Looking for a good excuse to enjoy the beautiful spring weather? Get outside on our upcoming tours!

If you’re looking to get outside and enjoy springtime in the city, we have plenty of opportunities to get some fresh air on our upcoming walking tours, a bike tour through Druid Hill Park, and the latest chance to get inside the Shot Tower.

On Saturday, May 11, our Baltimore by Foot series continues in Union Square where we’re asking what H.L. Mencken might think of summer concerts and window boxes. That same day, we’re also offering our final Lexington Market tour for the spring—and it even has a few spots still open! The following Saturday, May 18, our last Baltimore by Foot tour for the season explores the history (and future) of arts and entertainment on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Early next month, on Saturday, June 8, we hope you can put a little air in your tires and ride along for The Nooks and Crannies of Druid Hill Park by Bike with our two veteran tour leaders Dr. Ralph Brown and artist Graham Coreil-Allen. We keep to a modest pace and a mostly flat grade so people of all biking abilities are welcome.

Finally, whether it rains or shines, our Monumental City Tours continue on Sunday mornings with Historic Jonestown and the Shot Tower on May 12 and Mount Vernon and the Washington Monument on May 19. These affordable tours are a great way to show off the city to visiting family and friends.

With wishes for a happy spring, I hope to see you on one (or two or more!) of our upcoming tours.

A streetscape showing a brick former theater building next to a large brownstone house.

March Tours and Talks at the Baltimore School for the Arts, G. Krug & Son Ironworks and More!

If you explore the Baltimore School for the Arts on Cathedral Street you’ll find more than young talented artists. The school’s two main buildings—the former Alcazar Hotel and the Graham House—are full of fascinating Baltimore history. Please join us on Saturday, March 16 for a tour of the buildings (and a sneak peak at rehearsals with some of the school’s talented performing artists).

On Wednesday, March 20, we’re returning to G. Krug & Son Ironworks for a tour of the nation’s oldest iron-working shop. Our tour will be led by Mr. Peter Krug, part of the fifth generation of Krugs to operate the business, who will show off some of the fantastic decorative iron pieces made here in Baltimore over the past two hundred years.

Finally, our last lecture of the spring at the Garrett Jacobs Mansion will take place on Sunday, March 24 with Antero Pietila talking about his new book: The Ghosts of Johns Hopkins: The Life and Legacy that Shaped an American City.

I hope you can join us at some of these events in March, and stay tuned for an announcement shortly on our 2019 Baltimore By Foot neighborhood walking tours.

Apply by April 12 for a grant from the new Baltimore Historic Preservation Fund

We are pleased to announce an exciting new grant fund for Baltimore non-profits to preserve historic places and even more pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications. Take a look at the grant guidelines and then submit a nomination by April 12, 2019.

The Baltimore Historic Preservation Fund is a partnership between Baltimore Heritage, the Maryland Historical Trust, Preservation Maryland, and the Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation. Our goal is provide direct assistance for capital and non-capital projects that advance efforts to preserve historically significant places in Baltimore City.

Any tax-exempt organizations doing historic preservation work in Baltimore City is eligible to apply. Grant requests between $1,000 and $10,000 will be the most competitive. Projects eligible for funding include rehabilitation work, preparation of National Register nominations, and education, research, and planning efforts related to historic preservation projects.

The Baltimore City Historic Preservation Fund has a limited amount of money to give away, but we are eager to help support good work in Baltimore. If you have any questions, please contact Baltimore Heritage director Johns Hopkins at 410-332-9992 or hopkins@baltimoreheritage.org.

Apply online

G. Krug & Sons Tour, Antero Pietila Book Talk, and Mount Vernon Love Stories

Did you know that Baltimore has the nation’s oldest iron working company? G. Krug & Son Ironworks has stood in the same building just a block from Lexington Market since 1810, and today produces fantastic iron pieces as it has for over two hundred years. On Wednesday, March 20, Peter Krug is sharing the history of the business on our Behind the Scenes tour. As a member of the fifth generation of the Krug family to run the business, Peter not only knows the history but will also demonstrate ironworking on machines that are nearly as old as the company itself!

On Sunday, March 24, we’re looking forward to a talk by author Antero Pietila on his new book The Ghosts of Johns Hopkins: The Life and Legacy that Shaped an American City. We are pleased to offer this event at the Engineers Club as part of our ongoing lecture series with the Garrett Jacobs Mansion Endowment Fund.

We also still have a few spots left for this Sunday’s Mount Vernon Love Stories tour with local historian Jamie Hunt. With a morning tour at 11:00 am and an afternoon tour at 1:00 pm, we hope you can join us to hear some great tales of jilted lovers and secret trysts spanning over two hundred years while learning about the history about this great historic neighborhood.

Finally, we are asking you to share your nominations for the city’s best preservation projects over the past year. Do you know somebody who has done a wonderful rehab on their house? Or who has organized volunteers to help restore a neighborhood landmark? We’d love to hear their story. Our online nomination process is simple, and I am always here try to help and answer questions. Please take a minute and help us recognize the people who are working to ensure our historic buildings and neighborhoods continue to be vibrant places.

Keep your hat and coat by the door, and I hope to see you on some the upcoming talks and tours.

Share your nominations for our 2019 Preservation Awards!

We need your help to find the past year’s best preservation projects as we get ready to give out our 2019 Preservation Awards. Please send in your a nomination by Friday, February 22!

A large room with tall arched windows, padded chairs, and long bookshelves.
Baltimore City College Library. Courtesy JRS Architects.

Last year’s award recipients included the rehabilitation of Baltimore Center Stage, the restoration of the school library at Baltimore City College, the transformation of the Rec Pier into the Sagamore Pendry Hotel, and a book of photographs showing Baltimore’s unique collection of historic theaters. Our Preservation Project Awards recognize property owners, architects, contractors, and craftspeople who have recently completed rehabilitation, restoration, and adaptive reuse projects. Our Heritage Achievement Awards honor individual and organizations who have supported Baltimore’s historic buildings and neighborhoods through writing, advocacy, education, and community service.

Learn more about our award categories and guidelines then send in your nomination for a project award or achievement award today.  Self nominations are welcome. We try to make the submission process straightforward but, if you run into trouble, please give me a call at 410-332-9992 or send me an email at hopkins@baltimoreheritage.org and I’ll be glad to help.

Thank you for helping us recognize and celebrate Baltimore’s many accomplished preservationists with this year’s awards. And look out for details on our annual awards celebration this spring.