The town of Joppa, on the Gunpowder River traded internationally in agricultural products, especially tobacco. At its peak, the port was home to about 50 homes, a church, prison, inns, shops, schools, armament factories, and warehouses. However, with the rise of Baltimore and Annapolis, Joppa declined as a port, and was slowly abandoned. By 1815 all the remained were ruins and the surviving Rumsey Mansion.
In 1962, Joppatowne, one of the first of a new generation of Planned Unit Developments (PUD) in the United States, was launched by the Panitz Company.
Coordinates: 39°26′01″N 76°21′28″W/39.43361°N 76.35778°W/39.43361; -76.35778