'History' Trails Baltimore County Historical Society
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'History' Trails Baltimore County Historical Society Agriculture Building 9811 Van Buren Lane Cockeysville, MD 21030 ISSN 0889-6186 Editors: JOHN W. McCRAIN and WILLIAM HOLLIFIELD VOL. 29 SPRING-SUMMER 1995 NO. 3 & 4 flood of 1868 and in some recent floods. Later the name Gun Road Gun Road was transferred to the present road, which had been known as the Avalon Forge Road. "Cann-mi Track" to Su7Liurb County newspaper articles of 1898 and 1901 gave both names in referring to the road: by Lucy W. Merrill 118981: The Avalon road is now in better con- Gun Road, a little over a mile long, extends from Roll- dition than it was before since George Washing- ing Road across the old Main Line of the Baltimore and ton built it. I am informed that this is one of the Ohio Railroad into the Patapsco Valley State Park and oldest roads in the State. General Washington spans the Patapsco River before ending a short distance marched his troops down it on their way from into Howard County. Philadelphia to Virginia, and that is the reason it Several writers over the years have said that the road is often called the 'Old Gun Road.' Washington was so named because it was built under the direction of having hauled his heavy guns down there. George Washington to facilitate the movement of his troops 119011: . The Old Gun Road, some times and supplies (including cannon, then commonly referred known as the Avalon Forge Road, is being put in to as guns) on their journey from Philadelphia to Vir- first class condition. The road is being widened ginia. The Continental Army reached the Avalon area by and graded, . part of the road has already been road, crossed the Patapsco River, and went to Elkridge shelled. Today it is in better shape and condition Landing, where it was transported southward in boats. than it ever has been since Gen. George Wash- Earlier, however, Gun Road was the name applied to ington first surveyed it out; for it is said that this River Road, which followed the Patapsco upstream from was his route when with the Continental Army, Relay and connected with the Frederick Road above he retreated from Philadelphia, going from Avalon Ilchester. Part of this road was destroyed in the great to Elk Ridge Landing, where he took boats for Virginia. This is historic land . in the eighteenth century, Elkridge was a thriving port through which farmers shipped their tobacco overseas. adze Patapsco River was then navigable beyond Elkridge nearly to Avalon, The beginning of industrial activity at Avalon can be traced to 1761 when Caleb Dorsey, Ironinaster, part owner of Elkridge Furnace, bought the 1,800-acre tract "Taylors Forest," which extended along both sides of Rolling Road from present-day Francis Av- enue in Relay to Park Grove in Catonsville Next he ac- quired an adjacent 375-acre tract, "Long Acre,' which bordered on the Patapsco River. This land was at first used for its timber and possibly for charcoal burning. The forge he built, known as Dorsey's Forge, was at the southeastern end of "Long Acre.' The forge was used to produce crowbars, the only iron tools made in Baltimore County. All other tools were imported. The map produced by Dennis Griffith in 1794-95 showed Dorsey's Forge at the present Avalon Area of the 319 Gun. Road, built in 1877, was once surrounded by the Patapsco State Park. In 1815 the property was sold at Berger vineyard. auction to Benjamin and James Ellicott of the well-known PAGE 10 HISTORY TRAILS SPRING-SUMMER 1995 Ellicott brothers' inventory and was probably built be- tween 1815 and 1822. The Roman Catholic church was demolished in the early 1930s and Sylvan Monroe Clayton built his house at 309 Gun Road using stone from the church. It is thought that he also kept the church bell. This house was built on part of his father's property which is now 307 Gun Road and, at that time, was lived in by his sis- ters, Miss Dessie Clayton and Mrs. Allegra Braun. Their father, William Alexander Clayton, came from Tennessee to work in the power plant then located at Avalon and built the hosue about 1902 for his family of nine childeren. One son, Corliss, was named in tribute to the highly de- pendable steam engine at the flour mill complex at nearby Orange Grove. John Chandler Smith, owner of "Waveland," adjoin- ing on the north (511 Gun Road), which was built about 1830, purchased the "Seven Gun Battery House" and 301 Gun Road, a stone house of 1815-1822, surviving from deeded it to his daughter in 1884. It was afterward owned the Ellicott family's Avalon Iron Works. by Edward James Turner until 1912, when Mr. Bruns' father bought it. The railroad provided passenger service to this area milling family. In 1819 five more Ellicotts were owners. until 1949. Herbert Harwood, in his history of the rail- When the Avalon Company was chartered in December road, stated that before the opening of Druid Hill Park 1822, the partners conveyed their one-seventh shares to and other recreational and amusement parks in the Bal- the firm. timore area, Relay provided a place for city people to en- The act of incorporation seems to contain the earliest joy open grounds and fresh air. Affluent Baltimoreans use of the name "Avalon," for the name Dorsey's Forge built summer homes and country retreats on the nearby had appeared in every deed before 1823. Avalon was ap- wooded hillsides. parently a name devised by the Ellicott family. Avalon A Towson newspaper reported in June 1891 that was the ancient name of Glastonbury in Somersetshire, England. George Calvert gave this name to his first, and Mr. Sullivan Pitts and family, and Mr. Joseph unsuccessful, colony in Newfoundland, and the Mary- T. Manning and family will move out this week land state seal still refers to Maryland and Avalon. and take possession of "Waveland," Mrs. John Some writers have expressed the belief that Dorsey's Chandler Smith's handsome country seat. Forge had produced cannon for use by the Revolutionary Messrs. Pitts and Manning have taken army, but this is incorrect. The present name of Gun "Waveland" every summer for a number of years Road has helped to foster this idea. However, ordnance and find it the most convenient and healthy place equipment was not produced by a sitting mill. in Baltimore county, and this summer they will A later manufacturing industry at the site of Dorsey's find it more convenient on account of the extra Forge was the Avalon Nail and Iron Company which was number of trains recently added by the B. & 0. incorporated in the 1850s. The large 1869 bird's-eye view R. R. of Baltimore produced by E. Sachse showed an illustra- This land is rapidly improving in value and tion of the Avalon plant on its borders, but between the will be more valuable when the Belt Line is fin- time of making the drawing and its publication the Avalon ished. The residents around Avalon will then have works had been struck by the flash flood of July 24, 1868, a station at the corner of Baltimore and Howard and so thoroughly devastated that it was never returned Streets . and one at Lexington Market. What to production. The lithograph had labeled it the property could be more convenient than to get on the cars of H. L. Brooks and Co., also owners of the equally un- at Avalon and ride direct to the Lexington Mar- lucky Elkridge Furnace. ket; do your marketing; send it out by the next Apparently Avalon had been something of a showplace, train; go down to your office and attend to busi- depicted in contemporary paintings with the streets neatly ness? laid out and freshly painted houses, each with its color- James Bruns described the convenience of this rapid ful flower garden. After the flood, Avalon's buildings dwindled away, and only a few houses and a small Ro- rail service: man Catholic church appeared in Bromley's atlas of 1898, It was likewise only six or seven blocks from Two of the original village houses remain. They are a Camden Station to the center of the shopping duplex stone house now on state park property (201 Gun district and only two blocks to Lexington Market Road) and the Bruns house (301 Gun Road), known as where we bought most of our food. The fare from the "Seven Gun Battery House," which was shown on the Avalon to Baltimore was 15 cents for age 12 and SPRING-SUMMER 1995 HISTORY TRAILS PAGE 11 under. People who worked for the B. & 0. had a pass and rode free. Passes were based on the length of service of the employee, some being good only locally, others good on any part of the B. & 0., and for long length of service the railroads had a reciprocal agreement and passes issued that were good on any railroad in the United States. As the automobile became more popular, fewer and fewer people rode the trains and the railroad would discontinue first one train, then another, until finally there was only one inbound train in the morning and one outbound at night. Finally around 1940 [1949 according to Harwood] even these were discontinued. Today only freight trains run on the Old Main Line. My grandparents, Alexander Robinson White and Mary Louisa Carter White, bought their eight acres from John Chandler Smith and built their first house in 1890 be- 303 Gun Road, a festive example of Queen Anne style cause its location was a mid-way point between her fam- built in 1898.