71st Annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Village of Oella
Sunday, MAy 18, 2008 - 10:00am to 5:00pm Rain or Shine

Celebrate Oella's Bicentenial and tour beautifully restored log cabins, stone and wood framed homes plus the Oella Mill and the Benjamin Banneker Park & Museum
- Shuttle Service available to tour all homes -

Tickets:
Tickets will be available in advance of tour day for $30.00.  Please call 410-465-1700 for more information on advance purchase.

Information on the Day of the Tour:
Please call the Oella Co., 410-465-1700, Dr. Lydia Temoshok, 410-303-5477/ 410-480-9383, or Lisa Baum, 410-203-9210.

  Transportation: 
Shuttle service will be available to MHGP ticket holders to all homes on the tour.  Parking is permitted in designated parking lots only.  Tour buses must off-load patrons at designated lots for shuttle service.

For more info:
www.mhgp.org and www.oellacompany.com
Tel: 410.203.9210

Follow Pilgramage Arrows & Signs.

 1.  GEORGE ELLICOTT HOUSE, 24 Frederick Road. 
The Ellicott family settled here along the fall line of the Patapsco River in 1772 and built an innovative, water-powered flour mill.  As merchant millers, they helped change local farming from tobacco to wheat.  George Ellicott, an entrepreneur and son of founder Andrew Ellicott, built his granite house in 1789.  It housed his astronomical observatory where he encouraged Benjamin Banneker, America's first black man of science, to learn and explore.  Ellicott also entertained in his home local American Indian Chiefs whom he had befriended.  Severely damaged in the 1970s by hurricanes and floods, the house survived, becoming the last of the 18th century houses that once lined the banks of the Patapsco River in the Ellicott City/Oella area.  In 1987 the main block was stabilized and moved intact out of the flood plain across Frederick Road, part of the historic turnpike from Baltimore westward to the National Road.  Set on a new foundation, the architecturally and historically important house was painstakingly rehabilitated into office use in 1990.  The architecture, specifically its entry doorway, brick end chimneys, paneled doors, heart pine floors, chair rail, and gracious staircase, are balanced by a modern link connecting the main structure to the reassembled addition.  Owner:  Stonebridge.
Follow Oella Ave. for 0.10 mi. north to site #2 on the right.

2.  GRANITE HILL, 1209-1211 Oella Avenue.
The stone dwelling overlooking the Patapsco River was constructed in the early 1800s to house workers of the nearby Ellicott brothers' 1806 rolling and slitting mill.  The northern half of the structure (#1209) was erected as a single-family, detached dwelling with the #1211 half added later, creating a duplex.  This evolution is evident in the tapered cornice across the front of #1209 and the obvious vertical seam in the granite facade.  Each half is three bays wide and one room deep, and #1209 has log joists in the basement.  Entry into the recently reconfigured house is through a new frame addition where cove lights wash across an original stone wall.  Doorways have been cut through walls separating the duplex halves so they now have become one.  The living room features an original stone and brick fireplace, while granite counter tops grace the kitchen.  Refinished old pine floors and new oak floors enhance the unique character.  A great room has been created across the rear of the combined units where once there were two small kitchens.  Upstairs the main bedroom opens to a cathedral ceiling with a loft.  While maintaining the charm and proportions of the early 19th century dwelling, the house has been transformed in the interior to meet the most fastidious tastes of those who cherish historic homes.  It is part of an impressive collection of rehabilitated and newly constructed homes incorporating early log cabins and stone duplexes. Owner: The Oella Company.
Return to Oella Ave.  Go 0.3 mi. north  and turn right onto Logtown Rd. to the second house on the left.

3.  SPRING PROMISE, 919 Logtown Road.
Tucked into a wooded ravine by a brook stands Spring Promise.  Its modern facade conceals the dramatic home within.  An innovative 2,800 square feet of living space was added to what was once a mill worker's (c.1820), two and one-half story log cabin on a stone foundation.  There was no indoor plumbing in the 16'x20' footprint cabin prior to 1990.  One of the greatest challenges of the rehabilitation project was preservation of the character-defining features of the historic cabin. The builder accomplished this by stabilizing the log walls once thought beyond salvage, repointing the stone, and keeping the scale of the facade intact.  Another challenge was expansion within the confines of the narrow, ascending stream valley.  The house steps up the ravine in four floors (six levels), avoiding the need for a sprinkler system by never being more than two stories above grade.  Features of this house, include terraced plantings and a pond filled by natural springs, a jacuzzi, private deck off master bedroom with views of the wooded ravine and the Patapsco River.  A two-story living room with exposed logs adds charm to this old/new house.  Spring Promise was the 1990 Historic Ellicott City Decorator Show House.  It won an Award of Excellence from the Homebuilders Association of Maryland and received national recognition in Better Homes and Gardens.  Owners:  Kelly and Paul Geraty. Proceed across to the second house on the left.

4.  WHISPERING HILL, 923 Logtown Road.
The core of this striking modernized dwelling is a mill worker's cabin built by the textile mill owners in the early 1800s.  The original stone and log structure was one room wide and two and one-half stories high.  Despite its partial collapse during complete rehabilitation in 1988, interior rooms still showcase the original log construction. In 1996, the entire kitchen was renovated, and a sunny breakfast room and master bedroom added above the kitchen.  The family's growing needs prompted a front porch and family room addition in 2000.  Finally, in 2004 a masterpiece of landscaping was created set within the steep hillside terrain, including a swimming pool, hot tub, ponds, and waterfalls.
Return to Oella Ave. for 0.1 mi. north to the Mill on the left. 

5.  THE RESIDENCES AT OELLA MILL, 840 Oella Avenue.
On this site once stood the first textile mill chartered by the State of Maryland.  The date was 1808.  The mill capitalized upon the immense waterpower of the Patapsco River and briefly achieved renown as America's largest cotton mill.  After fire destroyed the original 1800s stone mill complex early in 1918, W.J. Dickey & Sons immediately rebuilt the mill in brick and later became known as the nation's foremost manufacturer of fancy menswear woolens.  Changing conditions caused the mill to close in 1972.  New owners rented space to art studios, offices, and shops.  In 2005, Southern Management Corporation, the largest privately owned residential property management company in the Mid-Atlantic region, purchased the complex with plans to renovate the mill into 147 luxury apartment homes.  Perched above the rapids of the Patapsco River, The Residences at Oella Mill has become an ensemble of incredible rental apartment homes combining the best of old and new.  The historically significant industrial structure has been carefully renovated in accordance with the requirements of federal and state agencies for historic restoration, while being outfitted with the latest features and amenities creating a modern luxury apartment community.  As the model apartment demonstrates, the units include huge, factory-style windows with spectacular views of the river and surrounding wooded hillsides.  Residents have access to concierge services, in-house fitness center, library, spacious lounge with party room and observation deck overlooking the Patapsco River valley.  Owner:  Southern Management Corporation.
Step across Oella Ave. to the Oella Church Building at the crossroads.

6.  OELLA CHURCH BUILDING, 803 Oella Avenue.
The Oella Methodist Episcopal Congregation paid approximately $3,000, a hefty sum a century ago for the construction of a 250-seat church on land provided by the mill owner. Benjamin D. Price of Philadelphia designed the church with Queen Anne style details  such as decorative shingles in the gable ends.  A bell was secured for the tower in 1920 and a Sunday school wing added in the 1940s that served the community well until the mid 1960s. Much of the religious and social life of the community centered upon this church.  When the congregation relocated to a larger sanctuary nearby, the church reverted to mill owner W.J. Dickey & Sons, which used it as a sewing room for its textile operations until the mill closed in 1972.  The structure subsequently served various uses until its award-winning restoration in 1995 by the Oella Company.  A new steeple was built and the essential elements of the sanctuary were maintained when the interior was converted into office space and photographic and interior design studios.  Pine floors, wainscoting, exterior German siding, and large windows were among the many features saved and restored.  Today, numerous photographs and memorabilia depicting Oella's history adorn the walls along the first floor and lower level conference room for all to enjoy.  Owner: The Oella Company.
Return to Oella Ave. for 0.1 mi. north to Long Brick Row on the left.

7. and  8. LONG BRICK ROW, 756 and 766 Oella Avenue.
These houses are part of Long Brick Row, a remarkable group of 19 attached houses clinging to Oella Ave. as it curves up and away from the Patapsco River.  The three-level brick town homes were probably built around the 1830s as worker housing for the Oella textile mill.  The Company had to provide housing since there was no transportation.  Heated by fireplaces, the homes lacked inside plumbing.  These narrow houses boast wide-plank floors, exposed fieldstone walls and wood beams.  Both homes have the kitchen with fireplace on the lowest floor. Renovations over the years have modernized the space with the addition of a half bath and skylight.  Rear yards provide a compact amount of green space for planting while the front entrances are situated at street level.  Enjoy looking at the creative uses of these small spaces and do not forget that at one time people raised large families in these homes.  Owners:  Jill and Dan Ruppe; Dawn Sage and James Ravenscroft.
Return to Oella Ave. for 0.2 mi. north to Race Rd. on the left.  Follow Race Rd., staying to the left to site #9.

 9.  LITTLE HOUSE IN THE HOLLOW, 704 Race Road.
A small brook tumbles over a rocky stream bed  as it flows past this c.1820 frame house and disappears below the stone-walled millrace to the Patapsco River.  The entry focal point is a footbridge across that stream. Native plant species thrive, providing refuge and food for abundant wildlife.  The property has been landscaped with curving dry-stacked stone walls to follow the natural contours.  The rubble stone foundation rests on a massive stone outcropping, and the cellar's ceiling joists are halved timbers.  A large, stone fireplace and original chestnut beams and pine floors grace the living room, which comprises the entire first floor space of the original house.  Among the owners' whimsical objects is a Victorian floor grate to cover a radiator, allowing heat to rise.  Several additions were constructed during the late 19th and 20th centuries.  Subsequently, a 1997 sunroom and bedroom were added.  A cantilevered deck affords pleasant views of the stream.  Owners:  Raina and Brian Chambers.
Continue down the driveway to # 10.

10.  RIVERKNOLL, 706 Race Road
This contemporary Craftsman style house capitalizes on its stunning site overlooking the Patapsco River banks, adjacent to the Patapsco Valley State Park.  The property connects the park with a walking trail via a new wooden bridge built by the Oella Home Owners Association, allowing Oella neighbors to stroll along the millrace.  Wrapping around the property, the millrace formerly provided the water power to power the textile mills less than a mile downstream. The site once sheltered the early 1800s Union Mill horse stables; the foundation walls still visible today.  Wishing to preserve the property's history and original topography, the owners elected to site their new house next to the stable's foundation that now flourishes as a perennial garden.  Spiral stairs lead up to a trapezoidal screened-in porch offering bird's eye views of the garden and river, complete with a gas fireplace to warm chilly nights.  Large windows, side decks and Juliet balcony off the dining room provide ample opportunity to take in the natural surroundings below.  The exterior shows a great attention to detail by the home's architect, the owner himself, including solid wood garage and front doors.  Interior finishes focus on comfort, natural materials and a rich color palette.  Special features include the Rumford fireplace mantle built by the owner's father, a collection of Haviland china and a hand-beaded purse from 1907 sewn by the owner's grandmother.  Owners:  Lisa and Thomas Baum.
Return to the top of Race Rd.  Turn left onto Oella Ave. for 0.2 mi. north and site #11 on the right. 

11.  FARMHOUSE AND WORKING LLAMA FARM, 513 Oella Avenue.
The c.1891 hilltop farmhouse, generous in size with six bedrooms, has been modernized, yet retains original features, such as narrow oak floors in the front rooms, wide pine planks upstairs, oak handrail, plaster walls, and fireplaces.  Every room is furnished with 19th century antiques from Oella, Ellicott City, and New Market that might have graced a prosperous Oella dairy farm: oak pump organ, beveled mirrors, chandeliers, flame mahogany sideboard and china cabinet.  There is an extensive collection of antique lithographs and numbered prints in period frames, as well as original paintings and signed photographs by contemporary artists.  The plant-filled sunroom addition contains the owner's collection of masks from around the world.  Outside the kitchen, with its long granite counters, is a path that leads to the herb and vegetable garden.  Across from the house, earlier dairy farmers cooled cans of milk in the stream running beneath the granite springhouse.  Weeping cherry trees frame the old farm pond, and the original barn's stone foundation, plowing equipment, and an iron pump are located beyond. While dairy cattle once supported the farm, llamas now grace the 5.5 acres of meadowlands and woodlands.  Owner:  Dr. Lydia Temoshok.
Turn right onto Oella Ave., cross Westchester Ave. and continue for 0.3 mi. north to the park on the right.

12.  BENJAMIN BANNEKER HISTORICAL PARK AND MUSEUM, 300 Oella Avenue.
The Benjamin Banneker Historical Park is situated on the former 100-acre homestead of the Banneker Family where they grew tobacco, wheat, and corn.  With their fruit orchard and small vegetable garden, the Bannekers sold produce to the Ellicott's general store in nearby Ellicott City. Born a free black man in 1732, Benjamin Banneker had little formal training, yet taught himself mathematics and astronomy.  At a young age, Banneker figured out how to carve a wooden clock that kept accurate time.  He made calculations of the stars, charted the tides, sunrises, and sunsets which he documented meticulously in a journal.  Banneker later went on to publish six almanacs between 1792 an 1797.  In addition, Banneker worked with his longtime friend George Ellicott, to survey the land for the Federal Territory, Washington, D.C. Along with the Museum, the Park is comprised of 142 acres of natural habitat, trails, and a restored 1850 farmhouse dedicated to Banneker's English grandmother, Molly Bannaky.  Construction of a replica Banneker cabin (the original burnt down on the day of his funeral in 1806) is currently underway in partnership with the Maryland Historical Trust.  The Museum exhibits include archaeological artifacts, original Banneker items and memorabilia.  The film "The Man Who Loved the Stars" is shown throughout the day.  Restrooms are available.  Museum Director:  Steven X. Lee.

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