As we reflect on the events of the past few days in Baltimore, our thoughts are with those who are working to make our historic city a better place – through pursuit of equal justice and the revitalization of historic neighborhoods. While damage to historic buildings is so far limited, iconic landmarks like the Arch Social Club on Pennsylvania Avenue, the city’s oldest Jewish cemetery on North Avenue, the Gwynns Falls Parkway (a brand-new addition to the City’s historic landmark list), and the 1887 American Brewery on Gay Street stood close to the scene of yesterday’s violence. This morning, I hope you will join us in thanking the people who are continuing their committed stewardship of these and other great places that mean so much to our city.
Looking forward, we believe that our work preserving the historic places that matter to our city’s history is needed as much now as ever. The Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Central Branch is open today just as it began: “for all, rich and poor without distinction of race or color.” On the Gwynns Falls Parkway, volunteers are out this morning planting flowers and giving the park a fine spring cleaning. Patterson Park is undamaged and any visitor to Observatory Hill will find locals as undaunted as when we faced down the British in 1814.
We will continue to use our calendar as a resource share community events. We also encourage you to get involved by coming to some of our upcoming talks and tours that explore our shared heritage and the lasting legacy of the city’s past. If there is one theme that stands out to me, it is that we are indeed all in this together.
We look forward to talking, walking, and working with you in the days and weeks ahead.
Come with us to find a piece of the Berlin Wall, a War of 1812 cannon ball mounted on a Conestoga wagon hitch, and over a hundred lions looking down at you from the tops of Baltimore’s buildings.
Walk with us just a few blocks east of the Baltimore Farmer’s Market to explore one of the oldest neighborhood’s in the city and get inside the famed Phoenix Shot Tower—the tallest structure in the United States until 1846.
Take a short stroll around Mount Vernon Place to hear the stories of local residents including the owners of the B&O Railroad, the founders of the Walters Art Museum, and the wealthy owners of Mercantile Bank. End the tour with a climb up the newly renovated 200-year old Washington Monument! This tour begins on July 19.
Climb the stairs of the Patterson Park Observatory and enjoy an unparalleled panoramic view revealing the fortifications where Baltimore defeated the British during the War of 1812, the home of the original butcher on Butcher’s Hill, and Patterson Park’s rich history from the early 19th century up through the present day.
