CCBC hosts ribbon cutting ceremony for historical signage project
Sep 22, 2022 | by Hope H. Davis | 443.840.5053 (office) | 410.971.5560 (cell)
Community College of Baltimore County will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its historical signage project 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 28 outside the Hilton Center, CCBC Catonsville, 800 S. Rolling Rd.The historical signage project consists of 10 interpretive signs installed around CCBC Catonsville, creating a self-guided walking tour that details the storied significance of the property and the people who once lived and labored on the land. The signs were made possible by a $32,000 grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Program.
Locations along the tour include the then-Hilton Mansion, built in 1828 and now housing CCBC classrooms, offices and meeting spaces, an 1850s-era Boxwood Garden and a stone farmhouse built in 1819 – now the oldest building still standing on CCBC Catonsville.
Research for the project was provided by Michelle Wright, CCBC associate professor, History and Africana Studies. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, she will lead visitors on a walking tour of the signage.
"While CCBC as an institution has no legacy of enslavement, we are proud to detail the crucial role that enslaved individuals played in developing the land on which we are now situated,” said CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis. “These historical signs enable us to share the rich history of the Hilton Estate with the community.”
From the 1600s through the early 1900s, the campus and its surrounding area was a hub for tobacco and dairy farming, ironworks, and other early industries. In the mid-1700s, enslaved Black laborers and a few European indentured and convict servants worked at skilled jobs such as blacksmithing, horse training, farming and construction.
Later in the 1800s, both free and enslaved Blacks managed the entire dairy farm located on what was then the Hilton Estate. They also dominated the thoroughbred horseracing industry locally and across the country, working as breeders, trainers and jockeys.
For more information about CCBC’s historical signage project, visit www.shadesofhilton.org.
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Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, nearly 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2021 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.
