Hunting Ridge – April 29, 10 a.m. to noon
The Suburb of Beautiful Trees
Nestled at Baltimore’s western boundary, Hunting Ridge is a hidden gem and a recently designated local historic district. Dubbed “the Suburb of Beautiful Trees,” the neighborhood is indeed dominated by 200 year old hardwoods that tower over the colonial, bungalow, and tudor style homes that were built beginning in the 1920s. Once part of the Calvert family estate, and then the estate of Thomas Winans of railroad engineering fame, the neighborhood’s wonderful architecture and natural landscape create an idyllic setting. Christopher Schisler, local resident and architecture review committee member, will lead the tour.
Meet in the parking lot of the Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church at 4640 Edmondson Avenue.
Stone Hill – May 6, 10 a.m. to noon
Urban Mill Village Extraordinaire
Stone Hill in Hampden has been referred to as the nation’s most intact urban mill village. The mills that powered this community’s economic engine still exist on the banks of the Jones Falls, as are the stores and workers’ housing built by the mill company for its workforce. This walk will feature tours of several mill houses in various states of restoration, and the Mill Centre itself, an outstanding example of adaptive re-use of existing structures. The tour will be led by resident Mark Thistel and his local historian father, Carl Thistel.
Meet in the parking lot of the Steiff Building, 800 Wyman Park Drive at the corner of Keswick Road.
Mt. Vernon Churches – May 13, 10 a.m. to noon
Architecture Inspired from Above
Join us for a tour of three of Baltimore’s most architecturally distinctive churches: Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church (1872) with its Gothic architecture; the Neoclassical First Unitarian Church of Baltimore (1818); and the Italian Romanesque Old Saint Paul’s (1856) dubbed “The Mother Church of Baltimore.” Together they boast acres of stained glass, hand-carved pews and plaster reliefs, each with a rich history that will be told by church docents. The Baltimore City Paper anointed one of these exemplary structures “Best Building” in 2004. Come find out which one! Old Saint Paul’s organist Daniel Fortune will round out the morning tour with a brief demonstration on the church’s “Great Organ” with its 68 ranks totaling 4,077 pipes.
Meet at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, next to the Washington Monument on Charles Street and Mount Vernon Place. Park on the street.
Auchentoroly Terrace – May 20, 10 a.m. to noon
Getting Creative with the Rowhouse: Victorian-Style
Named after Auchentorolie, the Irish home of George Buchanan whose estate this once was, Auchentoroly Terrace provides an ornate border to Druid Hill Park’s western edge and the newly renovated Baltimore Conservatory. Developed between 1876 and the 1920s, this local historic district represents the last period of grand 3-story rowhouse construction in Baltimore. Join local resident and CHAP Commissioner Donna Cypress on a tour of this unique neighborhood.
Park and meet at the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, 4915 Greenspring Ave., near the Zoo in Druid Hill Park.