Author: Baltimore Heritage

Behind the Scenes Tour of the Audubon Society at Patterson Park

If you were migrating 5000 miles from Northern Canada to Mexico and passing over Baltimore, why would you pick anywhere else to take a rest other than historic Patterson Park? As it turns out, a large number of migrating birds do just that, and that’s why Audubon Maryland-DC chose to rehab a historic rowhouse at the edge of the park for use as an office and bird center. Please join us for a peek at the restored Patterson Park Audubon Center, a glass of wine on the roof deck overlooking the park, and a stroll through the 155-acre green space with Audubon bird guide David Curson to spot our avian visitors and see how they utilize one of Baltimore’s great historic spaces.

Patterson Park Audubon Center

2901 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore 21224
Wednesday, September 14
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Wine & Cheese on the Roof
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Bird Tour of historic park
$15/members, $20/non-members
RSVP for the tour today!

Rain Date: Thursday, September 15 (same times)

Mid-September is peak Fall migration for birds in Patterson Park, a great time to see warblers, vireos, tanagers, and flycatchers as they make their way from the breeding grounds in the Canadian arboreal forest to South and Central America. Over 160 bird species have been seen in the park and the well-spaced trees make for great viewing opportunities. The Patterson Park Audubon Center and Audubon Maryland-DC share a charming space on the second floor of a former rowhouse opposite the northeast corner of the park. The center, occupying two adjacent rowhouses, was built around 1860 and rehabilitated in 2005. With neighboring businesses upstairs and downstairs, Audubon shares a leafy view of Patterson Park, which is even better from the rooftop deck.

Patterson Park has played a vital role in Baltimore’s history. Formerly the estate of William Patterson, the land has been home to soldiers during two wars. During the War of 1812, British soldiers began marching towards the park, then called “Hamstead Hill,” only to find themselves face to face with 100 cannons and 10,000 troops from Baltimore. The Red Coats turned around and left the Baltimore Harbor. Patterson later donated five acres for a public walk in the 1820s, and Baltimore City augmented this gift by acquiring various adjacent parcels through the 1860s. With the advent of the Civil War, the Union military placed a hospital and encampment in the park. In 1905, as with many Baltimore parks, the Olmsted Brothers architecture firm was brought in to put its special touch on the landscape. Most recently, the park underwent extensive maintenance, upgrades and beautification projects pursuant to a 1998 master plan. These include renovating the 1891 observatory (designed by Charles Latrobe), dredging and landscaping the pond, and installing pedestrian lighting. The result is certainly one of Baltimore’s greatest historic assets, for birds and for people.

Behind the Scenes Tour of the Etting Family Cemetery


Our next Behind the Scenes Tour will be of the Etting Family Cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery in Baltimore. We will have a unique opportunity to see what lies behind the cemetery’s unassuming brick wall on North Avenue near Pennsylvania Avenue. Deb Weiner, research historian at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, who has investigated the cemetery and the Etting Family, will lead us through this tiny gem. Please join us to learn about this historic place that so many of us drive by and so few know anything about.

Etting Family Cemetery

1510 W. North Avenue, 21217
Thursday, August 11 | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
$10/members, $15/non-members
RSVP for the tour today!

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Behind the Scenes Tour of a Thomas Moore Studios restoration at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion

Our next Behind the Scenes Tour will be an up-close examination of the restoration work that is currently in process in the ballroom of the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion with restoration artist Thomas Moore of Thomas Moore Studios. Mr. Moore will personally take us through the process of how he is returning this fabulous example of Gilded Age opulence to its former glory.

Tour Details

Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, 11 W. Mt. Vernon Place, 21201
Thursday, July 28 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
$15/members, $20/non-members – wine and cheese will be served.
RSVP for the tour today!

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Behind the Scenes Tour of Wyman Park with the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes

At the risk of stacking too much up back-to-back, we are taking advantage of an offer from the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes, which has graciously offered to lead us on a tour of historic Wyman Park. With Friends’ members Tom McGilloway and David Holden, we’ll explore this often-overlooked Baltimore park that has its roots in Baltimore’s Carroll family and the landscape architecture firm of Frederick Law Olmsted.

Wyman Park

Wyman Park & Art Museum Drives, 21218
Saturday, June 11 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
$10/members, $15/non-members
RSVP for the Wyman Park tour today!

Meet at the Jackson and Lee Monument at the intersection of Art Museum Drive and Wyman Park Drive at 1:45. We will circle back to the Jackson and Lee Monument after the Dell portion of the tour before heading along Wyman Park Drive/JHU Campus to the lower Stony Run. Visitors who wish to limit their walking could conclude the tour at this point.

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Remembering William Donald Schaefer

William Donald Schaefer shaped the Baltimore we have today perhaps as much as anyone. Baltimore Heritage did not always see eye-to-eye with the former mayor and governor, and indeed we fought vehemently against projects he supported, including highways proposed for Baltimore’s waterfront and the east-west connector in West Baltimore that threatened and demolished historic buildings and neighborhoods. On other issues, Governor Schaefer was a friend and leader for preservation, including the Dollar House Program and preserving the West Side of downtown. Former Baltimore Heritage President Fred Shoken joins us in remembering William Donald Schaefer with a guest post–

The highlight of my career as President of Baltimore Heritage was presenting William Donald Schaefer with the 1993 Douglas H. Gordon Award for Preservation Advocacy.

When the Board of Directors first considered Governor Schaefer for this honor, we envisioned giving the award to someone who after many years of public service ultimately became convinced that preservation was important. We would honor an individual who championed our cause and carried it forward. After reviewing his career in more detail, we realized the opposite was true. William Donald Schaefer was the leader in creating the foundations upon which Baltimore’s preservation movement was built.

While preservationists were busy fighting individual concerns, trying to save one building or the next, William Donald Schaefer saw the big picture. He realized that nothing could be preserved and no community could be revitalized without convincing people to take pride in their neighborhoods. He made it his mission to restore neighborhood pride in Baltimore City, and he was effective.

He knew that people who are not proud of their history, of their community, of their city, will do nothing to preserve their heritage. Without pride of place, there is no preservation. People who are not proud of themselves or of their neighborhoods are destructive. They tear down rather than build up. People who are proud of their history and heritage will preserve the symbols of the past and work to improve the future. William Donald Schaefer worked harder than anyone to restore pride in our neighborhoods. This, more than anything else, allowed preservation to flourish in Baltimore.

There is no doubt that conflicts will exist between preservationists and government officials on particular issues. Preservationists had battles with William Donald Schaefer. Some we won … others we lost, but that was not a factor in honoring the Governor. We honored William Donald Schaefer because deep down he was proud of the history and accomplishments of Baltimore City and the State of Maryland. His pride in Baltimore made him a great advocate in preserving Baltimore’s historic and architectural heritage. In turn he made others proud, which aided the cause of preservation. For this reason William Donald Schaefer deserved recognition from Baltimore Heritage and our thanks.

Fred Shoken, President of Baltimore Heritage, 1988-1994