Cockeysville was named after the Cockey family who helped establish the town. Thomas Cockey (1676–1737) settled in Limestone Valley in 1725 at Taylor's Hall (an area now just north of Padonia Road and east of Interstate 83). Joshua Frederick Cockey (1765–1821) built one of the first homes in the area in 1798 and built the first commercial structure, a hotel, in 1810 in what would become the village of Cockeysville. His son, Judge Joshua F. Cockey (1800–1891), was a lifelong resident in the village and built the train station (what would be part of the Pennsylvania Railroad) and accompanying commercial buildings in the 1830s.

Cockeysville was the scene of some Civil War activity. Confederate soldiers pushed into the Baltimore area, intending to cut off the city and Washington from the north. On July 10, 1864, Confederate cavalry under General Bradley T. Johnson entered Cockeysville, destroying telegraph lines and track along the Northern Central Railway. They also burned the first bridge over the Gunpowder Falls, just beyond nearby Ashland.

After the war, Joshua F. Cockey III (1837–1920) founded the National Bank of Cockeysville (1891) and other commercial ventures in the community, as well as developing dwellings along the York Turnpike (now York Road) that made up the village of Cockeysville.

Stone Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Baltimore County School No. 7 was listed in 2000.

Local institutions

Cockeysville is home to the Cockeysville Public Library.

Schools

Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge of Maryland, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, is located in Cockeysville on a 250-acre (1.0 km) campus. It includes a castle-like structure known as Bonnie Blink ("Beautiful View" in Scottish), which is the retirement home for Master Masons, Eastern Star ladies and eligible family members. Located throughout the Grand Lodge are detailed, hand-laid tile storyboards depicting Masonic themes. Adjacent to the Grand Lodge building is the Freemason's Hall, containing the Maryland Grand Lodge Museum. The museum has the desk that George Washington resigned his commission on, prior to becoming President, a rare Latin Bible from 1482, and some jewels and regalia of Maryland's past Grand Masters.

Commerce and industry

A quarry, dating back to the 19th century, produces limestone and marble, including some of the marble used in the construction of the Washington Monument. The whiter portion towards the bottom half of the monument originated from this quarry, but since construction was halted when money ran low, the monument had to be finished using a cheaper, different-colored stone.

Phase one (1848 to 1858) of construction continued up to the 152-foot (46 m) level, under the direction of Superintendent William Daugherty. The exterior featured white marble from Texas, Maryland, as well as four rows of it from Sheffield, Massachusetts. In phase two (1878 to 1888), with work completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, commanded by Lt. Col. Thomas L. Casey, white marble for the exterior was used from a different Cockeysville quarry.

The local marble was also used in 1836 to form the track bed of the Padonia Road section of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad (which later became part of the Northern Central Railway); the use of marble instead of wood was an experiment that was soon after abandoned.