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Banners on the old-fashioned street lamps proclaim Ellicott City to be “pretty comfy,” “pretty tasty,” “pretty historic,” and “pretty unique.” Town promoters obviously had a tough time deciding on one phrase and sticking with it. Not surprising, since Ellicott City is all these, and more. The oldest railroad station in America and a 1780 log cabin share Main Street with head shops, art galleries, and gourmet eateries.

On Main Street you can get fresh fudge, antiques, home furnishings, or hippie beads. There are bakeries and coffee shops, and a brewpub where you can see shiny copper equipment brewing authentic German beer according to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516, the German Purity Law for beer and the oldest food law in existence.

All these are housed in historic and colorfully painted row houses, a scene that provides the raw material for artists like Steven Stannard. A transplant from big cities, the architect by day/artist by weekend finds inspiration for his luminous oil paintings in the buildings lining Main Street, built in another era. “I love to paint the architecture of Ellicott City,” says Stannard, whose studio is on the second floor at 8120 Main. “It’s not Ocean City – it can get sleepy at times, but my inspiration is right outside my door.”

Visitors entering the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum are greeted by costumed guides and taken through a 19th-century living history experience tracing the development of the nation’s first railroad, and life in Ellicott City from 1827 to 1868. Built by black laborers and Irish and German immigrants making 50¢ a day, the B&O (Baltimore & Ohio) celebrates its 175th anniversary in the summer of 2003. When the station was built for the transfer of freight, not passengers, in 1831, it was at the end of the line of 13 miles of track from Baltimore. Remnants of the “turn-table” used to turn the engines around can still be seen outside. Visitors can enter an 1885 Freight House, climb aboard a 1927 Caboose, and watch award-winning films. While they no longer stop, freight trains still pass the station regularly. Open Friday through Sunday afternoons; Mondays and Thursdays in summer only. Admission: $4 adults; $3 students and seniors; $2 for children 12 and under; kids under two admitted free. (tel. 410-461-1944, www.ecbo.org)

Attractions

Ellicott City Firehouse Museum is in a firehouse built in 1889 at a cost of just $500, just big enough to house one piece of horse-drawn equipment. They chose one of the handiest spots in the city, perched on a triangular piece of land right above Main Street. It operated as the home of Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 until 1923, when the department needed bigger quarters for the new motorized engines, and the house was converted to city offices. Open Sunday, 1-4 pm by appointment; admission is free. (3829 Church Road, tel. 410-313-2602)

Inside Thomas Isaac’s Log Cabin, historians portray living history circa 1770-1820 for visitors to this way station on the National Road, which facilitated the fledgling nation’s westward movement. The 1780 restored cabin and the oldest remaining structure in Ellicott City, was built as a settlers cabin, and originally located on Merryman Street. Open Saturdays, 11 am-4 pm, and Sunday, noon-4 pm. (Main Street and Ellicotts Mills Drive, tel. 410-750-7881)

Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park is an unusual attraction, the stabilized ruins of one of the most famous girls’ schools in the 19th century (1837-1891). This was a time when young women rarely had the opportunity for higher education. In this remote place the lucky few studied botany, history, language, music and art. The Greek Revival structure sits on the highest point in town, overlooking the Patapsco River Valley, just two blocks from the Ellicott City historic district. Open Sundays 1-4 pm, April through October, and for a variety of special events throughout the year. Tours are given at 1:30 and 3 pm. Admission is $4 adults, $3 students and seniors; children five and under are free. (3691 Sarah