Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop

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Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop
Oakland Mills Blacksmith Shop.jpg
Blacksmith Shop, June 2014
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Location5471 Old Columbia Road, Oakland Mills, Maryland
Coordinates 39°13′17″N76°50′51″W / 39.22139°N 76.84750°W / 39.22139; -76.84750
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Builtc. 1844 (1844)
NRHP reference No. 11000820 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 18, 2011

The Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop, also known as Felicity, is a historic property at 5471 Old Columbia Road in Oakland Mills, Maryland.

Contents

Buildings

The Columbia Road was contracted on January 6, 1810, by the Maryland General Assembly to establish a toll road from Ellicott City to Georgetown. [2] The property includes a 1.5-story wood-frame house, built c. 1820, a single-story blacksmithy, a smokehouse, and the remains of a spring house. The buildings are set close to the south side of the road. The house was built by the Ridgely family, who owned the original Oakland Mills flour mill complex that appeared on the Anne Arundel County tax list in 1798. [3] [4] The wood stable was used to raise Percheron workhorses for local farms. Both the house and smithy are extremely well preserved; the smithy, which ceased operation in 1950, houses one complete forge and parts of a second. [5]

Subsequent owners

In 1878, Samuel F. Whipps (1831–1909) moved from his father William Whipps' house at "Rebecca's Lot" (now Whipps Family and Public Cemetery) to Felicity. He operated the Oakland Mills post office and blacksmith shop with his son William Whipps. [6] Future Circuit Court Judge James A. Clark Sr. worked for a Mr. Whipps on-site in the late 1800s. [7] The property was later purchased by a Mr. and Mrs. Frank Collins.[ citation needed ] Most recently the property has been purchased by Genevieve Engleman, who resides there. [8] [ failed verification ]

Adjacent Oakland Mills Store and Dwelling. Circa 1798 Oakland Mills Store and Dwelling.jpg
Adjacent Oakland Mills Store and Dwelling. Circa 1798

21st century

The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. [1] A 2001 book, Roads to Howard's Past, boasted about the Maryland Department of Transportation circumventing the historic properties, but by 2014 the historic register was changed to declare the property was not historic. County Executive Ken Ulman was part of the 2010 groundbreaking for a road-widening project in front of the historic structures. The project to increase traffic capacity and develop extra density in downtown Columbia reduced the property size, relocated Old Columbia Pike, and installed sound walls. [10] [11] [12]

2016
2025

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Listings" (PDF). Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 11/14/11 through 11/18/11. National Park Service. November 25, 2011.
  2. ↑ Burke, Missy; Emrich, Robin; Kellner, Barbara (2008). Oh, You Must Live in Columbia!. Columbia, Maryland: Columbia Archives. p. 21. ISBN   9780615174976.
  3. ↑ Feaga, Barbara W. (2001). Howard's Roads to the Past. Howard County Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee. pp. 79, 81.
  4. ↑ Burke, Missy; Emrich, Robin; Kellner, Barbara (2008). Oh, You Must Live in Columbia!. Columbia, Maryland: Columbia Archives. p. 85. ISBN   9780615174976.
  5. ↑ Short, Kenneth M. (October 2010). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust . Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Whipps Family Cemetery" (PDF). Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  7. ↑ Clark, James Jr. (1999). Jim Clark: Soldier, Farmer, Legislator: A Memoir. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press. p. 1. ASIN   B004R9J6AK. LCCN   99072964. OCLC   44803221.
  8. ↑ "The Remote OT". theremoteot.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  9. ↑ "HO-154" (PDF). Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ Carson, Larry (May 22, 2010). "Route 29 widening impacts six vintage homes" . The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  11. ↑ "MDOT" (PDF). Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  12. ↑ Janney, Elizabeth (May 29, 2014). "Route 29 Project Means 'More Quality Time for Families': Ulman Thousands of commuters will be relieved by widening of the highway, officials say". Patch . Retrieved August 30, 2014.
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