Editing Baltimore County, Maryland (section)

==History==
===17th century===
The name "Baltimore" derives from [[Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore]] (1605–1675), proprietor of the colonial-era [[Province of Maryland]], and the town of Baltimore in [[County Cork]], [[Ireland]]. The earliest known documentary record of the county is dated January 12, 1659, when a [[writ]] was issued on behalf of the [[Maryland General Assembly|General Assembly of Maryland]] to its sheriff.<ref>Located in the [[Maryland State Archives]] in the Hall of Records of the state capital of [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]],&nbsp;</ref> 

The county was founded in 1659, and is now one of 23 counties in the state. The initial Baltimore County was larger geographically than it is currently, including most of northeastern Maryland, which was then the northwestern frontier of the [[Province of Maryland|Province]] and included the present-day jurisdictions of [[Baltimore|Baltimore City]], [[Cecil County, Maryland|Cecil]] and [[Harford County, Maryland|Harford Counties]], and parts of [[Carroll County, Maryland|Carroll]], [[Anne Arundel County, Maryland|Anne Arundel]], [[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick]], [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard]], and [[Kent County, Maryland|Kent Counties]].

In 1674, a proclamation of the Proprietor established the then-extensive boundary lines for old Baltimore County. Over the next century, various segments of the old county were sliced off as population and settlements increased in fringe regions. A portion of northeastern Baltimore County, as well as a portion of northwestern Kent County, was split off to create Cecil County. In 1748, a portion of western Baltimore County, as well as a portion of [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]] to the south, were split off to create Frederick County. In 1773, Harford County to the east was split off, and in 1837 another part of western Baltimore County was combined with a part of eastern Frederick County to create Carroll County. After the adjustment of Baltimore County's southern boundary with Anne Arundel County, stated to be the upper Middle and Western Branches of the [[Patapsco River]] in 1727, a portion of the county's northwestern area was designated in 1838 as the "Western District" or "Howard District" of Arundel and in 1851 was officially separated to form Howard County.

Prior to 1674, Baltimore County court sessions were held in private residences, according to sketchy documentary evidence. In 1674, the General Assembly passed "An Act for erecting a Court-house and Prison in each County within this Province". The site of the courthouse, jail and county seat for Baltimore County was evidently "Old Baltimore" near the [[Bush River (Maryland)|Bush River]] on land that in 1773 became part of Harford County.

The exact location of Old Baltimore is Chilbury Point on the north side of the Bush River owned by the Garrison of the present-day [[Aberdeen Proving Ground]] (APG), a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] weapons testing facility. It is a popular spot of local boaters. APG's Cultural Resource Management Program attempted to find Old Baltimore, contracting with R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates (Goodwin). Goodwin first performed historical and archival work and coordinated with existing landscape features to locate the site of Old Baltimore. APG's [[Bomb disposal|Explosive Ordnance Disposal]] of Army personnel defused any unexploded ordnance. In 1997–1998. Goodwin dug 420 test pits, uncovering artifacts including a [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] farthing coin, and French and English gun flints. An unearthed brick foundation proved to be the remains of the tavern owned by colonist James Phillips. Another prominent landholder in Old Baltimore was William Osbourne, who operated the ferry across the Bush River.

In 1683, the Maryland General Assembly passed "An Act for Advancement of Trade" to "establish towns, ports, and places of trade, within the province." One of the towns established by the act was "on Bush River, on Town Land, near the Court-House". The courthouse on the Bush River referenced in the 1683 Act was in all likelihood the one created by the 1674 Act. "Old Baltimore" was in existence as early as 1674, but no documents describe what may have preceded it.

By 1695, the "Old Baltimore" courthouse had evidently been abandoned. County justices put the site up for sale. Apparently a new courthouse at "Simm's Choice" on the Baltimore County side of [[Gunpowder River|Little Gunpowder Falls]] had been under construction since 1692. 

===18th century===
In 1700, builder Michael Judd sold it to the county justices. This change of location, away from the Bush River area, reflects the growing economic and political importance of the Gunpowder region. During the next decade, the county seat moved to [[Joppa, Maryland|Joppa]].

By 1724, the legislative assembly authorized Thomas Tolley, Capt. John Taylor, Daniel Scott, Lancelot Todd, and John Stokes purchased 20 acres from "Taylor's Choice," a tract named after John Taylor. The assembly's ordinance directed that the land be divided into 40 lots with streets and alleys to accompany the courthouse and jail erected previously. By 1750, about 50 houses (including a few large two-story brick structures), a church (St. John's Anglican Parish), a courthouse, three stone warehouses, inns, taverns, stores, a public wharf and a "gallows-tree" with an "Amen Corner" with pillories and whipping posts (now located northeast of the City of Baltimore near present-day suburban "Joppatowne" off [[Harford Road]]) existed.

A new port and wharfing site, [[Elkridge Landing]], on the upper [[Patapsco River]]'s Western Branch, became prosperous in the 18th century. It was established on the "falls" of the river, below the rapids and rocks, where the river was deep enough for loaded sailing merchantmen. The landing was a designated "port of entry" and was the terminus of several "rolling roads" on which horse or oxen-drawn [[hogshead]]s (huge barrels) packed with tobacco were wheeled down to the Landing/port to be loaded on ships sailing for London and Europe. Gradually the site silted-up from soil erosion and poor farming cultivation on the upper Patapsco, and the maritime economy of the Landing faded. In the 19th century, it became an important stop on the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] and the main north-south East Coast highway for wagons and carriages. Still, later it was on Washington Boulevard (designated [[United States Route 1|U.S. Route 1]]) by 1926.

With a bit of financial pressure, and after paying for the cost of a new courthouse (300 pounds sterling), dominant business, commercial and political residents of the Town of Baltimore were able to have the Maryland General Assembly relocate the county seat to their growing port town. In 1768, following receipt of petitions for and against the relocation, the General Assembly passed an Act that moved the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://aomol.msa.maryland.gov/000001/000061/html/am61p--86.html|title=Baltimore Town Made the County Seat|journal=Maryland State Archives (Archives of Maryland Online)|volume=61|pages=86–87|publisher=Maryland State Archives}}</ref> The first courthouse was constructed in 1768 at a new Courthouse Square at present-day [[St. Paul Street-Calvert Street|North Calvert Street]], between East Lexington and East Fayette Streets.

===19th century===
The city of Baltimore, [[Jonestown, Baltimore|Jonestown]], and [[Fell's Point, Baltimore|Fells Point]] were [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] as the [[Baltimore|City of Baltimore]] in 1796–1797. The city remained a part of surrounding Baltimore County and continued to serve as its [[county seat]] from 1768 to 1851.<ref name="Maryland Manual">{{cite web| url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/bcity/html/bcity.html| title=Baltimore, Maryland—Government| work=Maryland Manual On-Line: A Guide to Maryland Government| publisher=Maryland State Archives| date=October 23, 2008| access-date=October 27, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919221820/http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/bcity/html/bcity.html| archive-date=September 19, 2008| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The site of the courthouse is now "[[Battle Monument|Battle Monument Square]]", constructed 1815–1822 to commemorate the city and county defense in the [[War of 1812]], including the bombardment of [[Fort McHenry]] by the British [[Royal Navy]] fleet in the [[Patapsco River]], the two-day stand-off in fortifications dug east of the city on Loudenschlager's Hill (now "Hampstead Hill" in today's [[Patterson Park]]) and the earlier [[Battle of North Point]] in "Godly Woods" on the "Patapsco Neck" peninsula in the southeastern portion of the county, during September 12–14, 1814. These events have been commemorated ever since by [[Defenders Day (Maryland)|Defenders Day]], an annual city, county, and state official holiday on September 12.

A second city-county courthouse constructed in 1805–1809 was moved to the western side of the Square at North Calvert and East Lexington. A third courthouse including the lower magistrates, commissioners, [[Government of Maryland#District Court|district]] and [[Maryland Circuit Courts|circuit courts]], orphans (inheritances/wills) court, small claims court and the old [[Courts of Maryland|Supreme Bench of Baltimore City]] was constructed on the entire western block of [[St. Paul Street-Calvert Street|North Calvert]], East Lexington, East Fayette and [[St. Paul Street (Baltimore)|Saint Paul]] Streets from 1896 to 1900. 

In 1816, the City of Baltimore annexed from Baltimore County several parcels of land known as the "Precincts" on its west, north, east and southwest sides. The County separated from the city (which it surrounds on the east, north, and west) on July 4, 1851, as a result of the adoption of the 1851 second state constitution. Baltimore became one of the few "[[Independent city (United States)|independent cities]]" in the United States, putting it on the same level with the state's other 23 counties and granting limited "[[home rule]]" powers outside the authority of the Maryland General Assembly.

[[Towson, Maryland|Towsontown]] was voted in a referendum by the voting citizens as the new "county seat" on February 13, 1854.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|access-date=June 7, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> The City of Baltimore continued annexing land from the county, extending its western and northern boundaries in 1888. The factory and business owners in the eastern industrial communities of [[Canton, Baltimore|Canton]] and [[Highlandtown, Baltimore|Highlandtown]] resisted and opposed annexation, but were annexed 30 years later. The last major annexation took place in 1918–1919, which again took territory from the county on all three sides (west, north, and east) and to the south for the first time from Anne Arundel County, along the south shores of the [[Patapsco River]].

===20th century===
A new [[Baltimore County Courthouse]] was authorized to be built facing Washington Avenue, between Chesapeake and Pennsylvania Avenues to replace the previous courthouse and governmental offices then centered for near 85 years in the city, which had been the official "county seat" since just before the [[American Revolution]]. Later surrounded by manicured flower gardens, shrubs and curved walkways, the historical landmark is built of local [[limestone]] and [[marble]]. It was completed and dedicated in 1855. Wings and annexes were added in 1910, 1923 and 1958. By the 1970s, the county's legal system and governmental offices had grown so much that a separate modernistic "County Courts Building" was erected to the west behind the old Courthouse with its annexes, separated by a paved plaza which is used for employee/visitors relaxations and official ceremonies.

A constitutional amendment to the 1867 Maryland Constitution was approved by referendum in 1948, prohibiting any future annexations without approval from residents in affected territories.

Extensive city-county hostilities came during the Civil Rights Movement, and by the 1980s the county's older [[inner suburbs]] faced increasing urban social ills. An atmosphere of cooperation emerged with the drawing of cross-border state assembly districts, organizing of regional government agencies, and increasing state assumption of powers.

The county has a number of properties and sites of local, state and national historical interest on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Baltimore County, Maryland|National Register of Historic Places]] which is maintained by the [[National Park Service]] of the [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]] by the "Historic Sites Act" of August 1935.

In 1985, the [[Baltimore City Circuit Courthouses|Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. City Circuit Courthouse]] was named in honor of Baltimorean and [[Civil Rights Movement]] leader [[Clarence M. Mitchell Jr.]].<ref name="BCHS">[[Historical marker]], Towson Courthouse, Baltimore County Historical Society.</ref>