RRLR Neighborhood News Spring 2011
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Neighborhood News Spring 2011 Spring Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Improvement Association Too Many Riders for One House INSIDE by Joseph M. Coale to the north, naming it Thornton, where he built a handsome county estate house. As contiguous An observant reader of this newsletter pointed out Meet Our New there have been numerous references to “Rider properties became available, he bought them too. Edward Rider, Sr. had 12 children and he liked County Council houses” in recent editions. This is true. There have Members been numerous Rider houses because the family having them close by. Most were given property or was as successful in producing offspring as they purchased land from their benevolent father so they Page 4 were in business could enjoy the family’s success and status in the local community—small You May Be and politics. When Moving This Year! Edward Rider, lots for the ladies and farms for the Sr. and his wife, gentlemen. Page 5 Rachael Gorsuch, Home Sales moved here in 1827, their young Page 6 family occupied a pre-Revolutionary Food, stone farmhouse Glorious Food that still stands Page 8 on the north side of Joppa Road Upcoming between the light Towson Events rail bridge and Page 10 Rider Avenue. 1743 grist mill known as Haile’s Mill Land Although not an Photo courtesy Joe Coale December 2010 imposing structure, Holiday Party in its interest lies in the Woods its antiquity and early American Edward Rider, Jr. Photo courtesy Rider Collection Maryland Page 11 vernacular character. Its history Historic Society gives it life and value today. Village At Home Rider acquired the house and surrounding 140 acres from In 1845 Edward Rider, Sr. purchased a Page 12 Charles Ridgely of William who had 250 acre farm to the south and later sold A Sign of Things purchased the property in 1780 for it to his oldest son Edward Rider, Jr. to Come the grist mill that was situated on and bride, Rebecca McConkey. Granted what is now the northwest corner in 1694 as Young Man’s Adventure this Page 16 of Thornton and Joppa Roads. The property was renamed Malvern (see Aliens mill had been constructed in 1743 photo on p. 22). Locust Avenue was Invade Ruxton by Nicholas Haile and is referred to the entrance to the farm house located Rebecca McConkey Rider Page 17 in the historic record as Haile’s Mill Photo courtesy Rider Collection Maryland at the top of the hill. The center of Land (see photograph above). Historic Society the farm was roughly where Graul’s is Cycling Through By 1832 everything was in place for today. Unfortunately, it burned down in Curbside December of 1910. Mr. Rider to become a very rich man—the railroad Conundrums ran through his farm, Joppa Road was a main Daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Dr. John county thoroughfare, the Bellona Gunpowder Mills Stevenson, inherited the Thornton estate at her Page 18 was located just to the south and he owned the father’s death in 1876. The property is shown on active mill site. Soon he purchased another farm Continued on page 22 In other community developments, we are Ruxton-Riderwood- pleased with Baltimore County Public Schools Lake Roland President’s Letter Superintendent Joe Hairston’s decision to Neighborhood NEWS Dear Neighbors, replace the sign for West Towson Elementary and Ridge Ruxton schools (see article on p. Spring 2011 Welcome to the Spring issue of 16). We believe that neighborhoods Neighborhood NEWS. Although throughout the county will benefit Table of Contents our editor of many years, Nancy from BCPS’s efforts to create school Horst, has decided to step aside signage that complements the 1 Too Many Riders due to other commitments (see for One House surrounding landscape. As a result article on p. 3), we have an 2 President’s Letter of the sign controversy, RRLRAIA outstanding team in place to carry 3 Greater Ruxton Area has reached out to the principals of Foundation Spring 2011 on sharing local affairs with you. our neighborhood schools in order 4 Meet Our New County Under the leadership of Barbara to foster better communication for Council Members Guarnieri and Jessica Paffenbarger, the future. Across the street from 5 You May Be RRLRAIA will continue to provide West Towson Elementary, RRLRAIA Moving This Year! you with our high-quality newsletter. assisted residents of Greenwood Road in 6 Home Sales a successful effort to have speed bumps 8 Food, Glorious Food I am excited to report that on February 22nd installed. Our Zoning Committee has been 10 Upcoming Towson Events the Baltimore County Council unanimously busy monitoring numerous zoning issues and 11 December 2010 Holiday Party voted to adopt RRLRAIA’s Community Plan in the Woods 2010 for inclusion in their Master Plan. The trying to keep adjoining neighbors informed 12 Village at Home overarching goal of our plan is to ensure of projects that may impact them. 14 It’s Toad Time Again the preservation of RRLRAIA communities Upcoming activities include our always 14 Robert E. Lee Park Nature as attractive, historic and thriving popular Dumpster Day on April 30th (see Council Update neighborhoods. Our plan seeks to build upon page 6), and quarterly clean-ups along 15 Strawberry and Asparagus Salad the County’s multi-million dollar investment stretches of Falls and Old Court Roads (see Recipe in the restoration of Robert E. Lee Park website for more information). If you are 16 A Sign of Things to Come and many of the recommendations relate interested in volunteering for any of these 17 Aliens Invade Ruxton to improving access to the park, expanding efforts, please contact the RRLRAIA office. 18 Cycling Through pedestrian and bike paths, and encouraging While on the subject of spring cleaning, I Curbside Conundrums the creation of a mixed-use “village” in the encourage you to read Barbara Guarnieri’s Bare Hills area. article on recycling (p. 18). It includes information that I haven’t seen elsewhere, Board of Governors This plan, the culmination of hundreds of volunteer hours over the course of two and it answered many of my questions about President – Kathy Mountcastle what can and can’t go into the recycle bin. 1st Vice President – Barbara Guarnieri years, is a guiding document for RRLRAIA 2nd Vice President – Tom Weadock and our Board will work hard to implement Finally, I hope that you will check out our Treasurer – Keith Murray the recommendations. Numerous people improved website, which has been redesigned Secretary – Bliss McCord Jeffrey Budnitz volunteered their time and expertise to to make it more current and to better meet Deborah Burker help RRLRAIA in this process and I would the needs of our members. The new site has Kelly Chew like to give special recognition to a few. an improved calendar function in addition Frederick Hudson Elyse Jacob Al Barry of AB Associates, our consultant to current news, weather, community Peter Maloney on this project, brought a combination of activities, hot topics and other features. We David Meese invaluable experience and a fresh vision. are continuing to make improvements to it Tracy Miller RRLRAIA committee members Kathy Palencar, and in the future we are planning to build Scott Murphy Rob Nelson Jeffrey Budnitz and Elise Butler, with critical a “Members Only” area where we can solicit Jessica Paffenbarger support from Peggy Squitieri, demonstrated feedback on ideas, poll members for their Kathy Palencar extraordinary dedication and leadership position on topics, exchange ideas and share Tom Peace in crafting the plan and seeing it through Beth Purvis experiences. You can check it out at www. Marsha Ramsay to the end. I would also like to thank Pat rrlraia.org. And while you are there I hope Nettie Washburn Keller and Diana Itter from the Baltimore you will renew your membership (if you Justin Wiggs County Office of Planning, County Executive haven’t already)! Ande Williams Kevin Kamenetz, County Councilwoman Vicki Sky Woodward Sincerely, Executive Director, Almond, and County Councilman David Marks Peggy Squitieri for helping us to successfully navigate our Kathy Mountcastle plan through the legislative process. Neighborhood NEWS is published three times a year by the Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Newsletter Committee: Bliss McCord Graphic Production – Improvement Association, Inc., P.O. Box 204, Riderwood, MD 21139, Tel: 410-494-7757. Barbara Guarnieri – Chair Kathy Mountcastle DesignConcept.com Jessica Paffenbarger – Editor Nettie Washburn Deadlines for copy, including announcements and calendar items, are February 1st for Spring issue, Advertising – Kelly Chew July 1st for Fall issue, and October 1st for Winter issue. Advertisers contact: [email protected]. 2 Greater Ruxton Area Foundation spring 2011 Program by Joseph M. Coale drive. For the past ten years we have solicited the community in the fall. This year our solicitation will arrive in your spring mail This winter has not been kind to the when we are all more aware of the beauty of our Foundation’s mission of “preservation and surroundings. beautification.” In fact, the entire season has been very inconsiderate and downright rude. All A decade ago a group of your neighbors the more reason to have an aggressive spring recognized that the Ruxton, Riderwood and Lake offensive to restore our project areas! Roland area communities had been in a slow period of decline due to infill development, Most notably, we will finish the hedge project stress on the infrastructure, presence of the light on Bellona Avenue at Rolandvue this spring. rail and neglect of numerous open space areas. When we drive by at 40 mph (or greater) it The 2001 Community Plan recognized this in doesn’t seem that long of a stretch, but walk it no uncertain terms.