltimore County Public Schools,[37] and the Baltimore County Police Department possess headquarters that are located in Towson.[38]
Demographics
This section needs to be updated.(September 2018) |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1960 | 19,090 | — | |
1970 | 77,768 | 307.4% | |
1980 | 51,083 | −34.3% | |
1990 | 49,445 | −3.2% | |
2000 | 51,793 | 4.7% | |
2010 | 55,197 | 6.6% | |
2020 | 59,553 | 7.9% | |
Census Boundaries in 1970 extended beyond the community proper |
As of the 2020 Census there were 59,533 residents in Towson.[39] Of these 72.3% were White, 15.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.9% Asian, and 4.2% Hispanic.[39] The percent of persons age 25 years and over with a high school diploma or higher was 96.5%.[39] 66.9% of people had a Bachelors' degree or higher.[39] The median household income was $93,435 and per capita in come was 52,444.[39] 11.3% of people were living in poverty.[39]
As of the
There were 21,063 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,775, and the median income for a family was $75,832 (these figures had risen to $64,313 and $98,744 respectively as of a 2007 estimate
Transportation
Roads
Major roads in Towson include:
- Allegheny Avenue
- Auburn Drive
- Bellona Avenue
- Bosley Avenue
- Burke Avenue
- Charles Street(MD-139)
- Chesapeake Avenue
- Cromwell Bridge Road
- Dulaney Valley Road (MD-146)
- Fairmount Avenue
- Goucher Boulevard
- Hillen Road
- Joppa Road
- Loch Raven Boulevard
- Osler Drive
- Pennsylvania Avenue
- Providence Road
- Putty Hill Avenue
- Stevenson Lane
- Towsontown Boulevard
- Washington Avenue
- York Road (MD-45)
Public transportation
The Towson area has several bus lines operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. These include:
- Route 3, which serves the Loch Raven Boulevard corridor, with selected trips along Joppa Road
- Route 8, which operates along York Road to Lutherville and downtown Baltimore (formerly the #8 streetcar line)
- GBMChospital
- Stella Maris Hospiceat the times needed for the facility's change of shift.
- Route 48 QuickBus, which operates between Towson Town Center and downtown Baltimore along the same route as #8, except with limited stops for a speedier trip
- Route 55, which operates cross-county service to Parkville, Overlea, Rosedale, and Essex
Towson also has
Towson University and Goucher College also operate bus services for their students, and the Collegetown Shuttle has several stops in the area.
In October 2021, Towson began providing a free bus service circulating through Towson called the Towson Loop.[42]
Pedestrians and bicycles
The Towson Bike Beltway opened in September 2014. It includes the addition of bicycle lanes on several major streets encircling the downtown area.
"Ma and Pa" Railroad
Railroad service began to Towson on April 17, 1882, with construction of the Baltimore & Delta Railway Company, soon renamed the Baltimore & Lehigh Railroad, and later reorganized as the
Shopping and other attractions
Towson features some of Baltimore County's largest shopping centers as well as other popular venues of interest. These include:
Hampton Mansion
Hampton National Historic Site is operated by the U.S. National Park Service. The home and grounds were formerly the core of the vast Ridgely estate. The site includes the Ridgely's 18th-century Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The National Park Service offers free admission and guided tours.
Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center is Baltimore County's largest indoor mall, with four stories of shops and a parking garage. Nearby is Allegheny Avenue, the main street of downtown Towson, with a variety of eateries and stores.
Towson Square
A new outdoor mall, Towson Square, was under construction in 2013. After quick construction, the Square opened in October 2014.
The Shops at Kenilworth
Towson Place
Towson Place is a major shopping area near
SECU Arena and Unitas Stadium
Towson University's arena
Education
Colleges and universities
Also located in Towson is Goucher College, a small private liberal arts school that was founded in 1885.[49] Goucher was a women's college until it went coeducational in 1986. It was established as the Women's College of Baltimore, and its founders, pastors John Goucher, who would later become its namesake, and John B. Van Meter were closely affiliated with Methodist Episcopal Church. The school was originally based in Baltimore city and moved to its current campus in Towson in 1953.[50] The old campus in Baltimore, which the school no longer owns or occupies, is now known as Old Goucher and is a registered historic district. The current 287-acre campus of the school in Towson was also notably registered as a historic district and in 2007 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its unique and innovative architecture.[51]
Public schools
Towson is served by the
Towson is served by seven public elementary schools in the school district.: Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Riderwood, Hampton, West Towson, Pleasant Plains and Cromwell Valley Regional Magnet School of Technology, which serves students from all over Baltimore County.
Towson is served by two public middle schools, Dumbarton Middle School and Loch Raven Technical Academy. Some students are also zoned to attend Ridgely Middle School in Lutherville further north.
Also located in Towson is Ridge Ruxton School, a
Private schools
The Towson area has a number of long-established private schools at the secondary school level, including Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall College High School, Concordia Preparatory School, and Notre Dame Preparatory School.
Notable people
- Spiro Agnew (1918–1996), Vice President of the United States, 1969-1973
- All Time Low, pop punk band
- Albert Cassell (1895–1969), architect
- Maryland's 2nd District, 1927–1929 and 1931-1942
- Mel Kiper Jr. (born 1960), ESPN draft analyst
- Divine(1945–1988), actor, the drag persona of Harris Glenn Milstead
- Jean Marie "Jeff" Donnell (1921–1988), film and TV actress
- Charles S. Dutton, actor who attended Towson University
- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), writer
- Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank) (1918–1986), artist
- Sally Lucas Jean (18 June 1878 – 5 July 1971), Health educator and nurse
- Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996), film actress
- G. E. Lowman (1897–1965), radio evangelist
- Gino Marchetti, Hall of Fame NFL defensive end (Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts)
- Kimmie Meissner, figure skater and last US world figure skating champion
- Ana Montes, Defense Intelligence Agency Senior Analyst convicted of spying for Cuba
- Anita Nall (born 1976), 1992 Summer Olympics gold medalist swimmer
- Michael Phelps (born 1985), swimmer, holds record for most gold Olympic medals, most gold medals in individual events and most career Olympic medals
- Capt. Charles Ridgely III (1733–1790), Hampton estate founder and ironworks owner
- Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829), Governor of Maryland, 1815-1818
- Eliza Ridgely of Hampton (1803–1867), 'The Lady with a Harp'
- Thomas Roberts, dayside anchor and occasional prime time fill-in on MSNBC
- Don Shula (1930–2020), head coach and player with the Baltimore Colts; led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history; holds NFL record for most wins as a head coach
- US Army; namesake of Fort Towson, Oklahoma
- Johnny Unitas (1933–2002), Hall of Fame NFL quarterback (Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers)
- Ricky Van Veen, owner and co-founder of CollegeHumor website
- John Waters, filmmaker and activist
- Bill Kramer (executive), CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Medical facilities
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center
- St. Joseph Medical Center
- Sheppard Pratt Hospital
In popular culture
- In the 1990s Towson was the center of the Towson Glen Arm music and art collective.[53]
- The fictional character Elaine Benes, of the 1990s NBC sitcom Seinfeld, is from Towson.
- The fictional character Splinter Cell video game series by Ubisoft was born in Towson, as well as residing in a townhouse, as stated in the novelizations of the series by Raymond Benson.
- Jack Ryan, was born in Towson.
See also
- 1960 census
- Early Drinking Straws and Swizzle Sticks, by Glassips Inc. invented and manufactured in Towson 1930-1979.
- United States Post Office Towson Branch
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ "Definition of Towson". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "NACo County Explorer". National Association of Counties.
- ^ a b c "Towson, Maryland: A Great Place to Live, Work & Play!—A Synopsis of Towson, MD". Towson Chamber of Commerce. 2006. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
- ISBN 0-915442-36-1
- ^ "International Students & Scholars". Towson University.
- ^ "History on Tap: Recher Owners Revive Towson Tavern". patch.com. August 3, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 0-7385-0226-X.
- ^ a b c A Brief History of West Towson, by David A. Loizeaux "BCPL History and Genealogy - A Brief History of West Towson". Archived from the original on February 17, 2006. Retrieved February 17, 2006.
- ISBN 978-0-7385-4418-2.
- ^ a b The Jeffersonian, Towson MD, Friday, November 16, 1945 (Vol. XXXV - No. 4)
- ^ Baltimore County Union March 20, 1869
- ^ OTHER SUBURBAN ESTATES, Jun 23, 1890; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Baltimore Sun pg. 4
- ^ Historical marker, Towson Courthouse, Baltimore County Historical Society.
- ISBN 0-8018-7806-3, p. 142
- ISBN 0-937076-03-1, p. 29
- ^ https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/BaltimoreCounty/BA-97.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b c Baker, Gary. "Gilmor's Ride Around Baltimore". Civil War Interactive. Archived from the original on March 15, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
- ^ Baltimore County Library Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wang, Claire (August 25, 2005). "Civil War sites keep Maryland history alive". chicagotribune.com.
- ^ a b c "Seizure of arms at Towsontown". The Daily Dispatch. June 6, 1861. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
- ^ Hall, Clayton (1912). Baltimore: History, Page 198. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 198. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Background History of Harry Gilmor's Raid Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bruce, Philip (1916). The Dash on Baltimore. G. W. Jacobs. p. 283. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ISBN 0-9612670-0-3.
- ISBN 0-9602326-1-3, p. 293
- ^ Maryland Journal, Sept. 14, 1867, Feb., 2 1878; (Towson) Union News, June 9, 1917.
- ISBN 0-9602326-1-3, p. 297
- ISBN 0-9602326-1-3, p. 298
- ^ a b "History - Towson At a Glance". Towson University. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ "Towson University". Maryland Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ "Chronology of Towson University History". Towson University. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
- ^ Coston, Robert G. "Interview with the author Robert G. Coston". To Scotland and Back, January 2010
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ISBN 0-9602326-1-3, p. 292
- ^ "TOWSON, MARYLAND". weatherbase.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "Contact Us - BCPS". www.bcps.org. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Colbert, Ivena. "Contact the Police Department - Baltimore County". www.baltimorecountymd.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "QuickFacts Towson CDP, Maryland". Census. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Bureau, U. S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ McDowell, Ashley (May 2, 2023). "Towson's free ride 'The Loop' will soon be expanded to other Baltimore County areas". WMAR 2 News Baltimore. WMAR-TV. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
- ^ "Towson Bike Beltway officially open to riders". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
- ^ "Towson Bike Beltway to double in size". September 27, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
- LCCN 63017444.
- ^ John R. Eicker (August 30, 1964). "The Ma and Pa's Last Run from Baltimore to York". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Loni Ingraham (May 26, 1999). "'Ma and Pa' railroad abutments get HTI plaque". The Towson Times.
- ^ Kaiser, Rob (December 22, 1997). "Towson Marketplace undergoing a rebirth". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/historyofgoucher00knip page 10
- ISBN 0-8018-3902-5.
- ^ "National Historic Register : Goucher College". goucher.edu. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ "School Profile". Ridge Ruxton School. Baltimore County Public Schools. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Withay, Justyn (March 11, 2015). "Think Baltimore Music Is Weird? In The '90s, Towson And Glen Arm Music Was Even Weirder". bandwidth.wamu.org. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
External links
- Historic Towson Inc.
- Towson Town Center
- Towson Chamber of Commerce
- Towson Junior Chamber
- The Greater Towson Committee
- Towsontown Spring Festival
- A Short History of the WTNA, by Richard Parsons [1]