Where Historic Catonsville sits
Historic Catonsville is the older residential core of Catonsville, an unincorporated community in Baltimore County. The Central Catonsville and Summit Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 2006. The Maryland Historical Trust describes it as bounded by Frederick Road on the north, Rolling Road on the west and south and Mellor Avenue on the east.
The same record calls the district entirely residential, with 349 contributing buildings that date from 1869 to 1958. Summit Park, the subdivision around the 1850s Gary Mansion called The Summit, holds most of the single-family houses. A separate architectural survey describes the wider old neighborhood as large lots and tree-lined streets, so streets just outside the mapped district may feel the same.
| Common problem here. | What it usually looks like. | Page that covers it. |
|---|---|---|
| Supply line or valve failure. | Stained ceiling below a bathroom, soft floor, running meter. | Burst pipe damage. |
| Wet wood floors. | Cupping or lifting boards after a leak. | Hardwood floor repair. |
| Heavy rain at the foundation. | Water at a basement wall or cellar door. | Basement cleanup. |
| Storm runoff and drains. | Water entering at doors or low windows. | Storm water damage. |
That table lists situations we respond to in general, not a record of what has happened on any street. If your problem is not on it, call the line and describe it.
What the record says about water here
Neighborhood-specific FEMA flood-zone status was not verified for this page, so we do not claim any street here is or is not in a mapped flood hazard area. You can look up an address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask your insurer, and a mapped zone is only one of several ways water gets into a house.
On May 27, 2018, a storm dropped more than 10 inches of rain on southwestern Baltimore County, according to a county letter quoted by GovTech. The same report says Catonsville and Oella were hit hardest in the county and that storm drains overflowed behind a restaurant on Frederick Road. It does not say the historic district flooded, and we do not either.
What the storm does show is that drains and pipes sized for ordinary rain can be overwhelmed. Baltimore County asks residents to report clogged street inlets and runoff problems through BaltCoGo 311, and its Storm Drain Design office takes flooding questions at 410-887-3711. The county notes that it cannot make improvements on private property.
In Historic Catonsville and need help?
Call the 24/7 line and give your street, the source and which floors are wet.
Before we arrive in Historic Catonsville
Stop the source.
Close the fixture valve or the main. In an older house, find the main before you need it.
Stay out of live water.
Keep out of standing water near outlets, panels or appliances. Cut power only from a dry spot.
Lift what matters.
Move rugs, books, framed pieces and electronics onto dry furniture or upstairs.
Photograph first.
Take photos and video of the water and damage before anything is moved.
Note old materials.
Tell the dispatcher about plaster walls, wood floors, original trim or old paint.
Mind the paint.
Do not sand or scrape wet paint in a house built before 1978. Ask us about testing first.
Working in older houses
Houses in the district range from 1869 to 1958, and the National Register record notes bungalows, Foursquares, Colonial Revivals, Cape Cods and ranch houses. Construction in those eras can include plaster walls, solid wood floors and original millwork. We do not assume a house has any of them, but we ask, because those materials dry and fail differently from modern drywall and laminate.
Homes built before 1978 may also contain lead-based paint, and the EPA has lead-safe work rules for disturbing painted surfaces in those homes. Cutting out wet plaster or trim can create dust, so say so early if the house is old. See the EPA's lead information for homeowners.
Open and inspect.
Moisture meters show how far water traveled behind plaster, trim and flooring.
Dry with equipment.
Air movers and dehumidifiers run until readings pass. See structural drying.
Decide what stays.
Materials that can dry in place are kept. Ruined or contaminated ones are removed.
Insurance and documentation
Photos, video and moisture readings can help document damage, and an itemized scope can describe the work done. Whether your policy covers a loss depends on the cause and the policy terms, so call your insurer and ask. The Maryland Insurance Administration says homeowners policies generally do not cover flood and that sewer or water backup coverage is typically an endorsement.
If the house is on a Catonsville street served by public sewer and the problem is in the street main, Baltimore County's Department of Public Works is the first call. Indoor cleanup is a separate job. Call us when water is already inside.
Historic Catonsville on the map
Nearby, Winters Lane also runs off Frederick Road, and Westview Park lies north of the Baltimore National Pike. Our service area page lists every town we cover.
Historic Catonsville questions
People use both names for the older core around Frederick Road. This page follows the National Register district called Central Catonsville and Summit Park. If your house is nearby but outside it, call and give the street.
Yes. Tell the dispatcher what the house has, because plaster and solid wood are assessed with moisture meters before anything is cut out or replaced.
You can open windows and lift small items if the water is clean and the area is safe. Fans and a household vacuum are not enough for sewage or floodwater, and they can miss moisture inside walls.
Report it to Baltimore County through BaltCoGo 311, then call us for the cleanup inside the building. Treat outside floodwater as contaminated and stay out of it.
We have not verified that for any street here, so we do not claim it. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and ask your insurer about flood coverage.