Henryton, Maryland

Henryton, Maryland
Unincorporated community
Henryton Location within the state of Maryland Show map of Maryland Henryton Henryton (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°21′04″N 76°54′48″W
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Caroll
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)

Henryton is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, Maryland, United States.^[1] It is located along the Patapsco River. Although it’s not known for certain, the community was supposedly named after 1800s land owner and farmer Henry DeVries. DeVries was the son of Dutch immigrant Christian DeVries, coming to America in 1802 to work in the Hammond & Pringle paper mill in Elkridge, MD. After his service to the mill was complete, he bought a flour mill from Mr._Miller of Baltimore in 1809 and some surrounding property from John Elder. This mill is visible from the hairpin turn on Marriottsville 2 and the ruins have a cross added to the top. Henry would work in his father’s then turned into paper mill approximately into his early adulthood (exact dating is unknown). After his time working for his father, he created a massive farm that likely spanned the entire southeast side of the mountain Henryton is based on. Multiple ruins of homes, buckets and other miscellaneous hand tools (hammers, nails, etc.) and what appears to be grave markers/barn foundations have been found in this area; including a road that was capable of taking people around the other side of the mountain where the land that is considered Henryton sits. This road is first seen on a District 5 map of Carroll County circa 1862 and is last seen on a US topographic map from the 1960s. However, since the DeVries family had been living in that area since 1809 (although as far as the author is aware there are no more in present times), it’s safe to presume the use of the road started before its first mention on a map. To see this road, if you start at the intersection of Marriottsville Road 2 and Arrington Road, you will see a flat path that looks like it heads up high into the mountain. If you keep traveling south down Marriottsville Road 2, you will the road keeps its course on the edge of the mountain (presumably to be able to visually follow the Piney Run) about 60–100 ft above Marriottsville Road 2. Although part of the road was lost to a mining blast in the 1900s (date is unknown but Genstar was known for its mining operations in the area of Henryton in the mid 1900s), the road continues for a couple hundred feet before curving south and disappearing from view on Marriottsville road 2. This path of the road goes past the ruins of what can only be attributed to a Henry (could’ve been DeVries, the Martent Map of 1862 shows someone with the name Henry Downey living there, which is the name of one of Henry DeVries’ nephews; but other maps of the surrounding time period note that the house is Henry DeVries’ and not Downey’s). The property and surrounding structures should definitely be explored by any rural adventurists, due to its sheer size and apparent use of stones to flatten out a section of land (almost looks like a Terris farm). The road essentially ends at the driveway of the current league of Maryland horsemen. Although the sign stated on their gate says no trespassing, the current Carroll county property map shows the road only stays on patapsco state park land. Other ruins follow on this path (which crosses the current Henryton Road) is where the presumed graveyard ruins were found. Due to the large stones and the relatively equal space they have from each other, it’s common logic to presume that is the function in the area; but the graves of some DeVries (including Henry) can be found at local cemeteries to the area. Potentially it could’ve been the barn of Henry DeVries. In third issue of the book “American Lumberman”, published in the 1930s, pictures of the house and barn of Henry DeVries can be seen. As far as the author is aware, these pictures would not represent the ruins previously found; and separate house-looking ruins have been found in the vicinity of the supposed grave yard. It is unknown to when all these structures became uninhabited and eventual rubble.

Transportation

The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink in nearby Owings Mills, Baltimore County, is a 20-minute drive by car from Carrolltowne and provides subway access to downtown Baltimore.

There is no bus link between Henryton/Eldersburg and nearby Randallstown in Baltimore County, in part due to longstanding opposition to inter-county public transit from Carroll County officials and residents.^[2]

References

1. "Geographic Names Information System". Henryton (Populated Place). U.S. Geological Survey. January 29, 2009.
2. Mary Gail Hare (May 20, 1998). "Large parking lot in Eldersburg raises fears of mass transit But county, MTA officials insist the new site will not become a park-and-ride". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 14, 2020.