Our mission:

The volunteers of Historic Ellicott City, Inc. (HEC, Inc.) have worked to achieve two central goals:

• To restore and preserve the historic beauty and significance of the Historic District of Ellicott City, Maryland
• To promote the many opportunities for education, entertainment and enrichment the Historic District offers to our community and our visitors.

Our accomplishments:

In 2004 HEC, Inc. celebrated 30 years of service to the community.

HEC, Inc. maintained and programmed the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum for thirty years, relinquishing stewardship in January 2006. HEC, Inc. has restored the George Ellicott House, the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin and the Heritage Orientation Center in the Historic District. The log cabin is the oldest building in the Historic District, and the Heritage Orientation Center--the original Court House--now houses an exhibit designed to educate visitors about the fires, floods and Ellicott Family-the main factors that have shaped out town's history.

In addition, for several decades HEC, Inc. has annually restored a historic home in Howard County through the Decorator Show House. We have erected welcoming and informational signs in the Historic District.

HEC, Inc. conducts an annual holiday greens sale in the Historic District, and through community outreach works to offer local history to area school children and their families.

And why your support means so much:

By becoming a member of Historic Ellicott City, Inc. you'll help us build on our tradition of protecting and maintaining our landmarks for future generations. You'll also enjoy membership privileges that will increase your own enjoyment and understanding of our own Historic District.

• Complimentary Historic Ellicott City, Inc. newsletter
• Early notification of events and programs

The Story of Historic Ellicott City, Inc.

Historic Ellicott City, Inc. (HEC, Inc.) is the volunteer organization that restored the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum. The group was founded in 1974, after Tropical Storm Agnes came close to destroying the station and concerned citizens became determined not only to save the building but to transform it into one of Howard County 's premier historic sites. The building opened as a museum in 1976, after completion of the first major restoration, spearheaded by HEC, Inc.

For over thirty years, volunteers for HEC, Inc. and the Museum shared a strong desire to promote preservation, restoration and education in the Historic District of Ellicott City, Maryland. This partnership was showcased at the grand reopening of the Museum on May 20, 1999, after the second major restoration. We relinquished management of the Museum on January 31, 2006, confident that we had established a firm foundation to build on for the future.

The Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum is the oldest railroad station in America, completed in 1831 and placed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1968. In 1999, the Maryland Historical Trust awarded the Museum its Preservation Project Award, presented for restoration projects that demonstrate superlative historic preservation standards.

As we look to the future, our immediate goal is to bring a mill back to the Mill Town of Ellicott City. This is a daunting undertaking, which will only be accomplished by the efforts of many volunteers. Join us today.

Join us by completing the membership form.