These days, Maple Lawn is more than the turkey farm in southern Howard County owned by the Iager family for more than a century. The mixed-use planned community of homes, offices, businesses and stores is about 20 percent finished and is expected to be completed over the next decade or so.
The community of about 700 acres lies in Fulton, a rural area about midway between Baltimore and Washington.
The design, with residences close to the street and sidewalks everywhere, is geared toward fostering over-the-fence neighborliness and pedestrian traffic.
Houses typically sit on lots smaller than those in the Fulton countryside, with space going to community facilities in a trade-off.
"We share those things," said Marilyn Greene, who has a home-based interior design business and moved with her family from a similar community, Kentlands, in Montgomery County. Having a big house but small yard to tend and common space cared for by the community appealed to them.
Fewer than 300 houses are occupied. When the community is completed over 12 years or more, Maple Lawn is expected to have more than 1,300 condos, townhouses and single-family homes, and a population of several thousand.
A medical center is under construction, and 1.8 million square feet of commercial space is being built.
The two-building community center includes a reception hall, conference rooms and a formal garden. It also has a library, yoga room and workout facilities.
With the longtimers settled in for less than three years, people are still finding common interests. Among them so far are a Red Hat Society, a garden club and Bunco group.