Spring 2010 Tours

Ridgley’s Delight – April 24, 10 a.m. to noon

Downtown Historic Gem

In the late 1700s, Baltimore lawyer George Warner built a fashionable home on the main road from the nation’s new capital to the south. As Baltimore expanded, this parcel that the Warner family called Ridgley’s Delight after the Ridgley family that originally owned it, filled with life and architecture. Within a small area, the neighborhood showcases Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, even twentieth century architectural styles. It even has dozens of houses that date to the War of 1812 and Civil War. Please join neighborhood association president Mark James as we explore this 200-year old neighborhood and its diversity of historic buildings.

Meet in front of 637 Washington Boulevard, between Martin Luther King Blvd. and Green St. Park on the street.

Greektown – May 1, 10:00 a.m. to noon

A Slice of Greece in East Baltimore

Home to the Greek American community since the 1930s, “The Hill” as Greektown was once called, developed in the early twentieth century for immigrants finding work at Baltimore’s docks. The neighborhood features two-story rowhouses, many with second floor bay windows, stained glass windows over doorways, and Baltimore’s famous white marble steps out front. But with grapevines covering arbors in the alleys, white and blue flags flying proudly, and people speaking Greek at every turn, the neighborhood and its heritage is unlike any other in the city. Join Jason Filippou, director of the Greektown Community Development Corporation, and get to know this flavorful community a little better.

Meet at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 520 Ponca St. Parking in the lot across the street.

Windsor Hills – May 8, 10 a.m. to noon

The Picturesque in West Baltimore

Between 1895 and 1929, Windsor Hills developed during a time when nature was viewed as a source of moral reform and human salvation. With the rugged topography of the Gwynns Falls Valley as the setting, the neighborhood’s curvilinear streets and picturesque architecture employs natural materials and embraces its setting. The architecture features Dutch Colonial Revival houses, Shingle-style cottages, American Four-Squares, and Craftsman Bungalows that are seated among mature trees and landscaped yards. Please join David Carroll and David Hollander, long-time Windsor Hill residents, for a stroll in and around the houses of Windsor Hills.

Meet in front of 4400 Clifton Road, at the intersection of Talbott Road. Park on the street.

Pennsylvania Avenue – May 15, 10 a.m. to noon

Civil Rights, Music and More

Between the World Wars, Pennsylvania Avenue came of age as an entertainment district of national importance. With a crowded stretch of specialty shops, restaurants, cabarets, and dance halls, all seemingly lit with bright marquees, the “Avenue” was a must-stop place for aspiring and well-known African American performers. Before this, area churches and homes served as meeting places for abolitionists and civil rights leaders and hosted notables such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and West Baltimore’s own Thurgood Marshall. Please join Linda Richardson, Main Street Manager for Historic Pennsylvania Avenue, as we stroll down The Avenue and learn about the buildings and people who made Pennsylvania Avenue legendary and are reshaping it today.

Meet at the Druid Height Community Development Corporation, 2140 McCulloh St. Park on the street.

Fell’s Point – May 22, 10 a.m. to noon

Secrets of the Seaport

Founded in 1730 by William Fell, Fell’s Point grew quickly around its deep water port into a colonial maritime center. By 1812, dozens of privateers out of Fell’s Point used their fast sailing Baltimore-built schooners to run British blockades and capture enemy shipping vessels. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area was also a major port of entry for European immigrants coming to America. And during 1970s, residents and preservationists successfully fought to preserve this heritage against a proposed federal highway that would have demolished hundreds of buildings along the waterfront. Please Join Jack Trautwein, Fell’s Point historian and Preservation Society board member, on a walking tour to unearth many of the surprises that this great neighborhood holds.

Meet at the Fell’s Point Visitors Center, 1724 Thames Street. Park on the street.