The Sykesville South Branch Recreational Area and Ellicott City Jail were added to Preservation Howard County’s list of endangered historical and cultural sites.
The recreational area includes vacant buildings built between 1870 and 1936 that show the industrial heritage in the area, while the 1878 jail, now used for storage, is unique for its Romanesque architecture.
This is the eighth year the organization has drafted a list. The goal is to preserve the historical and cultural heritage in the county and to make the public aware of its resources. Nominations come from board members, county organizations and individual residents.
“Several [people] were concerned about the condition of the jail,” said Fred Dorsey, vice president of Preservation Howard County.
The jail is in the middle of Ellicott City’s historic district, much of its original ironwork and fittings are gone, and a temporary roof has replaced the original slate. The building could be fixed and become a tour stop along with other historic properties like the old courthouse and the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin in Ellicott City, Dorsey said.
Endangered sites at the South Branch Recreational Area, the original site of the town of Sykesville, include a house, a weigh station once used by farmers and a warehouse, Dorsey said.
Through Howard County’s lease with Sykesville, plans are being discussed to restore the three structures and construct a community park, said John Byrd, chief of the Bureau of Parks and Program Services in the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks.
“This is something we’re very much in support of,” Dorsey said. “They’ve been vacant for many years.”
While two sites were added to the list, some sites were removed, like the recently restored Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia.
The Stevens Road Schoolhouse in the old community of Colesville was also removed. The school was demolished to make way for new development.
ENDANGERED
2008 endangered historical and cultural sites in Howard County:
- Doughoregan Manor
- Belmont in Elkridge
- Woodlawn in Columbia
- Columbia Town Center Lakefront Promenade/Gehry Buildings
- U.S. Post Office, Ellicott City
- The Highland Community
- Clover Hill in Rockburn Park
- Mount Hebron Stone Barn
- Ellicott City Jail
- Sykesville (South Branch Recreational Area)
Source: Preservation Howard County
