Wayne's Guide to Talks, Walks, and Tours of Baltimore
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Can you name and locate this historic Baltimore building? For the answer, go to the end of this page.

 

 This website is an on-going list of walks, talks, and tours that relate to Baltimore history and architecture.  The site was created for the benefit of my students, friends, and colleagues who often inquire about upcoming events.   My e-mail address is: wschaumburg@earthlink.net.  Please feel free to comment or make suggestions. 

Baltimore County Historical Trust - Annual Bus Tour

Saturday, November 7th from 1-5 p.m.  $  Join the BCHT for a tour of 4 historic Baltimore County cemeteries. The bus leaves from the Valley Inn located at 10501 Falls Road just north of the Beltway.  For more information, call 410- 832-1812 or visit www.bcht.org.

 

 

Reginald Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture  --  Meet the Author

Saturday, November 7th, 2 p.m.  - $.-  Dr. John Stauffer of Harvard University will discuss his book entitled Giants:  The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln that traces the history of these two 19th century leaders.  The program is free with admission to the museum.  The Reginald Lewis Museum is located at the corner of East Pratt and South President Streets.  for more information, call 443-263-1816.

 

 

Baltimore City Historical Society  -  Annual Mayor's Reception & History Honors

Saturday, November 14th, from Noon to 2 p.m. at Lovely Lane Methodist Church located at St. Paul and 22nd Streets - Join the society as it celebrates Baltimore's literary history and  this year's honorees that include Louis Diggs, Ric Cottom, Eve Slezak, Wilbur Hunter, Frances Murphy, and Hans Schuler.  In addition, there will be tours of historic Lovely Lane Church which was completed in 1887 and designed by architect Stanford White.  The program is free and open to the public.  For more information, call 410-685-3750, ext 379; visit www.historicbaltimore.org; or e-mail bchs@mdhs.org.  

 

 

Enoch Pratt Free Library Exhibit:  NAACP Baltimore Branch:  97 Years and Counting

This historical exhibit includes photographs, posters, documents, newspaper clippings and memorabilia from the archives of the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. This display was curated by Larry S. Gibson and will be on display at the Central Library (400 Cathedral Street) through December 31st. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours. 

 

 

Maryland Historical Society Programs

Library Orientation Sessions  -  $  - Third Saturday of each month -- The 45-minute sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. in the library.  Reserevations are not required.

  • November 21st:  Introduction to Genealogical Research

 

 

Fell's Point Walking Tours

The popular walking tours of historic Fell's Point will run on weekends through November.   $   All tours start from the Visitor Center at 1724 Thames Street and are approximately 90 minutes long.  Reservations are required.  for more information, call 410-675-6750, ext. 16 or 12. 

  • Immigration Tour:  Saturdays at 12 noon
  • Secrets of a Seaport - Fell's Point Tour:  Saturdays at 10 a.m.
  • African American History Tour - Sundays at  3 p.m.
  • Robert Long House (Ann Street) - Tuesdays through Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. 

 

 

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.

 

 

Maryland Genealogical Society - 50th Anniversary

The MGS will hold its Gala 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, November 7th, 6 p.m. at the Maryland Historical Society.  $  The event includes dinner, program, and awards.  Headlining the program will be author John P. Colletta who will speak on "Hacks and Hookers and Putting Up Pickles -- Snares of Yesteryears' English."  Details and registration information may be found at www.mdgensoc.org.

 

 

Johns Hopkins Alumni Association:  Book Talk

Wednesday, November 11th (Veterans Day) from Noon - 2 p.m. at Evergreen Mansion located at 4545 North Charles Street  - $ - Author Joseph Sterne will discuss his new book entitled "Combat Correspondents:  The Baltimore Sun in World War II." The program includes a buffet lunch.  Reservations are required.  For information, call the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association at 410-548-5481 or e-mail alumevents@jhu.edu.  

 

 

FALL SEMESTER COURSES ON BALTIMORE HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE:

Roland Park Country School Kaleidoscope Program - 5204 Roland Avenue (just south of West Northern Pwky) 410-323-5500

  • The Legendary A. Aubrey Bodine - $ - Thursday, November 19th, 7-8:30p.m. Instructor:  Jennifer Bodine (Aubrey Bodine was the famous pictorialist and newspaper photographer for the Baltimore Sun whose career there spanned 47 years.)
  • "Spirit of Place - Baltimore's Favorite Spaces:"  An Evening With the Authors - $ - Thursday, November 12th, 7-8:30 p.m.  Sarah Achenbach and Bill McAllen (A total of 56 Baltimore celebrities, civic leaders, and regular citizens were asked this question:  "What is your favorite Baltimore place or space?"  The result is Sarah and Bill's book on the historic and architectural charms of Baltimore.)
  • DAY TRIP:  Historic Maryland Synagogues - $ - Thursday, November 19th from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.  Instructor: Louisa Wyskiel  (Visit the Jewish Museum of Maryland to uncover roots of Jewish history in Baltimore. The tour included visits to the Lloyd Street Synagogue (1845) and the B'nai Israel Synagogue (1876) which are located next to the museum. Lunch at Della Notte Restaurant is included in the tour.)

 

 

Johns Hopkins University Odyssey Program - 410-516-4842 or visit www.odyssey.jhu.edu.

  • The Life and Times of the Baltimore Colts - $ - Thursday, December 3rd from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Instructor:  William Gildea (Join sportswriter Bill Gildea as he look at the early years of the Colts from 1953-1958.)

 

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University - 410-516-9719 or visit www.osherjhu.edu - Both  classes listed below take place at Grace United Methodist Church, 5407 Charles Street at Northern Parkway.

 

  • Maryland's Cultural Landscape - $ - Thursdays, 10 a.m.-Noon, from November 5th through December 17th (no class on November 26th) Coordinators:  Betty and Jerry Downs  (This six-week course will focus on the rich diversity of cultural offerings in the Baltimore area through a group of guest speakers. Those confirmed include Tom Hall, David Hess and Charlie Duff.) 

 

 

Community College of Baltimore County  -   443-840-4700 or visit www.ccbcmd.edu

  • Baltimore During the Revolutionary Generation  - $  - Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. on November 5th, 12th, and 19th at the Owing Mills Center, 110 Painters Mill Road - Instructor:  Wayne R. Schaumburg (This course examines the first 90 years of Baltimore's history by looking at the people, places and events responsible for our city's rapid development from 1729-1820.)

 

 

Green Mount Cemetery Walking Tours

The next set of walking tours through historic Green Mount Cemetery will take place on Saturday, May 8, 15, 22, 29 - $ -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 information, call 410-256-2180 or e-mail:  wschaumburg@earthlink.net. 

 

 

NEW BOOKS ON BALTIMORE FOR 2009:

Bob Luke, The Baltimore Elite Giants, Hopkins University Press.

Greg Alexander and Paul Williams, A Brief History of Charles Village, History Press.

John Breihan, Images of Aviation:  Maryland Aviation, Arcadia Publishing. 

Marsha Wise, Postcard History Series:  Baltimore Neighborhoods, Arcadia Publishing.

Barry Lanman, Baltimore County:  Celebrating a Legacy, 1659-2009, Historical Society of Baltimore County.

Geoff Brown, Moon Baltimore, Avalon Travel.

Mike Gesker, The Orioles Encyclopedia, A Half Century of History and Highlights, Hopkins University Press.

Frank Shivers Jr., Bolton Hill, Blue Plaque Edition, Hopkins University Press. -- Not yet released

Charles Balfoure, Edmund G. Lind:  Anglo-American Architect of Baltimore and the South, Baltimore Architecture Foundation. 

Jospeh R. L. Sterne, Combat Correspondents, The Baltimore Sun in World War II, Hopkins University Press.

 

 

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This Week in Baltimore's History:

November 1st:  1864:  Slavery was abolished in Maryland as the new state constitution went into effect.   
 
------------------:  1938:  Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in a match race that took place at Pimlico Race Track.  More than 40,000 people watched "the race of the century"  as Seabiscuit won by 4.5 lengths.  The"Biscuit" paid off $6.40 to win.
 
November 2nd:  1872:  An epidemic affecting almost 2/3 of the horses in Baltimore hurt business along the waterfront.  In addition, 12 more streetcars were taken out of service from the Baltimore City Passenger Line due to a shortage of horses.
 
-------------------:  1921:  Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer was born on this date.  This year a monument was dedicated to Schaefer at the Inner Harbor.  The only other mayors with monuments are Ferdinand Latrobe and Thomas D'Alesandro.
 
November 3rd:  1970:  Parren Mitchell, the first African American member of Congress from Maryland, was elected to the House of Representatives.       
 
November 4th:  1856:  Thomas Swann was elected mayor of Baltimore on the Know Nothing Party in an election marred by numerous acts of violence. Under his administration, horse-drawn streetcars were introduced on city streets and Druid Hill Park opened in 1860.
 
November 5th:  1918:  Baltimore's current City Charter was adopted giving the city "home rule." 
 
November 6th:  1909:  The Union Soldiers and Sailors Monument was dedicated honoring those who had served in the Civil War.  Located at the entrance to Druid Hill Park (North and Mt. Royal Avenues), the monument was designed by Adolf Weinman.  Today, the monument is located at Charles and 29th Streets in Wyman Park.      
 
November 7th:  1910:  French aviator Hubert Latham flew his 50-horsepower monoplane, Antoinette, over Baltimore to win a $5,000 prize offered by The Sun newspaper.  Latham was the first to fly a plane over an American city.  Over 500,000 people crowded downtown streets and roofs to witness the event.
  
------------------:  1967:  Thomas D'Alesandro III was elected Baltimore's mayor defeating Arthur Sherwood, the first African American to run for city-wide office. 
 
November 8th:  1879:  Baltimore Catholics celebrated the re-opening of the Cathedral which had been closed for extensive renovations overseen by Archbishop James Gibbons.  Improvements included a new sacristy and marble tile on the sanctuary floor.  The side altars were moved so that they would face each other across the sanctuary, and the entire interior was repainted.
 
   
                 Updated on 11/01/09
 
 
 
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Located on the southeast corner of Eutaw and Baltimore Streets (across form the Hippodrome Theater), the Abell Building opened in 1879.  Baltimore Sun founder, Arunah S. Abell built the structure as an investment property to capitalize on the growing garment trade that was moving into this part of the central business district. Abell commissioned City Hall architect George Frederick to design this Victorian Gothic warehouse that is 6 bays wide and 19 bays long with abundant details.  The first floor is framed with cast iron manufactured by Bartlett,  Robbins & Company here in Baltimore. The upper floors are brick with bluestone, white marble and terra-cotta trim.  With the demise of the westside district, the Abell building sat vacant for a number of years until it was recently purchased by the PMC Property Group which has rehabbed the building for use as one and two-bedroom apartments.