LGBT Heritage: Charles Village – April 21, 10 a.m. to noon – Creating the Movement: Baltimore’s Early LGBT History in Charles Village

Over forty years ago, members of Baltimore’s gay and lesbian network launched a concerted effort to organize and build a more open community.  Many of these early leaders lived in Charles Village and the projects they spearheaded happened in this central Baltimore neighborhood.  Please join LGBT leaders Richard Oloizia and Louis Hughes, and a number of other luminaries in the LGBT community, on a tour through Charles Village to learn about the early organizing campaigns and the people behind them.

Meet in front of Normals Bookstore, 425 E. 31st  St.  Park on the street.

Bolton Square – April 28, 10:00 a.m. to noon – A New Historic Community in a Historic Neighborhood

In 1967, Bolton Square arose as an urban renewal project after a number of blocks in Baltimore’s Bolton Hill neighborhood were cleared as “slums.”  With 36 light-filled and open houses designed by noted architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen clustered around a communal green space, the architect and developer strove to create a middle class community that would attract people back into the city.  Today Bolton Square celebrates its 45th anniversary and itself is officially designated as a Baltimore City historic district.  Join residents and Bolton Square history aficionados Jon Kaplan and Joel Pearson on a tour of this Modernist architectural gem.

Meet at the home of our tour guides, 1416 Mason St. Mason St. runs parallel to Eutaw St. and is between Eutaw and Bolton. The nearest cross street is Lafayette Avenue. Park on the street.

Roland Park – May 5, 10 a.m. to noon – Green and Gorgeous by Design

With money provided by an English business syndicate, the community of Roland Park began to be constructed in the 1890s.  By 1920, the leafy neighborhood was built out with houses of English Tudor, Georgian, and other contemporary and historic styles, as well as a country club and signature water tower.  The winding roads, sidewalks and paths were carefully orchestrated, in part with help from Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.  Please join architect and chair of Baltimore City’s historic preservation commission, Donald Kann, on a stroll through this delightful sylvan community.

Meet in front of Petit Louis restaurant, 4800 Roland Avenue. Park on the street.

Ten Hills – May 12, 10 a.m. to noon – Early Baltimore Suburb: An Architectural Menagerie

In 1909, Ten Hills was created from the old A.S. Chappel Estate in West Baltimore.  The developers deliberately kept the mature trees, topography, and general picturesque rural ambiance intact.  The neighborhood, originally part of Baltimore County until the 1918 annexation to the City, builds on its natural amenities with houses from an array of historic architectural styles that include: Colonial, English Tudor, Spanish Colonial, Greek Revival, and Arts and Crafts.  Even infill houses over the years have been carefully designed to complement the harmony of architecture.  Please join long-time Ten Hills residents Ms. Dana McKee, a neighborhood leader, and Mr. Robert O’Hatnick, a Baltimore architect, to explore the wonderful architecture of Ten Hills with a number of open houses and a guided stroll between them.

Meet in front of St. Bartholomew Church, 4711 Edmondson Avenue.  Park in the rear of the church with the entrance off of Uplands Parkway.

Curtis Bay by Bike – May 19, 10 a.m. to noon – Early Settlement to Industrial Center

Settled along the Patapsco River in the mid-seventeenth century, Curtis Bay and the cluster of neighborhoods around it have developed from a scattering of farms, pleasure resorts, and fishing piers to the backbone of the Port of Baltimore and a center of the city’s heavy industry.  Over the past 300 years, the area saw the growth of transportation networks, the rise of the fertilizer and chemical industries, and the development of company towns for immigrant workers.  Through the Act of Annexation of 1918, the area became part of Baltimore City.  The peak period of growth occurred during World War II when the federal government used the industrial peninsula for building Liberty and Victory ships.  Please join Dr. Nicole King of the University of Maryland Baltimore County as we explore the history of Curtis Bay and its surrounds by bike.  The tour route will be about 5 miles.  All biking skill levels are welcome.

Meet at St. Athanasius Church, 4708 Prudence Street.  Park in the church lot.