|
Spring Courses on Baltimore History and Architecture
See the link to the left:
Spring/Fall Courses for a list of courses.
Baltimore City
Historical Society - Annual Conference
Friday, May 3rd, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
in the Maryland Historical Society located at 201 West Monument Street -- The conference will celebrate the revitalization
of the Baltimore City Archives. Members of the Archive staff will discuss the nature of the collection and its value. A cross-section
of active researchers will describe their methods and discoveries regarding the city's history. Speakers include Ed Papenfuse,
Robert Schoeberlin, Matthew Crenson, Ed Orser, and Paige Glotzer. The conference is free and open
to the public. To register, call 410-706-6651 or email baltimorehistory@law.maryland.edu.
Jubilee Baltimore: Neighborhood Walking Tours
- The "New Station North" -- Saturday, May 4th, from
10 a.m. to noon -- If you drive by Baltimore's North Avenue, you might think it's like just another rundown street in Baltimore.
What you might not know is that North Avenue is the center of Baltimore's emerging Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Station North is home to galleries, music, arts and theater venues and very interesting people.
The tour begins at 10 E. North Avenue.
- Remington Walking Tour -- Saturday, June 1st, from 10 a.m. to noon -- Why is Remington suddenly
cool? Zillow recently named it one of the top 10 neighborhoods in Baltimore. What's going on there? Is it great hangouts like The Dizz, Meet 27 and Paper Moon? Is it celebrities like Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman? Is it
more than 70 teachers all living in one building? Is it great inexpensive housing near Hopkins? The tour begins at Charmington's
located at 2601 North Howard Street.
The tours are free of charge but reservations are required.
Call 410-327-7373 or email talya@jubileebaltimore.org.
Green Mount Cemetery Walking Tours
The next set of walking tours through historic
Green Mount Cemetery will take place on Saturday, May 4, 11, 18, 25 -
$ - Opened in 1839 as the city's first urban-rural cemetery, Green Mount is the final
resting place of Johns Hopkins, Enoch Pratt, William and Henry Walters, Mary Elizabeth Garrett, Theodore McKeldin, John Wilkes
Booth, Betsy Patterson, Walter Lord, and other famous Marylanders. Tours begin at 9:30 a.m. from the main gate located at
Greenmount Avenue and East Oliver Street, and are led by Baltimore historian Wayne R. Schaumburg. Reservations
are required. For more information on the tours, call 410-256-2180 or email wayne.schaumburg@gmail.com.
Friends of the Perry
Hall Library -- Speaker Series
-
Tuesday, May 7th, 7 p.m. -- Baltimore
historian and educator Wayne R. Schaumburg will present an illustrated talk entitled "Baltimore Firsts." The program
will focus on things that Baltimore was first in the nation to achieve. Examples include the B&O as the nation's first
railroad, the Basilica of the Assumption as the country's first cathedral, the first city in the United States to light its
streets with gaslight, the first dental college in the world, and many others.
-
Wednesday, June 5th, 7 p.m. -- Brian
Reynolds from Fort McHenry will present an illustrated talk on the Battle of Baltimore of September, 1814.
The programs are free and open to the
public. The Perry Hall Library is located at 9685 Honeygo Road. For more information, call 410-887-5195.
Baltimore Heritage - Neighborhood Walking Tours
-
Saturday, May 4th, 10 a.m.
to noon - Relay - led by Kyle Bacon
-
Saturday, May 11th, 10 a.m.
to noon - Hampden Archeology Tour - led by Dr. David Gadsby
-
Sunday, May 19th, 2-4 p.m.
- Reservoir Hill - led by Kelly Dale Terrill
Space is limited. $ To register for the tours,
visit www.baltimoreheritage.org/tours.
Friends of Maryland's Olmsted Parks and
Landscapes - Talks and Walks
- Saturday May 11th, from 1-3 p.m. -- Walking tour of Clifton
Park and Mothers' Garden led by Eric Holcomb and Jim Battlett $ Advance
registration is encouraged as space is limited. For more information,
visit www.olmstedmaryland.org.
Friends of Druid Hill
Park - Bus Tour - The Architecture of George A. Frederick
Saturday, May 11th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
$ As part of the 125th anniversary of the Druid Hill Park Conservatory, the Friends of Druid Hill
Park will sponsor a bus that will look at the buildings designed by George A. Frederick in Baltimore. His work includes the
Conservatory as well as most of the pavilions in Druid Hill, Cylburn Mansion, City Hall, the Abell Building, Hollins Street
Market, the Bauernschmidt House on North Avenue, the Poe Monument at Westminster Cemetery, the U.S. Marine Hospital, and others.
The tour will depart from the Conservatory and lunch is included. Reservations are required but space is limited. For more
information, call 443-469-8274 or email friendsofdruidhillpark@gmail.com.
S.S. John W. Brown -- Living History Cruises
Saturdays May 11th, June 1st, September 7th and October
5th $ Spend the day on a six-hour cruise aboard the World War II Liberty
Ship John W. Brown. The ship is one of the last two operating Liberty Ships from the war. Launched in Baltimore,
the John W. Brown has been restored by Project Liberty Ship, a Baltimore based all volunteer organization. For more
information or to order tickets, call 410-558-0164 or visit www.liberty-ship.com.
42nd Annual Historic House Tour of Fell's Point
Sunday, May 12th, from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. $ This self-guided tour showcases the rich history and beautiful
homes of this 18th century maritime community. The tour includes about a dozen houses including the Robert Long House
and garden, the Thomas Lamdin House, and "The Palace on Dallas." Others include an assortment of residences
ranging from historic to contemporary. Tickets can be purchased in advance. For more information, call 410-675-6750
or visit info@preservationsociety.com.
Baltimore
City Historical Society - Baltimore History Evenings
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
in the Village Learning Center located at 2521 St. Paul Street - This is the 5th annual series of talks that will run from
January to June. The programs are free and open to the public, and are preceded by a reception
at 7 p.m. For more information, call 410-685-3750, ext 379 or visit www.historicbaltimore.org.
Baltimore Heritage Walking Tour - Looking
Up in Downtown Baltimore: Gargoyles and More!
First and third Sundays from April through
November, 9:30 to 1045 a.m. Tours depart from the Hollywood Diner, located at Holliday and Saratoga
Streets $ Discover a piece of the Berlin Wall in downtown Baltimore! Stumble upon a War of 1812 cannon ball! Catch a glimpse of the noble lions, hellish
fiends, and neo-Egyptian sphinxes that call the buildings downtown home! On this 75 minute guided walking tour participants
will learn about the architecture and the history of downtown Baltimore. Our route – less then one mile and
stroller friendly – winds through a church yard, continues past a few of the local landmarks that survived
the 1904 fire and ends right back where it started at the Baltimore Farmer’s Market! For more information and
reservations, call 410-332-9992.
Tudor Hall Tours
Tours of historic Tudor Hall, home of the
Booth family, in Harford County will take place on selected Sundays from April through October. $
The tours will begin at 1 and 2 p.m. on each date. Tudor Hall is located at 17 Tudor Lane off of Maryland Route
22 between Bel Air and the campus of Harford Community College. For more information, call 443-619-0008, or email
SpiritsOfTudorHall@gmail.com. The tour dates are:
-
May 5 & 19
-
June 2 & 16 & 30
-
July 14 & 28
-
August 11 & 25
-
September 8 & 22
-
October 6 & 20
Irish Railroad Workers Museum - Walking Tours
Saturday, May 25th from
10:30 to noon. The walking tour begins at the parking lot of the B&O Railroad Museum located at Pratt and Poppleton Streets
and provide a fascinating glimpse of Irish life in the 1840s. From the B&O Museum, the tour will visit the Irish Railroad
Museum on Lemmon Street, St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, and the Hollins Street Market. The tour is free
and open to the public although donations to the museum are always welcome. For more information or to make reservations,
call 410-347-4747, or email tours@irishshrine.org.
Baltimore County Public Libraries - Poe Talk
Tuesday, May 28th, 7 p.m. in
the Randallstown Branch located at 8604 Liberty Road - Jeff Korman, head of the Maryland Department of the Enoch
Pratt Free Library, will present an illustrated talk on "The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe." The program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 410-887-0770.
Creative Alliance Exhibit: Globe Posters
- Guided tours of the Globe Poster Exhibit: - Saturdays, Noon to 3 p.m. from May
1st through June 8th - Enjoy a docent-led tour of the "Globe Posters: Not to be Missed!"
exhibition at the historic Patterson Theater, 3134 Eastern Avenue. Docents will tell the story of Baltimore's Globe Poster
Printing Corporation and the "golden age" of African American music represented in the exhibition. The tours are free
and open to the public. To book a tour, contact Andy Dahl at 410-276-1651 or at andy@creativealliance.org.
Maryland Humanities Council: Mount Vernon Literary
Walking Tour
Third Saturdays from April through September, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Follow in the footsteps of Baltimore's literary luminaries and discover
elegant brownstone mansions and majestic cultural institutions in Mount Vernon. Participants will learn about the scholars,
artists, authors, newspapermen, philanthropists, and social reformers who lived here and made their mark in Baltimore.
The tour is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged and can be made
at www.mountvernonlitwalk2013.eventbrite.com. The tour departs from the main entrance of the Pratt Central Library located at 400 Cathedral Street. For more information,
call 410-685-4186.
Patterson Park Pagoda
Sundays through October, from
noon to 6 p.m. - Completed in 1890 by Charles H. Latrobe, the Observatory, better known as the "Pagoda," is one
of the best known landmarks in Patterson Park. Located on the west side of the park near the intersection of Patterson
Park Avenue and Pratt Street, this octagonal Victorian structure has a spiral staircase that leads to three levels, each providing
great views of the city. Operated, maintained, and staffed by the Friends of Patterson Paek, the Pagoda is free
and open to the public.
Homewood
Mansion Museum: "Early Views of Baltimore"
Through May 26th in the Homewood
Museum located at 3400 North Charles Street (on the campus of Hopkins University) - $ - This new exhibit entitled "Portrait of a City: Views of Early Baltimore," includes 20 paintings and
original works of art that show landmarks, landscapes, and historical monuments of Baltimore during the late 18th and early
19th centuries. For more information, call 410-516-5589.
Maryland Historical Society Programs
-
Paul Henderson: Baltimore Civil Rights Era In Photographs ca. 1940-1960
-- February through April Paul Henderson (1899-1966) was an African-American photographer
who worked in Baltimore from the 1930s to 1960s. Most of his career was spent at the Afro-American newspaper where
he documented significant events and everyday life in Baltimore's African-American communities, leaving behind a collection
of over 6,000 photographs. Originally intended as a temporary exhibit, its run has been extended when public
interest in the collection grew stronger. The exhibit of civil rights era photos will head to City Hall in May.
The Maryland Historical Society
is located at 210 West Monument Street (near Park Avenue).
Enoch Pratt Free Library Programs
War of 1812 Bicentennial
Beginning in June, 2012, Baltimore and Maryland will
celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Events will culminate in September, 2014 with the celebration of Baltimore's
defense against the 1814 British attack. To learn more about Baltimore and the War of 1812, visit www.starspangled200.org. For information about upcoming bicentenial events, visit www.starspangled200.com.
Other links to explore:
- Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
- Baltimore National Heritage Area
- Eastern Shore 1812 Consortium
- Fort McHenry
- Star-Spangled Banner Flag House
- www.upperbay1812.com - Covers the upper Chesapeake Bay region in the war; includes timeline, notable people, sites of interest,
and bicentennial events
- www.1812music.org - created by Dr. David Hildebrand and the colonial Music Institute; includes music from the period of the war
- www.starspangledtrail.net - excellent site that ties in with the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic
Trail
-
Maryland Historical Society - War of 1812 Exhibit
-Through June, 2015 $ Entitled
In Full Glory Reflected: Maryland During the War of 1812, this exhibit retells the dramatic story of the War
of 1812 in the Chesapeake region through displays, a gallery devoted to the defenders of Baltimore, and more than
100 artifacts including the original Star-Spangled Banner manuscript. The Maryland Historical Society is located
at 201 West Monument Street just west of Park Avenue. For more information, call 410-685-3750. The Society is
open Wednesday through Saturday from 1- p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.
Civil War Sesquicentennial
-
B&O Railroad Museum - Civil War Exhibit - $ The
War Came By Train is a four year exhibit celebrating the role of the B&O Railroad in the Civil War. It will
include the largest collection of Civil War railroad equipment in the world along with significant military and personal artifacts
that will change annually. The new "1863" segment includes the 150th anniversary of West Virginia's statehood; the involvement
of the B&O in the creation, design, and use of armored railroad cars; the Confederate raid on the B&O in western Maryland;
and the role played by the railroad in the Battle of Chattanooga. For more information, call 410-752-2490. The
B&O Museum is located at 901 W. Pratt Street.
-
Maryland Historical Society: Civil War Exhibit
- Divided Voices: Maryland in the Civil War
commemorates the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. $ The largest Civil War exhibit
in the museum's 167-year history will tell the story of the conflict in three parts: the romantic war, the real war, and the
long reunion. The Maryland Historical Society is located at 201 W. Monument Street just west of Park Avenue. For
more information, call 410-685-3750 or visit www.mdhs.org. Admission to the museum is free on the first Thursday of each month.
-
Baltimore Civil War Museum - Located in the old President Street Station that was built in the 1850s, the museum tells the story of Baltimore's
role in the Civil War. The museum is free and open to the public from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is located at 601 South President
Street. For more information, call 443-220-0290.
New Books on Baltimore History and Architecture for 2013:
Joseph Snyder, Baltimore and Ohio:
The Passenger Trains and Services of the First American Common-Carrier Railroad, 1827-1971 (See
the Sun article from January 25th by Fred Rasmussen)
Daniel Stashower, The Hour of Peril
(deals with the alleged "Baltimore Plot" to assassinate Lincoln on his way to the 1861
inauguration)
Sean Kief and Jeffrey Smith, Images of America: Perry Hall Mansion
Jennifer Bodine, Bodine's Industry, The Dignity
of Work
Daniel Toomey, The War Came by Train,
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad During the Civil War
Steve Vogel, Through the Perilous Fight
(due out May 7th - focuses on the British invasion of the Chesapeake in September, 1814)
Gregory Alexander and Paul Williams, Lost
Baltimore (See the Sun article from April 5th by Fred
Rasmussen)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perry Hall Mansion Book is now
available
Price $21.99
Published by Arcadia Publishing
The Perry Hall Mansion,
constructed circa 1775 as the country estate of Harry Dorsey and Prudence Carnan Gough, has long been considered one of the
most historic structures in Baltimore
County, Maryland. Nestled on a ridge overlooking the lush forest of the Gunpowder
River Valley, the Mansion has played host to a number of crucial events in both
local history and in the emergence of Methodism in the United States. Since its completion, the house has claimed fourteen different principal owners, culminating with its transfer
to public ownership in 2001. Each of the families who lived there left behind unique legacies. Materials contained in Perry
Hall Mansion depict the evolving use of the building and grounds and demonstrate how this progression reflected changing
conditions within Maryland generally.
Sean Kief and Jeffrey
Smith have both played important roles in the leadership of Historic Perry Hall Mansion, Inc. Images provided by Kief show
the lives of his ancestors, the Dunty family, as they made their home at Perry
Hall Mansion during the Victorian era. This chronicle draws on over 200 years
worth of images, personal accounts of surviving residents, and original source documents to vividly tell the story of Perry Hall Mansion.
The Images of America
series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title
presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.
For
more information or to purchase a copy of the book, call 410-256-2180 or email wayne.schaumburg@gmail.com
*****************************************************
This Week in Baltimore's History:
May 1st: 1920: General Henry
M. Warfield, president of the Maryland Club, announced that the policy of barring women guests at the club would continue
for the present time.
May 2nd: 1870: Effective
immediately on all city passenger railway routes, special cars were placed in service to accommodate the city's African American
population. The cars were marked with a sign that read: "Colored persons admitted to this car."
May 3rd: 1872: Work began on the installation
of new gas lighting in Patterson Park. The new lights would be placed at the main entrance as well as at the fountain,
the saloon, the music stand, the spring, and around the boat lake.
--------------: 1927: Baltimore voters
overwhelmingly approved $3 million to build a new central library building. The new library, located at 400 Cathedral
Street, opened in 1933.
May 4th: 1840: The
Whig Party held its national convention at the Canton Race Track (Boston & Clinton Streets) William Henry Harrison and
John Tyler were chosen at the party's Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees respectively. The Whig ticket would adopt
one of the first campaign slogans in U. S. history: "Tippecanoe and Tyler too."
May 5th: 1775: Peyton Randolph,
Edmond Pendleton, Benjamin Harrison, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington spent the night at Baltimore's Fountain Inn
on Light Street. They were traveling to Philadelphia as delegates to the Second Continental Congress.
-------------: 1840:
The Democratic Party held its national convention at the Assembly rooms (Fayette and Holliday Streets), nominating Martin
Van Buren for a second term as President.
May 6th: 1851: The Baltimore & Potomac Railroad
was incorporated.
May 7th: 1889: Johns Hopkins Hospital opened
for business.
May 8th: 1817: A performance of "Aladdin" at the Holliday
Street theater came to an abrupt end when a mechanical malfunction caused the gas lamps to fail.
--------: 1966:
Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson hit a massive 450-foot home run against Louis Tiant of the Cleveland Indians. This
was the only home run ever hit completely out of Memorial Stadium. For many years, a flag in the left field bleachers
with the word "HERE" marked the place where the ball left the stadium.
Website updated on 05/01/2013
*****************************************************
*********************************************************
Photo answer: The
Star-Spangled Banner Flag House is located at Pratt (earlier Queen Street) and Albemarle Streets. Also shown in
the photo is Arthur Sewell, a blind gentleman, who was the first curator of the Flag House from the year it opened, 1928,
until his death in 1946. See the present-day photo below. Built in 1793, it became the residence of
Mary Pickersgill from 1807 until her death in 1857. Between that time and 1928, the building was used as a liquor/tobacco
store, a tavern, a shoe repair shop, a steamship ticket agency, and an Italian bank and post office. Interest in purchasing
and restoring the building began with the Star-Spangled Banner Centennial celebration in 1914. This year the Flag House will
celebrate its 85th anniversary.
Mary Pickersgill (see her picture below), was an accomplished seamstress and ensign maker.
In the summer of 1813, a full year before the British attack, she was commissioned to produce two flags for Fort McHenry. Major
George Armistead wrote. "We are ready at Fort McHenry to defend Baltimore against invading by the enemy. That
is to say, we are ready except that we have no suitable ensign to display over the Star Fort, and it is my desire to have
a flag so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance."
The garrison flag, made by Mary with the help of her daughter Caroline, three nieces (Eliza,
Margaret, and Jane), and an African-American apprentice named Grace, measured 30 by 42 feet in size with stars that were two-feet
point to point. Made of English woolen bunting, the flag weighed 80 pounds when completed. Due to the
size of the flag, she was able to use the malt house floor of a nearby brewery to complete her work. See the picture
below. A second "storm flag," 17 by 25 feet was also produced. Mary Pickersgill was paid $574.44 for her work.
The receipt is on display at the Flag House. This year marks the bicentennial of the flags' production.
|
