About Historic Ellicott City, Inc.

HEC’s Decorator Show House is our organization’s main fundraiser. The proceeds each year support our passion for preservation and restoration for historic properties throughout Howard County, Maryland. For over 33 years, Historic Ellicott City’s Show House Committee has worked tirelessly to seek out properties of interest, contacts the owner, and works with designers to completely transform the property for an event for the entire community to enjoy.

HEC Grant Goes to Support Historic District’s Camera Alert Network

October 2020

With funds raised during HEC’s 2019 Decorator Show House, HEC created the 2020 Historic Ellicott City Revitalization Grant Program—grants aimed at funding improvements of properties within the Ellicott City Historic District.

The first grant has been approved and is for the HEC Camera Network, LLC, a project to expand the early warning camera system in Old Ellicott City. While the installation of this network of cameras serves a variety of purposes in the town, HEC is pleased with this project’s focus on providing an alert system for residence and business owners so that they can make informed decisions in the event of heavy rain that has proven to be damaging to many of the historic structures, as well as a threat to the lives of those there.

Update: 2020 Revitalization Grant Program

July 2020

In May, HEC announced a 2020 Historic Ellicott City Revitalization Grant Program, through which the organization has committed funds to provide direct assistance for the rehabilitation, sustainment, and preservation of properties within the Ellicott City National Historic District boundaries.

During the past 3 months, HEC has considered several applications. In reviewing them, we would like to make grant applicants aware that HEC has a limited amount of funds to support this program and that the award of these funds will be determined on a competitive basis. For more information on what makes the best applications, click Read More below and read the information under the July 2020 Update.

Please feel free to contact HEC should you need any further explanation of the grant applications requirements.

Weir Building Grant Disbursement Complete

June 2020

HEC was pleased to receive confirmation last week that the Howard County Historical Society completed restoration of the front porch to the Quaker School House, also known as the Weir Building. Funding for the grant was provided by HEC through fundraising from our Decorator Show House event–as part of HEC’s grant partnership with Preservation Maryland.

Pioneers in Preservation

Historic Ellicott City, Inc. (HEC) is a non-profit volunteer organization founded in 1974. The organization is the result of a merger of Historic Ellicott Mills, Inc. and the Ellicott City Bicenntenial Association, Inc.

Our mission is to support the preservation and restoration of the Ellicott City Historic District as well as other historic Howard County properties, and to promote a greater awareness of Ellicott City and Howard County history.

HEC, Inc. began its preservation efforts with the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum. Other restoration efforts that followed included: the George Ellicott House, the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin and the Heritage Orientation Center.

Our most recent endeavor is helping to fund renovations at Carrollton Hall, located on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City. Today the building is undergoing a massive over $3 million rehabilitation which will establish Carrollton Hall as an exhibit, event, and meeting space for the community. To read more about these and all the projects HEC has helped to fund, click here.

Historic Ellicott City

Support Our Mission

For membership information, visit our membership page. For a one-time contribution, use the link below: