History of Catonsville

Founded in 1810 by Richard Caton, "Catonville" (as it was originally named) has grown from a quiet village of summer respites to a thriving modern community of rich history and a proud heritage strengthened by its economic, physical, and cultural diversity.

Catonsville began as a summer retreat for the wealthy of Baltimore who would travel by coach from the heat of Baltimore City to enjoy cool breezes and lush greenery of their Victorian mansions in the Village. The Frederick turnpike (now Frederick Road) was the main thoroughfare for residents and merchants traveling from the city to the Village of Catonsville or on to the Patapsco River or Ellicott Mills.

In those early days, travel from the city to the Village was a long arduous trip made on horseback or by coach. Certainly it was not an easy or comfortable journey! It was with the installation of the Electric Streetcar in 1890 that travel between Catonsville and the city became quick and comfortable making daily commute not only possible but inviting. Catonsville was now ready for its major transformation from a summer time retreat to a suburb. With the trolley line, middle and working class families has access to the community and developers met the needs of the changing population with the construction of smaller cottages, and bungalows. Tightly-knit communities, churches, schools and recreational facilities soon developed to serve the needs of the growing population.

Then as now, the history of Catonsville has always focused around transportation advances and developments. The first true business district in Catonsville was that established by entrepreneurs who set up shop along the Frederick Turnpike to meet the needs of travelers and summer residents. With continued population growth and community development came new roads and thoroughfares. The 1896 extension of the trolley from Frederick Road to Edmondson Avenue and the corresponding trolley turn-around station at Edmondson Avenue and Dutton Avenue stimulated the development of Catonsville's second small business district, the Catonsville Junction. Development of population-dense housing supported a third community shopping district in the Paradise community on Frederick Road. And finally construction of Baltimore National Pike in 1945 and the Baltimore Beltway in 1955 took some of the traffic burden off of Frederick Road and provided new residential and commercial opportunities in this thriving suburb. Shopping centers, auto dealerships, department stores, and supermarkets quickly lined this new travel corridor completing the transformation to a thriving metropolis.

While the history of Catonsville is well depicted in its homes, businesses, parks and churches, the history of Catonsville is really a history of its residents. Then and now, Catonsville is community where generations carry on family businesses, where children graduate from their grandparents' alma mater, and where babies are baptized on the altars that witnessed their great-grandparents' wedding. Be it a "mom and pop" business or a national franchise, Catonsville merchants uphold a time-honored commitment to value, quality and customer service.

We welcome you to Catonsville and thank you for your patronage!