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Oella, Maryland

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Coordinates: 39°16′32″N 76°47′14″W / 39.27556°N 76.78722°W / 39.27556; -76.78722
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Oella Historic District
Long Brick Row in the center of Oella, Maryland
Oella, Maryland is located in Maryland
Oella, Maryland
Oella, Maryland is located in the United States
Oella, Maryland
LocationOella Ave., Glen Rd., Hollow Rd., Oella, Maryland
Coordinates39°16′32″N 76°47′14″W / 39.27556°N 76.78722°W / 39.27556; -76.78722
Area130 acres (53 ha)
Built1812 (1812)
NRHP reference No.76000979[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 7, 1976

Oella is a small, historic mill town on the Patapsco River in western Baltimore County, Maryland, located between Catonsville and Ellicott City. It is a 19th-century village of millworkers' homes.

History

Oella was founded in 1808 by the Union Manufacturing Company as a working class community for the company's mill workers. It was one of the earliest and most extensive cotton factories in the United States and used water-powered looms as early as 1819.

The Union Manufacturing Company was motivated by the Embargo Act of 1807 which required Baltimore merchants to manufacture finished goods in the United States rather than England. Stock in the company was issued to fund a series of industrial mills, the largest working with cotton and wool. Child and indigent labor was used reaching 150 employees in 1811.[2] After the War of 1812 ended the embargo, cotton prices fell. A fire at the largest mill on 13 December 1815 took a decade to rebuild and recover from. The Mill rebounded with water driven looms, and expanded to three mill buildings before finally dissolving in 1887 after another drop in textile prices.[3] William J. Dickey of Dickeysville (Gwynns Falls) purchased the mill in 1887, operating it as W.J. Dickey and Sons, naming the mill "Oella" after the first woman to spin cotton in America.[4]

The Oella Historic District includes the village that consists of 19th century workers housing and one late 19th century church. The only known 20th century building is the W.J. Dickey Company Mill constructed in 1919 as a rebuild after a 1918 fire. The plant was eventually used for the city.[5] A drawing from 1812 by Maximilian Godefroy shows most of the stone buildings. The brick houses date from the mid-19th century, while the frame buildings were constructed at the end of the century. The Oella Methodist Church is a simple frame building with a tower on the northeast corner, which has been converted into offices. The Patapsco River continued to provide power to generate electricity until 1972, when Hurricane Agnes flooded the power plant. That same year, the Dickey Company ceased manufacturing.[6]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1] Also listed on the National Register at Oella are the Ellicott's Mills Historic District and Mt. Gilboa Chapel.[1]

Oella is along the route of the Trolley Line Number 9 Trail.

Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

A park commemorating Benjamin Banneker is located in a stream valley woodland at the former site of Banneker's farm and residence at the eastern edge of the Oella community.[7][8] The Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks manages the park, which was dedicated on June 9, 1998.[9] The park, which encompasses 138 acres (56 ha) and contains archaeological sites and extensive nature trails, is the largest original African American historical site in the United States.[10] The primary focus of the park is a museum highlighting Banneker's contributions.[11] The museum contains a visitors center that features a collection of Banneker's works and artifacts, a community gallery, a gift shop and a patio garden.[10][12]

The park contains an 1850s stone farmhouse, now named the "Molly Banneky House". The three-story house was restored as an office complex in 2004.[13]

On November 12, 2009, officials opened a 224 square feet (20.8 m2) replica of Banneker's log cabin on the park grounds, reportedly two days before the 278th anniversary of Banneker's birth.[14][15] Baltimore County's delegation to the Maryland General Assembly secured a $400,000 state bond for the design and construction of the cabin.[14][16] The original estimated cost to construct the cabin in accordance with its drawings and specifications was $240,700.[17]

A historical marker that the Maryland Historical Society erected to commemorate Banneker stands on the grounds of the park.[18] The marker replaced the last of three earlier markers that vandals had previously destroyed.[19]

Persons of note

Banneker's knowledge of astronomy helped him author a commercially successful series of almanacs. He corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, drafter of the United States Declaration of Independence, on the topics of slavery and racial equality. Abolitionists and advocates of racial equality promoted and praised his works.[20]

Geology

Oella is the type locality of the Oella Formation, a Late Proterozoic or early Cambrian schist.

References

  1. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Henry K Sharp. The Patapsco River Valley. p. 42.
  3. ^ Henry K Sharp. The Patapsco River Valley. p. 51.
  4. ^ Howard County Historical Society. Images of America. p. 34.
  5. ^ "Heavy Fabrics Give Way to Light Weight Blends". The Times (Ellicott, City). 31 March 1965.
  6. ^ John McGrain (1975). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Oella Historic District" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  7. ^ "Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum". Catonsville, Maryland: Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  8. ^ Coordinates of Benjamin Banneker Historical Park, Baltimore County, Maryland: 39°16′07″N 76°46′36″W / 39.268506°N 76.776543°W / 39.268506; -76.776543 (Benjamin Banneker Historical Park, Baltimore County, Maryland)
  9. ^ "Benjamin Banneker park and museum dedicated in Oella". The Baltimore Sun. 1998-06-10. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  10. ^ a b (1) Cummings, Elijah E., Representative (7th District). "Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum". Local Legacies. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2008-08-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
    (2) "Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum". Parks and Facilities. Historic Courthouse, 400 Washington Avenue, Towson, MD 21204: Government of Baltimore County, Maryland. 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-12-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
    (3) "Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland: location, hours, facilities information". MuseumsUSA. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
    (4) "Banneker Historical Park & Museum". Explore Catonsville, MD, part of the ExploreMD.us network]. Ellicott City Graphic Arts Network. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
    (5) Balakrishnan, Aparna (2004-09-26). "Park, museum a tribute to Benjamin Banneker". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  11. ^ Coordinates of Benjamin Banneker Museum, Baltimore County, Maryland: 39°16′08″N 76°46′30″W / 39.268927°N 76.775018°W / 39.268927; -76.775018 (Benjamin Banneker Museum, Baltimore County, Maryland)
  12. ^ (1) Levine, Susan (1997-01-04). "A Banneker plan: Museums named for scientist to be lent artifacts". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, Washington, D.C. p. B.1. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
    (2) Whittle, Syd. "Images of Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, Oella, Maryland (photographed 2012-05-15)". "Benjamin Banneker" marker. HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
    (3) Scible, Kelly (2014-11-19). "Embracing history at the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum". Westminster, Maryland: Carroll County Times. Archived from the original on 2015-08-18. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
    (5) Burch, Dianne (2012-06-05). "Picture This: Vintage Poster Promotes a Nearby National Treasure: America's first African-American man of science made his home in Oella". Catonsville, Maryland: Catonsville Patch. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-19. In 1998, the Benjamin Banneker Museum opened. It contains a wealth of information about the man and his accomplishments, as well as changing exhibitions. The gallery includes a copy of the deed showing that the 100-acre site was purchased with 7,000 pounds of tobacco.
  13. ^ (1) "New Signs Coming Soon". Fulton, Maryland: Benjamin Banneker Foundation. 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2017-02-17. Have you ever seen the Molly Bannaky house and wondered how old it is and who lived there? .... Constructed in the 1850s, the Bannaky house is the most prominent feature on the Park and Museum property and is symbol of the Oella's enduring history. Beginning as just a one room house, the Bannaky house steadily grew with time as several families called it home. Upon learning about the legacy of Benjamin Banneker and his property, Baltimore County purchased the house and 42.5 acres the surrounding property to establish the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park. The house was later restored in 2004 as an office complex. It is listed on the Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties.
    Coordinates of Molly Banneky House: 39°16′13″N 76°46′36″W / 39.270297°N 76.776638°W / 39.270297; -76.776638 (Molly Banneky House in Benjamin Banneker Historical Park)
  14. ^ a b Hare, Mary Gail (2009-11-13). "Small cabin offers big insight into trailblazing Banneker: Structure is replica of original built by black scientist in Md". The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2017-01-16. Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum now boasts a replica of the one-room log cabin that the African-American scientist built and lived in on his western Baltimore County farm. Officials formally opened the 224-square-foot cabin Thursday on the park grounds in Catonsville, two days before the 278th anniversary of Banneker's birth. ... The county legislative delegation secured a $400,000 state bond for the design and construction of the cabin. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  15. ^ (1) Whittle, Syd (2012-05-15). "Benjamin Banneker Cabin" (photograph). Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806) marker. HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
    (2) Coordinates of replica of Benjamin Banneker's log cabin: 39°16′07″N 76°46′32″W / 39.268505°N 76.775552°W / 39.268505; -76.775552 (Replica of Benjamin Banneker's log cabin in Benjamin Banneker Historical Park)
  16. ^ "Benjamin Banneker Historic Park". Capital Improvements Authorized by the General Assembly: 1999 through 2010. Department of Budget and Management, State of Maryland. July 2010. p. 253. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  17. ^ "Banneker Log Cabin: Park Building Project Case Study in Maryland". Reed Construction Data, Inc. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
  18. ^ Maryland Historical Society. ""Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806)" marker". hmdb.org: Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  19. ^ (1) "Baltimore Evening Sun". Baltimore, Maryland. 1981-11-09. Cited in ""Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806)" marker". hmdb.org: Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
    (2) Bedini, 1999, p. 317.
  20. ^ a b (1) Bedini, Silvio A. (1999). The Life of Benjamin Banneker: The First African-American Man of Science (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society. ISBN 0-938420-59-3.
    (2) Bedini, Silvio A. (2008). "Benjamin Banneker". Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
    (3) Banneker Historical Park & Museum. "Benjamin Banneker Timeline". Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, 300 Oella Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21228 in Explore Catonsville, MD, part of the ExploreMD.us network. Ellicott City Graphic Arts Network. Retrieved 2010-05-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
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