Baltimore Heritage

Step into the middle of the active work site that is Whitehall Mill. This former textile mill is being reborn as a mixed-use complex of apartments, office space, a restaurant, and a market. Our hosts from Terra Nova Ventures will walk us through the building, showing us what they’ve done so far and what is still to come.

Spurred by its waterpower and demand for sailcloth, by the end of the 19th century, Baltimore became the foremost manufacturer of cotton duck in the nation. During the growth of this industry, in 1839 Horatio Gambrill and David Carroll converted a site formerly occupied by the Whitehall Flour Mill into a textile factory. The owners rebuilt after fires in 1854 and 1865, renaming the mill Clipper Mill and expanding the mill to twice its original size.

In 1925, the mill sold to Purity Paper Vessels, a firm that manufactured paper containers suitable for semi-liquid foods. Continuing efforts to adapt the building to changing technology, the new owners switched the plant from steam power to industrial gas. In 1941, the I. Sekine Brush Company, a maker of men's grooming products and toothbrushes, purchased the mill and occupied the space until 1972.

Today, Terra Nova Ventures is redeveloping the 150-year old building to give the old mill a new and modern life while preserving its place in Baltimore’s industrial heritage. Join our tour guides from Terra Nova Ventures for a little wine and cheese and a lot of industrial Baltimore. Parking is available in a lot at the north end of the building off Clipper Mill Road.