Wilde Lake, Columbia, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Wilde Lake is a reservoir
and also the name of the surrounding neighborhood, or "village
", located in Columbia, Maryland
, just north and west of the Columbia Town Center. It was the first portion of the "New Town" of Columbia to be built during the late 1960s, and was occupied in 1967. The lake and village are named for Frazar B. Wilde, a past chairman of the board of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company
. In 1963, the company agreed to invest in the project and, in return, acquired an equity participation. This arrangement was subsequently formalized by the creation of The Howard Research and Development Corporation, the joint venture established to develop Columbia.
Kimco Realty Corporation, the current owner of the village center, proposed a controversial redevelopment plan in 2008, that would have torn down buildings and built a large number of apartments in a mixed-use project. A Kimco executive declared that plan to be "null and void" at a June 1, 2009 meeting. The vice-president of Acquisitions and Development said: "I have no idea what the concept is [now]."
), Faulkner Ridge (named for William Faulkner
), Running Brook (where the streets are named for Robert Frost
's poems and Aesop
's Fables) (The Birches is located within Running Brook).
The Wilde Lake Interfaith Center is located in the village center.
, alma mater of actor (and grandson of Columbia founder James W. Rouse
) Edward Norton
, is located in the Village of Wilde Lake. Wilde Lake High School was the first high school to open in Columbia in 1971. It was the "first in the country to use individual study 'learning activities packages' for self-paced learning."
The school has 3 storys with skylights, and open hallways that overlook a central hallway nicknamed "Main Street." It is home to The Jim Rouse Theater, which houses performing arts performances for both the school's programs and for organizations throughout Columbia. The school is well known for its performing arts program.
The original high school was demolished in 1996 and a new one constructed. The former design was oval and two stories, with a windowless doughnut layout with classroom clusters, and a media center located in the center and accessible from the second level.
Other schools in the Village of Wilde Lake include Bryant Woods, Running Brook, and Faulkner Ridge elementary schools, and Wilde Lake Middle School.
The walking path around the 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) lake is 1.46 miles (2.3 km) long.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
and also the name of the surrounding neighborhood, or "village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
", located in Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, just north and west of the Columbia Town Center. It was the first portion of the "New Town" of Columbia to be built during the late 1960s, and was occupied in 1967. The lake and village are named for Frazar B. Wilde, a past chairman of the board of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company
CIGNA
Cigna , headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only to approximately 80 percent of its clients...
. In 1963, the company agreed to invest in the project and, in return, acquired an equity participation. This arrangement was subsequently formalized by the creation of The Howard Research and Development Corporation, the joint venture established to develop Columbia.
Kimco Realty Corporation, the current owner of the village center, proposed a controversial redevelopment plan in 2008, that would have torn down buildings and built a large number of apartments in a mixed-use project. A Kimco executive declared that plan to be "null and void" at a June 1, 2009 meeting. The vice-president of Acquisitions and Development said: "I have no idea what the concept is [now]."
Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods in the Village of Wilde Lake include: Bryant Woods (named for William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
), Faulkner Ridge (named for William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
), Running Brook (where the streets are named for Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
's poems and Aesop
Aesop
Aesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
's Fables) (The Birches is located within Running Brook).
Services
The village center is located in the Wilde Lake Village Green, and has a small grocery store, various restaurants, and other retail establishments. The Wilde Lake Community Center, called Slayton House, was named for John Slayton, first manager of the Columbia Association.The Wilde Lake Interfaith Center is located in the village center.
Education
Wilde Lake High SchoolWilde Lake High School
Wilde Lake High School is a secondary school located in Columbia, Maryland's Village of Wilde Lake, one of 12 public high schools in Howard County. Opened in 1971 as a model school for the nation, it was Columbia's first high school. It had a unique open doughnut-shaped design with "open...
, alma mater of actor (and grandson of Columbia founder James W. Rouse
James W. Rouse
James Wilson Rouse , founder of The Rouse Company, was a pioneering American real estate developer, urban planner, civic activist, and later, free enterprise-based philanthropist...
) Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
, is located in the Village of Wilde Lake. Wilde Lake High School was the first high school to open in Columbia in 1971. It was the "first in the country to use individual study 'learning activities packages' for self-paced learning."
The school has 3 storys with skylights, and open hallways that overlook a central hallway nicknamed "Main Street." It is home to The Jim Rouse Theater, which houses performing arts performances for both the school's programs and for organizations throughout Columbia. The school is well known for its performing arts program.
The original high school was demolished in 1996 and a new one constructed. The former design was oval and two stories, with a windowless doughnut layout with classroom clusters, and a media center located in the center and accessible from the second level.
Other schools in the Village of Wilde Lake include Bryant Woods, Running Brook, and Faulkner Ridge elementary schools, and Wilde Lake Middle School.
Recreation
The Columbia Swim Center, which contains three indoor pools and a water slide called "Splashdown," is located in the village center. There are also outdoor pools in each neighborhood.The walking path around the 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) lake is 1.46 miles (2.3 km) long.