Ilchester Tutors

About Ilchester

Along the Patapsco River next door to Ellicott City, Ilchester, Maryland is about thirteen miles from downtown Baltimore. The real estate website Niche ranks Ilchester as the third best suburb for families in the greater Baltimore area. Originally settled when John Cornthwaite ordered his men to build a dam on the Patapsco River, Ilchester came into existence in the middle 1700’s. It was named after the village of Ilchester in Somerset, England. Cornthwaite back flooded his pond to build a gristmill to grind flour. The mill came to be known as Dismal Mill for reasons unknown to history. A few years later, the Quaker Ellicott brothers bought up the land, establishing Ellicott Mills a few miles up the river. With the mills came the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad which built routes along the river to ship goods north to Baltimore and south to Washington D.C. In 1824, the land was again purchased by a group of investors who built the Thistle Manufacturing Company based in Catonsville. Over the years, the company produced flour, cotton, silk and paper products. The mill remained in operation continuously until 2003. The Ellicott’s also sold land to the Catholic Church for the establishment of a college, initially named Mount Saint Clemens and then St. Mary’s College. For many years, the college prepared young men for the seminary until it was moved in the 1950’s. After that the ruins of the college became a gathering place for local teenagers who spread graffiti and came up with ghost stories about the place, nicknaming it “Hell House.” In recent times the place has become a must see stop for ghost chasers and haunted house devotees. Today, despite the ghosts in the ruins, Ilchester prides itself on its diversity and affluence. In fact, Niche gives the area an A+ on overall livability and notes that the average median household income is over $110,000 a year.

It’s likely that an Illchester tutor will be able to keep you ahead of the academic curve so you can take some time away from the books to chase ghosts or enjoy the exciting attractions and amenities in the area. For those inclined to the outdoors, Centennial Park in Ellicott City offers several recreational opportunities. The park features 337 acres with a large man-made lake which is open to fishing, small boating, canoeing and rafting. Hikers and bikers will enjoy the 2.6 miles of pathways and the more than seven miles of interconnected trails. The park is also home to a variety of wildlife including deer, foxes, beavers, turtles and herons.

Patapsco Valley State Park just up the river from Ilchester has a wealth of recreational opportunities. The park features several miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails with the longest being the 2.3-mile Grist Mill Trail. The river provides a great place for tubing, paddling, swimming and fishing. The park is also home to historic sites such as the Thomas Viaduct, the world’s oldest multiple arched stone bridge built in 1835. A pedestrian only swinging bridge spans the river near the Avalon area of the park.

For sports fans, Baltimore is home to two very successful professional teams. The Baltimore Orioles, who play at state of the art Camden Fields, have won three world championships. The stadium has been ranked as one of the most beautiful in the Major Leagues. Just across Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League play at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens replaced the departed Baltimore Colts as the city’s NFL franchise in 1996. They have won two world championships in 2001 and 2013.