With commentary by Tina Barton of the Elkridge Heritage Society, 2026

The school that was on the cover of this pamphlet given below was probably the one that is now apartments, discussed in this article:

https://elkridgeheritage.org/elkridge-knowledge-base/schools/elkridge-public-school-1

The document below seems to mash up some of the school history and appears to have been written for a Elkridge High School reunion in 1986, also celebrating the 50th birthday of the red brick building, and the 75th birthday of the school above, now apartments.

While confusing, the document has some information correct. However, to clarify (or perhaps further muddy the waters), around 1830 is when the B&O bought land from Melville Chapel and some histories indicate their old frame building was used as a school. This could be the 1830 school described as on the road from the Furnace to the Railroad. An old map of the cemetery does show a location of a school on the corner of the cemetery closest to Railroad Avenue. The 1860 map also shows a Sunday School there. See https://elkridgeheritage.org/elkridge-knowledge-base/churches/digital-photos-of-the-melville-cemetery-map-pieced-together. This would make sense as being the Melville-owned building that was declared unfit, and which the church agreed to fix up.

But around 1900 the school system (Howard County Board of Ed) did put a school across the road on what was called Schoolhouse Lane (now a bend in Railroad Avenue). This school was never owned by Melville Chapel. It is now a privately owned duplex. See https://elkridgeheritage.org/elkridge-knowledge-base/schools/lower-elkridge-school-on-school-house-lane/ which was indeed owned by Roger Laynor at some point and he may have converted it to the duplex. Here are some relevant deeds.

2007: /10870/ 00610

2006: 10436/522

2005: 9044/156

1957: 303/312

1926: 127/213 Board of Education to Roger Laynor

1900: 72/613 Daniel M Murray (trustee for McCauley will) to Board of Education

1868: 28/330 Charity Fairbanks to Marshall McCauley

I believe Charity got it from Richard Hopkins – see deed 4/506

Then the pamphlet appears to switch to talking about the school on Old Washington described in the first link above (Public School #1) and mash up discussion about the Daniel Murray Property which became the Hartke Property on the South end of Old Washington Road (now a private residence described in https://elkridgeheritage.org/elkridge-knowledge-base/schools/elkridge-school-house/. It’s very confusing. I think really, in retrospect, the only thing wrong is that they imply the school on the South end of Old Washington was built to replace the school in Lower Elkridge, whereas I believe they operated concurrently. There are two Daniel Murrays. The elder Daniel Murray of Rockburn sold part of his estate for the schoolhouse on the north end of Old Washington and it became Anne Arundel County Public School #22 and then Howard County Public School #1. The younger (son, grandson?) was the trustee for the MacCauley estate and involved in the sale of the Lower Elkridge school-now-duplex to the Board of Education.

To recap, what seems to be true is that the Melville School in Lower Elkridge and the original Public School #1 on the South end of Old Washington were contemporary schools serving different areas in the 1800s. Then the school on Schoolhouse Lane (now a duplex) replaced the Melville School around 1900. Then both schools were replaced by the new Public School #1 (the top link) around 1912. That school served all the school children of all ages until the red brick high school was built across the street (now the Maryland International School). Then Howard High was built in the 1950s and the red brick school became Elkridge Elementary, and the old Elementary School became the apartment building it is now. But whether the schoolhouse-now-duplex in Lower Elkridge was ever a highschool too is not known. We know the school-house-now-apartements was definitely a highschool in 1922.

Hmm… if we take the word of the pamphlet, it indicates that the highschool WAS at Lower Elkridge until 1924, by which time we know the school-now-apartments was expanded to include the highschool… and then the brick highschool was built in 1936. Puff.

Here are some Board of Education Minutes that corroborate some of the things in this article:

7 May 1889, “The proposition of the Trustees of Melville M.E. Church, Elkridge, to enlarge the school house, now rented from them by the Board, by the building of an additional room, the quarterly rent for the whole building to be $20.00, was accepted by the Board, with this provision added, that the old building must be painted inside and the ventilation improved by hanging two or more windows with weights.”

13 Aug 1900. “Commissioner Warfield reported an inspection of the property rented at Elk Ridge and stated that in its present condition, it is  not fit to be used as a school room.  

     “The Church Trustees [Melville Church, see 21 Aug below] insisted on having the Board lease the property for a term of five years at $80 per year or at a greater rent for a shorter term.  Mr. Warfield also reported having discussed the question of consolidating Schools No. 1 and No. 2 of the First Election District with some of the people of the village and found that while there was a sentiment in favor of consolidation, it was not likely that the Elk Ridge people would be willing to have the new school built far enough out of the village to accommodate the scholars most remote from School No. One, and that in his opinion it would be better to continue renting the building now in use if the owners would put it in proper condition.  

     “After discussing the matter from various standpoints, the Board decided that it would be in the best interest of both schools to continue renting the building at Elk Ridge for the present year and that if the Board saw fit to build a new house before the expiration of the lease, it could sublet the rented building.

     “It was determined to make an offer to lease the property in question for a term of five years at $80 per year.”

     The Secretary was directed to notify the Church Trustees of the action of the School Board.”

21 Aug 1900. “The Secretary had a communication from the Sec. of the board of trustees of the Melville Church stating that the Trustees had unanimously passed a resolution, in meeting assembled, that the Trustees could not put the building in proper repair unless the School Board would lease the property for a term of three years at a yearly rent of $150.  

     “The Board considered the rent asked entirely too high, but in view of all the facts to be considered, decided to make them an offer to lease the property for three years at $125 per year.

     “The Secretary was directed to communicate the offer of the Board to the Secretary of the Trustees of the Church.”

31 Aug 1900       “Elk Ridge School – The Board decided that they could not afford to pay $150 rent for three consecutive years, but will continue to rent the school building at $80 per year, and the Board will make the necessary repairs to make the room comfortable.  This last condition was proposed to Mr. Warfield by one of the Church Trustees, and the Secretary was directed to write to Mr. McCauley that the Board had accepted the proposition, and, if the said proposition did not meet their approbation that the Board would have to close the school.”