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HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM, Inc.
North Point Village
The area now known as North Point Village was just a point along the way in 1814 when British General Robert Ross and his troops marched up North Point Road (known then as Long Log Lane) and was foiled by 3,000 American volunteers. Historic names like Battle Grove find their origins in the September battle, but history associated very little with the quiet patch of ground and its cove for more than a century, while industry grew around it.
The parcel that would become North Point Village was owned by devout Catholic Polish immigrant Cecelia Barcikowski-Widransky, who sold the land in 1948 to developer Theodore Julio and Sons. They planned to build row homes for steelworkers who wanted to live closer to Sparrows Point, then in its heyday.
Mrs. Barcikowski-Widransky had one stipulation for the developer - that the streets would honor the saints. Julio kept his word - and also devout – chose a string of mostly minor saints to make the area unique.
The developer knew when to reference the modern, as well as the classic, and urged prospective buyers to his site by using the newly constructed North Point Drive-In (and nearby rollarena) as a draw and a landmark. The venerable drive-in closed in 1982, but the newer landmark is the state-of-the-art Southeast Regional Rec Center, dedicated in 2002.
Battle Grove Democratic Club was started in the area in 1933 – 15 years before the development - and remains one of the most active political groups in Maryland, with more than 750 members. It hosted an appearance by former president Bill Clinton in 2008 as he campaigned for his wife, Hillary
North Point Villagers maintain an everyday pride in their community and embrace the sporadic historic moments that add to its flavor.