“Wow! This is where the Pilgrims lived! This is so cool! I want to live here when I grow up,” said Thomas Bruggman. The unofficial mayor of Rockland recalls his thoughts at the first glimpse of the tiny village from the back of his mother?s woodie station wagon as a child. As he grew into adulthood, he refined his grasp of history, and Rockland?s in particular. And he has been able to live his childhood dream in what is now a designated Historic District.
This year marks the 300th anniversary of Rockland, located in Baltimore County, where Falls Road, Old Court Road and Ruxton Road meet. It has the distinction of being the oldest continually inhabited mill town in the entire country. In many ways, its history is a microcosm of Maryland?s rich history.
Prior to European settlers, the Susquehanna Indians maintained campgrounds in the area, and buffalo roamed freely (perhaps one of their descendants was the one that made the national news recently when it escaped and was finally caught jumping over a tennis court net.)
The first recorded settlement came in 1706, by Richard Gist. He eventually owned 2,000 acres, which included much of the Green Spring Valley and parts of Ruxton. Gist built Turkey Cock Hall, the “big house” of the large plantation. Upon his death, daughter Alice Johnson took over, and the family has lived in the area ever since.
Descendants of some of the original families, including the Johnsons and Garretts, still call it home.
Another of the earliest buildings was a fort to protect the settlers from Indian raids ? it was truly the frontier. Slaves worked the wheat and tobacco fields, and an old slave quarters still stands. The historic Colored Methodist Protestant Chapel of Baltimore County on Bellona Avenue still stands and recently was lovingly restored.
The current church dates to circa 1886, but the original church and parsonage date to the 1830s. It also provided a safe haven for weary and frightened travelers seeking freedom via the Underground Railroad.
Rockland sheltered its share of celebrities over the years, and the ever-popular Valley Inn supplied many of them with libations, including Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft.
For many years, it also featured dog racing, cock fighting and polo matches. And the legendary Marilyn Monroe attended a swanky soiree at a local home.
Other historical highlights include residents being able to see and hear the Battle of Fort McHenry from the roof of the grist mill; Northern and Southern soldiers camping in the town at various points in the Civil War; and President Lincoln passing through on two separate occasions ? sadly one of which was his funeral cortege.
Many artifacts have been found, including a tomahawk, Spanish dubloons (pieces of 8 often used as currency in early Colonial days), clay pipes, arrowheads, colonial clay pipes and whiskey bottles.
Every day thousands of people pass by the charming stone and wooden buildings on their way to work and play, school and errands.
The next time you drive by, take the opportunity to imagine how the village appeared over the centuries ? before there were highways and paved roads, power lines and impatient motorists.
Focus on the buildings themselves and the stories they hold. Some of the structures were built in the early 1800s, including the tavern, blacksmith and wheelwright shop, general store, livery stable, the mill and dye works.
Oh, did I mention Oscar the ghost? Many claim to have encountered him or his handiwork.
And, if you happen to be driving at night on Hillside Road, remember that its former name was “Long Drive by Moonlight.”
(For further information about Rockland?s fascinating past, you may contact Tom Bruggman at 410-296-1144.)
Brooke Gunning is the author of several regional best-sellers, including “Maryland Thoroughbred Racing,” “Baltimore?s Halcyon Days” and “Towson and the Villages of Ruxton and Lutherville.” She currently is at work on her next book.
