Davidsonville Roedown Farm 3856 Wayson Rd, 21035 Born enslaved in the early 1820s at Roedown, William Parker later made a daring escape at age 17. Settling in Pennsylvania, Parker became famous as the leader of the Christiana Resistance of 1851, a violent confrontation between black and white abolitionists and a Maryland slaveholder intent on recapturing a local runaway. The slaveholder was left dead. Today, Roedown Farm is privately owned and not open to the public. related to enslaved people include those of Jacob Madden and William Williams for circulating publications that created discontent among the black population. Another case involved four enslaved people, belonging to Charles D. Warfield, who fled from their master to Pennsylvania. The courthouse is no longer standing. showhouse.historicec. com/preservation_project/ heritage-orientation-center Howard County Historical Society 9421 Frederick Rd, 21042 410-480-3250 Archives and manuscript collections include original source documents, such as court cases dealing with fugitive slaves and those who aided, abetted and enticed runaways. It also includes ledgers and records of slaveholders. The documentation identifies connections between the county’s prominent slaveholders and court cases presented in the District Court dealing with escaped slaves. The repository is crucial for recounting the history of those attempting to flee bondage as well as the fate of those who were tried in the court system. hchsmd.org Howard County Jail 1 Emory St, 21043 Runaway slaves and those charged with encouraging the enslaved to escape or rise up against their masters were held in the county jail. Augusta Spriggs was held here, while ads for her master in Prince George’s County were posted for him to claim her. Free Black Augustus Collins was held here while awaiting trial for inciting an insurrection among people of color. Richard Martin was held as a fugitive without a pass. Howard County Courthouse 1843 8360 Ct Ave, 21043 410-313-2111 The 1843 Howard County Courthouse was the location for judicial proceedings for cases of those charged with encouraging slaves to runaway. The most famous case involved the transfer of known Underground Railroad agent William L. Chaplin of New York from Montgomery County to Howard County in 1850. An interpretive marker describes these events. blogs.loc.gov/ law/2022/03/old-howard-county-courthouse Ellicott City Ellicott City Colored School 8683 Frederick Rd, 21043 410-313-0420 Private and group tours available May through late December. Restored one-room schoolhouse built in 1880, serves as living history museum/ African-American genealogical resource center. First publicly funded school in the county for African-American children. visitoldellicottcity. com/places/ellicott-city-colored-school Howard County First Courthouse Site Ellicott Mills Dr at Main St, 21043 410-313-4401 The first Howard County Courthouse was located in the historic district of Ellicott City. It housed judicial proceedings of the new Howard district, including those involving enslaved runaways and those inciting insurrection. This structure was rented from 1840 through 1842, while a permanent courthouse was being constructed. Cases JAMES HUBERT “EUBIE” BLAKE (1883–1983) , a legendary ragtime composer and performer, started playing the organ at age five; by age 15, he was dazzling audiences at brothels, clubs and saloons in his Baltimore hometown. In 1915, he teamed up with vocalist Noble Sissle on the 1921 opus “Shuffle Along” — one of the first musicals to be written, produced and directed by African Americans. Blake composed hits such as “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and “Memories of You,” and in 1981 received the Medal of Freedom. Maryland’s Underground Railroad & African-American Heritage Travel Guide 25
African American Heritage Guide 2025 African American Heritage Guide: Page 25
