Maryland Women's Heritage Trail Marker To Be Installed at PFI in Ellicott City

The Howard County Women's Bar Association yesterday announced its donation of a new sign designating the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park as a site on the Maryland Women's Heritage Trail. The marker honors educator Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps, who was principal of the Patapsco Female Institute from 1841 to 1856. The stabilized ruins of the school and picturesque grounds of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park are maintained by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. Participating on Wednesday at the dedication were representatives of the Howard County Women's Bar, Howard County Recreation and Parks and The Friends of the Patapsco Female Institute, which worked with Howard County government to save the site, and continues to research and interpret the school's history. The dedication took place on stage just before a performance by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, which uses the park and ruins as an outdoor stage in the summer and fall.