Join us for an exciting lecture series this spring at the historic Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, also known as the Engineers Club. One Sunday afternoon each month from March through May, join us for an in-depth talk by a subject matter expert all the while sitting in a gorgeous Gilded Age mansion. Learn more and sign up for each lecture below! And don’t forget to check out our calendar to see all of our upcoming tours and events.
–Johns Hopkins, Executive Director
Building Baltimore: A Talk on Immigration and Opportunity by Jack Burkert
March 1, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15
For almost two million people, Baltimore was the destination that promised a new life, hope and opportunity. Beginning in earnest in the 18th century, accelerating through the 19th, immigrants provided the labor force necessary for Baltimore to become an industrial powerhouse. Early arrivals endured often tortuous Atlantic crossings under sail. Later steam powered ships sped the trip, but steerage accommodation offered little improvement to time spent at sea. Who were these people? Where were they from? Why did they abandon their homes? On March 1, join Baltimore historian Jack Burkert to explore immigration into Baltimore.
American Revolution and the Fate of the World: A Talk by Dr. Richard Bell
April 12, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15
The American Revolution was not only the colonies’ triumphant liberation from the rule of an overbearing England; it was also a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and threw the entire world order into chaos. The “War of Independence” manifested itself as a sprawling struggle that upended the lives of millions of people on every continent and fundamentally transformed the way the world works, disrupting trade, restructuring penal systems, stirring famine, and creating the first global refugee crisis. On April 12, join acclaimed University of Maryland history professor and author Dr. Richard Bell as he upends much of what we thought we knew about the American Revolution.
The Making of America’s Greatest Classical Architect: A Talk by Charlie Duff
May 24, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $10-$15
John Russell Pope designed the National Gallery, the National Archives, the Jefferson Memorial, and dozens of other buildings of national importance. He was arguably the greatest master of classical architecture in American history. So how did this New Yorker get his start in Baltimore? He wasn’t from here. He didn’t go to school here. But it was a Baltimorean who gave him his first independent commission, and it was Baltimoreans who gave him the chance to build his first museum. On May 24, join Baltimore historian and architecture buff Charlie Duff to investigate Pope’s work in Baltimore and his lasting impact on America.
Hands On Preservation Work
This past year we launched a new “voluntours” series where we helped with community trash clean-ups and learned local history in the process. We held two voluntours at Laurel Cemetery and several trash clean-ups at Herring Run Park and Masonville Cove. We plan to continue this unique tour model in 2026.