Hidden History of Howard County: An occasional series
Imagine my surprise when, searching around Google Maps for something else, I saw a strange entry: "Terra Maria Ruins". Which of course demanded immediate investigation, as it appeared to be in the middle of a housing development.
What I found, and where the cache is placed, is an old building built as part of St. Charles College, opened on 253 acres donated by Charles Carroll of Carrollton from his land at Doughoregan Manor. Charles Carroll was a prominent landowner in the area, and in fact was one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Starting in the 1800s, this site was home of the seminary. In the first half of this century, it served as the county fairgrounds, a summer camp and religious revival site.
This building was the recreation hall and laundry, built in 1906. Sadly, in 1911, disaster struck: a fire that started in the chapel's basement destroyed all of the buildings in the college. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but St. Charles College moved to Catonsville, where it eventually merged with St. Mary's Seminary and University.
By the 1990s, the site had fallen into disrepair, and was rezoned into residential units. Happily, the new homeowners decided to preserve the ruins which exist in the midst of their homes, and this structure is still used for children to play in, and community meetings like movie nights or ice cream socials.
This cache is hidden well within the ruins itself. Hide it well if you find it, or it may disappear. Also, please be respectful of local homeowners, and only cache during daylight hours.
NOTE: The cache is not near any electrical equipment, leave any electrical equipment alone.