Catonsville

This 1877 &#8220;Plan of Catonsville&#8221; lays outs all the possibilities of an energetic and emerging suburb of Baltimore, only eight miles, or a one-day carriage ride, to the east. The centerpiece of the town is the Frederick Turnpike, part of the road system that connected to the National Road in Cumberland.<br><br> Typical of many pike towns, the Plan shows that the majority of properties and buildings are directly adjacent to the road, thus making the Turnpike the hub of economic and social activities. Many of the more affluent residents, who enjoyed Catonsville as a retreat from the summer heat of Baltimore, built their estates a short distance from the Turnpike to allow for lawns, gardens and lavish Victorian-style homes.<br><br> <i>(Sidebar):</i><br> <b>Remus Adams Blacksmith Shop</b><br> Remus Adams, a &#8220;free man of color,&#8221; owned a blacksmith shop on the National Road before the Civil War. Today, his property has become the site of the Catonsville Elementary School.