Towson, Maryland
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Towson () is an
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
community and a
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
in
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorporated county seat in the United States (after
Ellicott City Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...
, the seat of nearby Howard County, southwest of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
).


History


1600s

The first inhabitants of the future Towson and central
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
region were the Susquehannock people, who hunted in the area. Their region included all of
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
, though their primary settlement was farther northeast along the Susquehanna River.


1700s

Towson was settled in 1752 when Pennsylvania brothers, William and Thomas Towson, began farming an area of Sater's Hill, northeast of the present-day
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
and
Joppa Road Joppa Road is a county highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway extends from Maryland Route 25 (MD 25) in Brooklandville east to MD 7 near White Marsh. Joppa Road has three main segments separated by very short breaks on its course ...
s. William's son, Ezekiel, opened the Towson Hotel to serve the growing number of farmers bringing their produce and livestock to the
port of Baltimore Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's largest port facilities fo ...
. He built the hotel at current-day Shealy Avenue and York Road, near the area's main crossroads. The village became known as "Towsontown". The property in West Towson came from two land grants: 400-acre Gott's Hope in 1719, and Gunner's Range in 1706.''A Brief History of West Towson'', by David A. Loizeaux In 1790, businessman
Capt. Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Charles Ridgely completed the Hampton Mansion just north of Towsontown, the largest private house in America at the time. The Ridgelys lived there for six generations, until 1948. It is now preserved as the
Hampton National Historic Site Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. ...
and open to the public.


1800s

Grafton Marsh, a surgeon during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
, and his brother Josiah Marsh settled their families in a collection of early houses known as Gott's Hope that was part of a group along Joppa Road. They consolidated four of the structures into a larger dwelling that they called "Marshmont". The brothers went into business together as medical practitioners. Neither had any heirs but were joined in practice later by their nephew, Dr. Grafton Marsh Bosley, who eventually inherited the medical practice, the Marshmont compound, and a 140-acre farm. The farm extended west of York Road, south of Joppa Road, north of the Sheppard Pratt Hospital, and east of Woodbine Avenue.''The Jeffersonian'', Towson MD, Friday, November 16, 1945 (Vol. XXXV - No. 4) In 1869, Bosley and his wife Margaret Nicholson then built a new home in an area of the property known as "Highlands" or "Highland Park", which they named "Uplands". The ratification of the second
Maryland Constitution of 1851 The Maryland Constitution of 1851 was the second constitution of the U.S. state of Maryland following the revolution, replacing the Constitution of 1776. The primary reason for the new constitution was a need to re-apportion Maryland's legislature ...
provided for the jurisdictional separation of the former Baltimore Town, founded in 1729. Baltimore Town had served as the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
since 1767, now the City of Baltimore, since its incorporation in 1796–97 by the
General Assembly of Maryland The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...
. Several tortured sets of negotiations occurred to divide the various assets of the city and the county, such as the downtown courthouse of 1805, the city/county jail of 1801 along the
Jones Falls The Jones Falls is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 stream in Maryland. It is impounded to create Lake Roland before running through the city of Baltim ...
(at East Madison Street) and the almshouse, which was also jointly owned. After a series of elections and
referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
s, on February 13, 1854, Towson became, by popular vote, the choice of the remaining, now mostly rural, eastern, northern and western portions of the county as the new county seat of Baltimore County.
Historical marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
, Towson Courthouse, Baltimore County Historical Society.
The
Baltimore County Courthouse The Baltimore County Courthouses are located in Towson, Maryland, Towson, the county seat. The older, original Baltimore County Courthouse ("Historic Courthouse") of 1854-1856 (and three additions that eventually formed an 'H' shape) houses many o ...
, still in use by 2015, with its various annexes (and the separate county courts and administrative building), was originally designed by the local city architectural firm of Dixon, Balbirnie and Dixon. It was completed within a year, constructed of limestone and marble donated by the well-known Ridgely family of nearby Hampton Mansion, on land donated by Towson doctor Grafton Marsh Bosley. The courthouse was subsequently enlarged in 1910 through additional designs for north and south wings by well-known and regarded city architects,
Baldwin & Pennington Baldwin & Pennington was the architectural partnership with Ephraim Francis Baldwin (1837-1916) and Josias Pennington (1854-1929) based in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm designed an incredibly large number of prominent structures throughout the Midd ...
. Additional expansions later in 1926 and 1958 eventually created an H-shaped plan for the courthouse. An additional modernistic Baltimore County Courts Building, with room for the new charter government since 1956 and administration of a
county executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
and
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...
, plus administrative and executive departments, was erected in 1970–71 across a plaza to the west of the older historic courthouse. The old
Baltimore County Jail Baltimore County Jail is a historic jail located at Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It was built in 1855 and is a two-story Italianate style stone building, measuring 52 feet wide and 62 feet deep. It consists of a five-bay- ...
was built in 1855, and was later replaced in the 1980s by a new modern Baltimore County Detention Center, north of the town on Kenilworth Drive, with an addition constructed in the 2010s. From 1850 to 1874, another notable land owner, Amos Matthews, had a farm of that—with the exception of the largely natural parcel where the Kelso Home for Girls (currently Towson YMCA), was later erected —was wholly developed into the neighborhoods of West Towson, Southland Hills and other subdivisions, beginning in the middle 1920s. During the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Towson was the scene of two minor engagements. Many local citizens were sympathetic to the Southern
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
cause, so much so that Ady's Hotel (later named the Towson Hotel) and the current site of the 1920s-era Towson Theatre (later the
Recher Theatre The Recher is a concert venue in Towson, Maryland. It is located at 512 York Road in the building previously operated as the Towson Theatre, a one-screen movie theater. The Towson Theatre was designed by architect John Ahlers of the George Nor ...
), flew the Southern flag. The
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
found it necessary to overtake the town by force on June 2, 1861. During the raid, the Union Army seized weapons from citizens at Ady's Hotel. A local paper, in jest, refers to the "strongly fortified and almost impregnable city of Towsontown" and downplays the need for the attack, stating, "the distinguished Straw, with only two hundred and fifty men, has taken a whole city and nearly frightened two old women out of their wits." The second engagement took place around July 12, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces. On July 10, 1864, a 135-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the
Northern Central Railway The Northern Central Railway (NCRY) was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in 1861, whe ...
to the north in nearby
Cockeysville Cockeysville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,776 at the 2010 census. History Cockeysville was named after the Cockey family who helped establish the town. Thomas Cockey (1676â ...
, under orders from Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, of
Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...
. The
First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and Second Maryland Cavalry, led by Baltimore County native and pre-war member of the Towson Horse Guards, Maj. Harry W. Gilmor, of Glen Ellen, attacked strategic targets throughout Baltimore and Harford counties, including cutting telegraph wires along Harford Road, capturing two trains and a Union general, and destroying a railroad bridge in Joppa, Maryland. Following what became known as
Gilmor's Raid Gilmor's Raid, also known as The Magnolia Station Train Raid, was a foraging and disruptive cavalry raid that was part of an overall campaign against Union railroads, led by Maj. Harry W. Gilmor with 135 men from the First and Second Maryland Ca ...
, the cavalry encamped in Towson overnight at Ady's Hotel, where his men rested and Gilmor met with friends. The next day, a large federal cavalry unit was dispatched from Baltimore to overtake Gilmor's forces. Though outnumbered by more than two to one, the Confederate cavalry attacked the federal unit, breaking the federal unit and chasing them down York Road to around current-day Woodbourne Avenue, within Baltimore city limits. Gilmor's forces traveled south along York Road as far south as Govans, before heading west to rejoin Gen. Johnson's main force. Following the war, Gilmor served as the
Baltimore City Police Commissioner Since 1920, the Baltimore Police Department has been led by a single commissioner. Prior to this, it was led by a multi-member board of commissioners. Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department Presidents of the Board of Police Commissioner ...
in the 1870s. The Towson fire of 1878 destroyed most of the 500 block along the York Turnpike, causing an estimated $38,000 in damage. During the summer of 1894, the Towson Water Company laid wooden pipes and installed fire hydrants connected to an artesian well near Aigburth Vale. On November 2, 1894, Towson was supplied with electric service through connection with the Mount Washington Electric Light and Power Company.


1900s

At the beginning of the century, Towson remained largely a rural community. Land continued to be sold by the acre, rather than as home parcels. Most residences lay within Towson proper: no houses existed west of Central Avenue along Allegheny or Pennsylvania Avenues, and there were only three homes along the West Chesapeake Avenue corridor. In the 1910s, the Maryland State Normal School (MSNS) (now known as
Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, the university h ...
) was relocated to Towson. The Maryland General Assembly, Maryland Legislature had established the MSNS in 1865 as Maryland's first teacher-training school, or normal school. The institution officially opened its doors on January 15, 1866, however as time passed enrollment in the school grew exponentially, which rendered the facilities inadequate. In 1910, the General Assembly formed a committee to oversee site selection, budget, and design plans for a new campus. It settled on an site in Towson. The General Assembly financed the $600,000 move in 1912. Construction then began in 1913 on the Administration Building, now known as Stephens Hall. In September 1915, the new campus, comprising Stephens Hall, Newell Hall, and the power plant, began classes. The college underwent numerous name changes, settling on Towson University in 1997. As the growth of Baltimore's suburbs became more pronounced after World War II, considerable office development took place in Towson's central core area. Many of the large Victorian and colonial-style residences in the vicinity of the Court House were demolished in the 1980s and 1990s to make way for offices and parking. In 1839, Epsom Chapel became the first Christian house of worship in Towson, used by various denominations. Due to population growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several churches were built to serve the community, such as Towson Calvary Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, and Towson Presbyterian Church. Epsom Chapel was demolished in 1950 when Goucher College sold a portion of its property for development of the Towson Plaza shopping center, now Towson Town Center. First Methodist Church moved in 1958 to land also acquired from Goucher College, and is now Towson United Methodist Church. Author Robert Coston, who grew up in the area of Towson now called "Historic East Towson", recalled in an interview the unique African-American history of that area during the mid-century:
I think that the Towson, Maryland area that I am familiar with differs from other parts of Maryland because of the proximity to one of the largest slave plantations in the country. The Ridgely Plantation which owned all of the property from Baltimore County to Baltimore City and other surrounding areas. ... This was a very unique place of which I have never heard of any equal to it. Every African American school age child in Baltimore County had to attend school at some point at Carver in East Towson. ... I realize now that as a youngster the older African Americans avoided talking about slavery or the nearby Ridgely Plantation because they themselves were not too far removed from slavery itself.


Geography

Towson is located at (39.392980, −76.609562). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (1.06%) is water. The community is located immediately north of Baltimore City, inside the Beltway (I-695 (MD), I-695), east of Interstate 83, I-83 and along York Road (Baltimore), York Road. Its census boundaries include Pikesville, Maryland, Pikesville to the west, Lutherville, Maryland, Lutherville and Hampton, Maryland, Hampton to the north, Parkville, Maryland, Parkville to the east, and
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
to the south. Major neighborhoods in Towson include: Anneslie, Idlewylde, Greenbriar, Southland Hills, Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Wiltondale, Towson Manor Village, Hunt Crest Estates, Knollwood-Donnybrook, East Towson, Loch Raven Village and West Towson. Ruxton, Baltimore County, Maryland, Ruxton, which lies to the west, is sometimes considered a part of Towson. Eudowood is a Towson neighborhood named after Eudocia, the wife of Dr. John T. Stansbury, on whose former estate it is situated.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system Towson has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Government

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is headquartered at Suite 1000 at 300 East Joppa Road in the Towson CDP. In addition, both the Baltimore County Public Schools, and the Baltimore County Police Department possess headquarters that are located in the Towson CDP.


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 51,793 people, 21,063 households, and 11,331 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,688.7 people per square mile (1,424.3/km). There were 21,997 housing units at an average density of 1,566.6 per square mile (604.9/km). The Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, racial makeup of the CDP was 86.9% White, 7.53% African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.7% Asian, and 1.9% Hispanic. There were 21,063 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were Marriage, married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,775, and the median income for a family was $75,832 (these figures had risen to $64,313 and $98,744 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $49,554 versus $38,172 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $32,502. About 2.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.


Transportation


Roads

Major roads in Towson include: *Allegheny Avenue *Auburn Drive *Bellona Avenue *Bosley Avenue *Burke Avenue *Maryland Route 139, Charles Street (MD-139) *Chesapeake Avenue *Cromwell Bridge Road *Maryland Route 146, Dulaney Valley Road (MD-146) *List of roads in Baltimore County, Maryland#Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount Avenue *Goucher Boulevard *Hillen Road *
Joppa Road Joppa Road is a county highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway extends from Maryland Route 25 (MD 25) in Brooklandville east to MD 7 near White Marsh. Joppa Road has three main segments separated by very short breaks on its course ...
*Maryland Route 542, Loch Raven Boulevard *Osler Drive *Pennsylvania Avenue (Towson, Maryland), Pennsylvania Avenue *Providence Road *Putty Hill Avenue *Stevenson Lane *Towsontown Boulevard *Washington Avenue (Towson, Maryland), Washington Avenue * York Road (MD-45)


Public transportation

The Towson area has several bus lines operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. These include: * Route 3 (MTA Maryland), Route 3, which serves the Loch Raven Boulevard corridor, with selected trips along Joppa Road * Route 8 (MTA Maryland), Route 8, which operates along York Road to Lutherville and downtown Baltimore (formerly the #8 streetcar line) * Route 11 (MTA Maryland), Route 11, which serves Towsontown Boulevard, the Charles Street corridor, and GBMC hospital * Route 12 (MTA Maryland), Route 12, which operates along York and Dulaney Valley Roads to Stella Maris Hospice at the times needed for the facility's change of shift. * Route 48 (MTA Maryland), Route 48 QuickBus, which operates between Towson Town Center and downtown Baltimore along the same route as #8, except with limited stops for a speedier trip * Route 55 (MTA Maryland), Route 55, which operates cross-county service to Parkville, Overlea, Rosedale, and Essex Towson also has Baltimore Light Rail, light rail service to downtown Baltimore and BWI Airport along its periphery via the Lutherville station, Lutherville and Falls Road station, Falls Road stops, though there are no stops actually in Towson. Towson University and Goucher College also operate bus services for their students, and th
Collegetown Shuttle
has several stops in the area.


Pedestrians and bicycles

The Towson Bike Beltway opened in September 2014. It includes the addition of bicycle lanes on several major streets encircling the downtown area. The main loop includes Bosley Avenue (which is part of Maryland Route 45 Bypass), Fairmount Avenue, and Goucher Boulevard; these three roads will receive full bike lanes. The rest of the loop, utilizing Hillen Road and Towsontown Boulevard, will receive signage alerting motorists to expect an increase in bicycle traffic on those roads. After this initial construction, several spurs are envisioned to branch from the main loop, with several reaching as far south as the Baltimore city line.


"Ma and Pa" Railroad

Railroad service began to Towson on April 17, 1882, with construction of the Baltimore & Delta Railway Company, soon renamed the Baltimore & Lehigh Railroad, and later reorganized as the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad. The "Ma and Pa", as it was affectionately known locally, formerly operated between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania, through Towson. Its passenger station was located just west of York Road on Susquehanna Avenue. Passenger service was discontinued on August 31, 1954, and the railroad line through Towson was finally abandoned altogether on June 11, 1958, leaving only the stone abutments where the tracks crossed York Road on a steel girder bridge. One passenger on the last passenger train recalled that many riders came from as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, Boston and Washington, D.C., to participate in the historic event, along with members of the National Railway Historical Society. Historic Towson, a local group of history buffs, installed a bronze plaque on the west abutment in 1999, commemorating the defunct railroad's place in Towson's history.


Shopping and other attractions

Towson features some of Baltimore County's largest shopping centers as well as other popular venues of interest. These include:


Hampton Mansion

Hampton National Historic Site Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. ...
is operated by the U.S. National Park Service. The home and grounds were formerly the core of the vast Ridgely estate. The site includes the Ridgely's 18th-century Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The National Park Service offers free admission and guided tours.


Towson Town Center

Towson Town Center is Baltimore County's largest indoor mall, with four stories of shops and a parking garage. Nearby is Allegheny Avenue, the main street of downtown Towson, with a variety of eateries and stores.


Towson Square

A new outdoor mall, Towson Square, was under construction in 2013. After quick construction, the Square opened in October 2014.


The Shops at Kenilworth

The Shops at Kenilworth, formerly known as Kenilworth Park and also as Kenilworth Bazaar, is a small indoor mall located on Kenilworth Drive.


Towson Place

Towson Place is a major shopping area near
Joppa Road Joppa Road is a county highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway extends from Maryland Route 25 (MD 25) in Brooklandville east to MD 7 near White Marsh. Joppa Road has three main segments separated by very short breaks on its course ...
, Goucher Boulevard, and Putty Hill Avenue. Built on the site of the Eudowood Sanatarium, the original Eudowood Plaza shopping center was an open mall anchored by Montgomery Ward. Renovated in the early 1980s to an indoor mall and renamed Towson Marketplace, the location was then redeveloped in 1998 as an open-air collection of big box stores and other stores and restaurants, including a Walmart, Target Corporation, Target, Marshall's and Bed Bath & Beyond. Towson Place is next to Calvert Hall College High School, a Roman Catholic Lasallian Christian Brothers secondary school which moved in 1960 to its suburban location from its original site, founded 1845 in the city's Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood on Cathedral Street at West Mulberry Street.


SECU Arena and Unitas Stadium

Towson University's arena Towson Center and stadium Unitas Stadium, Johnny Unitas Stadium are both main venues for Towson Tigers, Towson Tiger athletics and other events. SECU Arena, which opened in Spring 2013, now hosts the Towson Tigers, Towson Tiger Men's and Women's Basketball teams, Women's Gymnastics and Women's Volleyball teams.


Education


Colleges and universities

Towson University Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, the university h ...
is a public school in southern Towson. Its student population is greater than 20,000, making it the second largest institution in the University System of Maryland. TU is home to the largest business school in the state, with 2,500 students. It was founded in 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School for the training of teachers. Originally the school was located at several sites in the city. It underwent several name changes before moving in 1915 to an expansive campus just south of Towson on the west side of York Road. The administration and classroom structure, later named Stephens Hall, has a cupola in red brick with limestone trim in English Tudor/Elizabethan/Jacobethan architecture style, and was by several other similar campus buildings to the northeast in similar style. Also located in Towson is Goucher College, a small private liberal arts school that was founded in 1885.https://archive.org/details/historyofgoucher00knip page 10 Goucher was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's college until it went coeducational in 1986. It was established as the Women's College of Baltimore, and its founders, pastors John Goucher, who would later become its namesake, and John B. Van Meter were closely affiliated with Methodist Episcopal Church. The school was originally based in Baltimore city and moved to its current campus in Towson in 1953. The old campus in Baltimore, which the school no longer owns or occupies, is now known as Old Goucher College Buildings, Old Goucher and is a registered historic district. The current 287-acre campus of the school in Towson was also notably registered as a historic district and in 2007 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its unique and innovative architecture.


Public schools

Towson is served by the Baltimore County Public Schools district, and the Baltimore County Board of Education headquarters is also located there. There are three high schools. Towson High School, founded in 1873, was the first secondary school provided. It is the second oldest in the school system, and Towson's largest, with its most recent stone structure constructed in 1949. Loch Raven High School dates from 1972. The Carver Center for Arts and Technology is a local magnet school and vocational-technical secondary school in a newly constructed building. It was established in 1992 and known as the Central Technical High School. It was renamed for the African-American scientist George Washington Carver (1864–1943), and to remember the previous Carver High School in Towson. That school had served black residents of the county for several decades in the previously racially segregated public school system before the early 1960s, when the suburban county lagged behind fully integrating after the 1954 landmark ''Brown vs. Board of Education'' decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court. Towson is served by seven public elementary schools in the school district.: Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Riderwood, Hampton, West Towson, Pleasant Plains and Cromwell Valley Regional Magnet School of Technology, which serves students from all over Baltimore County. Towson is served by two public middle schools, Dumbarton Middle School and Loch Raven Technical Academy. Some students are also zoned to attend Ridgely Middle School in Lutherville, Maryland, Lutherville further north. Also located in Towson is Ridge Ruxton School, a special education school serving the central area of Baltimore County, including Reisterstown, Owings Mills, Parkville, Maryland, Parkville, Cockeysville, and Hunt Valley. The school describes itself as offering "programs for students from three to twenty-one years of age who have been identified as developmentally delayed, intellectually limited, autistic-like, and/or multi-handicapped".


Private schools

The Towson area has a number of long-established private schools at the secondary school level, including Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall College High School, Concordia Preparatory School (Maryland), Concordia Preparatory School, and Notre Dame Preparatory School (Towson, Maryland), Notre Dame Preparatory School.


Notable people

* Spiro Agnew (1918–1996), Vice President of the United States, 1969-1973 * All Time Low, pop punk band * Albert Cassell (1895–1969), architect * William Purington Cole, Jr. (1889–1957), United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman for United States House of Representatives, Maryland District 2, Maryland's 2nd District, 1927–1929 and 1931-1942 * Mel Kiper, Jr. (born 1960), ESPN draft analyst * Divine (actor), Divine (1945–1988), actor, the drag persona of Harris Glenn Milstead * Jeff Donnell, Jean Marie "Jeff" Donnell (1921–1988), film and TV actress * Charles S. Dutton, actor who attended Towson University * F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), writer * Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank) (1918–1986), artist * Sally Lucas Jean (18 June 1878 – 5 July 1971), Health educator and nurse * Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996), film actress * G. E. Lowman (1897–1965), radio evangelist * Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame National Football League, NFL defensive end (Dallas Texans (NFL), Dallas Texans, History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts) * Kimmie Meissner, figure skater and last US world figure skating champion * Ana Montes, Defense Intelligence Agency Senior Analyst convicted of spying for Cuba * Anita Nall (born 1976), 1992 Summer Olympics gold medalist swimmer * Thomas W. Offutt, land owner; president and director of the Second National Bank, Towson * Michael Phelps (born 1985), swimmer, holds record for most gold Olympic medals, most gold medals in individual events and most career Olympic medals * Capt. Charles Ridgely III (1733–1790), Hampton National Historic Site, Hampton estate founder and ironworks owner * Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829), Governor of Maryland, 1815-1818 * Eliza Ridgely of Hampton National Historic Site, Hampton (1803–1867), 'The Lady with a Harp' * Thomas Roberts (news anchor), Thomas Roberts, dayside anchor and occasional prime time fill-in on MSNBC * Don Shula (1930–2020), head coach and player with the History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts; led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history; holds NFL record for most wins as a head coach * Nathan Towson, Major-General Nathan Towson (1784–1854), distinguished officer of the War of 1812; former Paymaster of the US Army; namesake of Fort Towson, Oklahoma * Johnny Unitas (1933–2002), Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame NFL quarterback (History of the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Colts, San Diego Chargers) * Ricky Van Veen, owner and co-founder of CollegeHumor website * John Waters, filmmaker and activist * Bill Kramer (executive), CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences


Medical facilities

* Greater Baltimore Medical Center * St. Joseph Medical Center (Towson, Maryland), St. Joseph Medical Center * The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Sheppard Pratt Hospital


In popular culture

*In the 1990s Towson was the center of the Towson Glen Arm music and art collective. *The fictional character Elaine Benes, of the 1990s NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', is from Towson. *The fictional character Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Sam Fisher of the ''Splinter Cell'' video game series by Ubisoft was born in Towson, as well as residing in a townhouse, as stated in the novelizations of the series by Raymond Benson. *Tom Clancy's fictional CIA analyst character, Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy), Jack Ryan, was born in Towson.


See also

*Stoneleigh-Rodgers Forge, Maryland, Stoneleigh-Rodgers Forge, a former
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
located within Towson during the 1960 United States Census, 1960 census *Early Drinking straw, Drinking Straws and Swizzle Sticks, by Glassips Inc. invented and manufactured in Towson 1930-1979. *United States Post Office Towson Branch


References


External links


Historic Towson Inc.

Towson Town Center

Towson Chamber of Commerce

Towson Junior Chamber

The Greater Towson Committee

Towsontown Spring Festival
* A Short History of the WTNA, by Richard Parson

* Eudowood Sanatarium (Hospital for Consumptives of Marylan

{{Authority control Towson, Maryland, 1752 establishments in Maryland Census-designated places in Baltimore County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland County seats in Maryland Populated places established in 1752