Kings Contrivance is a village in the planned community of Columbia, Maryland, United States and is home to approximately 11,000 residents.

The village takes its name from a local restaurant that was opened in 1962 by Kingdon Gould, Jr. in an old county home that previously belonged to the Macgill family.

Macgill's Common and the vast majority of the Dickinson neighborhood are located on land that was sold to HRD in September 1963 by Overlook, Inc., a company owned by Kingdon Gould.

[10] The tract, initially known as the Key property, but later called Emerson, was located on Gorman Road and bordered Route 216 and straddled I-95.

[11][12] It had been acquired by HRD in 1971 from a firm led by Kingdon Gould,[13] and was about two miles from the nearest part of Kings Contrivance.

Opponents of the proposal contended that Emerson was too distant from the rest of Kings Contrivance and that the Columbia Association would be required to make expensive near-term expenditures to provide amenities for the new neighborhood, including a swimming pool and pathways.

According to the original 1973 plans for Kings Contrivance, the neighborhood was to be called Macgill's Range, and was to include single family homes and a 35-acre 18-hole golf course that was to be built and operated by the Columbia Association.

[19] In July 1974, however, HRD announced that it was delaying development of Kings Contrivance and Macgill's Range indefinitely due to slow real estate sales caused by the 1973–75 recession.

[7] Development of Kings Contrivance did not resume until the Spring of 1976, with the first work beginning on what was now called Macgill's Common in October 1976.

[23] The village takes its name from the Reverend James Macgill, first pastor of Christ Church Guilford, and resident of Athol Manor.

[3][24] The street names of Macgill's Common come from the Folk Songs of North America compilation recorded by Alan Lomax.

Supporters argued that it would provide jobs, entertainment opportunities and tax revenues, while opponents contended that it would overwhelm area roads and the local sewerage system, and that it would result in undesired commercial sprawl.

[34] HRD and the Rouse Company defended criticism of their sale of the property to Marriott in part on the grounds the theme park would result in more open space than residential development of the land.

In September 1972, the County Council rejected Marriott's request for changes in zoning laws that were needed for the project to go forward.

In late 1973, HRD announced plans to annex its Huntington property to Columbia and the New Town district as part of Kings Contrivance.

Although adding Huntington was not controversial, other parts of the HRD's proposal were, especially its request to increase the number of townhouses and apartments that it was permitted to build in the New Town zone.

Lengthy hearings and appeals ensued, and it was not until December 1976 that HRD's request to add Huntington to the New Town district was finally granted.

[43] The street names of Huntington are primarily derived from the works of Carl Sandburg, although some come from the poems of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman.

[45] The Kings Contrivance Village Center is located in the Dickinson neighborhood at the intersection of Guilford Road and Eden Brook Drive.

This building, named after Emily Dickinson's hometown in Massachusetts, also serves as a rental hall for community events, parties, and meetings.

Along the Middle Patuxent River, the Dickinson neighborhood includes extensive paths that are located within the Gorman Stream Valley Natural Resource Area.