Towson, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Towson is an unincorporated
community
and a census-designated place
in Baltimore County
, Maryland
, United States
. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Baltimore County
and the second-most populated unincorporated
county seat
in the United States
(after Ellicott City, Maryland
).
.
s. William's son, Ezekial, started the Towson Hotel at York and Joppa Roads in 1768 to serve the increasing traffic of farmers bringing their produce and livestock to the port of Baltimore. The village became known as "Towsontown". Today a shopping mall is situated at the intersection of York Road and Joppa Road known as the "Towson Town Center".
In 1790, Charles Ridgely
completed the magnificent Hampton Mansion just north of Towsontown, the largest private house in America at the time. The Ridgelys lived there for six generations, until 1948. It is now preserved as the Hampton National Historic Site
and open to the public.
of Baltimore County
by popular vote. The Court House, still in use, was designed by Dixon, Balbirnie and Dixon and completed within a year, constructed of limestone and marble donated by the Ridgely family, on land donated by Towson merchant Grafton Bosley. The Courthouse was subsequently enlarged in 1910 through designs for north and south wings by Baldwin and Pennington. Expansion in 1926 and 1958 created an H-shaped plan. The Baltimore County Jail
was built in 1855.
From 1850 to 1874, another notable land owner, Amos Matthews, had a farm of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) that — with the exception of the 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) largely natural parcel where the Kelso Home for Girls
(currently Towson YMCA), was later erected — was wholly developed into the neighborhoods of West Towson, Southland Hills and other subdivisions beginning in the middle 1920s.
During the Civil War
, Towson was the scene of two minor engagements. Many of Towson's citizens were sympathetic to the southern cause, so much so that Ady's Hotel, later the Towson Hotel and the current site of the Recher Theatre
, flew a southern flag. The Union Army
found it necessary to overtake the town by force on June 2, 1861. During the raid, the Union army seized weapons from citizens at Ady's Hotel. A local paper, in jest, referred to Towson as the “strongly fortified and almost impregnable city of Towsontown” and downplays the need for the attack, stating, “the distinguished Straw, with only two hundred and fifty men, has taken a whole city and nearly frightened two old women out of their wits.”
The second engagement took place around July 12, 1864 between Union
and Confederate
forces. On July 10, 1864, a 135-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the Northern Central Railway
in nearby Cockeysville, under orders from Gen. Bradley T. Johnson
. The First and Second Maryland Cavalry
, led by Baltimore County native and pre-war member of the Towson Horse Guards, Maj. Harry W. Gilmor
, attacked strategic targets throughout Baltimore and Harford counties, including cutting telegraph wires along Harford Road, capturing two trains and a Union General, and destroying a railroad bridge in Joppa, Maryland. Following what became known as Gilmor's Raid
, the cavalry encamped in Towson overnight at Ady's Hotel where his men rested and Gilmor met with friends. The next day, a large federal cavalry unit was dispatched from Baltimore to overtake Gilmor's forces. Though outnumbered by more than two to one, the Confederate cavalry attacked the federal unit, breaking the federal unit and chasing them down York Road to around current day Woodbourne Avenue within Baltimore City limits. Gilmor's forces traveled south along York Road as far south as Govans, before heading west to rejoin Gen. Johnson's main force. Following the war, Gilmor served as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner
in the 1870s.
The Towson fire of 1878 destroyed most of the 500 block along the York Turnpike causing an estimated $38,000 in damage.
During the summer of 1894, the Towson Water Company laid wooden pipes and installed fire hydrants that were connected to an artesian well near Aigburth Vale. On November 2, 1894, Towson was supplied with electric service through connection with the Mount Washington Electric Light and Power Company.
As the growth of Baltimore's suburbs became more pronounced after World War II
, considerable office development took place in Towson's central core area. Many of the large Victorian and colonial-style residences in the vicinity of the Court House were demolished in the 1980s and 1990s for offices and parking.
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In 1839, Epsom Chapel became the first Christian house of worship in Towson, used by various denominations. As the population grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several churches were built to serve the community, such as Calvary Baptist Church
, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, and Towson Presbyterian Church. Epsom Chapel was demolished in 1950 when Goucher College
sold a portion of its property for development of the Towson Plaza shopping center, now Towson Town Center
. First Methodist Church moved in 1958 to land also acquired from Goucher College and is now Towson United Methodist Church
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.8 km²), of which, 14 square miles (36.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.06%) is water.
The community is located immediately north of Baltimore City, inside the Beltway (I-695), east of I-83 and along York Road. Its census boundaries include Pikesville
to the west, Lutherville-Timonium
and Hampton
to the north, Parkville
to the east, and Baltimore to the south.
Major neighborhoods in Towson include: Anneslie, Idlewylde, Greenbriar, Southland Hills, Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Wiltondale, Towson Manor Village, Hunt Crest Estates, Knollwood-Donnybrook, East Towson, and West Towson. Ruxton
, which lies to the west, is sometimes considered a part of Towson. Eudowood is a Towson neighborhood named after Eudocia, the wife of Dr. John T. Stansbury - on whose former estate it is situated.
, and at the southern edge of the Piedmont
gives Towson an "in-between" climate, lying in the northern portion of the humid subtropical climate
zone. Summers are hot and humid, with daytime highs reaching into the 90s in July and August. Spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures in the 60s and 70s with moderate rainfall. Winters are mild by American standards but can still include occasional snowfall and freezing rain, with typical January highs just above 40 degrees and lows just below freezing. Annual rainfall totals 45 inches (1,143 mm).
As of the census
of 2000, there were 51,793 people, 21,063 households, and 11,331 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,688.7 people per square mile (1,424.3/km²). There were 21,997 housing units at an average density of 1,566.6 per square mile (604.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.9% White, 7.53% African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.7% Asian, and 1.9% Hispanic.
There were 21,063 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,775, and the median income for a family was $75,832 (these figures had risen to $64,313 and $98,744 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $49,554 versus $38,172 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $32,502. About 2.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
. These include:
Towson also has light rail
service to downtown Baltimore and BWI Airport along its periphery via the Lutherville and Falls Road stops, though there are no stops actually in Towson.
Towson University
and Goucher College
also operate bus services for their students, and the Collegetown Shuttle has several stops in the area.
. The "Ma and Pa", as it was affectionately known locally, formerly operated between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania
, through Towson. Its passenger station was located just west of York Road on Susquehanna Avenue. Passenger service was discontinued on August 31, 1954, and the railroad line through Towson was finally abandoned altogether on June 11, 1958, leaving only the stone abutments where the tracks crossed York Road on a steel girder bridge. One passenger on the last passenger train recalled that many riders came from as far away as Boston and Washington, D.C.
, to participate in the historic event, along with members of the National Railway Historical Society
. Historic Towson, a local group of history buffs, installed a bronze plaque on the west abutment in 1999, commemorating the defunct railroad's place in Towson's history.
is Baltimore County's largest indoor mall with four stories of shops and a parking garage, which is also linked to some other shops across the street, including a Barnes and Noble, which structurally is beneath Joppa Road
near the Towson Circle. Also nearby is Allegheny Avenue, the main street of downtown Towson, which offers a variety of local eateries.
, which has since moved, and is now Sports Her Way.
, Goucher Boulevard, and Putty Hill Avenue. Built on the site of the Eudowood Sanatarium, the original Eudowood Plaza shopping center was an open mall anchored by Montgomery Ward. Renovated in the early 1980s to an indoor mall, the location has been converted into some big box stores and supermarkets, including a Wal-Mart
, Target
, Marshall's, Sports Authority
, Superfresh, and Bed Bath & Beyond
. Towson Marketplace is next to Calvert Hall College High School
.
, located in downtown Towson, is a popular concert venue for popular local and national acts.
's arena Towson Center
and stadium Unitas Stadium are both main destinations for Towson Tiger
athletics and other events.
is a public school in southern Towson. Towson University's student population is close to 20,000, making it the second largest institution in the University System of Maryland
. TU is home to the largest Business School in the state of Maryland, with 2,500 students. It was founded in 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School for the training of teachers. North of downtown is a small private liberal arts school, Goucher College
, which was founded in 1885 as The Woman's College of Baltimore.
Towson is served by the Baltimore County Public Schools
district, and the Baltimore County Board of Education headquarters is located here as well. There are three high schools. Towson High School
was the first secondary school founded and is Towson's largest, while Loch Raven High School
dates from 1972. The Carver Center for Arts and Technology
is a local magnet school.
Towson is served by five public elementary schools: Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Riderwood, Hampton, and West Towson. All five of the schools are now over-capacity.
Also located in Towson is Ridge Ruxton School, a special education
school serving the central area of Baltimore County, including Reisterstown, Owings Mills, Parkville
, Cockeysville, and Hunt Valley. The school describes itself as offering "programs for students from three to twenty-one years of age who have been identified as developmentally delayed, intellectually limited, autistic-like, and/or multi-handicapped".
level, including Calvert Hall College High School
, Loyola Blakefield
, Baltimore Lutheran School
, Notre Dame Preparatory School
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
and a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
and the second-most populated unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(after Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
).
1600s
The first inhabitants of the Towson region were the Susquehannough people who hunted in the area. Though their region included all of Baltimore County, their primary settlement was along the mouth of the Susquehanna RiverSusquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
.
1700s
Towson was settled in 1752 when two Pennsylvania brothers, William and Thomas Towson, began farming northeast of present-day York and Joppa RoadJoppa Road
Joppa Road is a road that runs across the northern suburbs of Baltimore, mostly parallel to the Baltimore Beltway. Joppa Road today is used by motorists as an alternative to congested I-695 traffic, which often causes the road to become congested itself....
s. William's son, Ezekial, started the Towson Hotel at York and Joppa Roads in 1768 to serve the increasing traffic of farmers bringing their produce and livestock to the port of Baltimore. The village became known as "Towsontown". Today a shopping mall is situated at the intersection of York Road and Joppa Road known as the "Towson Town Center".
In 1790, Charles Ridgely
Charles Ridgely
Captain Charles Ridgely was born in Maryland in 1733 to Colonel Charles Ridgely and Rachel Howard.Together with his father and brother, Captain Charles established the Northampton Iron Works just north of Towson, Maryland under what is presently Loch Raven Reservoir. He built the massive Hampton...
completed the magnificent Hampton Mansion just north of Towsontown, the largest private house in America at the time. The Ridgelys lived there for six generations, until 1948. It is now preserved as the Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site
Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
and open to the public.
1800s
On February 13, 1854, Towson became the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
by popular vote. The Court House, still in use, was designed by Dixon, Balbirnie and Dixon and completed within a year, constructed of limestone and marble donated by the Ridgely family, on land donated by Towson merchant Grafton Bosley. The Courthouse was subsequently enlarged in 1910 through designs for north and south wings by Baldwin and Pennington. Expansion in 1926 and 1958 created an H-shaped plan. The Baltimore County Jail
Baltimore County Jail
Baltimore County Jail is a historic jail located at Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It was built in 1855 and is a two-story Italianate style stone building, measuring 52 feet wide and 62 feet deep. It consists of a five-bay-wide warden’s house with a central three story...
was built in 1855.
From 1850 to 1874, another notable land owner, Amos Matthews, had a farm of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) that — with the exception of the 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) largely natural parcel where the Kelso Home for Girls
Kelso Home for Girls
Kelso Home for Girls , formerly Towson Family YMCA, is currently the Y of Central Maryland Towson Family Center.Relocation of the Kelso Home for Girls to Towson took place September 27, 1925...
(currently Towson YMCA), was later erected — was wholly developed into the neighborhoods of West Towson, Southland Hills and other subdivisions beginning in the middle 1920s.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Towson was the scene of two minor engagements. Many of Towson's citizens were sympathetic to the southern cause, so much so that Ady's Hotel, later the Towson Hotel and the current site of the Recher Theatre
Recher Theatre
Recher Theatre is a concert venue in Towson, Maryland. It has been open as a concert venue since 1999.The small venue with a capacity of only 700 has had hosted several popular acts over the years, including: Aimee Mann, Anberlin, Bo Diddley, Breaking Benjamin, Buckethead, Buckcherry, Demon Hunter,...
, flew a southern flag. The Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
found it necessary to overtake the town by force on June 2, 1861. During the raid, the Union army seized weapons from citizens at Ady's Hotel. A local paper, in jest, referred to Towson as the “strongly fortified and almost impregnable city of Towsontown” and downplays the need for the attack, stating, “the distinguished Straw, with only two hundred and fifty men, has taken a whole city and nearly frightened two old women out of their wits.”
The second engagement took place around July 12, 1864 between Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
forces. On July 10, 1864, a 135-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
in nearby Cockeysville, under orders from Gen. Bradley T. Johnson
Bradley Tyler Johnson
Bradley Tyler Johnson was an American lawyer, soldier, and writer. Although his home state of Maryland remained loyal to the Union during the American Civil War, Johnson served as a general in the Confederate States Army, leading efforts to raise a Maryland Line in the CSA, and rising to command...
. The First and Second Maryland Cavalry
2nd Maryland Cavalry, CSA
The 2nd Maryland Cavalry, a.k.a Gilmor's Partisan Rangers, was a Confederate unit in the American Civil War.-History:The unit was founded and commanded by Colonel Harry Gilmor. Gilmor was a member of the Towson Guards , when the Civil War started. Due to his political views, he was taken prisoner...
, led by Baltimore County native and pre-war member of the Towson Horse Guards, Maj. Harry W. Gilmor
Harry Gilmor
Harry W. Gilmor served as Baltimore City Police Commissioner in the 1870s, but he was most noted as a Confederate cavalry officer during the American Civil War...
, attacked strategic targets throughout Baltimore and Harford counties, including cutting telegraph wires along Harford Road, capturing two trains and a Union General, and destroying a railroad bridge in Joppa, Maryland. Following what became known as Gilmor's Raid
Gilmor's Raid
Gilmor's Raid, also known as The Magnolia Station Train Raid, was a foraging and disruptive cavalry raid that was part of an overall campaign against Union railroads, led by Maj. Harry W. Gilmor with 135 men from the First and Second Maryland Cavalry regiments. It was authorized by Confederate Lt....
, the cavalry encamped in Towson overnight at Ady's Hotel where his men rested and Gilmor met with friends. The next day, a large federal cavalry unit was dispatched from Baltimore to overtake Gilmor's forces. Though outnumbered by more than two to one, the Confederate cavalry attacked the federal unit, breaking the federal unit and chasing them down York Road to around current day Woodbourne Avenue within Baltimore City limits. Gilmor's forces traveled south along York Road as far south as Govans, before heading west to rejoin Gen. Johnson's main force. Following the war, Gilmor served as the Baltimore City Police Commissioner
Baltimore Police Department
The Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...
in the 1870s.
The Towson fire of 1878 destroyed most of the 500 block along the York Turnpike causing an estimated $38,000 in damage.
During the summer of 1894, the Towson Water Company laid wooden pipes and installed fire hydrants that were connected to an artesian well near Aigburth Vale. On November 2, 1894, Towson was supplied with electric service through connection with the Mount Washington Electric Light and Power Company.
1900s
At the beginning of the century, Towson remained largely a rural community. Land continued to be sold by the acre, rather than as home parcels. Most residences lay within Towson proper: no houses existed west of Central Avenue along Allegheny or Pennsylvania avenues, and there were only three homes along the West Chesapeake Avenue corridor.As the growth of Baltimore's suburbs became more pronounced after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, considerable office development took place in Towson's central core area. Many of the large Victorian and colonial-style residences in the vicinity of the Court House were demolished in the 1980s and 1990s for offices and parking.
Towson Calvary Baptist Church
Towson Calvary Baptist Church, at 120 West Pennsylvania Ave, Towson, Maryland, was completed in 1929.It is a gothic building built from the stone, concrete and aggregate supplied by the nearby Campbell quarry, which had its headquarters on the same block...
, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, and Towson Presbyterian Church. Epsom Chapel was demolished in 1950 when Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
sold a portion of its property for development of the Towson Plaza shopping center, now Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center
Towson Town Center is a large indoor shopping mall located in Towson, Maryland. It was the largest indoor shopping mall in Maryland prior to the completion of Arundel Mills in late 2000 in Hanover and the 2007 expansion of the Annapolis Mall.- History :...
. First Methodist Church moved in 1958 to land also acquired from Goucher College and is now Towson United Methodist Church
Towson United Methodist Church
Towson United Methodist Church is a large United Methodist Church in the historic Baltimore County, Maryland suburb of Towson. Its past, rooted in 19th century America, and subsequent growth in the two centuries since then, have closely paralleled the nation's political and sociological trends...
.
Geography
Towson is located at 39°23′35"N 76°36′34"W (39.392980, -76.609562).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 14.2 square miles (36.8 km²), of which, 14 square miles (36.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.06%) is water.
The community is located immediately north of Baltimore City, inside the Beltway (I-695), east of I-83 and along York Road. Its census boundaries include Pikesville
Pikesville, Maryland
Pikesville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.The population was 29,123 at the 2000 census...
to the west, Lutherville-Timonium
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Lutherville-Timonium is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland made up of the unincorporated communities of Lutherville and Timonium. The population was 15,814 as of the 2000 census. Within its borders lies the Lutherville Historic District...
and Hampton
Hampton, Maryland
Hampton is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 5,004 at the 2000 census. Hampton is often considered a subdivision of the nearby community of Towson and is located just north of Baltimore City, Maryland, about twenty minutes...
to the north, Parkville
Parkville, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,118 people, 13,044 households, and 8,243 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 7,352.1 people per square mile . There were 13,550 housing units at an average density of 3,201.4 per square mile...
to the east, and Baltimore to the south.
Major neighborhoods in Towson include: Anneslie, Idlewylde, Greenbriar, Southland Hills, Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Wiltondale, Towson Manor Village, Hunt Crest Estates, Knollwood-Donnybrook, East Towson, and West Towson. Ruxton
Ruxton, Baltimore County, Maryland
Ruxton and Riderwood are unincorporated areas in Baltimore County, Maryland. They are sometimes considered a part of Towson and are part of Towson's census area....
, which lies to the west, is sometimes considered a part of Towson. Eudowood is a Towson neighborhood named after Eudocia, the wife of Dr. John T. Stansbury - on whose former estate it is situated.
Climate
Lying north of the city of BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, and at the southern edge of the Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
gives Towson an "in-between" climate, lying in the northern portion of the humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
zone. Summers are hot and humid, with daytime highs reaching into the 90s in July and August. Spring and fall bring pleasant temperatures in the 60s and 70s with moderate rainfall. Winters are mild by American standards but can still include occasional snowfall and freezing rain, with typical January highs just above 40 degrees and lows just below freezing. Annual rainfall totals 45 inches (1,143 mm).
Government
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is headquartered at Suite 1000 at 300 East Joppa Road in the Towson CDP.Demographics
| Census year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 19,090 |
| 1970 | 77,768* |
| 1980 | 51,083 |
| 1990 | 49,445 |
| 2000 | 51,793 |
| 2010 | 55,197 |
| *Census Boundaries in 1970 extended beyond the community proper | |
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 51,793 people, 21,063 households, and 11,331 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,688.7 people per square mile (1,424.3/km²). There were 21,997 housing units at an average density of 1,566.6 per square mile (604.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.9% White, 7.53% African American, 0.10% Native American, 3.7% Asian, and 1.9% Hispanic.
There were 21,063 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,775, and the median income for a family was $75,832 (these figures had risen to $64,313 and $98,744 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $49,554 versus $38,172 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $32,502. About 2.5% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Roads
Major roads in Towson include:- Allegheny Avenue
- Bellona Avenue
- Bosley Avenue
- Burke Avenue
- Charles StreetMaryland Route 139Maryland Route 139, known locally for most of its existence as North Charles Street, runs through Baltimore City and through the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end it terminates at a traffic circle with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 and at the south end it terminates in Federal...
(MD-139) - Chesapeake Avenue
- Cromwell Bridge RoadCromwell Bridge RoadCromwell Bridge Road, formerly Maryland Route 567, is a two-lane roadway in the Towson, Maryland, area of the United States. The road begins at Providence Road in Towson, and continues past the Baltimore Beltway for several miles to its end, where it splits, a left turn going onto Glen Arm Road and...
- Dulaney Valley RoadMaryland Route 146Maryland Route 146 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 45 in Towson north to MD 23 near Jarrettsville. MD 146 connects Towson with Loch Raven Reservoir, an impoundment of Gunpowder Falls. The state highway also serves the northern Baltimore County...
(MD-146) - Fairmount Avenue
- Goucher Boulevard
- Hillen Road
- Joppa RoadJoppa RoadJoppa Road is a road that runs across the northern suburbs of Baltimore, mostly parallel to the Baltimore Beltway. Joppa Road today is used by motorists as an alternative to congested I-695 traffic, which often causes the road to become congested itself....
- Loch Raven BoulevardMaryland Route 542Maryland Route 542 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Loch Raven Boulevard, the state highway runs from MD 147 in Baltimore north to Interstate 695 and Cromwell Bridge Road near Towson. MD 542 is a four-lane divided highway that connects portions...
- Osler Drive
- Pennsylvania Avenue
- Providence Road
- Putty Hill Avenue
- Stevenson Lane
- Towsontown Boulevard
- Washington Avenue
- York RoadMaryland Route 45Maryland Route 45 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as York Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore north to the Pennsylvania state line in Maryland Line, where the highway continues as SR 3001...
(MD-45)
Public transportation
The Towson area has several bus lines operated by the Maryland Transit AdministrationMaryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It is better known as MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities' transit agencies who share the initials MTA. The MTA operates a...
. These include:
- Route 3, which serves the Loch Raven Boulevard corridor, with selected trips along Joppa Road.
- Route 8, which operates along York Road to Lutherville and downtown Baltimore (formerly the #8 streetcar line)
- Route 11, which serves Towsontown Boulevard, the Charles Street corridor, and GBMC hospital
- Route 12Route 12 (MTA Maryland)Route 12 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line is a dedicated service or employees of Stella Maris, a complex of long term care facilities in Timonium, Maryland.-History:...
, which operates along York and Dulaney Valley Roads to Stella Maris Hospice at the times needed for the facility's change of shift. - Route 48Route 48 (MTA Maryland)Route 48 is a limited stop bus, identified as a "Quickbus", operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the University of Maryland Transit Center to Towson along the York Road/Greenmount Avenue corridor. Service operates Monday...
QuickBus, which operates between Towson Town Center and downtown Baltimore along the same route as #8, except with limited stops for a speedier trip - Route 55Route 55 (MTA Maryland)Route 55 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from Towson to Fox Ridge, serving Parkville, Overlea, Rosedale, and Essex, and the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County .-History:Route 55 started...
, which operates cross-county service to Parkville, Overlea, Rosedale, and Essex
Towson also has light rail
Baltimore Light Rail
The Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and the surrounding suburbs.In downtown Baltimore it uses city streets...
service to downtown Baltimore and BWI Airport along its periphery via the Lutherville and Falls Road stops, though there are no stops actually in Towson.
Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
and Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
also operate bus services for their students, and the Collegetown Shuttle has several stops in the area.
"Ma and Pa" Railroad
Railroad service began to Towson on April 17, 1882, with construction of the Baltimore & Delta Railway Company, soon renamed the Baltimore & Lehigh Railroad and later reorganized as the Maryland and Pennsylvania RailroadMaryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , familiarly known as the "Ma and Pa", was an American short-line railroad between York and Hanover, Pennsylvania, formerly operating passenger and freight trains on its original line between York and Baltimore, Maryland, from 1901 until the 1950s...
. The "Ma and Pa", as it was affectionately known locally, formerly operated between Baltimore and York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, through Towson. Its passenger station was located just west of York Road on Susquehanna Avenue. Passenger service was discontinued on August 31, 1954, and the railroad line through Towson was finally abandoned altogether on June 11, 1958, leaving only the stone abutments where the tracks crossed York Road on a steel girder bridge. One passenger on the last passenger train recalled that many riders came from as far away as Boston and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to participate in the historic event, along with members of the National Railway Historical Society
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
. Historic Towson, a local group of history buffs, installed a bronze plaque on the west abutment in 1999, commemorating the defunct railroad's place in Towson's history.
Shopping and other attractions
Towson has some of Baltimore County's largest shopping areas. These include:Towson Town Center
Towson Town CenterTowson Town Center
Towson Town Center is a large indoor shopping mall located in Towson, Maryland. It was the largest indoor shopping mall in Maryland prior to the completion of Arundel Mills in late 2000 in Hanover and the 2007 expansion of the Annapolis Mall.- History :...
is Baltimore County's largest indoor mall with four stories of shops and a parking garage, which is also linked to some other shops across the street, including a Barnes and Noble, which structurally is beneath Joppa Road
Joppa Road
Joppa Road is a road that runs across the northern suburbs of Baltimore, mostly parallel to the Baltimore Beltway. Joppa Road today is used by motorists as an alternative to congested I-695 traffic, which often causes the road to become congested itself....
near the Towson Circle. Also nearby is Allegheny Avenue, the main street of downtown Towson, which offers a variety of local eateries.
Towson Commons
One block away from Towson Town Center is Towson Commons, a smaller mall that was once most notably home to Borders Books, but has since declined and now houses offices upstairs. The AMC movie theater located here closed May 2011.The Shops at Kenilworth
The Shops at Kenilworth, formerly known as Kenilworth Park and also as Kenilworth Bazaar, is a small indoor mall located on Kenilworth Drive. The mall at one time was home to an express location of the Motor Vehicle AdministrationDepartment of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
, which has since moved, and is now Sports Her Way.
Towson Marketplace
The Towson Marketplace is a major shopping area near Joppa RoadJoppa Road
Joppa Road is a road that runs across the northern suburbs of Baltimore, mostly parallel to the Baltimore Beltway. Joppa Road today is used by motorists as an alternative to congested I-695 traffic, which often causes the road to become congested itself....
, Goucher Boulevard, and Putty Hill Avenue. Built on the site of the Eudowood Sanatarium, the original Eudowood Plaza shopping center was an open mall anchored by Montgomery Ward. Renovated in the early 1980s to an indoor mall, the location has been converted into some big box stores and supermarkets, including a Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Marshall's, Sports Authority
Sports Authority
The Sports Authority, Inc. is one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States. It is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and operates more than 460 stores in 45 U.S...
, Superfresh, and Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
. Towson Marketplace is next to Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
.
Recher Theatre
The Recher TheatreRecher Theatre
Recher Theatre is a concert venue in Towson, Maryland. It has been open as a concert venue since 1999.The small venue with a capacity of only 700 has had hosted several popular acts over the years, including: Aimee Mann, Anberlin, Bo Diddley, Breaking Benjamin, Buckethead, Buckcherry, Demon Hunter,...
, located in downtown Towson, is a popular concert venue for popular local and national acts.
Towson Center & Unitas Stadium
Towson UniversityTowson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
's arena Towson Center
Towson Center
Towson Center is Towson University's 5,250-seat multi-purpose arena, in Towson, Maryland. The arena opened in 1976.It is home to the Men's and Women's Basketball teams, the Volleyball team, and the Gymnastics team....
and stadium Unitas Stadium are both main destinations for Towson Tiger
Towson Tigers
The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson University. All of the major athletic teams compete in the Colonial Athletic Association with 20 Division I athletic teams The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson...
athletics and other events.
Colleges and universities
Towson UniversityTowson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
is a public school in southern Towson. Towson University's student population is close to 20,000, making it the second largest institution in the University System of Maryland
University System of Maryland
The University System of Maryland is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland institutions of higher education. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and...
. TU is home to the largest Business School in the state of Maryland, with 2,500 students. It was founded in 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School for the training of teachers. North of downtown is a small private liberal arts school, Goucher College
Goucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
, which was founded in 1885 as The Woman's College of Baltimore.
Public schools
Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore County Public Schools is the school district in charge of all public schools in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The nation's 25th largest school system as of 2005, it is managed by the Board of Education, headquartered in Towson. The Superintendent is Dr. Joe A...
district, and the Baltimore County Board of Education headquarters is located here as well. There are three high schools. Towson High School
Towson High School
Towson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore...
was the first secondary school founded and is Towson's largest, while Loch Raven High School
Loch Raven High School
Loch Raven High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland. Its name is derived from its proximity to the Loch Raven Reservoir.-History:The school was founded in 1972 and is part of the system...
dates from 1972. The Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Carver Center for Arts and Technology is a public magnet high school located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland. In any given year, about 800 students attend, and typical class size is just under 20. The school is primarily known for its ten primes, for which students must apply in order to...
is a local magnet school.
Towson is served by five public elementary schools: Rodgers Forge, Stoneleigh, Riderwood, Hampton, and West Towson. All five of the schools are now over-capacity.
Also located in Towson is Ridge Ruxton School, a special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
school serving the central area of Baltimore County, including Reisterstown, Owings Mills, Parkville
Parkville, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,118 people, 13,044 households, and 8,243 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 7,352.1 people per square mile . There were 13,550 housing units at an average density of 3,201.4 per square mile...
, Cockeysville, and Hunt Valley. The school describes itself as offering "programs for students from three to twenty-one years of age who have been identified as developmentally delayed, intellectually limited, autistic-like, and/or multi-handicapped".
Private schools
The Towson area has a number of long-established private schools at the secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
level, including Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
, Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, college preparatory school established by the Society of Jesus, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed...
, Baltimore Lutheran School
Baltimore Lutheran School
Baltimore Lutheran School is a co-educational parochial secondary school serving grades 6-12. Baltimore Lutheran School is located in Towson, Maryland, United States. BLS is operated by the Baltimore Lutheran High School Association, Inc., an association of Lutheran churches in the Baltimore...
, Notre Dame Preparatory School
Notre Dame Preparatory School (Towson, Maryland)
Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Roman Catholic school in Towson, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore. Notre Dame Preparatory School is one of Baltimore's oldest Catholic, college preparatory schools for girls...
.
Notable residents and natives
- Spiro AgnewSpiro AgnewSpiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
(1918–1996), Vice President of the United StatesVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
1969-1973 - Carmelo AnthonyCarmelo AnthonyCarmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
(born 1984), National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player - Albert CassellAlbert CassellAlbert Irvin Cassell was a prominent mid-twentieth-century African American architect in Washington, D.C., whose work shaped many academic communities in the United States. He designed buildings for Howard University in Washington D.C., Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Virginia Union...
(1895–1969), architect - William Purington Cole, Jr.William Purington Cole, Jr.William Purington Cole, Jr. was an American jurist and politician. From 1927 to 1929 and from 1931 to 1942, Cole was a U.S. Congressman who represented the second district of Maryland....
(1889–1957), U.S. CongressmanUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Maryland's 2nd District, 1927–1929 and 1931-1942. - Mel Kiper, Jr.Mel Kiper, Jr.Mel Kiper Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland is an American football analyst for the ESPN television channel. He has served as an analyst for ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.-Career:With the emergence of ESPN2 and ESPN.com,...
(born 1960), ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Draft Analyst. - Divine (1945–1988), actor, the drag persona of Harris Glen Milstead.
- Jean Marie "Jeff" DonnellJeff DonnellJeff Donnell was an American film and television actress. Born Jean Marie Donnell, she grew up in South Windham, Maine...
(1921–1988), film and TV actress - F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
(1896–1940), writer - Jane FrankJane FrankJane Schenthal Frank was an American artist. She studied with Hans Hofmann and Norman Carlberg and is known as a painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, and textile artist...
(Jane Schenthal Frank) (1918–1986), artist - Dorothy LamourDorothy LamourDorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
(1914–1996), film actress - G. E. LowmanG. E. LowmanGuerdon Elmer Lowman, more familiarly G. E. Lowman was an American Christian clergyman and a pioneering international radio evangelist beginning in 1930, following a successful business career....
(1897–1965), radio evangelist - Gino MarchettiGino MarchettiGino John Marchetti is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. A defensive end, he played in 1952 for the Dallas Texans and from 1953 to 1966 for the Baltimore Colts.-Early years:...
, Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive end (Dallas TexansDallas Texans (NFL)The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
, Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
) - Kimmie MeissnerKimmie MeissnerKimberly Claire "Kimmie" Meissner is an American figure skater. She is the 2006 World Champion, the 2007 U.S. National Champion, and the 2007 Four Continents Champion...
, figure skater and last US world figure skating champion - Anita NallAnita NallNadia Anita Nall , more familiarly known as Anita Nall and now Anita Nall-Richesson since her marriage to Luke Richesson in 2002, is a U.S. Olympic medalist in competitive swimming...
(born 1976), 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
gold medalist swimmer - Thomas W. Offutt (banker, land owner) president and director of the Second National Bank, Towson
- Michael PhelpsMichael PhelpsMichael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
(born 1985), 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
gold medalist swimmer - Charles RidgelyCharles RidgelyCaptain Charles Ridgely was born in Maryland in 1733 to Colonel Charles Ridgely and Rachel Howard.Together with his father and brother, Captain Charles established the Northampton Iron Works just north of Towson, Maryland under what is presently Loch Raven Reservoir. He built the massive Hampton...
(1733–1790), Hampton estateHampton National Historic SiteHampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
founder and ironworksIronworksAn ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
owner - Charles Carnan RidgelyCharles Carnan RidgelyCharles Carnan Ridgely was born Charles Ridgely Carnan. He is also known as Charles Ridgely of Hampton. He served as the 15th Governor of the state of Maryland in the United States from 1815 to 1818. He also served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1790 to 1795, and in the Maryland State...
(1760–1829), Governor of Maryland 1815-1818 - Eliza RidgelyEliza RidgelyEliza Eichelberger Ridgely was an American heiress, traveler, arbiter of fashion, and mistress of Hampton, the Ridgely plantation north of Towson, Maryland...
of HamptonHampton National Historic SiteHampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th-century estate, including a Georgian manor house, gardens, grounds, and the original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family...
(1803–1867), 'The Lady with a Harp' - Don ShulaDon ShulaDonald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
(born 1930), Former Head Coach and Player with the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, who also led the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to the only perfect season in NFL history. Holds NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
record for most wins as a Head Coach. - Major-General Nathan Towson(1784–1854), distinguished officer of the War of 1812, former Paymaster of the US Army, and namesake of Fort TowsonFort TowsonFort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma....
, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. - Johnny UnitasJohnny UnitasJohn Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
(1933–2002), Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback (Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) - Ricky Van VeenRicky Van VeenRicky Van Veen is the co-founder of CollegeHumor, a popular comedy brand/website, and CEO of Notional, a television production company born out of CollegeHumor. Van Veen created the site as a student at Wake Forest and it quickly became a mainstay. Van Veen's site was earning between $5–10 million...
, owner and co-founder of CollegeHumorCollegeHumorCollegeHumor is a comedy website owned by InterActiveCorp and based in New York City. The site features daily original comedy videos and articles created by its in-house writing and production team, in addition to user-submitted videos, pictures, articles and links. In early 2009, CollegeHumor's...
website - Thomas RobertsThomas Roberts (news anchor)Thomas Roberts is an American journalist who, since April 2010, has served as a news anchor for MSNBC, a cable-news channel.-Early life and education:...
, dayside anchor and occasional prime time fill-in on msnbcMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
.
Medical Facilities
- Greater Baltimore Medical CenterGreater Baltimore Medical CenterGreater Baltimore Medical Center, known to many simply as GBMC, is a hospital located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland. GBMC serves more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. GBMC’s main campus also includes three medical office...
- St. Joseph Medical Center
- Sheppard Pratt HospitalThe Sheppard and Enoch Pratt HospitalThe Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, known to many simply as Sheppard Pratt, is a psychiatric hospital located in Towson, a northern suburb of Baltimore, Maryland...
Cultural references
- The character Elaine BenesElaine BenesElaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
, of the 1990s NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, is from Towson. - The character Sam Fisher in the Splinter CellSplinter CellTom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels. The protagonist, Sam Fisher, is presented as a highly-trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon"...
novels by Raymond BensonRaymond BensonRaymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...
, resided in a townhouse in Towson. - Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
's fictional CIA Analyst character Jack RyanJack Ryan (Tom Clancy)John Patrick "Jack" Ryan, Sr. is a fictional character created by Tom Clancy who appears in many of his novels.-Backstory:Born in 1950, Ryan's background is established in Patriot Games and Red Rabbit. His father was Emmet William Ryan , a police homicide lieutenant in Baltimore, and World War II...
was born in Towson.
External links
- Historic Towson Inc.
- Towson.com
- Towson Town Center
- Towson Chamber of Commerce
- Towson Junior Chamber
- The Greater Towson Committee
- Towsontown Spring Festival
- A Short History of the WTNA, by Richard Parsons http://www.westtowson.org/Dick%20Parsons%20History.htm
- Eudowood Sanatarium (Hospital for Consumptives of Maryland)http://www.asylumprojects.org/tiki-index.php?page=Eudowood+Sanatarium
- Towson Weather