Derailed train

Naval Academy Junction
Photo courtesy of the Odenton Heritage Society

A while back in downtown Odenton, a locomotive and several cars were diverted to the railroad tracks next to Walgreens (Piney Orchard Parkway). Seeing a train sitting on the tracks in that part of Odenton reminded me of the history of those tracks and that Odenton was born from the railroad. That spur of track from the MARC station to Academy Junction is the last existing and active rail of the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad (A&ERR). The A&ERR ran from Annapolis Junction (Howard County) through Odenton on its way to Annapolis. While you can still see remnants of the A&ERR right of way in the form of paths and utility lines, the rails that run next to Walgreen and Academy Unction plaza are the last remaining usable rails. 

The A&ERR opened in 1840 as a way to connect passengers from the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Annapolis. In 1868 the Baltimore and Potomac railroad opened crossing the A&ERR lines in Odenton. The Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis electric line also crossed the A&ERR at Naval Academy Junction (Now a shopping Center), which became the major transfer point for passengers traveling to and from Annapolis. The title picture shows Naval Academy Junction looking south down Piney Orchard Parkway. You can see the passenger pavilion and the crossing of the different rail lines. The A&ERR would have run horizontally in front of the pictured train between the station house and the passenger pavilion. The station building and tracks in this area are still there and although the pavilion is gone there is a grassy area and benches where the pavilion once stood. The train in the picture is from the WB&A electric railroad. Midshipman coming from Washington switched here from the WB&A to the A&ERR to continue east to the Naval Academy.

You have to take Route 50 out of your mind when thinking about Maryland transportation in the 19^thand early 20^thcenturies. To travel from Washington to Annapolis, a passenger would take the B&PRR to Odenton and transfer to the A&ERR. Academy Junction taking its name as the transfer point to reach the Naval Academy. President Lincoln passed through Odenton in 1865 on his way to Annapolis to board a ferry to Hampton, VA. I’ve scoured books and newspapers for any picture or hint of President Lincoln stepping off the train in Odenton. It seems that even in 1865 presidents were afforded special treatment as he had a private train that ran directly from Washington to Annapolis.

            

In your travels around the area, you can see evidence of the A&ERR right of ways and influence. The utility lines that follow Route 32 past the National Security Agency and also Route 178 through Crownsville to the Annapolis Mall and a hiker/biker trail along Poplar Avenue in Annapolis, all are built on the A&ERR right of way. The A&ERR ran from Academy Junction to what is now Route 175/Annapolis Road and along Route 175 through Gambrills along Maple and Holladay Roads. Sappington Station Road is named such because it was a stop along the A&ERR. There were also stops in Gambrills at Maple/Gambrills Roads and Holladay Street/Holladay Park Road.

            

Site of A&ERR bridge crossing Waterbury Road (2017)

On Waterbury Road in Millersville what looks like a hill on either side of the road is actually the remnants of an A&ERR bridge. At the beginning of the Civil War, Union soldiers were dispatched to repair the tracks at this bridge after Southern sympathizers destroyed the rails. After repairs, the Union soldiers guarded the rails of this railroad, as it was a major link between the North and the nation’s capital. Rail traffic through Baltimore had been disrupted as well as supplies, mail, and soldiers flowed through west Anne Arundel County and Annapolis on the A&ERR on the way to Washington. 

Since the above picture was taken the area has been re-graded to allow for the new South Shore hiker/biker trail and improve driving visibility. The South Shore trail will run along the A&ERR rail bed from Odenton to Annapolis. After construction of the South Shore Trail, the area now appears as pictured below. The cement overlook area is where the original bridge once crossed.

 South Shore Trail at Waterbury Road (Dec 2018)

South Shore Trail at Waterbury Road (Dec 2018)

Just a little bit of history that is right in front of you or under your feet every day. Please visit the Odenton Heritage Society website, http://www.odentonheritage.org, and the museum located at 1367 Odenton Road Odenton, MD.

An excellent website that provides a photo tour of the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad can be found at http://www.trainweb.org/oldmainline/wasaer1.htm

For Anne Arundel County trail maps and proposed trails can be found at  https://www.aacounty.org/departments/recreation-parks/parks/forms-and-publications/MAP_AACoParksTrails.pdf   

Odenton Shopping Center: What's under the asphalt?

This article was originally written for the Heritage Times, the news journal of the Odenton Heritage Society, Summer 2014, Number 39. Thought it fit well in this blog as it reflects how businesses and development affect a community and it’s history. For the purposes of this post updates have been made where needed to reflect the current status of the shopping center. Hope you enjoy the article.

Under the Asphalt

The arrowhead shaped piece of land that runs from the Odenton traffic circle up to what was once called Stoney Hill (the location of the present day Wheels Skate Center) and between Annapolis and Odenton Roads has always been a popular area for travelers and trade. The future site of the Odenton Shopping Center (OSC) has more history to it than just a vacant lot developed for modern commercial use. From the beginning, when Native American trails crossed in Odenton, the future site of the Odenton Shopping Center has been an area for trade and commerce that continues.

What we know as Annapolis and Odenton Roads began as Native American trails, which are documented in late 18^thcentury maps of Maryland. These trails were used by Native Americans travelling north and south and later by settlers traveling between Annapolis and Frederick. 

A possible, undocumented, reason for why the early trails intersected where they did [near the traffic circle] could be due to the location of a once bountiful spring. The eastern portion of the land on which the OSC now sits once contained a fresh water spring known as Picture Spring. (Approximately the site of the Goodwill store) The spring was a resting area for Native Americans traveling through the Odenton area. In her 1978 publication, Odenton, A Town The Railroad Built, Catherine O’Malley described the site as follows. 

“…,”Picture Spring” was located in Odenton, near the present day A&P, on Odenton Road, in a clump of sycamore and willow trees on which the Indians had carved pictures, totem pole style. It was a resting place for the Indians who came from the North and were on their way to make war with the Southern Maryland Piscataways and the Eastern Shore Maryland Nanticokes. The spring was a strong source of crystal clear water, which flowed into the Severn River. But alas, it was buried when the Odenton Shopping Center area was developed. A very large pile of stone chips, broken arrowheads and Indian artifacts located near the spring is also gone, being buried beneath approximately 20 feet of fill dirt.”

The 2003 Odenton Small Area Plan, Community History, paralleled Mrs. O’Malley’s research stating that the site was popular with Native American inhabitants who were in the area between 8000 B.C. to 1400 A.D. and used Picture Spring for stone tool manufacturing and campsites. As the area became populated with settlers, the Native Americans moved on or died from being exposed to disease. The site of the future OSC remained wooded. 

The train comes to town

Odenton continued to grow and became even more populated as the result of the opening of the Annapolis and Elkridge Railroad in 1837 and the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad crossing the Annapolis & Elkridge RR in 1868; 1868 being the year that the town of Odenton was officially founded. The Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad paralleled Annapolis Road on its way through Odenton and onto Gambrills. The closest stop to the future OSC was Sappington Station, a short walk from Picture Spring. Prior research conducted by the Odenton Heritage Society shows that Civil War Union Soldiers camped not far from Picture Spring near the intersection of Sappington Station Road and Burns Crossing Road, which would have been on the north side of the A&E RR Sappington Station.

Throughout the expansion of population in Odenton the future site of the OSC remained wooded and Picture Spring an active area for drawing water. Oral histories collected by the Odenton Heritage Society revealed that in the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s there was a small enclave of homes near Picture Spring. Families used the spring for water and maintained the access to the spring by protecting it from environmental damage. Residents of Odenton from the 1950’s remember the site to be a wooded area with a natural spring. Locals would draw water and kids would play in the spring in the hot summer days.

Opening Day 

Several families owned the sections of land that would need to be purchased to build the OSC. David Eutsler purchased the wooded lots in the late 1950’s and later partnered with Stanley Yaffe to assemble the lots necessary to build the OSC. There is no definitive documentation of the dates the OSC opened and tenants filled the space. From what has been learned thus far, the Odenton Shopping Center opened in 1958.

The original shopping center spanned from the liquor store to the barbershop. The point where the addition was added can be seen outside of the barbershop.The curb line is straight up to the barbershop and then angles out to continue up the hill. The angle in the curb is where the original OSC stopped. The addition created an angle in the design. At this point, the stores had recessed entryways some twenty feet from the curb and the awning covering the sidewalk was wider. After the angle, the stores entranceways became closer to the curb as they are today. 

Point of expansion to the Odenton Shopping Center

An original tenant was Beacon’s Pharmacy, owned by Stanley Yaffe. Beacon Pharmacy, was documented in a Capital Gazette newspaper article as, “the centerpiece of the Odenton Shopping Center since each opened in 1958”. Beacon’s was sold to CVS in 1995. 

Another of the original tenants, which remains to this day, is the Odenton Barbers, Tanning, and Fitness. The original owner, Bill Burroughs, opened a shop in Fort Meade in 1963. When the OSC was developed and opened, Mr. Burroughs moved the shop to the OSC in 1965 and has been there ever since. Oral histories recall a sandlot ball field at the western end of the property where barber customers awaiting service and local residents would play pickup baseball games. 

Newspaper ads in 1967 announced the arrival of W.T. Grants department store, which originally occupied the space where the Giant grocery store is located. In the mid 1970’s, the A&P grocery store moved from its original anchor spot at the east end of the OSC, to a larger separate facility that still sits perpendicular to the shopping center (Goodwill building). The original out building was connected to the OSC by an awning-covered walkway. The first major renovation took place in 1991, modernizing the façade.

An ad in the 1971 Arundel High School Panorama listed these stores as members of the OSC.*

Arnold’s Shoes

Beacon Pharmacy

Citizen’s National Bank

Gordon’s Clothier’s

Launette Inc.

Odenton Barbers

Odenton Liquors

Princess Shops  

Salon on the Green

Schumann’s Bakery

Western Auto

* A&P grocery and W.T. Grants were part of the OSC at this time. It is not known why those businesses were not included in the ad.

The Odenton Shopping Center has always served its community well. Providing access to a centrally located business environment to serve basic consumer needs with a variety of locally owned as well as national chain stores.

Please read other posts regarding Odenton business history.

Building History July 2016

Building History, Part 2 July 2016

Please help preserve the history of your local communities. As time passes and development increases we are losing the treasures of our past. This includes our oral history. Your community elders are a wealth of information. Take the time to ask and listen. 

To learn more about Odenton and become involved in local history please visit the Odenton Heritage Society.

Building history, Part 2

1355 Odenton Road 1930's and present

This is Part 2 of an article that appears in Heritage Times, the news journal of the Odenton Heritage Society, Summer 2016. 
You may read part 1 at, Building history, Part 1

____________________________________________________________________

A History of 1355 Odenton Road
By Gregory Mazzella

Brodsky’s

Gilda Resnick, nee Brodsky, is the only child of Louis and Bessie Brodsky. As she recalls, the Brodsky’s moved to Odenton from Linthicum in 1931 when Gilda was one year old. They had operated a store in Linthicum up to the point of moving. Gilda thought the move was due to following their customer base that was moving to the Odenton area. Again, we see storeowners moving from other, nearby, towns to open their stores in Odenton. More than likely attracted to the confluence of trains and nearby Camp Meade. It is not known why the Brodsky’s chose the Taudte building as the location for their new store, especially making the move during the Great Depression. Probably because of the location and availability. The Brodsky’s, as did many storeowners of the time, made use of the living quarters within the store.

According the U.S. Census for 1930, Louie [Louis] Brodsky was born in Russia in 1902 and immigrated to the United States in 1921. The 1930 census has Louis listed as married. This same census year lists Bessie Brodsky as being born in Maryland in 1908 to Russian parents. Although Gilda did not recall how her parents met she was able to confirm the census data that her parents met in Maryland sometime after her father came to the United States. As Gilda grew up, she remembered Odenton being mostly fields with a few houses spotted around and, of course, the trains were an active part of the community.

The Brodsky’s maintained a general store. They too sold groceries, meats, sugar, flour, candy, shoes, clothing, etc.  The customer base remained the same: locals, farmers, Camp Meade. A lot of the store’s business was conducted through charge or buying on time. Most residents didn’t have much cash so the Brodsky’s would help out by allowing them to pay from one paycheck to another. When Gilda was old enough at 7 or 8 she worked in the store. She was in charge of the candy case, keeping it cleaned and filled. Her payment - all the candy she could eat.

            On March 10, 1943, a fire damaged the store. It was morning and Gilda remembered her mother smelling smoke. Bessie then saw smoke coming from the basement and called the fire department. Gilda remembered there actually being more damage from water than from fire. The (Annapolis) Evening Capital reported in the March 11 edition that the fire was of an unknown origin and began in the basement area at 7:00 AM. The Odenton Volunteers were extinguishing a chimney fire in Gambrills at the time. Linthicum Heights and two companies from [now named] Fort Meade arrived before the Odenton volunteers, who did eventually arrive on scene. The fire was under control by 9:30 AM. It was reported that the fire caused an estimated $10, 000 in damage, which Mr. Brodsky said was partially covered by insurance. After the fire, there was a second “grand opening” when additions were made, doubling the size of the store.

            Bessie would make the buying trips to Baltimore and Gilda would accompany her. They used the train and boarded at the Odenton station.

They operated the store into the late 1940’s. Gilda could not remember the exact year the store closed but knows that the store closed before 1951, which is the year she graduated from the University of Maryland. Louis was against Gilda attending college, but Bessie was insistent that Gilda attend college. Profits from the store paid for Gilda’s education.

The store was closed because Louis and Bessie were getting older and it was harder to operate the store. Louis had purchased land in Severn along Telegraph Road and was developing that land into a mobile home park, which was opened in the 1960’s.  Although not operating store, Louis Brodsky owned 1355 Odenton Road into the 1960’s.

Marucha’s

           

Felix Marucha moved to Odenton in 1956 while serving in the Army and stationed at Fort Meade. In the Army, he had learned electronic repair. While still serving and shortly after his retirement in 1965 Mr. Marucha was doing electronic repairs at his home for a growing client base. He knew that he wanted to go into business for himself. The confines and logistical issues of running a growing repair business from his home caused him to realize that he would have to find a bigger place if he was to build a successful business. His first step was to rent a building across from the Nichols Bethel Methodist Church in 1966. After three years, still needing more space, he knew that renting was not the path to success. In 1969, Mr. Marucha began looking to buy commercial space in the Odenton area.

He received a tip from a friend that Louis Brodsky may be interested in selling his store. The Brodsky store had been closed several years and the space was empty. Mr. Marucha approached Louis Brodsky who was receptive to the idea. Mr. Brodsky not only sold Mr. Marucha the store at 1355 Odenton Road but the entire property that contained nine buildings, including the current cleaners/restaurant and the old school building.

At the time Mr. Marucha bought the property, Louis Brodsky was older and had moved on to manage the trailer park he owned in Severn.  Although some of the buildings still had tenants, the buildings and property had fallen into disrepair. 1355 Odenton Road was empty at the time. Mr. Marucha had to haul out seventeen truckloads of trash from the property that included junk cars. Mr. Marucha eventually added a storage space on to the back of the store, which gives the building its current design.

Mr. Marucha rented the buildings as apartments and to businesses while he upgraded 1355 for his store. Mr. Marucha described 1355 as being in bad shape. In addition to cleaning and fixing up, he had to replace the electrical wiring, which was outdated for the load capacity and exposed. He was able to fix up the apartment on the second floor and rented that until the store was ready. He used rent collected from the different tenants to help pay for the repairs to the store. Each time a tenant would move out, he would do improvements on the properties allowing him to ask a higher rent. Mr. Marucha eventually moved in and opened Marucha TV and Appliance in July of 1969.

During the time Mr. Marucha operated his store, the area at time was still not quite as busy as today. The area farms had been developed into housing. The roads had long been paved. Telegraph Road stopped at Odenton Road creating a T-intersection. (Telegraph Road was not extended and renamed Piney Orchard Parkway until the 1990’s) The 7-11 was in business and the garage next to it.

Due to health issues, Mr. Marucha sold the business to his oldest son, Steve, in June of 1987. Marucha TV and Appliance became Appliance Avenue. In March 1998, the business was taken over by his son Dan and the named was changed to All Home Services. Mr. Marucha still owns all of the property and rents the buildings as business and residential.

Commercial History

While researching this article the building at 1355 Odenton Road was toured. The basement displayed exposed timbers and brick walls, evident of the construction methods of the time.  A heavy wall safe was found mounted in one of the walls. The combination dial spun free and the current tenant had just located it himself. Mrs. Gilda Resnick new that her parents used the safe but had no recollection of its installation. She did know that her parents were mindful of being robbed. Mr. Marucha was also aware of the safe in the basement wall. He had asked Louis Brodsky if there was anything in the safe and Mr. Brodsky was sure there was not. Mr. Marucha had tried to open the safe himself using a stethoscope. He said the dial spun free and he heard no tumbler clicks. In 1970, while Mr. Marucha was out of town, someone, he didn’t remember who, opened the safe and told him that it was empty. That was the last he thought about it and to his knowledge it has been closed ever since.

The mortar encasing the safe had given way creating a crevice around the safe. In the crevice were found receipt slips from Brodsky’s store. Which have been graciously donated to the Odenton Heritage Society.

            New2Us Antiques and Collectibles currently operates within the entire building at 1355 Odenton Road, which is apropos both for this article and the building itself. As far as we currently know, the building is at least 100 years old. It has seen a century pass by its doors. Long gone are the horses and carts and the electric trains that ran within a hundred yards of its doors. Customers from all walks of life have crossed the threshold: from farmers and soldiers buying general goods, to newlyweds buying their first appliances, to baby boomers looking for treasures of bygone times. 1355 has been there for Odenton’s needs providing a space for young entrepreneurs to live their dreams.  The building has long provided a commercial service to the citizens of Odenton.   

Over the years, sometimes two or even three businesses have operated within the building and tenants renting the living area upstairs as well. This article was not intended to list every business that has operated from within the 1355 Odenton Road location, but rather provide the reader with some history of the building. Apologies are given to any business or family that has been omitted from this article or list. As with any historical research there is always information that is yet to be discovered. If you have any further information on the history of the building located at 1355 Odenton Road please contact the Odenton Heritage Society.

The information in this article was collected through research from oral history, newspaper archives, land records, and census data. The oral histories were collected from the Odenton Heritage Society archives and present day interviews of the following residents.

Interviews:

Mildred Taudte

Tempie Taudte

James Taudte

Gilda Resnick

Felix Marucha

Anthony Pokorny

Paul L. Nowottnick

Suzanne Hackman

Other sources include:

Werner Charles Rieve and His Store

By Werner J. Rieve

Heritage Times, Odenton Heritage Society, June 2000

Henry Taudte obituary, December 19, 1921, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Baltimore Sun

Brodsky store fire, March 11, 1943, The Evening Capital

“United States Census, 1910", database with images, FamilySearch, Henry Taudte, 1910

“United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch, Louie Brodsky, 1930

“United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch, Bessie Boyer, 1930

Please help preserve the history of your local communities. As time passes and development increases we are losing the treasures of our past. This includes our oral history. Your community elders are a wealth of information.
To learn more about Odenton and become involved in local history please visit the Odenton Heritage Society.

Building history

1355 Odenton Road 1930's and present

This article appears in Heritage Times, the news journal of the Odenton Heritage Society, Summer 2016. The issue is about Odenton businesses throughout the town's history. Thought you would enjoy reading about how one building has served the shopping needs of the community for over 100 years. The article is lengthy and will be presented in two blog posts.

Please help preserve the history of your local communities. As time passes and development increases we are losing the treasures of our past. This includes our oral history. Your community elders are a wealth of information. Take the time to ask and listen. Enjoy the article.

___________________________________________________________________

A History of 1355 Odenton Road
By Gregory Mazzella
Part 1

The large plate glass windows filled with merchandise and the lighted OPEN sign let you know there is a business in the building. Walking through the front door of 1355 Odenton Road you can feel the history. The large, open front room, the tall ceilings. The upper floors and basement accessed via narrow stairwells. In the basement is where the age of the building is exposed as this area is mostly as it has been for a century. You’ll find that the ceiling is low. Brick walls form the foundation and heavy wooden beams support the floors above. Look around the main floor and you can imagine the setup of merchants past. Long counters with display cases, jars of penny candy, shelves filled with merchandise.  The building was constructed between 1910 and 1920. Throughout it’s history the building has consistently housed mercantile establishments since it’s construction. Whether general stores or home goods this building has served the Odenton community for a century and continues to do so.

            By the second decade of the 20^th century, Odenton had been a successful hub of rail transportation for more than forty years. Odenton was still a rural area and mostly farmland and fields. However, industry, hotels, and stores had sprung up near the Odenton train station and Academy Junction. Roads were dirt and horses were still the main source of local transportation. The future intersection of Piney Orchard Parkway and Odenton Road, while not congested with automobiles, was still a bustling area for the time.  At the time, the intersection did not exist as we know it today. Where Piney Orchard Parkway now runs, a train trestle crossed over Odenton Road to allow trains to run north and south without interference. To the west was the rail station for the Baltimore and Potomac/Annapolis and Elkridge Railroad junction. To the north, Academy Junction, where the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad and Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis electric railway met. You can imagine lots of foot traffic, horse carts, people waiting for their trains and connections, politicians traveling to and from Annapolis and Washington. D.C., farmers bringing in their harvest for shipment. And let’s not forget about Camp Meade, which was formed in 1917, providing an influx of soldiers to the community. You can see why the area, that particular junction, was a hub for the region. You can see why a young entrepreneur would choose the area for his business.

Taudte’s

            Henry Taudte lived in Baltimore and maintained a store in Severn, Maryland. His parents were German immigrants and operated a bakery in Baltimore. He met and married Severn resident Bessie Durner in 1906. In 1915, the Taudte’s moved to Odenton and opened a general store at 1355 Odenton Road where they lived while also maintaining the Severn store. According the U.S. Census for 1910, Henry Tandte [sic] was born in Maryland in 1877 and lived in the fourth election district, which would have included Odenton. The census has Henry listed as married to Bessie, with a two year old son, James. There was no record for Henry in the 1900 census.

It is not known if Henry built the building that would be their home and business or if the structure already existed. We are still researching the original construction. Research of land records has provided a deed dated October 29, 1917, in which Henry and Bessie Taudte purchased from John and May Watts lots 1, 2, and 3 of John Watts plat of Odenton. The deed does mention, “ together with the buildings and improvements”. It is not yet known if this verbiage construes that the building already existed or if it is boilerplate language.

From the Taudte’s daughter in law, Mildred, we know that the building itself originally consisted of two floors and a basement. The upper floors had bedrooms. The right side of the first floor had the living room, dining room and kitchen. The store was located on the left side of the first floor. You can still see that original layout, as the floor plan has not changed. The long counter, that every general store seemed to have, was on the left side as you entered the store. Named for the owner, Taudte’s store was of the general store model. They sold meats, dry goods-like sugar and flour, groceries, cloth, candy, and general merchandise. In addition to the people living near the store, the customers consisted of farmers and residents of Camp Meade. Even competition with the general store housed in the Murray Hotel just down the road.

Henry died on December 17, 1921. Bessie continued to operate both stores through the 1920”s with the help of her parents, James and Laura Durner. Bessie married Wilfred Boyer in 1925. The 1930 U.S. Census lists Bessie as being married to Wilfred Boyer. There is no 1930 census record for Henry Taudte, which corroborates the story that he more than likely died in the early 1920’s.

Bessie began operating rental homes along Watts Avenue [Now Becknel]. Again, we do not know if the Taudte’s built the homes or purchased existing properties. After she remarried, Bessie closed both the Severn and Odenton stores, moving with Wilfred Boyer to Baltimore.

The Taudte’s granddaughter, Tempie, who is the daughter of James and Mildred Taudte did not live in the area when she was younger and did not have much interaction with her grandparents having moved to Sarasota, Fl when she was 13. Tempie does recall that when her family visited she would help her grandmother, Bessie, collect rent from the renters of the houses next to the store.

One of those renters was the family of Suzanne Hackman. Ms. Hackman’s family moved to Odenton from Fort Eustis, Va in 1933 when her father was transferred to Camp Meade. She was ten years old at the time and remembers living in several of what she called “Taudte” houses. She doesn’t remember whom but does remember someone would collect the $10 rent from her mother every month. The Taudte’s managed several rentals and Ms. Hackman’s family moved often as better accommodations became available.

During the time Ms. Hackman lived in the Taudte houses the Brodsky’s had purchased the store. Although they did most of their shopping at the Camp Meade PX her mother would send her to Brodsky’s to get items like meat and bread. She remembered bread being ten cents a loaf and hamburger meat twenty-five cents a pound. Of course, being ten years old at the time, her biggest memory was the big glass candy case.

Rieve’s

            Another, still operating, Odenton store is Rieve’s. Rieve’s store has been an Odenton landmark since the 1920’s. We bring that store into the mix because for a short time Rieve’s also operated out of the 1355 Odenton Road location. Rieve’s operated in a building originally located just north of Academy Junction until a fire destroyed the building on unknown date in 1928 or 1929. Werner J. Rieve wrote in the Heritage Times, June 2000, “At about the same time of the fire, the Taudte building became available, and my father set up his store business there. This is the building that later became Brodsky's store and the place where my father maintained his grocery business until the early 1930s . . . Originally, I believe my father wanted to keep his place of business at the old Taudte/Brodsky (later Marucha) location… with the family expanding, the living quarters were much too small.”

In his article, Mr. Rieve also gave us a glimpse into how the area looked when the Rieve’s store first opened along Telegraph Road (Piney Orchard Parkway). He wrote that the WB&A was still very much in operation and the paved surface of Telegraph Road was nonexistent. So we have an idea of how the Odenton area looked in the 1930’s as 1355 Odenton Road was taken over by another merchant. From what is known, it is believed that 1355 Odenton road was sold to Louis Brodsky, approximately 1931.

Part 2 to follow in separate post
Building history, Part 2

To learn more about Odenton and become involved in local history please visit the Odenton Heritage Society.

Weigh anchor!

2013

2015

Walking along the crowded sidewalk was actually a welcomed experience. Maybe it was the warm December day two days before Christmas, maybe the rainy weather sending people to the covered walkway, or maybe the now open grocery store. For whatever reason, it was nice to see the Odenton Shopping Center busy with shoppers.

Odenton Shopping Center once had a grocery store and department store to anchor either end. Two years ago we wrote about the history of the shopping center and the endearing meaning it has had to the community in the last fifty years, Anchors aweigh!  The center had been on the decline since the department store closed decades ago and the grocery store closed in 2011. On December 14, 2015, Giant Food opened in the empty grocery store space. Once again bringing a major anchor to the shopping center.

Since the Giant opened, the parking lot, throughout the center, has been full. It’s only been a week but the other businesses should be seeing some residual effect. With all of the development taking place around Odenton, it is certainly pleasant to see the center full of people and once again a vibrant part of the community.

School's back-Think safety

Summer vacation ends next week for most children. Some parents are ecstatic to get the kids out of their hair, while others will miss all the bonding. No matter the category in which you fall this is an excellent time to review safety with your child.

We all want to protect our children or just help them remember important information. However, we must be mindful of how much information about our child, is sent with our child. When you’re filling out labels on backpacks, lunch boxes, coats, binders, etc., take a second to think about what information is really necessary. Information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers can be very revealing. Child predators only need little bits of information to seem friendly and familiar to your child.

Someone that has your child’s name can be very convincing that the child should come with him or her. Unfortunately, child predators are a reality that is all too present, even in our own community. There are fifty-seven registered sex offenders with Odenton/Severn addresses. One for attempted solicitation.

When attending school orientations, pay attention to the school’s plan for emergency events. If not presented-ask. Know what the notification system is and that your contact information is up to date. Know where and how parents are to respond to the school in the event of an emergency.

Cell phone cameras make it easier than ever to keep current photos of your children. Whenever you go to busy public areas or they have field trips, take a photo. If needed, you would have a current picture of your the child and their clothing to give to the police.

Children will also be walking to and from school and maybe coming home to empty houses. Drive safely and be mindful of children walking. If your child comes home to an empty house, sent up a notification time and method. Establish trouble codes. If you don’t hear from you children do not assume everything is OK. Contact them right away. Better to over react than not at all.

Be smart and safe.

www.mazzellainvestigations.com/training.html

Anchors aweigh!

The Odenton Shopping Center has been a firm fixture in western Anne Arundel County, MD for the last fifty years. Some have recently called the shopping center an eyesore. Those of us that have lived in the area for most, if not all, of our lives remember the Odenton Shopping Center as the town center; the center of commerce for the surrounding area. You could shop at WT Grants or have a casual lunch at the store’s diner. Kids could grab a soda from Beacon’s Pharmacy and then head over to Western Auto for bicycle tire patches. A man could pick up his tailored suit from Gordon’s while his wife shopped at the Princess Shop. Get your haircut at Odenton Barbershop; pick up dinner at the A&P, and a bottle of wine from Odenton Liquors.

Over the years, stores have come and gone. Odenton Barbershop has survived almost fifty years and Odenton Liquors almost forty. There always seemed to be a pharmacy, auto parts, and clothier. The other staple was a department store and/or grocery store.

What happens to a shopping center when the anchor stores leave?  When the larger national chain stores leave there is less traffic to the shopping area for the independent stores. Can the smaller independently owned businesses survive without the traffic driven by the anchors? Superfresh closed in 2011 and has yet to be filled. CVS has closed and moved across the street.

An anchor store is defined as a larger store, usually a department store of a national retail chain. But you could also argue that an anchor is a stable merchant that has been in the same location and supported the community for decades. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, the presence of anchor stores defines the shopping center type, in this case a neighborhood center or community center.  A neighborhood center is designed to provide convenience shopping for day to day needs of consumers in the immediate neighborhood. A community center offers a wider variety of apparel and other goods, usually having a supermarket, super drugstore, or department store. Walkable, mixed-use areas are becoming the popular design. While the Odenton Shopping Center is on a major thoroughfare and is accessible to pedestrians from the hiker-biker trail and older communities behind it, it does not fit into the current design philosophy of developers.

I spoke to several of the existing business owners or managers. There were differing reactions to the amount of business that has been loss or gained. Depending on the type of business some have seen steady customers or a slight increase. Others have had to restructure their inventory to attract a different customer base. All agreed that the presence of grocery chain would increase their clientele and, of course, benefit the strength of the shopping center.

There are currently four vacant spaces. From what is publically known the departure of the Superfresh, CVS, and Fashion Bug stores were not due to the lack of the customer base or the shopping center, but rather corporate decisions that affected the chains nationwide.

We are watching the Odenton Shopping Center devolve from one defined type of shopping center to another. The question is which way is the shopping center heading? Will it continue to loose tenants and become a strip with empty space? Attract a national, large capacity retailer?  Or fill the space with more locally owned retailers to service the needs of the community.