Linthicum: History, Architecture, and the BWI Trail

The William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History is a museum at the headquarters of the American Urological Association in Linthicum, Maryland. The BWI Trail circles Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Linthicum. Historic houses and the Linthicum Heights Historic District add architecture and settlement history to these themes. Travel interests here range from a museum devoted to a clearly defined subject to architectural history and a trail around the airport.

Medical History at the William P. Didusch Center

The William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History is dedicated to the history of urology. The museum owns one of only two original Nitze cystoscopes in the world that remain fully operational. For travelers interested in medical history, this instrument offers a compelling point of connection. The Center offers guided on-site tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays by appointment. If you plan a visit, you will need to make an appointment. This museum visit therefore has a clearly defined subject and schedule, distinct from the architectural and agricultural histories of the other examples.

Houses and Architectural Features

Turkey Hill brings together several details from the history of its construction and use. William Linthicum built the house around 1822; it dates to the early 19th century and has been continuously occupied by one family. The property also includes a birdhouse built by William Linthicum and modeled after Camden Station in Baltimore City. Alongside the approximate construction date, the family history and a distinctive architectural model are also central to the story. These aspects complement one another without reducing the house’s history to a single year.

The Benson-Hammond House offers a different architectural point of reference: it is a 19th-century brick building in the Greek Revival style and is considered an unusual brick farmhouse in northern Anne Arundel County. Its material, building type, and style offer a different perspective from Turkey Hill, whose documented features also include continuous family occupancy and the birdhouse. The Linthicum Heights Historic District broadens the perspective from an individual house to an entire district. It includes houses in the Bungalow, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival, Dutch Revival, and Tudor Revival styles. The district has also retained its early 20th-century suburban character. Together, these architectural styles and this character define the district’s distinctive historic setting.

Agricultural History and the BWI Trail

Benson Farm is connected with truck farming, or the growing of vegetables for market. This important agricultural activity in northern Anne Arundel County dates from the second quarter of the 19th century to after World War II. Thus, alongside individual houses and their architectural styles, a longer regional agricultural history also comes into view. This differs from the history of a particular building: the focus is an agricultural activity, its regional context, and a period extending far beyond the construction year of a single building.

The BWI Trail offers a different focus. It circles Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Linthicum, providing a clearly defined route to consider when planning your trip. The museum and the trail appeal to different travel interests: a guided tour requires an appointment, while the trail shapes the area with its route around the airport.

Discover more nearby destinations: Annapolis, Millersville, Annapolis Junction, Odenton, Glen Burnie, Deale, Arnold

View the broader travel guide: Anne Arundel.