01/24/2026
Fun county trivia for your Friday night! 📬⚰️
Quick history trivia!📜 Did the Howard County Welcome Center formally function as a post office or a funeral home?
What if we told you: both! The building that stands today as our Welcome Center has served the local community in many different and fascinating ways:
⚰️In the 1860’s, the structure was once the WJ Bewley Funeral Home. After the passing of Bewley in 1872, his apprentice, Stephen Jones Hillsinger, purchased the business in 1873 and it became the Hillsinger & Son funeral business. But they relocated to Catonsville after Stephen Jones’ death in 1922.
📬By 1939, the original structure on the property was torn down to become a New-Deal era U.S. Post Office. In 1942, artist Petro Paul De Anna painted murals commissioned by the Treasury Department to boost morale during the Depression era, which are still preserved today.
🏫Following the post office’s closure of this location in 2008, County leaders secured the building with federal support and repurposed the historic space into a Welcome Center. In 2011, they renovated and relocated the Welcome Center to the upper level, making an enhanced effort to serve the community.
Today, a multi-year project restored the building, preserving historic elements like original floors and artifacts while adding modern exhibits, art, and meeting spaces. By blending the past with new modern amenities, we are able to keep history alive and well-preserved. Come visit and uncover the past of Howard County!
📷️: Photo courtesy of Howard County Government