[3] Thomas Browne explored westward through Anne Arundel county through Clarksville and settled in the area in 1702.

A century later in the civil war, confederate general Bradley Tyler Johnson used Mt.

Gorman married Elizabeth Browne of the Brown family, occupied a large farm "Good Fellowship", sold Granite for buildings and built a large granite house in town.

The granite house was the birthplace of Arthur Pue Gorman, which was torn down to build a bridge across the Patapsco in the early 1980s.

St, Alphonsus Rodriguez church was built on a section of the institute in 1887–1968 when it was lost to fire.