Indigenous peoples, likely Piscataway,[4] used the land now known as Fulton for hunting and farming.[5] The land's first European survey was by Thomas Browne, known as the "Patuxent Ranger", in 1700.[6] In the mid-1700s Richard Snowden, the Quaker grandson of one of Maryland's first iron ore producers, purchased tracts of land up the Patuxent River valley. Fulton was then known as Queen Caroline Parish. In 1803 Rezin Hammond settled on a parcel of the land,[7] and by 1805 Fulton was known as Hammond Directions and Snowden Second Addition.[6] In 1855 German immigrants settled in the area.
By 1871, St Paul's Lutheran was founded to serve the German farming community and was expanded in 1933. By 1878 Fulton opened school house #3, a one-room school house for white children a half mile west of town that operated until 1939.[7] The area was referred to as "Water's Store", for Richard Waters' blacksmith operation and post office which opened on December 29, 1874.[8][9]
The name was changed to "Fulton", after the popular Baltimore Sun editor Charles C. Fulton on 28 March 1882.[10] Albert W. Bradey purchased the Fulton corner stores of his father and Smallwood, operating it until his death in a house fire at the age of 90.[11][12]
In 1839, Heinrich Iager purchased 108 acres (44 ha) of farmland expanding to 185 acres (75 ha)s forming Maple Lawn Farms. In 1938, the farm began its current free-range turkey operations under the "Sho-Nuf" brand name.[13] The farm was nationally recognized in 2004 for the registered Holsteins used in its dairy operations.[13][14] The Ellsworth Iager farm took advantage of cheap POW labor through 1945.[15]
In the late 1990s, Fulton sat between the heavily developed areas of eastern Howard County, with water and sewer service, and the preserved western areas which used well water. Developer Greenebaum & Rose Associates proposed a dense 1,168-unit mixed use project for a portion of the 506-acre (205 ha) farm. In January 1998, Councilman Darrell Drown felt that the zoning would take only a night or two, and accommodated the developer with expedited hearings.[16] The first phase of zoning faced multiple contentious votes and 32 record-length hearings between pro-development and rural supporters.[17][18][19]
In 2013, the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning sought to expand water and sewer service so that the remaining Maple Lawn property could be developed at maximum density. A 7,000-person referendum attempt was launched and suppressed by the landowners' attorney, William Erskine, who sits on the economic development agency as well as the same law firm as County Executive Ken Ulman's father.[20][21]
Historic local places of worship include Grace Community Church, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, which was built in the 1870s by a group of mostly German families after originally meeting in each other's homes since the 1860s.[citation needed]
As of the 2010 Census, there are 2,049 people living in Fulton, of whom 70.96% are White, 14.84% Asian, 9.03% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.54% other races, and 4.34% who consider themselves two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 2.54% of Fulton's population.[23] Of the population, 27.48% is under the age 18, 61.44% are 18–64, and 11.08% are above the age of 65.[23] From 2008 to 2012 Fulton's median household income was $182,039 and median house value was $682,600.[24]
Maple Lawn, a mixed residential and commercial community which started in 2004/2005, was developed by Greenebaum & Rose Associates and has brought a "Main Street"-style shopping districts. Four large office buildings house a number of corporate tenants. Additional businesses are located in the residential section of Maple Lawn.[25]
Beaufort Park, one of the local neighborhoods, was described by The Washington Post on July 4, 1998, as 'A Sea of Tranquility Set in a Watershed, A Parklike Setting in Howard County'.
Notable people
Angela Brodie, biochemist who spent about half of her life in Fulton
^"From Greater Production to More Efficiency". March 31, 1965.
^"Quick Hearing is Set for Iager Farm". The Baltimore Sun. January 5, 1998.
^Larry Carson (February 7, 2001). "Plan's backers draw anger. Robey and Guzzone assailed for support of 2 big developments". The Baltimore Sun.
^Lee, Edward (September 14, 1999). "Developer gives pitch on project; Greenebaum attempts again to reassure panel on jobs, sprawl; Smart Growth 'showcase'; Zoning OK sought for homes, townhouses, apartments on old farm". The Washington Post.
^Knox, Paul (June 19, 2008). Metroburbia, USA. Rutgers University Press. p. 130. ISBN978-0813543574.
^Yeager, Amanda (August 21, 2014). "Howard petitioners take referendum issue to legislators". The Baltimore Sun.
United States of America
Maryland
