Catonsville [Paperback]

As the Baltimore County community of Catonsville celebrates its bicentennial, Then and Now: Catonsville reflects on its past, present, and future. Some images celebrate the familiar landmarks that have withstood the test of time, while others represent the march of progress and the ever-changing landscape of Catonsville.Title: Q and A with 'Catonsville' author Martha Wight Wise

Author: Brian Conlin

Publisher: Catonsville Times

Date: 12/15/2010



Martha Wight Wise became enamored with Catonsville about 30 years ago when she toured the town in a convertible as a 14-year-old beauty queen in a Fourth of July parade.



Catonsville looked like Mayberry compared to the city row house she lived in, she said.



The lifelong Baltimore resident said she found it interesting that an area so quaint could be so close to the city.



A few years later, she found herself taking different routes to Catonsville Community College, where she got her associate's degree in business administration, just so she could explore the town.



After Catonsville, a book which uses photographs and captions to show how Catonsville has changed in its 200 years, Wise wrote another book about Catonsville in 2005, Images of America: Catonsville.



This is her fourth book in all.



Below Wise answers questions about her love of history, the writing process and the book's appeal:



When did your fascination with history start?



I blame it on my parents. They took me to Newport, R.I., when I was 8 years old.



I saw what are quaintly called 'The Cottages,' but these are big, opulent, pre-income tax mansions.



There were these big, old, huge houses. I grew up in Federal Hill in a 900-square-foot rowhouse, so the juxtaposition was 'wow.'



It all starts with old houses, and, of course, everything has a story.



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