| Federal
Hill,
Baltimore
City Zip Code(s): 21230
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Location
Hughes Street and Key
Highway on the north, Key Highway on the east, generally Hanover Street
on the west and Cross Street on the south.
Description
Federal Hill is a neighborhood primarily of brick, late 19th Century
homes. Many (but not all) have been rehabbed into modern
residences in the past 15-20 years. Rehabbing continues, and some homes
are still available at bargain prices for those interested in investing
sweat capital. There are also some apartment houses and a few old
residences divided into apartments. Federal Hill is a cohesive,
inclusive neighborhood with a strong community sense which works hard to
preserve its individuality. The neighborhood is a federal historic
district, and the northern portion has strict preservation and urban
renewal requirements. There are still many residents who are second and
third generation South Baltimoreans who are equally proud of their
heritage. Most homes are owner-occupied, but there is a good supply of
rental housing as well. To the South there is the Port Covington
Shopping Center (WalMart and Sams Club).
I-95 N&S and Route 295 right within reach. Several of the most
active real estate brokers live in the neighborhood and know it well. We
welcome all who are committed to urban living.
The larger neighborhood is generally referred to as being comprised of
two parts, Federal Hill and West Federal Hill. West Federal Hill refers
to the area below Cross Street and west of Hanover, while Federal Hill
generally designates the area bounded by Key Highway and Cross. Both
areas have their own neighborhood associations which are very active in
the community.
History
Federal Hill was discovered by Captain John Smith in 1608 on his
first exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. It earned its name in 1788,
when thousands of Baltimoreans marched from Fells Point to the hill in
celebration of the Maryland General Assembly's ratification of the
Constitution. (Residents of the neighborhood reenacted the parade 200
years later.) Subsequently it was the scene of other civic celebrations.
Shortly after Independence, an observatory was erected on the hill so
merchants could get advance warning of the arrival of their vessels. The
hill gained notoriety during the Civil War. Federal troops occupied the
hill and trained their cannon on the city, whose loyalty to the North
was in some doubt. The city government acquired the hill in 1875 and
made it a park. The marine observatory was discontinued in 1899. For
much of the 19th century the Federal Hill shore shared with Fells Point
the city's thriving shipping trade and related industries. Federal Hill
itself was mined for sand for a nearby glassworks, leaving behind some
caverns which exist to this day and are a favorite subject of legends.
Modern Federal Hill was born around 1960, when a few hardy pioneers
bought and began renovating homes in what had become a dowdy
neighborhood. But the existence of the neighborhood was threatened in
the mid-60's by a plan to plow through it with an interstate highway,
part of a complex of connecting freeways that would have demolished the
Inner Harbor and Fells Point. The residents rebelled, joined hands
across the harbor, and eventually defeated the plan. The rebuilding of
the Inner Harbor area in the late 70s and early 80s greatly increased
interest in Federal Hill as an enclave of intimate residential streets
within minutes of the city's business and entertainment heart.
Information courtesy of
LiveBaltimore.com
Contact / Links
Federal Hill Main Street
42 E. Cross St
Baltimore, MD 21230
Tel: (410) 727-4500
www.historicfederalhill.org
Federal Hill Neighborhood
Association
Attn: Paul Robinson (President)
www.federalhillna.org
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