Fort Howard, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fort Howard, Maryland
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 Fort Howard, Maryland
Location in Maryland
Fort Howard, Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Baltimore |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.143 sq mi (.370 km2) |
| • Land | 0.075 sq mi (.194 km2) |
| • Water | 0.068 sq mi (.176 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 303 |
| • Density | 7,840/sq mi (3,027/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21052
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| Area code(s) | 410,443 and 667 |
| GNIS feature ID | 590227 |
Fort Howard is a small community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It's a special kind of place called a census-designated place. This means it's an area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. In 2010, about 303 people lived here.
Contents
Where is Fort Howard?
Fort Howard is located in Maryland, at coordinates 39.2073° N and 76.4450° W. It's a small area, covering about 0.143 square miles. A big part of this area, about 47.3%, is water!
Waterways Around Fort Howard
Fort Howard sits where two rivers meet. The Patapsco River flows into the large Chesapeake Bay. The Back River also meets here. These rivers form the east and south sides of a piece of land called the North Point peninsula. The western side is bordered by Old Road Bay.
The name "North Point" came from Captain Robert North. He owned land here in 1793 and launched his ship, the Content, from this spot.
Who Lives in Fort Howard?
In 2010, there were 303 people living in Fort Howard. These people lived in 86 households, and 75 of those were families. The area was quite densely populated for its size. All residents counted in the 2010 census were white.
Fort Howard's Past
The land where Fort Howard is today has a very long history.
Early Inhabitants
For thousands of years, since the last Ice Age, Susquehannock Indians lived in this area. They were the first people to call this place home.
European Exploration and Settlement
In 1608, a European explorer named John Smith visited the area. He was exploring the Chesapeake Bay and landed on the Patapsco Neck. Later, in 1664, Thomas Todd from Virginia claimed 1,150 acres of land here. This was the very first land deed recorded in Baltimore County.
The Todd family's old farmhouse is still standing today. It's known as the Todd Farmhouse or "Todd's Inheritance." It's a nationally recognized landmark within the North Point State Park.
Settlement of the North Point peninsula began in the 1660s. Families received land grants from King Charles I of England. They also got land from the leaders of the Province of Maryland, like Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore and his brother Leonard Calvert.
The Fort and Its Role
Fort Howard is named after a real military fort built in 1898. This fort, also called Fort Howard, is now a historic park. The federal government gave it to Baltimore County in 1973.
The park was once a military base from the late 1890s up to World War I. It's also a very important historical site from the War of 1812. On September 12, 1814, the British Army and Royal Navy landed here. They were planning to attack Baltimore, leading to the famous Battle of North Point.
