Oella, Maryland

Oella Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Long Brick Row in the center of Oella, Maryland
Location	Oella Ave., Glen Rd., Hollow Rd., Oella, Maryland
Coordinates	39°16′32″N76°47′14″W
Area	130 acres (53 ha)
Built	1812(1812)
NRHP referenceNo.	76000979
Added to NRHP	November 7, 1976

Oellais amill townon thePatapsco Riverin westernBaltimore County,Maryland,United States, located betweenCatonsvilleandEllicott City.It is a 19th-century village of millworkers' homes.

History

Oella was founded in 1808 by the Union Manufacturing Company as aworking classcommunity for the company's mill workers. It was one of the earliest and most extensive cotton factories in the United States and used water-powered looms as early as 1819.

The Union Manufacturing Company was motivated by theEmbargo Act of 1807which required Baltimore merchants to manufacture finished goods in the United States rather than England. Stock in the company was issued to fund a series of industrial mills, the largest working with cotton and wool. Child and indigent labor was used reaching 150 employees in 1811.After theWar of 1812ended the embargo, cotton prices fell. A fire at the largest mill on 13 December 1815 took a decade to rebuild and recover from. The Mill rebounded with water driven looms, and expanded to three mill buildings before finally dissolving in 1887 after another drop in textile prices.William J. Dickey ofDickeysville (Gwynns Falls)purchased the mill in 1887, operating it as W.J. Dickey and Sons, naming the mill "Oella" after the first woman to spin cotton in America.

TheOella Historic Districtincludes the village that consists of 19th century workers housing and one late 19th century church. The only known 20th century building is the W.J. Dickey Company Mill constructed in 1919 as a rebuild after a 1918 fire. The plant was eventually used for the city.A drawing from 1812 byMaximilian Godefroyshows most of the stone buildings. The brick houses date from the mid-19th century, while the frame buildings were constructed at the end of the century. The Oella Methodist Church is a simple frame building with a tower on the northeast corner, which has been converted into offices. ThePatapsco Rivercontinued to provide power to generate electricity until 1972, whenHurricane Agnesflooded the power plant. That same year, the Dickey Company ceased manufacturing.

It was added to theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1976.Also listed on the National Register at Oella are theEllicott's Mills Historic DistrictandMount Gilboa Chapel.

Oella is along the route of theTrolley Line Number 9 Trail.

Notable person

• Benjamin Banneker:scientist,surveyor,almanacauthor andfarmer.

Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum

Further information:Commemorations of Benjamin Banneker § Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, Baltimore County, Maryland

A park commemorating Benjamin Banneker is located in a stream valley woodland at the former site of Banneker's farm and residence at the eastern edge of the Oella community.The Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks manages the park, which was dedicated on June 9, 1998.The park, which encompasses 138 acres (56 ha) and containsarchaeologicalsites and extensive nature trails, is the largest originalAfrican Americanhistorical site in the United States.The primary focus of the park is a museum highlighting Banneker's contributions.

Geology

Oella is the type locality of theOella Formation,a LateProterozoicor earlyCambrianschist.

External links

• Oella Historic District, Baltimore County,including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust
• Boundary Map of Oella Historic District, Baltimore County,at Maryland Historical Trust
• Historic American Buildings Survey,filed under Oella, Baltimore County, MD:
  • HABS No. MD-839, "Mill Houses, 929-947 Oella Avenue",1 photo, supplemental material
  • HABS No. MD-837, "Old Mill, Oella Avenue",1 photo, supplemental material
• Oella Homeowners Association
• Greater Oella Community Association
• Patapsco River Rock Building—July family event nearOella, MD.