Catonsville’s development was enabled by the Ellicott Brothers construction of Frederick Road in 1787, providing access from their mills to Baltimore harbor. Charles Carroll was among those who owned land midway between; realizing the potential for development, he tasked his son-in-law and wealthy Baltimore merchant Richard Caton, who began with his own summer house (no longer extant). Lots were first platted between 1807 and 1810, with Caton’s “Village” plan following in c. 1822. The community was situated on a broad ridge overlooking the scenic Patapsco River Valley, and by the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy Baltimoreans recognizing its virtues began building summer houses. Development increased once the community was accessible by a horsecar line between Catonsville and Baltimore built in 1862, followed by the Catonsville Short Line Railroad in 1884 and a street-car line in the 1890s. By then Catonsville was becoming a year-round middle-class community, infilling with smaller foursquare and bungalow houses. Several well-recognized Baltimore builders, mostly of German descent, contributed to Catonsville’s development, including Joseph M. Cone; H. J. Farber; John Hubner; William, John, and George Gerwig; James F. Nagle; L. R. Servary; and Maisel and Kern.
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