Day 165 - Taneytown, MD

(Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

I smiled for the amera!

Baumgardner Carriage House

Taneytown -- probably one of the most mispronounced town names in Maryland -- is located in Carroll County.  Founded in 1754 when one of the area’s first land grants took place, it was named after Raphael Taney, who designed the layout.  The town name is pronounced "Tawney-town," like a golden brown color.

My friend Gary met me in town at the police station, and we first walked to the old Purina mill nearby.  It was thoroughly abandoned, with lots of great rust and decay -- stuff I just love to photograph.  We left the mill and walked to the end of town where the Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel is located.  We decided that place was just too big and too beautiful to include in this walk, so it will be the scene of another.

Reindollar Bay Window

Abandoned Mill

We walked along Baltimore Street, where we stopped into City Hall, which is located in the old fire station building.  There we met Nancy McCormick, the director of economic development, who showed us around the building, telling us stories about the town and its history.  She was extremely proud of the recent refurbishing that Taneytown has undergone, getting new sidewalks and streetlights as part of a streetscape grant.  This walker, who has tripped and fallen on her photo walks, most notably in New Windsor, appreciated the easy walking in Taneytown.

All Point to Heaven

Nancy told us that in Taneytown's heyday, the town "square" had major department stores where patrons from Baltimore, Washington, Frederick, and other towns and cities would come to shop.  The town had hotels and taverns and a number of churches.  During the Civil War, it was used as a staging area for troops waiting to be sent to Gettysburg.  She also told us that Francis Scott Key's family home was at Terra Rubra, near Taneytown.  That will be the scene for another walk.

Wall Mural

Gary and I left our visit with Nancy with renewed interest in the buildings she had pointed out, and we continued down Baltimore to find the Lutheran Church and the Church of Christ.  From there we went to the Catholic Church, then back up to the town square (which is really just the major intersection of Rt. 194 and Rt. 140). On the square we found the Old Stone Hotel and the Eckenrode Building, one of the tallest buildings in town.

Old Stone Hotel

There's a lot more to Taneytown than meets the eye.  I think I'll have to do another walk there on another day, being sure to focus on the Antrim.

 ******************

Visit my photography show, "My Maryland," at the public library in Urbana, Maryland, on the lower level of the building.  It is there until the end of April.

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.

Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

*************************************************

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots
Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so