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Catonsville High School

Maryland Historical Society

Catonsville (population 2000 39,820) is a town in southwestern Baltimore County located between Arbutus to the east and south, Ellicott City and Oella to the west, Baltimore City to the east, and Security and Woodlawn to the north. The downtown portion of Catonsville flanks Frederick Road (SR 144). Other major arteries are U.S. Route 40 and Rolling Road (SR 166). Catonsville is named after Richard Caton, who was commissioned by his father-in-law, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, to develop Carroll’s land adjoining Frederick Road.

Early History
Catonsville occupies land originally inhabited by the Piscataway Indians, whose peaceful relations with English colonists were disrupted by the accession of the Cromwell government in 1652. Smallpox and war with the Susquahannocks and Iroquois also led to a rapid decline in the native population until, by 1685, only 400 Piscataway remained in the area.

At the same time, colonial settlements expanded. Settled in 1720, the northern part of what is now Catonsville was known as Johnnycake, named after a local inn that served that variety of cornbread to travelers. Intent on connecting their Patapsco River flour mill with Baltimore City, the Ellicott family opened a new road in 1780. In 1805, it became known as the Frederick Turnpike, today’s Frederick Road. Richard Caton developed the Carroll land at that time and in 1787 built his estate “Castle Thunder” on that land near the present-day Catonsville Library. After that time, the area became known as “Catonville,” the s being added by 1830 to become the modern name of the town.

During the 1830s and 40s, the community became a popular rest stop for travelers between Baltimore and Frederick, also attracting businesses. The businesses brought with them diverse ethnic populations. At the same time, wealthy Baltimoreans came to view Catonsville as a place to escape the heat of the city during the summer months. Their summer mansions, some of which remain today, soon became permanent residences. In the late 1800s, a short line railroad and electric trolley line were built to connect Catonsville to Baltimore City and nearby towns. By the late twentieth century, however, both lines ceased operation. There were several unsuccessful attempts to legally incorporate Catonsville as a town. Baltimore City also repeatedly attempted to annex parts of the community, most recently in 1918 when it took over the North Bend area. By the early twentieth century, Catonsville had become a thriving residential and commercial center, with diverse ethnic and social groups.

The Catonsville Nine
During the antiwar protests of the late 1960s, Catonsville grabbed headlines worldwide. In May 1968, a group of Catholics (dubbed the Catonsville Nine by the media) entered the local draft board, seized 378 files of men classified as 1-A ( that is, available immediately for military service) and burned the files with homemade napalm in a parking lot across the street. Two of the nine were brothers Philip and Daniel Berrigan, Catholic priests and activists with leftist philosophies who became the best-known of the protestors. A judge sentenced the Catonsville Nine to prison terms ranging from two to three-and-a-half years. Three members served their sentences and one died before entering jail, but the remaining five went underground. In the end, the FBI captured some of them, while the rest eventually gave themselves up. Daniel Berrigan later wrote a play called The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, which received a Tony nomination in 1972. The trial inflamed passions among Americans, particularly Catholics, about religious activism and the ongoing war in Vietnam. It also put Catonsville on the map.

Suburban Life
Today, Catonsville retains a distinctive mix of ethnicities, religious sects, and social classes created during the course of its development. It still retains a hometown feel, thanks in large part to its well-established “main street” along Frederick Road. Housing options include apartments, townhomes, single-family homes, and even a few large manor houses. Catonsville is home to a public library, a firehouse, a senior high school, and a branch of the Community Colleges of Baltimore County. Its restaurants serve a variety of cuisines and it has houses of worship of nearly every denomination. Catonsville is a pleasant, diverse, and thriving suburban community.

—David W. Kriebel

Portsmouth, RI