Westport Waterfront westportwaterfront.com, 410-685-0250
Gwynns Falls Trail gwynnsfallstrail.org, 410-448-5663, ext. 135
Middle Branch Park middlebranchbaltimore.com
Hanover Street/Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge Hanover St.
ROUTE SUMMARY
1 Start at the Westport Light Rail station.
2 Turn right onto Wenburn St.
3 Turn left onto Waterview Ave.
4 Pick up the Gwynns Falls Trail.
5 Follow the Gwynns Falls Trail to Cherry Hill Park.
Patapsco River from Middle Branch Park
3 FEDERAL HILL: SOUTH BALTIMORE’S 400-YEAR-OLD ANCHOR
BOUNDARIES: Covington St./Key Hwy., Cross St., S. Charles St., E. Montgomery St.
DISTANCE: 1.9 miles
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
PARKING: Street parking with residential restrictions and limitations along route
PUBLIC TRANSIT: MTA bus #64 runs along Light St.
Federal Hill encompasses some of South Baltimore’s oldest architecture. This part of the city has hosted folks since well back in the 18th century, having first been sighted by John Smith more than 400 years ago. The street names in Federal Hill all seem to carry a whiff of Revolutionary War times. When mining, canning, and manufacturing moved in, these industries left Federal Hill a somewhat rundown neighborhood that nevertheless managed to ooze character and a certain blue-collar grace. For many locals, it was here, on the hills above the harbor, that the “real Baltimore” clung tenaciously for decades. Today, Federal Hill is a trendy destination, with some of those rehabbed 18th- and 19th-century houses on cobblestone streets fetching small fortunes. With the addition of a plethora of shops and restaurants, plus one of the coolest museums anywhere—and, of course, the best views in the city—Federal Hill seems poised to retain its current status as “a place to be” for many years to come.
Begin at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). This attraction intersects with sites within Walk 4: Inner Harbor Promenade. See Walk 4 for more information on the AVAM.
Covington St. runs behind the museum. Covington was named in honor of Fort Covington, an important site in the repulse of the British during the Battle of Baltimore. Head through the wonderful art in AVAM’s courtyard and outbuildings, and then pick up Covington heading uphill.
The second block beyond Federal Hill is E. Cross St., where you’ll see Digital Harbor High School. Take a right there. Just a few hundred feet to the right, at 454 Cross, is the Sailor’s Union Bethel Methodist Church. It was built in 1873 and was originally known as the Ship Church. A few decades earlier, a group of sailors led by Captain Samuel Kramer held services on the hull of a wrecked ship anchored near Light St. Eventually, the men raised enough money to buy the building on Cross St. and convert it into a church.
Continue up E. Cross, passing tidy brick row homes, to the intersection with Riverside Ave. Take a quick detour right on Riverside to #1124. Its variation from all the other houses around you will be immediately evident. This house was originally built as two adjoining houses and stands at one and a half stories (and more than 200 years old). Such houses were originally known as half or alley houses, which were only one room deep. New immigrants and freed slaves usually inhabited these places. Often, their bosses lived nearby and the houses had livery stables behind them.
Return to E. Cross St. and take a right. When you arrive at the intersection of Cross and Light St., you’ll see across the street the wonderful Cross Street Market, still a local favorite. The market began in 1842 and to this day offers tons of vendors selling terrific fresh foods: meat, produce, flowers, and, of course, seafood. The blocks near the market comprise the edge of Federal Hill’s business district. Myriad shops and restaurants abound; this is a good place to come hungry. For a pretty comprehensive list of offerings, as well as the lowdown on the annual Federal Hill Festival, visit historicfederalhill.org
With Cross Street Market in front of you, head north (right) on Light St. Just up on the left is the Blue Agave Restaurant in what used to be the McHenry Theatre—you’ll see the name chiseled in the stone above the arched window. The theater operated as a movie house between 1917 and 1971. Continue heading north on Light St.
When you come to the intersection with Warren Ave., take a right. Warren was named in honor of Dr. Joseph Warren, a Boston patriot who died at Bunker Hill. It was Warren who, in 1775, sent Paul Revere off on his famous ride. The brick row houses in the 300 and 400 blocks of Warren were built in the first years of the 1900s, while the houses between 402 and 413 Warren were built in the 1880s for ship owners.
Warren Ave. ends here at a little path heading left into the park. Before you take it, take a quick right down this diminutive section of Henry St., paved with Belgian block. Henry St. was also named for a Revolutionary War hero, John Henry. He served in the Continental Congress and was Maryland’s first senator. Henry St. soon ends at E. Hamburg St. Most houses on Hamburg were built in the 1830s and 1840s by Baltimore banker John Gittings, whose name lends itself not only to a street two blocks south but also to Gittings Ave. straddling the city/county line (see Walk 33).
On E. Hamburg, turn right to see the house at #337. It was built in 1810, making it one of Federal Hill’s older homes. It served as the headquarters for Union Army General Benjamin F. Butler during the Civil War. Several Confederate spies were held prisoner and then executed at this house. Butler stood on the porch to watch their execution in the courtyard below.
Return to Henry St. and go straight into Federal Hill Park for one of the best views anywhere. High up on Federal Hill, the Inner Harbor and much of the city beyond opens up in front of you. At the far end of the park, your view follows Federal Hill as it winds toward M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Ravens. At the edge of the hill itself, standing before the harbor, you’ll see antique cannons, the 15-star American flag, and the monuments to Colonel George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812, and Major General Samuel Smith, who served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, in which he commanded the Third Division of the Maryland Militia during the Battle of Baltimore. (See “Back Story” for more on Federal Hill.) On the other side of the park, beyond the swing sets, stands another memorial: the “Our Fathers Saved” sundial, dedicated in 1933 in honor of Union Civil War casualties, a perhaps begrudging honor considering Union soldiers had their guns at the ready on a hostile Baltimore citizenry and set up camps along Warren Ave. during an occupation that lasted even longer than the one in New Orleans.
Head to the northwest end of the park, with Ravens Stadium more or less straight ahead of you, and descend the steps to E. Montgomery St. The street was named for John Montgomery, mayor of Baltimore from 1820 to 1822. It was this road that General Benjamin Butler traveled on his way up Federal Hill during the seizure of Baltimore during the Civil War. This lovely cobblestone block contains some beautiful houses, some dating back to the earliest years of the 19th century. Check out the house at #200½, which holds the distinction of being Baltimore’s narrowest house at just over 7 feet wide. The house dates to the middle of the 19th century.