Present day Catonsville was settled in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, a county road along the Patapsco River was named the Frederick Turnpike, or later designated Route 144. It was opened by the Ellicotts to service traffic between their flour mill and Baltimore. Catonsville as we know it today was settled along this route by Richard Caton by authority of his father-in-law Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Travelers along the turnpike, as it was known, rested and conducted business in the area as Catonsville grew.

The large, beautiful Victorian and colonial homes in Catonsville were built by wealthy families moving from Baltimore. Originally, these communities were used for summer residences to escape the heat in Baltimore. Eventually, as with many communities, the introduction of various methods of transportation led families to live in Catonsville year round. The combination of wealthy families, businesses and government workers, wage earners, and others combines to be what is today the wonderful community of Catonsville.