Built on the banks of the Little Patuxent River, Savage Mill is a former cotton mill from the 1820s with a storied past and community-centered present.
The mill’s worn red-brick exterior gives way to a modern shopping and dining complex that honors its historic charm. Tucked away in Savage, Md., the 175,000-square-foot complex (8600 Foundry St.) is between Washington and Baltimore in Howard County, with more than 90 tenants comprising the mix of retail, businesses and offices.
It’s a place where a visitor can go ziplining, grab a meal and visit an artist at work, all in an afternoon.
More than a century ago, it was an idea among siblings. Amos Williams and his brothers constructed the cotton mill with $20,000 borrowed from John Savage, a Philadelphia banker and industrialist. They named the mill and surrounding town for Savage. Raw cotton — its early production at the hands of slaves — arrived from the Port of Baltimore via horse or ox wagon for canvas production at the mill. During the Civil War, the material was used for ship sails, tents and other military products. During World War II, the mill produced 400,000 pounds of canvas a month.
Advertisement
Today, the complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Winer family, which owned a plastics company in Odenton, Md., bought the mill in the 1950s and later created the one-stop shop for small boutiques, restaurants and artists-in-residence. “It’s a unique historic location that has all the amenities that you need,” says marketing manager Aimee Troglio.
Share this articleShareSavage Mill also stretches over the landmark Bollman Truss Bridge, which is accessible by foot and bicycle. The bridge, also historical, is one of the last standing iron bridges of its kind.
Where would all the history be without ghosts? On Friday the 13th this month, the mill will hold a ghost tour of areas allegedly haunted by the spirits of former mill workers and child laborers. Mill historian Marty Schoppert, clad almost daily in a black top hat and a period-style frock coat, leads the tours. From Sept. 2 through early December, he conducts tours on Friday and Saturday nights, telling stories of visitors and employees who say they’ve encountered paranormal activity.
Advertisement
“There are dozens of cases in Savage where new employees hear someone behind them calling their name,” Schoppert says. There’s also 12-year-old ghost Ellen, who’s known to trip people on the steps of the mill’s New Weave Building.
"Girls' night out" at Savage Mill is something quite different. On a Thursday evening each quarter, women get store deals and freebies from mill retailers. The mill's Antique Center offers free champagne. The next special night is May 5 , in fact.
Dianne Baker is the daughter of the Antique Center’s owner, Julie Baker. The large-scale shop offers low- and high-end antiques and collectibles. Set designers for Hollywood films such as “Lincoln” and “Jackie” and the Netflix drama “House of Cards” are known to frequent the place.
“Where else can you go for a thousand-dollar chandelier and then buy a Beatles album or comic book for a couple bucks,” Baker said. “This place is a living museum, except you can buy the stuff and touch it.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLmqssSsq7KklWS6orPAs6CnnV%2BWwW65wKuwpZmemcBuv8CvmKCdXaK2rbiMoaCsrJ%2Bnxm6tzZ1knKedorKzr8Rmmqimppq%2FqLGOa2dqbl9lgXB%2BlmiYcppmmK%2BihIyfZ25wXWZ%2BpoGMcXCca12Wg3WDxZyannFlmn2gv9OoqbJmmKm6rQ%3D%3D