This is the first in a series of three or four articles on the history of Joppatowne – note I said Joppatowne and not Joppa.
The history of the colonial town of Joppa is one that has been discussed at great lengths already and is to me frankly not that interesting. It’s important and one of the neater parts of living here, but save for a few noteworthy events, it’s mostly just same as any other colonial village.
Also, quick side note, in recent years many Joppatowne residents have taken to dropping the E from the end of the name, they do this because they overlook the history of the 1962 development. However, unless you live on Rumsey island you don’t live in the town of Joppa. Before Joppatowne was Joppatowne, most of it was swamp and green bean farms, not a colonial village.
Anyways. The idea for Joppatowne came from the mind of one of the more forgotten real estate “geniuses” of his era. Mr. Leon Panitz and his brother.
One of the bigger arguments people like to make is on whether or not Joppatowne was the first P.U.D (Planned Urban Development) or not.
I personally believe it is. While Levvittown and others came earlier,
they didn’t have all the features Joppatowne was to have. Many of which did not come to fruition because of the Panitz brothers bankruptcy, which will be discussed in our final issue of the history.
The development of the PUD Joppatowne started in early 1960, when, after having the idea since the beginning of the post war period, Leon Panitz finally acquired the majority of the land that was to be Joppatowne. Most of the land was owned by small homeowners and farmers while a good bit of it, and this was the last bit to be acquired (in mid to late 1961) was owned by one Frank R Chell. This being the C, D, and some of the F streets.
Mr. Panitz and his company had very big plans for the quaint waterfront plot of land they purchased besides just housing. We will get into all of that and more in the next issue of The Towne Crier.
In other News:
• The Old Joppa road 95 overpass is closing till 2020. This will cause issues with HCPS bus transportation. As well as food delivery from The Towne Pub for anyone who lives past the bridge. Any specific questions call either of those establishments.
Maybe you should drive to Rte 40 and look at the development signs.
One sign is spelled Joppatown and the other Joppatowne.
Those 2 signs are what have created the problem. Not the residents.
Historic sign says 2 miles… Joppa Farm Rd is another indicator and if you look at the pic of Rumsey farm where there was no pretend island because the canal was cut out to make it appear to be one clearly show the vast area of the farm alone not counting what the colonial streets occupied . The residents have opinions that are correct to the ORIGINAL Town of Joppa. Which was the main shipping port that rivaled Baltimore so to say that it wasn’t big is a far far stretch !!!
The 1893 USGS map shows “Joppa” and “Clayton Station”. It also shows an island, on which there was a home, which was built by Col.James Maxwell in 1720. Rumsey bought the home in 1771. By 1991, as shown on the 1991 USGS map, silting of the Gunpowder had caused what had been an island to become part of the mainland. There is no “Rumsey Island”. Panitz may have coined the term “Joppatowne”. In addition to a bridge, there is a land route to Rumsey peninsula.
How can it be a island??? There are only 2 sides to it.. Please post a actual accounting of this … I have lived here since 69 . I have read everything in the Joppa Town library and have never read this before. Maybe,I missed it but again I have never heard this
I misread your comment. I apologize
You are correct, Rumsey Island is not an island, but it never was either. The map that you are referring to shows the area of “Joppa Farm” (where the Rumsey mansion was located) surrounded by areas of marsh/swamp land, not as an island unto itself. Horizontal lines such as the ones shown on this map represent marshes and/or swamp land, not waterways. You see them throughout all of the surrounding creeks and rivers in the Gunpowder basin; much as you see them today along Foster Branch, Bird River, the mouths of the Big and Little GP Falls, etc. One of the primary reasons for the petitions in the 1760s to move the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore was due to the fact that the road to town was constantly swampy and malaria was as common as hay fever. The marsh areas around the old Joppa Farm were essentially eradicated by the man-made waterways and fill dumped by the Panitz operation in the 1960s, not by any silting of the river(s). Add to that 40+ years of sand and gravel operations in the area that is now part of the Gunpowder State Park that radically changed much of what used to be much of the “mile wide harbor” of old Joppa. That area was mostly alluvium from upriver and would explain the years of fruitful operations enjoyed by Joppa Sand & Gravel.
James Maxwell built only the center section of the mansion (one floor) between 1720-22, it was Benjamin Rumsey who built what we see today after he acquired it from his in-law’s in 1770. John and Hannah Hall owned the property at that time; Hannah was the widow of Ashael Maxwell (son of Col. James Maxwell) and inherited the property when he died in 1729. Their daughter Mary married Rumsey in 1768.
As far as my research has awarded the rumsey island name was not a panitz doing. In panitz advertising that area was referred to as gunpowder cove. He might have changed it after loosing his battle with First lady Kennedy but I’ve never any panitz as calling it rumsey island. I believe that name came from grempler reality. But I might be mistaken
You’d have to show me that one. Rumsey Island was a Panitz Bros. concept and named as such by them from the very beginning. Gunpowder Cove was the name of the marina that would serve both Joppatowne and Rumsey Island.The plan was originally to develop it as an ‘exclusive’ community alongside of Joppatowne. Bridge drive was to be the one and only way in and out and the gatehouse you see at the bridge was to be manned 24/7.
Aiden- Stop by the Heritage Festival at the Church of the Resurrection on Rumsey Island this Saturday and ask for me at the Lions Sight/Hearing Trailer or our Turkey Legs BBQ stand, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can also view the History of Joppa-Joppatowne presentation I put together (inside the Church annex).
I believe that the 1893 map shows water surrounding an island, and that the 1901 map shows marsh on the north and east sides of it, and that the 1941 map shows land on the north and east sides, and marsh on the south side, showing the the progression of silting, which made what had been an island, part of the mainland.
Can you post the maps please?!
Mike, I am afraid you are mistaken. The maps show marsh areas according to the topographical symbols used on each of them. Also, they are (the early maps in particular) non-exact interpretations of manual field studies and were often generalized with respect to judging an area that may consist of features such as valleys, marshes, woodlands, caves, etc. The USGS also states that many of these maps are not to be interpreted as completely accurate. That said, by 1941 these maps were also developed using aerial photography, so detail would mostly likely be somewhat different, even radically different in some cases, than what you would have seen 40 and 50 years prior. These maps are very evident of that fact.
I have been researching the history of Joppa and the Gunpowder Valley for over 30 years and have never come across any historical record (written histories, government documents, personal recollections, military/war records or any other source) referencing the colonial Port of Joppa, Joppa Farm or any of the area of modern day Rumsey Island as being an island or accessible only by bridge at any time in our history. It simply wasn’t so. There are however, many references to the road into Joppa being “swampy and marshy or marsh like” at most times of the year. That road was improved by a succession of owners of Joppa Farm over the next 100+ years.
I believe that there were marshy areas only after the changes to the water ways being silted in. There is no way that Joppa Town could have been a major shipping port if the road was in poor condition. The town was thriving in its heyday and could never have been that way if the land was in poor condition.
Victor- You can find the maps here. Search for ‘Harford County, MD’
https://www.oldmapsonline.org/
Victor- Every road in the County was in poor condition after rains and heavy use. It was a constant problem regardless of locality. There simply weren’t many effective ways to maintain dirt roads. Keep in mind that the road was used heavily by large wagon and hogshead traffic, which played hell on all of the early roads in the county. Low lying roads existed all throughout the Gunpowder region and many experienced the same marshy conditions as the road to Joppa when the rains came or the tide was high. There is no doubt that a couple of decades of heavy traffic and the silting harbor caused the road to become far worse a problem than what they anticipated, but in the beginning it was like any other road in soft soil conditions.
There is no question that marshy areas grew as a result of the silting in of the harbor, but those areas were to the north and west of town (as we see today). The area identified on the maps beyond Joppa along with much of the area between the town of Joppa and Foster’s Creek was low lying marshland well before man (including Indians) began populating the area. There were geological studies done in the 1940s around the upper Gunpowder watershed which included depth testing of alluvial deposits, some of which reached 80-100 feet. This is the result of thousands of years of slow silting, not 30+ years of man made runoff.
Another factor to remember, and this was noted by Beulah Chell Jones, the last owner of the Mansion before Panitz bought it, was that the areas that were once open water were now marshes and even solid ground in some stretches. She recalled many times the water coming up to the back yard of the mansion during periods of heavy rains.The silting caused the tides to push further inland in the already low areas in and around the coastal areas. This was undoubtedly the case in the ensuing years after the rise of Joppa and the silting of the harbor. The waters still came in the form of tides and rains and they had to go somewhere.
This passage is from one of the 41 petitions filed in Baltimore County by the year 1768 arguing for the removal of the county seat to Baltimore. The issue of the road was a common complaint. The town was on a peninsula then, as it is today.
” But your petitioners further shew, unto your Excellency and Honours that the said town of Joppa is on a low peninsula, the isthmus into which is so miry, as to often nearly impassable, especially after high tides, or heavy rains, which overflowing the isthmus, reduce the situation of the town to an island: from whence and from the want of navigable water up to the said town, and for many miles below it, other than for shallops and smaller vessels; and also from the length of time the said town has been laid out.”
When we first moved onto Rumsey Island it was indeed an island. The only way to get on was to go over the bridge on Bridge Drive. In 1975-56 they filled in the one end of the island on shore (to connect it to Shore Drive going out to Rt 40) so that we had 2 access points to get on and off the island to accomidate all the new house that were built those 2 years.
1975-76*
Weren’t some of the streets in Joppatowne named after Confederate Generals? I guess BLM hasn’t noticed yet lol.
The “e” is now for escape. Too bad the influx of low income housing has distroyed this once great community.
Have there been murders or shootings in Jtown that havent been announced ??? Every community has its ups and downs but ESCAPE is a joke !
What a poorly written and researched essay.
So typical of Harford County to exist 200 years in the past.
Literally.
It is unfortunate that you choose to “dismiss” the history of Joppa as it played a major role in the development of industry and commerce in early Maryland and its history does play a relatively small, but important part in the history of Joppatowne and the greater Joppa area. It’s history is an interesting one for many who enjoy learning about the origins of our communities and the way our forefathers lived, worked and built what we enjoy today. Joppa was also home to numerous notable citizens of early Maryland and many families still populating communities in Harford County and other communities around the state.
With respect to the relationship of modern Joppatowne to the old Port of Joppa itself, one need no further than the Rumsey Island neighborhood itself. Rumsey Island was named in honor of Benjamin Rumsey, the most prominent citizen of old Joppa and a notable figure in the history of early Maryland; among many achievements, representing the state at the second continental congress and serving as the first and longest tenured Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals (a record that still stands). You’ll also find streets named after early families and many nautical references as well.
Joppatowne was named as such by the Panitz Brothers in recognition of the Port of Joppa, a hat-tip if you will. The ‘e’ added to the spelling of town was part of that recognition, the old English way of spelling the word, even though the town was never “Joppa towne” or “Joppa town.” It was simply Joppa, named after the port of Jaffa in old Palestine. Folks today who drop the ‘e’ from Joppatowne are essentially from two camps, those who want to equate our community with the old port and many of the younger, newer residents who simply aren’t used to the spelling of the word in that manner (of course, some do it just because they like to stir things up). For many of us it is a sense of pride, it is a unique name for a unique community with a 50+ year rich history of its own. Whether you live on Rumsey Island or the southern end of town near Riverside Elementary, the name of our community is Joppatowne; the borders of the old Town of Joppa are irrelevant. Joppatowne was built on very diverse farmlands and re-sculpted marshlands that included the man-made waterways of Rumsey Island and the marina. Most of the land came from three large farms, namely Joppa Farm, Sugarloaf and Riverside. Many of the smaller farms would make up the eastern and northern regions. All were very diverse, from dairy to mixed agricultural. The Riverside farm was the last major piece of real estate acquired for the town’s development, not Frank Chell’s Joppa Farm.
Leon Panitz was certainly successful early on, but a genius he was not. In fact, it was James Rouse (of Columbia fame) who first pitched the idea of the town to Leon and his brother Stanley. Without that urging, Joppatowne probably would not exist as we know it today. The Panitz brothers had dreams for this community that far exceeded their own capital and available funding, which ultimately led to their bankruptcy and forced sale of the remaining lands and projects to other developers. Joppatowne was not the first panned community in the country, but it was the first in Maryland. The modern features (residential homes) the Panitz corp. had designed for the community did in fact come to pass; homes were installed with the latest in electric appliances, air conditioning, plumbing, etc.
A side note on the early development of the town regarding the Rumsey mansion and the site of old Joppa itself, the Panitz corp. had intended to develop the mansion into a yacht club with a swim and tennis club (and parking lot) over top the original site of the Port of Joppa. All of that would be surrounded by the same types of townhomes you see along the surrounding streets. It took the efforts of several local and state preservationists, along with the intervention of then First Lady Jackie Kennedy to stop that development. It was also discovered during this time that the Episcopal Diocese of Baltimore still owned title to the old St. John’s Church yard (one acre); they would subsequently expand that property through purchase.
Always appreciate the efforts of folks who like to share our history, but let’s work to do it correctly and most importantly, refrain from “dismissing” our past history. The old Port of Joppa has its own place in history, but its history has played an integral part in our current history as well as the history of our state. At the very least, we should always give it a nod in any story about our history, just as the Panitz Brothers did.
Mr. Garitty,
Please send me an email at TheTowneCrier@hotmail.com
I’d like to discuss with you the next issue and get some of the history of our towne from you.
Thanks Aiden
There is a VERY interesting book in the Joppa library branch. I don’t remember the name of it, but you can find it among the relatively few books about Joppatown(e). It was published by Panitz as a promotion for his grandiose development plan. Some of the pages are in digital format at the Historical Society of Harford County.
Use of the term “Joppatowne” is dismissing the history of Joppa, as would calling it Ye Olde Joppatowne”.
Trump threatens to create his own news/propaganda network
Gee, I guess that’s because the media outlets have ALL been bought and paid for by the opposition he faces. You guys have absolutely no problem with the Democratic Party spreading and instilling treason throughout this country and using the media to brainwash everyone into believing they are a criminal and need to be persecuted by the treasonous statutes passed by the Democratic Party, which are all unconstitutional. Political persecution by statutory laws created by the Democratic Party is the downfall of this nation and everyone should shun anything to do with the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party should be abolished on the grounds of Article 3 Section 3 provisions of Treason and those whom have committed the treason should immediately be executed by those whom they betrayed.
It must be so debilitating being such a a negative person. It’s too bad you couldn’t focus that energy for good instead of being such a flaming asshole. Say hi to mom for us.
What does any of this have to do with Joppa Town????
It’s called being a REAL American and speaking out against the “evil empire” you Democracks want to impose on the population. The people need to hear the truth and I AM the truth. Just for the record, I have yet to even start being an asshole and I’ll tell mom you said “hi”, while your mom just gets “high”.
and by the way, speaking down the Democrat’s lies and treason isn’t being an asshole. Ignoring the lies and treason of the Democrat Party is what makes you a true asshole.
Ahhhh the old I’m rubber and you’re glue defense. Very sophisticated.
Defense? You gotta be kidding me. It’s just a little breakfast for your head. What am I defending? Nothing. You’re just a complete moron. I will type what I want, where I want, for whatever reason I want and that is because it is my right. Don’t like it? Learn to love it….
Who’s the guy in Harford County that makes meatballs?
YAWN…….
All this blathering about Joppatown when there are real issues about current loss of vital wetlands on and adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. “Ye Olde Joppatowne” was just the first rape of the Bay in Harford County.
Mr. Fowler,
I realize that you are probably a young man who hopes to be a real historian someday (more power to you), but this excuse of a news source, that you hope will look good on college admissions and later when you apply to Grad School. But really, “The Dagger” is not the place to do it.
Why don’t you send this blog over to “Next Door” where someone might actually be interested in it. God knows they absolutely abhor anything that smacks of politics there. “The Dagger: is what its name implies – a means to cut thru the bull$#%t and expose the current government and its rape of Harford County for what it truly is. Not a mealy mouthed travel log.