Old Court Road
Encyclopedia
Old Court Road is a major cross-county road in the central region of the U.S. state
of Maryland
, running east–west for approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) through Baltimore County, Maryland
from just inside Howard County, Maryland
at Woodstock
on the Patapsco River
to Maryland Route 25
(Falls Road) near Towson. The road exists as both Maryland Route 125 (MD 125) and Maryland Route 133 (MD 133), with several sections not maintained by the state.
(Old Frederick Road) in Woodstock, Howard County, where it is named Woodstock Road and maintained by Howard County. From MD 99, it runs generally northeast as a two-lane road in open countryside.
Once inside Baltimore County, the road is named Old Court Road. After passing through Patapsco Valley State Park
, it winds past Granite
and continues through open country.
State maintenance, and the MD 125 designation, ends about half a mile east of Brice Run (a small creek east of the Dogwood Road intersection) at a seemingly arbitrary location (save for the fact that it is precisely 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the county line), being at neither an intersection, bridge, nor any other significant feature. This makes MD 125, at 3.59 miles (5.78 km) in length, rather unique in that it does not intersect any other signed Maryland state highways. According to a local story, the reason for this is a Baltimore County politician who promised Jesuits at Woodstock College
that, if they successfully voted him into office, he would have the state purchase and improve this portion of the road, which the Jesuits used for farming-related transportation.
in various places as the route passes through a suburban neighborhood. Eventually, the route crosses the Baltimore Beltway
just south of its interchange with Interstate 795
, and passes over a creek and the Baltimore Metro Subway Old Court station
.
Old Court Road then curves to the east, passing through still more development as the route intersects Maryland Route 140
shortly after. As it passes through this commercial area, it comes to a three-way signalled intersection with Sudbrook Lane. Old Court turns north at this intersection, following the path that Sudbrook took, and passes through an intersection with MD 129 (Park Heights Avenue). Here, Old Court Road takes on the Maryland Route 133 designation, and continues north for a few more feet before turning east again at an intersection with Stevenson Road.
The Maryland Route 133 section follows Old Court Road for exactly 3.31 miles (5.33 km).
repurposed by rangers to keep Indians back from a local fort. It was later used as part of a main road to the courthouse at Joppa
(hence the name), once a major settlement. A historical marker
has been posted by the State Roads Commission on Maryland Route 140
near the Old Court Road intersection.
, Granite
and its accompanying National Historical District, Randallstown
, and Pikesville.
The bridge that carries the road over the Patapsco River was built in 1981, replacing an earlier structure that was destroyed in Hurricane Agnes
.
Part of the road follows the route of the long-gone Baltimore Northern Railroad.
Other notable landmarks along the road include:
.
Between Liberty Road
and the Old Court Metro Station, service is provided by Route 77.
From Old Court Metro Subway Station to Reisterstown Road, service is provided by Route M-2.
Where these two lines meet, the Baltimore Metro Subway
operates to Owings Mills and Johns Hopkins Hospital
.
Route M-10 currently operates on Falls Road past Old Court Road. Up until 1998, this line had a branch that operated twice daily on Old Court between Greenspring Avenue
and Park Heights Avenue. This portion is not presently served by any public transportation.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, running east–west for approximately 13 miles (20.9 km) through Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
from just inside Howard County, Maryland
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
at Woodstock
Woodstock, Maryland
Woodstock is an unincorporated community which is a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. The original village of Woodstock is located in Howard County, but the surrounding area includes portions of Baltimore County and Carroll County.- Demographics :...
on the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
to Maryland Route 25
Maryland Route 25
Maryland Route 25 , locally known for nearly its entire length as Falls Road, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. It begins north of downtown Baltimore, just north of Penn Station, and continues north through Baltimore County almost to the Pennsylvania state line...
(Falls Road) near Towson. The road exists as both Maryland Route 125 (MD 125) and Maryland Route 133 (MD 133), with several sections not maintained by the state.
Beginnings in Howard County
The road that becomes Old Court Road begins at Maryland Route 99Maryland Route 99
Maryland Route 99 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Old Frederick Road, the state highway runs from MD 32 near West Friendship east to U.S. Route 29 in Ellicott City. MD 99 parallels the north side of Interstate 70 through a rural and suburban area in northeastern...
(Old Frederick Road) in Woodstock, Howard County, where it is named Woodstock Road and maintained by Howard County. From MD 99, it runs generally northeast as a two-lane road in open countryside.
MD 125 designation and continuation into Baltimore County
While still in Howard County, just prior to a grade crossing of the CSX Transportation Old Main Line at Woodstock, the road becomes Maryland Route 125, and crosses the Patapsco River into Baltimore County.Once inside Baltimore County, the road is named Old Court Road. After passing through Patapsco Valley State Park
Patapsco Valley State Park
Patapsco Valley State Park is located in Maryland, USA and extends along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, encompassing and five developed recreational areas. Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback riding and mountain bike trails, as well as picnicking for...
, it winds past Granite
Granite, Maryland
Granite is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Originally known as Waltersville, it was renamed Granite in recognition of its principal product...
and continues through open country.
State maintenance, and the MD 125 designation, ends about half a mile east of Brice Run (a small creek east of the Dogwood Road intersection) at a seemingly arbitrary location (save for the fact that it is precisely 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from the county line), being at neither an intersection, bridge, nor any other significant feature. This makes MD 125, at 3.59 miles (5.78 km) in length, rather unique in that it does not intersect any other signed Maryland state highways. According to a local story, the reason for this is a Baltimore County politician who promised Jesuits at Woodstock College
Woodstock College
Woodstock College was a Jesuit seminary that existed from 1869 to 1974. It was the oldest Jesuit seminary in the United States. The school was located in Woodstock, Maryland, west of Baltimore, from its establishment until 1969, when it moved to New York City, where it operated in cooperation with...
that, if they successfully voted him into office, he would have the state purchase and improve this portion of the road, which the Jesuits used for farming-related transportation.
Non-state section
Old Court Road continues to the northeast and begins to pick up development after passing the Ridge Road intersection, surrounded by a few housing developments and stores. The road widens to four lanes and dualizes for a short stretch around its MD 26 (Liberty Road) intersection. The route then shrinks down after carrying a shared left-turn lane, still carrying four lanes, and feautring parallel parkingParallel parking
thumb|250px|right|Parallel-parked cars in [[Washington, D.C.]]thumb|250px|right|A motorist gets assistance parallel-parkingParallel parking is a method of parking a vehicle in line with other parked cars. Cars parked in parallel are in one line, parallel to the curb, with the front bumper of each...
in various places as the route passes through a suburban neighborhood. Eventually, the route crosses the Baltimore Beltway
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
just south of its interchange with Interstate 795
Interstate 795 (Maryland)
Interstate 795 , also known as the Northwest Expressway, is a nine-mile freeway linking Baltimore's northwestern suburbs of Pikesville, Owings Mills and Reisterstown, Maryland to the Baltimore Beltway...
, and passes over a creek and the Baltimore Metro Subway Old Court station
Old Court (Metro Subway station)
The Old Court Metro Subway Station is one of 14 stops along the Baltimore Metro Subway line, located in Pikesville, Maryland. It is the second most northern and western station on the line, with approximately 625 parking spaces....
.
Old Court Road then curves to the east, passing through still more development as the route intersects Maryland Route 140
Maryland Route 140
Maryland Route 140 is a local long route in northern Maryland, United States.-Route description:MD 140 is known by various names depending on location; south of Reisterstown it is known as Reisterstown Road. Though Reisterstown itself is named after John Reister, the road is named after Jacob...
shortly after. As it passes through this commercial area, it comes to a three-way signalled intersection with Sudbrook Lane. Old Court turns north at this intersection, following the path that Sudbrook took, and passes through an intersection with MD 129 (Park Heights Avenue). Here, Old Court Road takes on the Maryland Route 133 designation, and continues north for a few more feet before turning east again at an intersection with Stevenson Road.
MD 133
Old Court Road, now MD 133, continues on a two-lane road through a very open residential area, winding to the north and to the east through wooden areas and agricultural fields, as the route lightly parallels the Baltimore Beltway just to the north. The remainder of the route is very wooded as it winds and curves through changes in elevation before it finally comes to an end at MD 25 (Falls Road) just west of Interstate 83. Here, the MD 133 designation for the road ends, but the physical roadway continues to the east as Ruxton Road, across the freeway (which provides only an entrance to the southbound carriageway) and intersects another incarnation of Old Court Road, which travels to the north. Old Court Road parallels I-83 for a while and then turns east to eventually intersect Joppa Road, where the name finally ends.The Maryland Route 133 section follows Old Court Road for exactly 3.31 miles (5.33 km).
History
The road was an Indian trailGreat Trail
The Great Trail was a network of footpaths created by Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking peoples prior to the arrival of European colonists in North America. It connected the Great Lakes region of Canada to New England and the mid-Atlantic...
repurposed by rangers to keep Indians back from a local fort. It was later used as part of a main road to the courthouse at Joppa
Joppa, Maryland
Joppa, Maryland in Harford County, Maryland is now a planning region for the county, but there was originally a town at the center called Joppa. Joppa was founded as a British colonial settlement in the early 18th century, and takes its name from the biblical town of Joppa .The town of Joppa on...
(hence the name), once a major settlement. A historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
has been posted by the State Roads Commission on Maryland Route 140
Maryland Route 140
Maryland Route 140 is a local long route in northern Maryland, United States.-Route description:MD 140 is known by various names depending on location; south of Reisterstown it is known as Reisterstown Road. Though Reisterstown itself is named after John Reister, the road is named after Jacob...
near the Old Court Road intersection.
Landmarks
The road passes through the towns of WoodstockWoodstock, Maryland
Woodstock is an unincorporated community which is a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. The original village of Woodstock is located in Howard County, but the surrounding area includes portions of Baltimore County and Carroll County.- Demographics :...
, Granite
Granite, Maryland
Granite is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Originally known as Waltersville, it was renamed Granite in recognition of its principal product...
and its accompanying National Historical District, Randallstown
Randallstown, Maryland
Randallstown is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-century tavern-keepers. At that time, Randallstown was a tollgate crossroads on the Liberty Turnpike, a major east-west...
, and Pikesville.
The bridge that carries the road over the Patapsco River was built in 1981, replacing an earlier structure that was destroyed in Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
.
Part of the road follows the route of the long-gone Baltimore Northern Railroad.
Other notable landmarks along the road include:
- Northwest Hospital Center
- Baltimore County Public Library Randallstown branch
- Old Court Middle School
- Talmudical Academy of BaltimoreTalmudical Academy of BaltimoreThe Talmudical Academy of Baltimore ,otherwise known as T.A., is a middle-of-the-road Orthodox Jewish K-12 school founded in 1917...
- Old Court Metro Subway Station
- Beth Tfiloh CongregationBeth Tfiloh CongregationBeth Tfiloh Congregation is an Orthodox congregation in Pikesville, Maryland. With over 1400 members, is the largest Modern Orthodox synagogue in North America.-History:...
and Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolBeth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolBeth Tfiloh Dahan Community School is a community Jewish day school in Baltimore County, Maryland. It encompasses preschool through twelfth grade. The school has one campus in Pikesville The campus includes the PreSchool, Lower School , Middle School , and the High School... - Park School of BaltimorePark School of BaltimoreThe Park School of Baltimore is a private, co-educational K-12 school located in Brooklandville, Maryland, USA, just north of the city of Baltimore. The campus lies to the south of Old Court Road in Baltimore County...
Public transportation
Old Court Road is served by several modes of public transportation operated by the Maryland Transit AdministrationMaryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It is better known as MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities' transit agencies who share the initials MTA. The MTA operates a...
.
Between Liberty Road
Liberty Road
Liberty Road is the commemorative way marking the victorious route of the Allied forces from D-Day in June 1944. It starts in Sainte-Mère-Église, in the Manche département in Basse-Normandie, France, travels across Northern France to Metz and then northwards to end in Bastogne, on the border of...
and the Old Court Metro Station, service is provided by Route 77.
From Old Court Metro Subway Station to Reisterstown Road, service is provided by Route M-2.
Where these two lines meet, the Baltimore Metro Subway
Baltimore Metro Subway
The Baltimore Metro Subway, known locally as the Metro Subway, The Subway, or Baltimore Metro is a rapid transit line serving the greater Baltimore, Maryland, United States area and operated by the Maryland Transit Administration...
operates to Owings Mills and Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins...
.
Route M-10 currently operates on Falls Road past Old Court Road. Up until 1998, this line had a branch that operated twice daily on Old Court between Greenspring Avenue
Greenspring Avenue
Greenspring Avenue is a road in Baltimore, Maryland and its northwestern suburbs. At one time, Greenspring Avenue was Maryland Route 519 from Worthington Road to Dover Road, but the road has since been decommissioned and no longer has any numerical designation....
and Park Heights Avenue. This portion is not presently served by any public transportation.