Summer Social On Thursday Celebrates Saving Of Camp Ilchester In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Camp Ilchester's fate seemed doomed, but in the end, Howard County rescued the 21-acre property from being sold for possible development. Now, residents and girl scouts are invited to celebrate the land's future as green space on Thursday starting at 4 p.m.

In May, the Howard County Council approved County Executive Calvin Ball’s proposal to include $6 million in the budget in order to purchase the 21-acre property from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. The acquisition of Camp Ilchester also will help advance the High School #14 project, which will be located at Troy Park in Elkridge.

“Spaces like Camp Ilchester make up the fabric of our community – connecting neighbors and friends and allowing more of our residents’ close access to nature,” Ball said. “We will always look to preserve open space, to preserve the legacy of organizations that serve our community and to be good stewards of our land and our future.”

The Camp Ilchester Summer Social will feature an array of activities, food trucks and more. Camp Ilchester is located at 5042 Ilchester Rd. in Ellicott City. Parking will be available across the street at Ilchester Elementary School.