The history of Sykesville began in 1825 when James Sykes, for whom the town is named, purchased 1,000 acres of land from his friend George Patterson. George’s father was a wealthy Baltimore shipbuilder and owner of a 3,000-acre estate where today the Springfield Hospital Center stands; his sister, Elizabeth (Betsy) Patterson, had married Jerome Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother in 1803.

When the B&O Railroad extended its line to Sykesville in 1831, Sykes constructed a five-story stone hotel with 47 rooms. Other buildings in the town at that time included two general-merchandise stores, mills, churches, and a post office. Sykesville soon was a booming commercial center and tourist resort; it was a favorite place for Baltimore families to escape the summer heat.

Sykesville flourished for the next 100 years, its greatest growth occurring between 1890 and 1920. Like many small towns after World War II, though, Sykesville went into a steady decline and was nearly forgotten when the Route 32 bypass was built around the town. The period of decay continued until 1985 when people began to take an interest in the town as an alternative place to live and conduct business.

Although small in size compared to others, Sykesville’s Main Street is quaint and diversified, consisting of retail shops, apartments, offices, and restaurants—one of which used to be the B&O Railroad station.

Despite tremendous recent growth, Sykesville maintains a charming small-town character, enhanced by an engaging and historic Main Street, the serene Patapsco River, and magnificent end-of-the-19th-century architecture.