Wall-Breaking Ceremony Kicks Off Former Howard County Circuit Courthouse Remodel

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Officials kicked off the start of renovations at the historic Circuit Courthouse in Old Ellicott City Friday with a wall-breaking ceremony.

The former Circuit Courthouse will be transformed into an 80,000-square-foot Center for Arts, Culture, and History. The project should wrap up in 2026.

"A centerpiece of our treasured Old Ellicott City, our historic Circuit Courthouse stands as a pillar of history in Howard County that we must preserve and breathe new life into. Although no longer serving Maryland’s judiciary system, this new visionary community center will allow this historic building to gain new meaning as a mecca of the arts, a cultural hub for Howard County’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community, headquarters to our award-winning Roving Radish program and a community space that supports our budding culinary entrepreneurs," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at the ceremony.

Located on Judicial Way in Ellicott City, the new Howard County Circuit Courthouse opened in the summer of 2021. It features a four-story atrium, a large entryway for safety screening for those entering the courthouse and separate hallways and elevators for detainees. The courthouse also includes office space for the Howard County State’s Attorney, Howard County Sheriff, Howard County Bar Association, Maryland Public Defender, Clerk of the Court and Register of Wills.