Odenton: Museum and Historic Sites

Odenton for History Enthusiasts

Odenton offers travelers interested in local history several distinct points of interest. The OHS Historical Center and Museum explores life in Odenton through a collection; the Odenton Historic District encompasses a designated part of the town. Individual historic buildings add perspectives on architecture and the area's development. Here, collection items, a sense of place, and architectural examples offer different ways to explore local history.

A Museum Spanning a Broad Time Period

Through artifacts, photographs, and reading materials, the OHS Historical Center and Museum offers insights into life in Odenton from the mid-19th century to the present. These three types of material offer tangible, visual, and textual ways to explore the subject; together, they provide more than one way to engage with local life. If you are interested in historical change over time, this broad span is an important part of the museum's focus.

The museum is open to the public on the first Sunday of each month from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; visits on other days are available by appointment. For planning purposes, the regular Sunday public hours differ from the option to visit by appointment. Check current opening hours before your visit.

The Odenton Historic District

The Odenton Historic District is an officially designated historic district by Anne Arundel County. It encompasses Odenton Road and Becknel Avenue, as well as the surrounding residential neighborhood. The Odenton Heritage Society recommends that visitors walk through this part of town and see Odenton's historic center. The district thus offers a spatial perspective, while the museum explores life in Odenton over a long period through its collection.

Buildings Between Local History and Architecture

The Citizens State Bank is listed in Maryland's inventory of properties included in the National Register. Its historic significance lies in its connection to the development of the Odenton area during World War I.

The Odenton Masonic Lodge No. 209 was built in 1912 on the south side of Odenton Road in Odenton, Maryland. It is a two-story frame meeting hall and a well-preserved, representative example of a clubhouse typical of small communities in the early 20th century. Its architectural significance offers a different point of reference from the Citizens State Bank's connection to the area's development: the lodge focuses on construction and building type, while the bank building reflects Odenton's history during World War I. The terms “frame” and “meeting hall” help classify the lodge by both its construction and building type; its two stories and the year it was built, 1912, add specific architectural and historical details to this description.

Two different time scales also sit side by side: the museum spans from the mid-19th century to the present, while 1912 is the lodge's specific year of construction. The museum's time span places local history in context over many decades; the year 1912 anchors the lodge to a single point in time.

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