City of Laurel, Md. kicks off yearlong celebration of 150 years as incorporated town
LAUREL, Md. (WJLA) — The Laurel Manor House bed and breakfast represents both the past and future of the city of Laurel. It is a beautiful Victorian home built in 1888 by a 7-term Laurel mayor named Phelps.
It has seen much of the town’s history. Now it has been renovated by Lisa Everett and her husband. It is the first licensed bed and breakfast in Prince George’s County and Everett says it is thriving, "There are so many great neighbors close knit community, very walkable, a lot of my guests like they can walk to restaurants on Main Street.”
This year the city of Laurel wants to share that story with a yearlong celebration of its 150 years as an incorporated town.
It began in the early 1800s with the founding of what would become a large cotton mill along the Patuxent River. It is home to the county’s first public high school, its first national bank.
Laurel Museum CEO Karen Lubieniecki says its Emancipation Day celebrations may be the first as well. She says Laurel’s history is worth knowing, “Laurel is a perfect example of a community that has evolved. We started as a mill town. We became a suburban town."
Laurel continues to evolve according to city spokesperson Audrey Barnes. She says among the 36 events scheduled for the year several will celebrate Laurel’s changing demographics.
Lisa Everett of the Laurel Manor House says she’ll be serving as a 150th celebration ambassador, happy to share the story of her B&B and her town.
“We felt like we were taking a gamble but we hit the jackpot with the neighborhood because Laurel is a really great community,” Everett says.
