Baltimore Heritage

Join us to explore the eerie catacombs underneath Baltimore’s First Presbyterian Church, now called Westminster Hall, and the graves that surround it, including the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe. The burial ground predates the church, which was built on arches above the gravesites, so that the graveyard and its tombstones lie both underneath and around the building. We bet you will also recognize more than a few Baltimore street names as we walk among the patriots and civic leaders buried at Westminster including Calhoun, Hollins, Gilmore, and Bentalou. All told, the compact cemetery next to the University of Maryland School of Law is the final resting place for over 1,000 individuals. We can’t wait to see you “Where Baltimore’s History Rests in Peace!”

As the nation’s oldest continuously operating ironworks company, G. Krug & Son literally has helped build Baltimore. For over 200 years, the firm has fabricated distinctive components of such notable landmarks as the Baltimore Basilica, the Washington Monument and the Baltimore Zoo. G. Krug began in 1810 by Augustas Schwatka, and by 1871, Gustav Krug became the sole proprietor of the “bell hanger and locksmith” company. G. Krug today is owned by Peter Krug, a fifth generation Krug ironworker, and continues to fabricate artistic ironwork in the same building where it was founded. Mr. Krug and his ironworking colleagues will lead our tour of the iron working shop and museum. We’ll be treated to archival blueprints, century-old rare pieces of ironwork that are no longer made anywhere, and their two hundred year old ironworks building where they produce wonderful pieces as they have for over two centuries. There will be a light wine and cheese reception.

Join us for a tour inside Clifton Mansion, the unique Italianate country house that has overlooked Baltimore City for over 200 years! At one time the summer home of War of 1812 captain Henry Thompson and then philanthropist Johns Hopkins, the story of Clifton Estate is one about two prominent businessmen, enslaved & free Black people, and more. You’ll see the latest restorations made possible by the Friends of Clifton Mansion and Civic Works. You will also be invited into unrestored spaces that are brimming with stories to tell! And the tour wouldn’t be complete without climbing the tower and taking in one-of-a-kind views of Clifton Park and our surrounding city. We hope to see you there.