Green Mount Cemetery Walking Tours

Friends of Maryland's Olmsted Parks and Landscapes  -  Walking Tours

Join FMOPL for two walking tours that explore the legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. and the Olmsted Brothers in some of Baltimore's historic neighborhoods.  $

• Sunday, October 12th at 3 p.m.  -  Bancroft Park led by architect Stuart Macklin

• Sunday, October 26th at 10 a.m.  -  Original Northwood led by Dean Wagner

For more information or to make reservations, call 410-235-9149, or e-mail jbec423@comcast.net, or visit www.olmstedmaryland.org.

Baltimore Architecture Week 2008

October 15th-26th - AIABaltimore (Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects) is pleased to announce the fifth annual Baltimore Architecture Week.  With a spotlight on architecture, this week-long series of events will emphasize the importance of our built environment, from our rich architectural and historic heritage to current policies, issues, and projects for our city.  For a complete list of events, visit www.aiabalt.com. 

• Sunday, October 19th, 1 p.m. at the Gateway Building of the Maryland Institute College of Art  -  Fred Shoken will give an illustrated talk entitled "Read Any Good Buildings Lately?"  The program will focus on how buildings and other aspects of the built environment provide information on local history and development. This free talk will highlight date stones, lettering, historical markers, plaques, symbols, carvings, architectural artifacts, and faded signs from Baltimore structures.  The MICA Gateway Building is located at 1601 Mt. Royal Avenue near North Avenue. 

• Sunday, October 26th, from 9 a.m. to noon  $  Doris Sharkey will lead a three-hour walking tour  highlighting the architecture of  Bolton Hill, Mt. Vernon, and Downtown. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  The tour begins at the AIABaltimore Gallery located at 11 1/2 West Chase Street.  For information, contact Doris Sharkey at sharlitt@verizon.net or 410-383-2722.

Irish Railroad Workers Museum  -  Walking Tour

Saturday, October 18th at 10:30 a.m.  This 90 minute walking tour begins at the B&O Museum parking lot located at the corner of West Pratt and Poppleton Streets.  The tour includes visits to the Irish Railroad Workers Museum on Lemmon Street, St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, and the Hollins Market.  The tour offers a fascinating glimpse at Irish life in Baltimore during the 19th century, and is free and open to the public although contributions to the museum are always welcome.  Reservations for the tour are required and can be made by calling 410-669-8154.  For more information, visit www.irishshrine.org.

Historic Homewood ArtWalk

This free guided walking tour between Homewood Mansion and the Baltimore Museum of Art will focus on art, architecture, and history. Tours take place every Saturday in October and depart from Homewood Mansion at 1 p.m.  and from the Baltimore Museum of Art at 2 p.m.  Homewood Mansion is located at 3400 North Charles Street.  Reservations may be made by calling 410-516-5589 or by visiting homewoodmuseum@jhu.edu.

Baltimore Museum of Art  -  Self-Guided Tour of Baltimore Monuments

The BMA has created a podcast guide to 14 well known Baltimore monuments.  The podcast features the voices of local artists,  historians, authors, and curators discussing the significance and history behind these 14  landmarks.  In addition to the podcasts, the free tour includes a map of the areas covered and a CD.  The self-guided tour includes these monuments:  Lee-Jackson, Union Soldiers and Sailors, Confederate Soldiers and Sailors, Richard Wagner, Billie Holiday, Francis S. Key, Edgar Allan Poe, Male/Female, Roger Taney, George Washington, Battle Monument, Casimir Pulaski, Katyn Memorial, and War Memorial Plaza.  For more information, call 443-573-1700. Also, see the Baltimore Sun article from August 21st.  The podcast is also available at www.baltimoresun.com/monumenttour.

Carroll Mansion Exhibit  -  Civil War Baltimore:  View From the Cator Collection

June through October, 2008  $  The exhibit includes selected views of Baltimore during the Civil War from Pratt Library's Cator Collection. (The collection consists of almost 200 engravings, watercolors, prints and lithographs covering the city's history from 1752 to 1930.) A parallel exhibit running through August focuses on political cartoons dealing with Abraham Lincoln.  Both exhibits are free with admission to the mansion.  The Carroll Mansion is located at 800 East Lombard Street near Front Street and is open from Noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.  For more information. call 410-605-2964; email info@carrollmuseums.org, or visit www.carrollmuseums.org.

Fell's Point History Lecture Series

Local historian and Fell's Point resident Jack Trautwein will present his popular lecture series entitled "Secrets of a Seaport - Fell's Point" beginning on Monday, October 13th.  $  The six-lecture series will meet from 7:30 - 9 p.m. in the Preservation Society Conference Center at 812 S. Ann Street and traces the history of Fell's Point from its founding in 1730 to the present.  To register for part or all of the series, call Barbara Cromwell at 410-675-6750 ext. 16.  Topics include:

• Monday, October 13th:  Fell's Point, The Early Years 1730-1766 
• Wednesday, October 16th:  The Revolutionary War 1776-1800
• Monday, October 20th:  Turbulent Waters 1800-1812
• Wednesday, October 22nd:  The War of 1812
• Monday October 27th:  Between the Wars 1815-1860
• Wednesday, October 29th:  The Fall and Rise of Fell's Point 1860-present        

Basilica of the Assumption Tours

Free tours of America's first cathedral, the Basilica of the Assumption, take place Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.  For Saturday tour times, call 410-727-3565.  Sunday tours begin at noon following Mass.  The Basilica is located at Cathedral and Mulberry Streets.

Basilica of the Assumption Lecture Series

The lectures are free and open to the public.

Sunday, October 12th at 2 p.m.  -  Thomas Gordon Smith, AIA will lecture on "The Basilica:  From Athens, Through Rome, To Baltimore." 

Sunday, November 9th at 2 p.m.  -  Rev. Dr. Timothy Kulbicki, St. Mary's Seminary will speak on  "The Councils of Baltimore:  The 19th Century Church in the United States."

Baltimore Architecture Foundation Fall Forum Series

The BAF's Fall Forum Series takes place on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Hopkins University Downtown Center located at 10 North Charles Street.  The series is free and open to the public.  Topics and speakers include:

• October 8th - "Historic Commission Issues and Initiatives -- Landmarking Major Structures" by Tyler Gearhart
• October 15th - "Home Sales in the Baltimore Region -- It's Not as Bad as You Think (or Is It?)" by Jody Landers
• October 22nd - "East Baltimore Development Inc. Progress Report" by Chris Shea
• October 29th - "Goal: Ending Homelessness" by Kevin Lindamood
• November 5th - "Using Tax Credits to Revitalize Midtown" by Charlie Duff 
• November 12th -  "New Directions for Center Stage" by Debbi Chinn
• November 19th - "New Arena, Old Location!" by Kimberley Clark

Mount Vernon Walking Tours

• Mt. Vernon Cultural Walk:  Daily through November 2nd at Noon -  This free 90-minute walking tour begins at the Inner Harbor Visitors Center (on Light Street just below Pratt Street) and explores the cultural heart of Baltimore from the Basilica of the Assumption (first cathedral in the United States), to the Washington Monument, the Walters Art Museum, Peabody Institute and Mount Vernon Place.  Over 20 cultural and historic attractions make up the tour.  For information, call 443-984-3089 or visit www.starspangledtours.org.

• Guided Walking Tours of Mt. Vernon Place:  Tours of the four squares of Mt. Vernon take place on Saturdays at 10 a.m.  $  Advance reservations are required.  The tours begin at the lobby of the Peabody Cout Hotel located at Cathedral and Monument Streets.  For reservations, call 410-385-0424.  

• Mount Vernon Literary Walking Tour:  This free self-guided tour of the Mt. Vernon haunts of famous writers like Edgar Allan Poe, H. L. Mencken, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Upton Sinclair, John Dos Passos, Henry James, Emily Post, Gertrude Stein, and others is sponsored by the Maryland Humanities Council.  Visit www.mdhc.org to download the tour map.  

Heritage Walk

Daily through November 2nd from the Inner Harbor Visitors Center  -   This free walking tour connects 20 historic sites and museums located in the Inner Harbor, Little Italy, Jonestown, and City Center.   Sites include the Flag House, Carroll Mansion, Shot Tower, Jewish Museum of Maryland, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture, World Trade Center, the USS Constellation, and others.  Participants can choose between a "Guided Walk" that lasts about 90 minutes and a self-guided tour.  Heritage Walk booklets $ are available at the Visitors Center and at most of the sites.  For more information, call 443-514-5900  or visit www.heritagewalk.org.     

Patterson Park Pagoda

The Patterson Park Observatory, known to most Baltimoreans as "The Pagpoda," is open on Sundays through October from Noon to 6 p.m.  Designed and built by Charles H. Latrobe in 1891, it stands on Hampstead Hill and provides a magnificent view of the city.  "The Pagoda"  is located on the west side of the park near the intersection of Pratt Street and Patterson Park Avenue.  Admission is free. For information, call 410-276-3676.

Westminster Cemetery Tours

Located at Fayette and Greene Streets, Wetminster Cemetery was established by First Presbyterian Church. Organized in 1761, the church relocated the graveyard  to the west side of town in 1786.  Originally known as the Western Burial Ground, many of the people buired here were the early merchants of Baltimore who made their fortunes in the flour trade.  In addition there are officers from the War of 1812 including General Sam Smith, and General John Stricker as well as writer and poet Edgar Allen Poe.  Tours of Westminster take place on the first and third Friday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m.) of each month (April - November).  Tours are by appointment only and can be arranged by calling 410-706-2072, or by e-mail at westminster@law.umaryland.edu.  For more information visit www.westminsterhall.org.

Enoch Pratt Free Library  -  Happy Birthday Mr. Pratt!

As part of the bicentennial of Enoch Pratt's birth (September 10, 1808), the Central Library (400 Cathedral Street) will present an exhibit of photographs, letters, and memorabilia from the Library's archives.  "Enoch Pratt's Living Legacy" will run from September 10th through January 10th and is free and open to the public during regular library hours.  Though born in Massachusetts, Pratt came to Baltimore in 1831 where he operated a wholsale hardware business on South Charles Street.  After the Civil War, Pratt gave money and time to various cultural and charitable institutions including  the Peabody Institute and First Unitarian Church.  In 1882, he announced a major gift for the construction of a central library and four library branches.  the library system opened in 1886.  

Enoch Pratt Free Library  -  Baltimore in Postcards 

This free program takes a nostalgic look at Baltimore educational institutions, churches, restaurants, monuments using postcards from 1904 to the 1960s.

• Hampden Branch:  Thursday. January 22nd, 1:30 p.m. 

Enoch Pratt Free Library  -  Book Talk

Sunday, October 19th, 2 p.m. in the Poe Room of the Central Library  -  Sharon Knecht will lecture on her new book The Oblate Sisters of Providence:  A Pictorial History.  Founded in Baltimore in 1829, the Oblate Sisters of Providence became the first African American order of nuns in the world.  The program is free and open to the public.  Copies of her book will be available after the program.  The Central Library is located at 400 Cathedral Street.

Thurgood Marshall Exhibit  -  Thurgood's Baltimore: The Education of a Revolutionary, 1908-1938

July 1st through October 12th at the Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture  - $ -  Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Marshall's birth, this exhibit examines his Baltimore roots and their influence on his rise to prominence.  The Reginald Lewis Museum is located at 830 E. Pratt Street. For information, call 443-263-1800 or visit www.africanamericanculture.org.

Maryland Historical Society Programs: 

• The Legacy of  Enoch Pratt  -  September 10th to January 4th - In collaboration with Pratt Library and First Unitarian Church, this exhibit will celebrate the bicentennial of Enoch Pratt's birth:  September 10, 1808. In addition, the Enoch Pratt house will be open.  The house, which is part of the Maryland Historical Society, was completed in 1848 and served as the in-town residence for Enoch and Maria Pratt. The exhibit is free with admission to the museum.

• New Discoveries & Interpretations:  The War of 1812 in Maryland  -  Thursday, October 23rd, 6:00 p.m. - $  - Fort McHenry historian Scott Sheads will lecture on significant revisions emerging from a renewed study of primary documents for the War of 1812.  Several revisions relate to the British and U.S. troop movements in the Chesapeake Bay region.  Call 410-685-3750 ext. 384 for reservations

• Historic House Tour and Lecture Series - Wednesdays in October from 4-6 p.m.  -  Join the Francis Scott Key Society for tours of four historic landmarks in the Baltimore area. The lectures will detail the architecture and the history of these historic sites.  $  This series is open to members of the Historical Society ONLY.  For reservations, call 410-685-3750  ext. 329 or email: lbrooks@mdhs.org.  Here is the tour schedule: 

        October  1st:  Perry Hall Mansion - 1773                

        October  8th:  Long Green 1800 - Hydes

        October 15th:  Atlanta Hall 1767 - Monkton

        October 22nd:  First & Franklin Presbyterian Church    

Baltimore City Historical Society  -  History Honors Program

FALL SEMESTER COURSES ON BALTIMORE HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE

Towson University - OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute

• Baltimore's Architectural Landmarks, Part 2 - Wednesdays, October 15, 22, 29, and November 5th from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.  -  Instructor:  Wayne R. Schaumburg  $.  Part 2 will focus on the 20th century, the Baltimore rowhouse, and the ways by which our landmarks are being documented, preserved, and restored.

Johns Hopkins University - Odyssey Liberal Arts Program

• Jazz:  Baltimore and Beyond  -  Saturday and Sunday, December 6th and 7th from 1-5 p.m.  -  Instructor: Matt Belzer  $.  The course will focus on the inner workings of jazz, as well as Baltimore's connection to the history of jazz and it's present.

Johns Hopkins University  -  OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute

• Baltimore's Architectural Landmarks - Tuesdays, November 11th through December 16th from 10 a.m. to Noon  -  Instructor:  Wayne R. Schaumburg  $  Through a series of 6 illustrated lecture/discussions, the course will focus on the city's major landmarks as well as those who designed them.  In addition there will be discussion of how these landmarks are being documented, preserved and restored.  For information, call 410-516-9719 or email osher@jhu.edu.

Roland Park Country School - Kaleidoscope Program

• Monumental Baltimore -  Mondays, September 22, October 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 7-9 p.m.  -  Instructor:  Wayne R. Schaumburg  $  This class will explore the enormous variety of public monuments and sculpture in Baltimore along with their connection to the city's history and culture.  Learn how Baltimore became "the monumental city."  In addition, the course will focus on the famous sculptors such as Hans Schuler, J. Maxwell Miller and Edward Berge as well as current efforts to preserve the 200-plus pieces of city sculpture. 

• Day Trip:  Baltimore's Monumental Heritage  -  Saturday, November 1st from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Tour leader:  Wayne R. Schaumburg  $  With a collection of over 200 public monuments and sculptures,  Baltimore has more than lived up to the famous nickname of the "monumental city."  The bus tour will include stops at both famous and little-known Baltimore landmarks as well as offer a look at what is being done to preserve and restore our monumental heritage. The tour includes lunch at Della Notre Restaurant in Little Italy.

• Confessions of a Baltimore Story Teller  -  Wednesday, October 15th from 7-8:30 p.m.  Instructor:  Gilbert Sandler  $  -  Baltimore writer, journalist, and WYPR commentator, Gil Sandler has been telling fascinating stories of Baltimore's history for many years. From Isaac Emerson to Abe Sherman  and from the Bromo Seltzer Tower to Bickford's Restaurant, participants will spend a delightful evening indulging in Baltimore nostalgia. 

• Frederick Law Olmsted:  His Legend and His Legacy  -  Lecture on Wednesday, October 15th from 7-8:30 p.m. and walking tour of Roland Park on Saturday, October 18th from Noon to 1:30 p.m.  Instructors:  Judith Smith, Janet Felsten, and Jean Mellott  -  $  -  This course will look at the work and heritage of Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architercture, and his two sons John Charles and Frederick Law, Jr. Their work spans nearly 150 years with projects ranging from public parks to city planning.  The walking tour will focus on Roland Park, one of the best known Olmsted projects in Baltimore.  

• The Cone Sisters and Henri Matisse  -  Wednesdays, October 15, 22, and 29 from 6:30to 8:30 p.m. with a Field Trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art on Saturday, November 1st at 11 a.m.  Instructor:  Dr. Bodil  Ottesen  -  $  -  This class will explore two remarkable Baltimore women, Etta and Dr. Claribel Cone, and their collection of modern art.  

• They Came in Ships:  Meeting Your Immigrant Ancestors  -  Monday, October 20th from 6-7:30 p.m.  Instructor John Colletta  -  $  -  Curious to know where your ancestors came from, and when and how they got here?  Dr. Colletta, author, lecturer, and National Archives instructor, will focus on the use of passenger arrival records from the colonial period through the 1950s with special attention to the 19th century.  These records cover all ports of arrival including Baltimore's Locust Point where over 600,000 immigrants arrived between 1865 and 1900. The lecture will also explain how to conduct a successful search of the records as well as other useful tools in tracing your family's history. 

• Day Trip:  The Trail of Frederick Douglass - His Life and Times in Baltimore  -  Sunday, October 19th, from 1-5 p.m. - Tour Leader:  Tom Chalkley  -  $  - This two-hour walking tour will span a ten block area of Fell's Point where Frederick Douglass spent his formative years between 1826 and 1838. Although he was a slave here,  Douglass regarded Baltimore as his home and would return to the city on several occasions after the Civil War.  The tour will conclude with beverages and light fare at a Fell's Point dining spot (included in your day). 

• Day Trip:  Sailabration!  The 20th Anniversary of the Pride of Baltimore II  -  October 11th from Noon to 5:30 p.m.  Tour Leader:  Judy Comotto  -  $  -  The tour will a visit to the Pride of Baltimore II which will be docked at Vane Brothers Company in Fairfield.  Built in 1988, the Pride has served as Baltimore's goodwill ambassador at ports around the world.  Also included is a tour of Vane Brothers Company founded in 1898 as a ship chandlery and originally located in Fell's Point.  Today the company is a marine transporter of petroleum products between New England and the Gulf of Mexico. A catered lunch is also part of this special day trip.

• Day Trip:  Historic Baltimore Homes  -  Saturday, November 8th from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Tour Leader:  Chris Riehl  -  $  -  This tour will introduce participants to a number of residential treasures in Baltimore including: Evergreen Mansion, Homewood Mansion, Robert Long House, Strawberry Alley, Flag House, Carroll Mansion, Poe House and Babe Ruth's Birthplace. Also included is lunch at Della Notre in Little Italy

Information of all of these classes and tours is available by calling 410-323-5500 or by visiting www.rpcs.org

Jewish Museum of Maryland Exhibit:  "Voices of Lombard Street"

This exhibit which runs through December traces the history of the museum's neighborhood on Lombard Street.  $  The Jewish Museum of Maryland is located at 15 Lloyd Street and is open Tuesday through Thursday and on Sundays as well from Noon to 4 p.m.  For information, call 410-732-6400 ext 14.

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This Week in Baltimore's History: