Signs of People
Albert Smith House
"A lot of the older buildings in Catonsville were originally wooden, and so many of them are gone, but stone will be here almost forever." Grant Menefee, drum instructor.
"Inside, the wood is exposed and you can see saw and axe marks, and it still has some bark on it. It's virgin lumber that had never been re-harvested; it was already here when the Europeans came."
"One of my students owned the building when it was Dixon Signs. It has always been a busy corner. What I like most in Catonsville is the people. When I travel, I always say I'm from Catonsville, I don't say Baltimore. That's my identity. A small southern town feel, tradition, friendly people, music. I like to travel and see other places, but it's always good to come home."
Albert Smith House, circa 1870. Courtesy of Baltimore County Public Library.
Albert Smith House
The Albert Smith House is one of the oldest buildings in Catonsville, dating to 1819, and remains the oldest commercial building on Frederick Road. It was used as the first home of the Catonsville Post Office in the 1840s by John Keston Smith and converted into a store by his son Albert Smith in the 1880s. Smith recognized the growth on Frederick Road as steam-powered commuter rails were laid and the population increased. Smith and his wife, Mary, used the first floor of the store to sell flour, feed, cigars, and other goods produced at a nearby steam mill. It was during this time that Frederick Road became the business center for Catonsville. A side area of the building also housed the office for Catonsville's first newspaper, The Argus.
Since its initial use, the house has served as a pharmacy, bookstore, sign store, jewelry store, office, and kitchen-and-bath showroom.
Through all its iterations, the Albert Smith House has been a reminder of Catonsville's charming business district, which has continued to thrive along Frederick Road, from the late 19th century to today.