Childs, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Childs, Maryland
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Cecil |
| Elevation | 157 ft (48 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21916
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| Area code(s) | 410, 443, and 667 |
| GNIS feature ID | 589970 |
Childs is an unincorporated community in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. Childs was originally known as Spring Hill. Childs is the location of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. The Shrine of our Lady of the Highways is visible from Interstate 95. The Shrine is dedicated to the memory of three people who died as a result of a nearby car crash in 1968.
The Little Elk Creek winds through Childs, parallel to Maryland Route 545 (Blue Ball Road).
Childs is named after George W. Childs, an owner of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. In 1886, Childs purchased the Marley Paper Mills to support his newspaper operations.
A train station called "Childs Station" opened in 1886 on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line.
The Childs Post Office was established in 1887, and has been housed in at least three locations since that time. The ZIP code is 21916. The Post Office is currently located on Blue Ball Road, just north of the intersection of Childs and Blue Ball Road. At one time it was housed in the Old Childs Store, located at the northwest corner of what is now Childs, Star Route and Blue Ball Roads. The Old Childs Store is now an antique and art store. The third location was in a small one room building. In 1985, Childs was the location for the first issue of a six-cent tricycle stamp. A forgery of the first day of issue bearing a Childs postmark can be found on display at the Smithsonian.
Dr. Richard C. Brookings and Mary Carter, the parents of Robert Brookings, founder of the Brookings Institution, were from the Childs area.
Confederate General William W. Mackall grew up in Childs at the Wilna, a home said to date to 1740. Richard Mackall, William W. Mackall's brother, was born at the Wilna and was a dentist and member of the Maryland General Assembly.
There is a Potter's Field located on Childs Road near the present day Mt. Aviat Academy. There is a stone on the southern side of Childs Road that notes the location and dates of active use of the burial ground. The Potter's Field was also the site of a public execution in 1879.
