Elkridge Day a Lesson in Local History

Halethorpe resident Cynthia Garner got connected with the Elkridge Heritage Society a few years ago through the Girl Scouts. So when it came time to do her final project with Howard County's 4-H Club, Garner knew the organization she wanted to help.

On Saturday, Garner hosted what she called "Elkridge Day" at the Elkridge Heritage Society's headquarters on Main Street, in hopes of sparking interest in the history of the oldest town in Howard County.

During Elkridge Day, Garner gave tours of the , where the Elkridge physician Benjamin Bruce Brumbaugh used to live, now the Elkridge Heritage Society's headquarters.

After touring the 19th century home, families enjoyed refreshments on the porch. donated food and drinks. Children played on the property Garner had manicured as part of her 4-H project; she spent months weeding, planting and tending vegetation on the premises. The Home Depot in Lansdowne donated materials.

Garner will earn her 4-H Diamond Clover Award—the culmination of her 4-H career and the equivalent, she said, of the Eagle Scout Award—for her work on Elkridge Day.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award last year, Garner compiled oral histories of Elkridge residents that are on file at the Brumbaugh House.

Said Dave Grabowski, on behalf of the Elkridge Heritage Society: "She's done a great job, and she's done it all by herself."

The 18-year-old Garner will continue spreading the word about Elkridge. While she plans to attend CCBC in the fall, focusing on business management, she hopes to encourage Howard County schools to bring students to the Brumbaugh House for field trips to learn about their town.