Main Streets of Maryland By Zoraida Díaz To explore Maryland’s Historic Main Streets is to reconnect with a vivid past. In Historic Ellicott City, along Frederick’s hip Market Street, and Cambridge’s thriving downtown, dine with exciting chefs, sample the wares of dedicated craft brewers, hear the musicians, see the artists, and meet the people who make our small towns so special. HISTORIC ELLICOTT CITY In 1772 three Quaker brothers from Pennsylvania, John, Andrew, and Joseph Ellicott, founded Ellicott Mills—introducing the city of Ellicott, who’s founding reflects the American spirit that paved the way for an industrial boom for the region. Drive from Baltimore to Ellicott City on the Historic National Road and imagine the road being cut from swaths of virgin forests in the last decades of the 18th century so that the Ellicott brothers could get their flour to market. Ellicott City’s spirit is unbreakable. After 16 recorded floods since 1817, including two recent catastrophic ones, its residents have come back stronger than ever. This resilience is palpable during a walk through town: There are the quirky shops that specialize in vintage photographs and Americana paraphernalia, nook and cranny favorites with outdoor seating areas, and cafés with freshly planted outdoor gardens nestled within imposing boulders that point to the town’s solid foundations. Some shops have relocated and rebuilt after each flood—and even sell treasures crafted from reclaimed wood or other lost materials. It is this resilience that inspired a recent episode of Gordon Ramsay’s “24 Hours to Hell and Back.” The show’s celebrity chef lent a hand in the resurgence of the ironic Little Market Café, and the Phoenix Upper Main, a joining of the Phoenix Emporium and Ellicott Mills Brewing Company. Walking up the hill, visitors are sure to stumble upon repeated instances of the town’s respect for the lore of the past, like whimsical haikus offered on signs outside local cafés, the occasional sightings of people in period dress, or the accomplished murals painted on the centuries-old brick houses. Along with the thriving street art, you’ll find fantastic local music with a bit of the sound of the mountains, great dining, fantastic beer and wine bars, and truly unique shopping. Photos: (clockwise from top left) Downtown Ellicott City, Downtown Frederick (Visit Frederick), Carroll Creek in Frederick (Andriy Blokhin), Baker Park Memorial Carillon Bell Tower in Frederick (Justin Fegan) Ellicott City @ajay_ig 56 / VISITMARYLAND.ORG
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2021 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 56
