Western Howard County Maryland

Western Howard County

Homes located in Western Howard County include the areas of Glenelg, Woodbine, Mt. Airy. West Friendship, Lisbon, Glenwood, Dayton, Cooksville and a small section of Brookeville.   Many of the communities in go beyond Howard County and stretch into surround Carroll and Montgomery Counties as well.   When looking at the MLS number that begins with MD, the next two letter tell if the home is located in Howard HW, Carroll CR or Montgomery MC.

The area, although very rural, is a high-income area, characterized by newly built, upscale homes amidst farms on rolling Maryland hills.  Along with enhanced housing development, there has also been emergence of community amenities such as Western Regional Park and The Community Center at Glenwood.

Many say western HoCo offers the best of both worlds.  While conveniently accessible to Routes 70, 40, 32 and 695, homes are typically situated in sub-rural open spaces opposed to the more densely populated areas of Howard County.  For many homeowners, life in western Howard County tops the chart for living a high quality of life in Howard County.

History of the Area:

Characterized historically by general stores, farms and a large tobacco plantation called “Bushy Park,” the area of Glenelg holds Scottish history as well.  The land known as Glenelg was given by a prominent man, John Dorsey, to his daughter Sarah Dorsey Howard and her husband Henry Howard.  Their son built a house on the property in the mid to late 18th century, which was then expanded upon in 1884  by the Assistant Postmaster General and his wife, who called their home “Glenelg,” after an old Scottish estate.  In 1856, a postal village named Glenelg was put into operation which served the community until 1983, when it was relocated to another location to serve the community.

Cooksville was founded by Thomas Cook in 1802, and still holds visual reminders of the historic farms and open space which classified the town upon its incorporation.

Woodbine was named for the native plant, woodbine, which grew in the fields along the riverbanks of the area, while the very first roundabout road in Maryland was built in Lisbon.