Category: Tours

Bmore Intriguing: Uncovering Our City’s Heritage with Talks and Tours in February

Mark your calendars for our winter/spring talks at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion:

 · February 2 — From Stamp Act to Yorktown: A Talk on Baltimore in the American Revolution with Wayne Schaumburg

 · March 22–Destination Baltimore: A Talk on the Story of Immigration and Opportunity with Jack Burkert

 · April 5– New Light on Hidden Lives: A Talk on Discovering the Histories of Hampton’s Enslaved Workers with Gregory Weidman

 · May 3–The Industrial Valley: A Lecture on 200 Years of Manufacturing on the Jones Falls with Nathan Dennies

Happy New Year! We are kicking off the year exploring some of Baltimore longstanding historical questions. First up on February 2 is Baltimore historian and educator Wayne R. Schaumburg, who will talk on Baltimore’s role in the American Revolution, including the burning question: did George Washington sleep here?

On February 9, we are pleased that Baltimore historian Jamie Hunt will be back with a Valentine’s Day-themed tour of romance in Mount Vernon. For two centuries, the neighborhood has seen spectacular love stories, bitter feuds, and more than a few juicy trysts. Indulge in sweet intrigue and uncover some Gilded Age gossip with us.

Finally, you may ask how historic Laurel is connected to Baltimore? Originally called Laurel Factory, the settlement started as a 19th century milltown with ties to Baltimore along the B&O Railroad. On February 9, join us and our guide Ann Bennett, Executive Director of the Laurel Historical Society, for a walking tour of the town. As we soak in the historic atmosphere alongside the Patuxent River, you’ll be asking yourself why you hadn’t explored Laurel sooner.

We can’t wait to spend the beginning of 2020 with you at these tours and talks.

 

Happy Holidays…and Oh Yes, January Tours of M&T Bank Stadium and Zeke’s Coffee Roastery

Even though we’re in the midst of the 2019 holiday season, we can’t help but share two new tours we just lined up for the new year and hope you will put them on your 2020 calendar.

On Tuesday, January 7, we are excited to offer a tour of M&T Bank Stadium, “From Pianos to Pigskins: Ravens Stadium Then and Now.” We’ll explore the stadium from the suite-level to the locker-rooms and learn about the enormous 1869 Knabe Piano Factory that once sat at the same location. Join us for this touchdown tour to talk about both football players and piano players.

On Thursday, January 23, we’re touring Zeke’s Coffee Roastery to learn about this Baltimore business’s unique roasting process, as well as a little of the history of Baltimore’s coffee trade. In 2005 when Thomas Rhodes founded Zeke’s, he joined a long line of coffee connoisseurs going back over 200 years in Baltimore. We hope to see you on the 23rd: it will be espresso-ily energizing!

From all of us at Baltimore Heritage, we wish you a happy holiday season and thank you again for all your interest and support.

— Johns Hopkins, Executive Director

P.S., If you have not renewed your membership, we humbly suggest now would be a great time to do so. And for last minute shoppers, Baltimore Heritage memberships make great holiday presents!

Suffrage in the Spotlight: Heritage Talks and Tours this Holiday Season

Before we turn all of our attention to holiday planning, check out our upcoming heritage talks and tours to get to know even more about Baltimore’s history this winter season.

On December 15, join author Elaine Weiss for a lecture on her book, The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, which chronicles the struggle for American female suffrage. Ms. Weiss’s book is so compelling that Steven Spielberg and Hillary Clinton are teaming up to turn it into a movie! This Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for the women and men who fought for voting rights over a century ago.

On December 14, catch our last Lexington Market tour of the year. See behind-the-scenes at what Ralph Waldo Emerson dubbed “the gastronomic capital of the world” and the catacombs under the marketplace. Be sure to stock up on the candies and baked goods at the market for your holiday sweet tooth!

Finally, with Thanksgiving around the corner, we at Baltimore Heritage have a lot to be thankful for, starting with the kind volunteers who lead our tours, research and write about historic places for Explore Baltimore Heritage, join us in fighting for threatened historic landmarks, and so much more. You make our work possible. Thank you all!

— Johns Hopkins, Executive Director

PS: It’s the time of year when we both give thanks and look forward to the year ahead. It is also the time of year when we ask you to join or renew your membership support for Baltimore Heritage. Your gift makes our work possible.

Celebrations in the City: A Baltimore Christmas Talk with Historian Wayne Schaumburg, a Holiday Tour of Evergreen, and Author Elaine Weiss on Winning the Women’s Vote

As we head into the holiday season, we have much to remember and celebrate here in Baltimore. We hope you can spend a slice of it with us at some of final talks and tours of the year.

On November 17, Baltimore historian Wayne Schaumburg will illuminate some of the city’s winter traditions going back to the 1940s with a talk on Christmas in Old Baltimore. If have you ever wondered which Baltimore holiday traditions have changed over the years and which have stayed the same, join us to find out.

Stay in the holiday spirit on December 11 as we tour Evergreen Museum & Library, a Gilded Age mansion that will be adorned for the holidays. Baltimore Heritage volunteer and Evergreen docent Richard Messick will help us take in this tremendous estate’s seasonal decorations while learning about its rich history.

Want more to celebrate? On December 15, come rejoice in the history of the women who fought for the right to vote with a talk by author Elaine Weiss on her book, The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote. Join us to travel back in time to an extraordinary period in American history when suffragists had to push against countless barriers in their quest for the vote. We think that is something worth celebrating.

Bring a loved one. Bring a friend. And join us to learn a little and celebrate a lot of Baltimore’s heritage.

Bustling Baltimore, Beyond and Below: Discover Historic Towson, Christmas in Old Baltimore, and Our Lexington Market Catacombs!

In the month ahead, we are remembering the bustling days of years past in and around Baltimore. Please join us on Nov. 23 as we slip over the county line with a walking tour in our northern neighbor, Towson. If you are feeling festive, on Nov. 17 Baltimore historian Wayne Schaumburg will the second talk in our fall series at the Garrett Jacobs Mansion on Christmas in Charm City. Finally, if you have not yet joined us, head over to Lexington Market on Nov. 9 for a tour of the market and underground catacombs.

On Saturday, November 23, Towson’s own history buff, Ms. Brenda Carl, will take us back through the town’s wonderful history and notable characters, including Divine of John Waters fame. See how places like Prospect Hill Cemetery, Loch Raven Reservoir, and East Towson, founded by African Americans formerly enslaved at Hampton Mansion, helped make Towson into the vibrant college town it is today.

On Sunday, November 17, join Baltimore historian and educator Wayne R. Schaumburg for a talk on “Christmas In Old Baltimore.” Mr. Schaumburg will focus on some of Baltimore’s great holiday customs from the 1940s to the 1960s, including downtown shopping, visiting Santa, the Toytown Parade, firehouse train gardens, and even our favorite holiday topic to quibble over: aluminum trees.

Finally, on Saturday, November 9, catch our next Lexington Market tour to see behind-the-scenes at what Ralph Waldo Emerson dubbed “the gastronomic capital of the world.” We will also explore the catacombs under the marketplace. Rediscovered in 1951, the origins of these tunnels and vaults are mysterious…perfect for the post-Halloween enthusiasts.

We hope to see you at some or all of the above events and tours. It’s going to be a great month of heritage and history!