New historic marker commemorates the 1877 Railroad Strike at Camden Station

Our latest guest blog post comes from Bill Barry, long-time Director of Labor Studies at the
Community College of Baltimore County introducing us to the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and a new historic marker at Camden Station to commemorate the event. We’re also excited to feature a video on the 1877 strike produced for Explore Baltimore Heritage by UMBC student William Carroll for the course Practices in Public History course with Dr. Denise Meringolo.

Bill Barry
Bill Barry

When I spoke at a gathering of the Occupy Movement at the McKeldin Fountain in 2011, I mentioned that we were on hallowed ground because the original “occupy” movement in Baltimore City occurred in 1877, as tens of thousands of railroad workers carried on the first national strike, shutting down all freight traffic and giving new meaning to the term “reconstruction.” The strike started on July 16, 1877, against the B & O Railroad and the first strike demonstrations were in front of the company’s main depot at Camden Yards.

One aspect of the strike was the military opposition to the strikers, first from state militia in Maryland and West Virginia, and then by federal troops ordered out by President Rutherford B. Hayes, who had been elected, in part, for his commitment to withdraw all federal troops from the states. In a devastating moment, eleven citizens were murdered by the militia near City Hall as the troops tried to march from the armory across from the Shot Tower to Camden Yards. Since this movement is virtually unknown—the Pratt Library catalogues its documents under “The Riots of 1877″—I decided to propose a historical marker in front of Camden Yards, honoring the strikers and their community.

214965cuThe process for applying for a new marker is available at online at the Maryland Historical Trust website. While proposals generally have to get approval from the State Highway Administration, this one also had to pass the Maryland Stadium Authority because of its unique location. In addition to the usual historical support, I also turned in several dozen letters from high school teachers across the country, who participated in a workshop in July, 2011, about the strike. My partners in this project—Nancy Kurtz from the Maryland Historical Trust and Jan Hardesty, from the Stadium Authority—were wonderful and a process that I was warned could take years was completed in about six months! The state cast (and paid for) the marker, using language I proposed, and the unveiling will be a great event.

1877 Railroad Strike Historical Marker Unveiling
Saturday March 23, 10:30 am
Unveiling at Camden Yards in front of the B&O Warehouse on Howard Street
See the Orioles website for information on parking and transit options. There will be a reception after the unveiling at The Irish Railroad Workers Museum on Lemon Street, across from the B & O Museum. Free parking is available for anyone who RSVPs in advance with Bill Barry at billbarry21214@gmail.com.

Weatherization, Retrofit Baltimore

Weatherization & Historic Tax Credit Workshops in March and April

Planning any rehab or maintenance projects for your house this spring? Don’t miss the chance to save money with historic tax credits while taking advantage of financial incentives for weatherization retrofits. Join Baltimore Heritage and Retrofit Baltimore for a free one-hour workshop to learn how to save money retrofitting your historic home for energy efficiency. Learn more about historic tax credits with our comprehensive guide.

If you are a home-owner in a historic district like Roland Park, Homeland, Ednor Gardens or Original Northwood, you may be eligible for city and state historic tax credits for weatherization and projects from re-painting to re-pointing.

Weatherization & Historic Tax Credits Workshop on March 14

Thursday, March 14, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Neighborhood Design Center, 1401 Hollins Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
RSVP today!
Free on-street parking is available in the area and the Neighborhood Design Center is only a few blocks from the Charm City Circulator Orange Route stop 211 at Hollins Market. For more information contact, Whitney Graham at wgraham@retrofitbaltimore.org.

Weatherization & Historic Tax Credits Workshop on March 21

Thursday, March 21, 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Govans Branch Library, 5714 Bellona Ave Baltimore, MD 21212
RSVP today!
Free on-street parking available. For more information contact, Ben Legow at blegow@retrofitbaltimore.org.

Weatherization & Historic Tax Credits Workshop on April 22

Monday, April 22, 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Roland Park Library, 5108 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210
RSVP today!
Free on-street parking available. For more information contact, Molly Rice at mrice@retrofitbaltimore.org.

Maryland Historical Trust leads effort to update statewide preservation plan this spring

We’re glad to share a guest post from Tim Leahy who is working with the Maryland Historical Trust leading the update to our State Historic Preservation Plan. This plan is not just important to the Maryland Historical Trust but is intended to offer direction on preservation issues for everyone from local governments to non-profit advocacy organizations like Baltimore Heritage to individual citizens. In addition to his work with MHT, Tim serves as the Vice Chairman of the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission and is a long-time volunteer with the Charles Carroll House of Annapolis.

January 2011, Maryland Historical Trust.
PreserveMaryland planning meeting, January 2011, Maryland Historical Trust.

Earlier this month, the Maryland Historical Trust announced the start of a new effort to update Maryland’s State Historic Preservation Plan. The goal of the preservation plan is to gain a full understanding of the issues facing historical and cultural resources in Maryland and to identify innovative strategies for their recognition, long term care, and enhancement. State historic preservation plans are prepared periodically, in part to comply with National Park Service requirements. Plans must be updated in order for state historic preservation offices to remain eligible to participate in programs that provide federal funding and support for local preservation efforts across the country. Maryland’s most recent statewide preservation plan was published in 2005.

MHT is conducting interviews with stakeholders this winter and planning a series of public forums across the state for spring and summer. MHT is also looking to get input from citizens in Baltimore and across the state of Maryland with an easy online survey. Find more information about the plan on the Maryland Historical Trust website or PreserveMaryland Facebook page. You can also contact Tim Leahy at (410) 514-7625 or tleahy@mdp.state.md.us with questions and comments.

Behind the Scenes Tour at Thomas Brown Woodwright highlights architectural millwork and antique machines

thomasbrown
Thomas Brown, Woodwright

Thomas Brown, Woodwright custom mills architectural products for historic buildings all over Baltimore and beyond. Amazingly, Thomas Brown does all this mostly on machines that pre-date the Great Depression. The shop uses very few machines built after 1929 and keeps some machines that date as far back as the 1830s. Please join us for a Behind the Scenes Tour of this workshop located in a 1905 former icehouse building in the Remington neighborhood.

Behinds the Scenes at the Thomas Brown, Woodwright Workshop
Wednesday, March 13, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
330 West 23rd Street, Baltimore, 21211
RSVP Today! $15 members | $25 non-members – wine & cheese will be served.
Parking is available on the street. Enter on the Hampden Avenue Side.

You can see Thomas Brown’s handicraft in architectural millwork across the city at places like Hampton Mansion, Evergreen House, and the Garrett Jacobs Mansion. A little further afield, his shop has has helped to restore the Gracie Mansion in New York, the Harvard University Center in Boston, Winterthur Museum in Delaware, and the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Thomas Brown’s workshop has fifteen wood working machines that have vanished from the planet everywhere else except their shop in Remington! What others consider antiquated or outdated, Thomas Brown considers essential to fabricating architectural woodwork for historic buildings.  Please join Mr. Brown as he walks us through his shop sharing the stories of this rare historic wood-working equipment and the architectural woodwork that they produce.

Thomas Brown, Woodwright
Thomas Brown, Woodwright