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Walk through the stabilized ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute and learn about one of the most famous schools for young women in 19th century America. Located in historic Ellicott City, Maryland, the granite Greek Revival structure with its four soaring Doric columns sits atop the town’s highest elevation, overlooking the dramatic Patapsco River Valley. Elevated walkways lead you throughout the 8,000 sq. ft. building where you can imagine what it was like to be a student at a time when it was uncommon for young women to leave home and pursue an education. Imagine a simpler, more innocent time when girls came to this remote location to study academic subjects like the natural sciences, particularly botany, while delving into history, languages, music and art under the inspired tutelage of famous educator Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, a leader in women’s education of that era. When the school closed in 1890, it went through many metamorphoses: a hotel, a private residence, a WW I convalescent home, a summer outdoor theater and a nursing home for the indigents. Today the building is the focal point for a park for lovers of historical interpretations, archaeology, concerts, plays and other fine activities. It is also a favorite site for outdoor weddings. Future plans include 19th-century gardens. |
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