I was sorry to get a letter last week from Matthew Croson, the president of the Friends of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park, saying that the group has to leave Mt. Ida., their wonderful visitor's center.

Mt. Ida is the beautiful yellow stucco Greek Revival building sitting near the Courthouse parking lot. It was the last home built for a member of the Ellicott family in the Historic District. William Ellicott, grandson of Andrew Ellicott, one of the three founding brothers, built the home in 1828.

When the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park opened to the public Sept. 30, 1995, Mt. Ida opened as the 11th Decorator Show House for Historic Ellicott City, Inc. The organization did an extraordinary amount of work to restore the building, including reproducing the widow's walk on the roof.

After the Show House, the Friends of the Patapsco Female Institute worked hard to maintain the integral beauty of the place, filling it with lovely antique furniture and maintaining the landscaped grounds. The house was the site of many delightful Victorian tea parties, camps, and archeological digs. Attending a meeting there was in a far different atmosphere from the sterile government offices -- the feeling was always genteel and gracious.

Now, the Friends can no longer afford to maintain their presence at Mt. Ida, and will be moving out at the end of November. Any events scheduled up to that time will still be held and events will still be held at the park site in the future.

My hope is that the Friends find a fine new place to be, and that the next occupants of Mt. Ida show the same love and care for the building that the Friends did, and that such a special place deserves.

Hands on History

Thanks to those who stopped by the Hands on History exhibits at the Howard County Fair. Main Street was well represented with displays by Historic Ellicott City, Inc., the B&O Railroad Station Museum, Ellicott City Station, the Patapsco Female Institute, and the Ellicott City Restoration Foundation.

On display all week were exhibits by Tourism and the Historical Society. I came home with a bag full of brochures.

Speaking of full, my friend Vickie Goeller introduced me to a new taste treat at the fair -- deep-fried Oreos. Amazing. And, congratulations to Vickie who won a second-place prize for her home (in the Historic District)-grown tomatoes.

Show House

The "dirty work" is moving along at the Decorator Show House, with wet paint and elbow grease the order of the day. It's great fun to watch the creative process and anticipate the always intriguing final results. Tickets are now on sale for the event, to take place Sept. 20-Oct. 18. Go to www.historicec.com for more information.

Nature

I've always been fascinated by the stories of the red-tailed hawks in New York City -- Pale Male and Lola made a nest on the roof of an apartment building and made the news regularly after that.

Well, we have been regularly visited by our own red-tailed hawk here at our home in Gray Rock Farm. It's a young bird, learning its ways. One time we saw it trying to lift a large prey and fly off with it. It struggled for quite a time until finally making off with it.

My husband, Tom, saw it take on a garter snake in the yard the other day. Tom now wants to go to work an hour late each morning so he can sit on the porch in daylight and bird watch. We have also been visited daily by a doe followed by three fawns. They come often to monitor the progress of the apples on our tree. We don't mind sharing.

Email news and events taking place on Main Street to janetkusterer@juno.com.

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