Historic Ellicott City jail is getting a big makeover, but its past will be preserved

The centuries-old jail in Ellicott City's historic district is set to become a brand new center, thanks to a partnership between a nonprofit and the University of Maryland.

Preservation Maryland is leading the charge on this rehabilitation. While there are a lot of new things planned for the building, the aim is to preserve the jail's long history.

What's planned for the center

Laura Houston told WJZ Thursday that she's taking her job in rehabilitating the jail very seriously.

"I want to get it right for the county, for the residents, for the organization," she said.

Houston, the director of revitalization initiatives for Preservation Maryland, is one of the people leading the effort to rehab, reopen, and breathe life into the jail.

• The plan is to adapt the building into a series of spaces that will include:
• Headquarters for Preservation Maryland
• Office and research space for UMD School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation faculty and students
•  Community meeting and event space for the area

A design team has already been selected, and initial designs are underway. Part of the design will have elements to support Howard County's Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan.

Several federal and state grants are helping fund the effort, as well as private funding, like donations.

The aim is to break ground by spring or summer next year.

Preserving history

A big aspect of the center will be showcasing the building's history.

Built in 1851, the jail held several freedom seekers and those helping them. There are also documented lynchings associated with the jail.

The jail hasn't held anyone since the 1980s, and it has been vacant since 2008.

Houston said there are also a lot of features still in place that they plan to try and incorporate into the new building's design.

She said she doesn't want people to forget the building's past.

"[Preserving the history is] interwoven to the decisions that are made about what to restore, about interpretation, about engagement with communities," Houston said. "It's all a part of that."

Houston sees a lot of good coming from the center.

"Even in a small space, or with what some might consider a small project, you can impact big, positive change," Houston said. "Doing what we can with what we can is sort of at the core of this project."