Directly behind the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin, at the corner of Main Street and Ellicott Mills Drive, is a small stone building, which once served as Ellicott City's first courthouse. On August 21, 1998, Historic Ellicott City, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of a special exhibit we created in the building, now called the Heritage Orientation Center. This small building holds a wealth of information about the fires, floods and Ellicott family that all shaped the town we know today. Displays include photographs, a diorama and a time line. This building is an especially appropriate place to begin a tour of the historic sites of the Historic District.