On April 3, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott signed the legislation to create the Sarah Ann Street Local Historic District. This action will protect a critical core block of alley houses on Sarah Ann Street that have been owned by Black Baltimore families since they were built in the 1870s. Now Black Women Build will redevelop these historic homes. A big thank you and congratulations to the Eaddy family and Organize Poppleton for their sustained campaign to save these historic homes!
Update, 2-27-23: The building was demolished the late afternoon of 2-24-23. Click here for more information.
We’re sad to report that the historic Sellers Mansion on Lafayette Square had a terrible fire this morning. The mansion has been a part of the square since the very beginning in 1868. We at Baltimore Heritage have worked for over 20 years with neighbors in Lafayette Square, mostly the neighborhood association president Arlene Fisher, in trying to save and find a new use for this great building. Today’s fire looks like it completely destroyed the roof and much of the historic stone walls. It’s too soon to tell just how bad the damage is and whether the building can be saved. We’ll provide an update as soon as there is something more to report. If you would like to learn more about the mansion, check out our video on the historic mansion:
The Baltimore Centennial Homes project, developed in collaboration between Baltimore Heritage and City Councilman James Kraft, recognizes families that have been in the same house for 100 years or more. These families have anchored Baltimore’s historic blocks and neighborhoods through good times and bad. Their stories show the changes that our communities and our city have experienced as well as the critical roles that neighborhoods and their families have played in keeping historic neighborhoods thriving.
On November 10, 1922, James and Marie Tully bought their family home at 1638 Belt Ave in Riverside. Their daughter, Mary, inherited the home and married Giles Boessel. The home has been passed down through the generations and is still cared for by the Boessel family. On February 17, 2022, Baltimore Heritage presented the Boessel family with a Centennial Homes plaque and certificate.
Baltimore Heritage is so appreciative of the Tully/Boessel family for its incredible stewardship of this home!
Yesterday, CHAP formally found that the 5 buildings on W. Preston Street that the Greek Church has proposed to demolish are intact enough to still be considered historic. This is a positive step towards finding a preservation solution.
Baltimore’s Greek community has a rich heritage that is worthy of respect and what we’re asking the church to do is do the same for the Mount Vernon community that it has been part of for 90 years.
From the Baltimore Brew:
After word spread that the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation wanted to tear down a set of 1890s rowhouses in Mount Vernon, the response from the public was forceful.
By mid-morning, 156 people had sent in letters or emails to oppose the demolition, the city’s preservation chief, Eric Holcomb, said at a hearing today.
Soon afterwards, following impassioned pleas to spare the five buildings from the wrecking ball, the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) handed opponents a key victory.
By a unanimous voice vote, they decided that the houses at 35-43 West Preston Street “contribute to the character” of the historic Mount Vernon District, an important determination the commissioners will take into account when they consider the church’s request to demolish the buildings.
Other Press:
Saving a piece of Baltimore’s history, residents opt to keep rundown townhomes in the community
