I was looking through some old documents, and came across something that mentioned that Edward Palmer had renovated a house called "Hilton" which is now located on the campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, in Catonsville.
I knew a little bit about Hilton because it was originally owned by Dr. Lennox Birckhead, a physician during the War of 1812, and an early member of MedChi, where I work. He lived there from 1828-1835. I wrote a little about him here.
In 1917, George W. Knapp purchased the house and the surrounding 250 acres for about $25,000. The house was significantly enlarged by Edward Palmer. A two-story servants wing and a kitchen and porch were added. Additionally, two gardeners' cottages were remodeled.
In 1962, the property was sold to what was then the Catonsville Community College and was used for classrooms, and then administrative offices.
After a "modern" 1970s renovation, the house was updated again in 2018 by Lewis Contractors. Their work included preservation of the historic crown moldings and baseboards, restoration of the windows, restoration of the mahogany paneling, installation of a new elevator, ADA compliance work and restoration of the quarry tile and historic marble checkerboard flooring.
This work and the new energy efficient HVAC systems, new electrical service and fixtures, restoration of the home’s exterior and installation of the new brick paver entryway have restored the home to its position as the crown jewel of the college campus.
I would have loved to do my signature snooping style of peeking into windows, but I was being followed around by a campus cop, so thought it might not be the smartest thing to do.
To read the Medusa file on this house, please click here.
