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6 FELLS POINT: SEVERAL WORLDS IN ONE

BOUNDARIES: S. Caroline St., Philpot St., Fell St., S. Wolfe St., Bank St.

DISTANCE: 2.5 miles

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

PARKING: Garage and street parking on S. Caroline St., near Lancaster St. Street and meter parking in the heart of Fells Point, but restrictions and many people vying for spots make parking difficult, depending on time of day.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: MTA bus #11 runs along Fleet St.; MTA buses #10 and #30 run along Broadway. The water taxi stops at Broadway Pier.

This part of Baltimore has been around for a while. Yes, Old Town and Jonestown are older, but they would be unrecognizable to a time traveler from the 18th century. Much of Fells Point, on the other hand, looks very much like it did a couple of centuries ago. The entire neighborhood is a National Historic District, with more than 160 individual buildings on the National Register. The Englishman William Fell was a speculator on the prowl for good shipbuilding land when he made his purchase in 1726, naming it Fell’s Prospect. His son Edward began laying out the streets, giving them names that reminded him of the mother country. Eventually, Edward sold off plots of land, and by 1763 the area known as Fells Point was born; it was incorporated into Baltimore-Town in 1773. In addition to that colonial history, Fells Point possesses sites important to Frederick Douglass, for my money one of the most extraordinary humans this country has ever produced. But if all this history and colonial beauty isn’t enough for you, Fells Point also happens to have some of Baltimore’s best bars and restaurants. And if Latin food is your thing, Upper Fells Point is the place to be. It’s little wonder that after the Inner Harbor, Fells Point is probably Baltimore’s next stop for out-of-towners. But a walk here also has the power to remind locals why they do (or should) love this city. Every October, more than half a million people descend on the neighborhood for the Fells Point Fun Festival, held annually for almost 50 years now. The Annual Historic Harbor House Tour of Fells Point has been held every Mother’s Day for almost as long. It’s a great opportunity to see inside some of these colonial beauties. And, of course, there are several commercial ghost tours of Fells Point. Indeed, this neighborhood, with its long history of brothels and bars, is haunted by several ghosts. Fells Point is several worlds in one, all of them a treat.

 Start on S. Caroline St., south of Lancaster St. As you head toward the water, passing the Living Classrooms site, you’ll first come across a large open area on your right, just past Dock St. The site extends southward for several blocks, past Philpot St., named for Brian Philpot Jr., who emigrated from England to Baltimore in the mid- to late 1700s. This is the AlliedSignal Site, where, in 1845, Isaac Tyson Jr. founded the country’s first bichromate plant. The factory processed chromium until the late 1990s. The site underwent extensive environmental cleanup and awaits reuse. Perhaps it’s apocryphal, but some historians believe that the term “hooker” originated on this slice of land, as it was originally shaped like a hook and many prostitutes used to ply their trade here. In an 1846 speech in England, Frederick Douglass recalled the ghastliness of this area: “Many a night have I been wakened in Philpotts-street, Baltimore, by the passing-by, at midnight, of hundreds of slaves, carrying their chains and fetters and uttering cries and howlings, almost enough to startle the dead. They were going to the market to work in cotton or sugar, going off to be killed in the space of five or six years, in the swamps of Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana.”

 At the end of S. Caroline St., where it intersects with Philpot St., continue heading straight toward the water and you will soon come to the Frederick Douglass–Isaac Myers Maritime Park. This is a unique museum, focusing on the extraordinary lives of its two namesakes. While many recognize Frederick Douglass, Isaac Myers remains a little-known figure. But his life was also astonishing. Myers owned and operated a shipyard, the Chesapeake Marine Railway & Dry Dock Company, just one block west at Philpot and Wills Sts.; he was the first African American in the country to own and run a shipyard. Just outside the front door of the museum is a repair site for historic ships. In between is a bust of Frederick Douglass. Artist Marc Andre Robinson created and installed this striking sculpture in 2006. Douglass’s presence here next to the ship repair facility is apropos; during slavery he worked these very docks as a ship caulker. See the “Back Story” for more on Douglass.

 Turn around to head back in the direction of S. Caroline St., but take a right onto Thames St. The street’s name is meant to mirror London’s famous river. If asking directions, however, don’t be surprised to hear the name pronounced several different ways: “Thames” with a long “a”; “Tems,” like the river; and “Thames” with a soft “th.” (Most Baltimoreans either pronounce it with a hard “T” and long “a” or with a “th” at the top.) In another block, you’ll come to Bond St. To your right is the brightly painted Bond St. Wharf, a renovated retail and office space complex. On the corner of Thames St. and Bond St., at 1532–34 Thames, used to be a house owned by George Wells. He owned and operated a shipyard across the street and received the Continental Congress’s commission for the Virginia, the first ship of the navy for a country on the brink of a revolution. Wells went on to build many other ships as part of a fleet of shipbuilders throughout Fells Point; many of these ships saw action in the War of 1812. Today, the CanUSA corporation, a paper-recycling company, has its headquarters in this renovated building. Connected to the Wells House, on the corner at 854 S. Bond St., is the façade of the old London Coffee House (1752), the last surviving colonial-era coffee house in the United States. Here, pre-Revolutionary patriots met to talk about the coming insurrection against the British.

 Head north along S. Bond St. Here, as with many other Fells Point streets, you’ll notice the beautiful road surfaces. While most casual observers call it cobblestone, it’s actually Belgian block. The effect is wonderful, both visually and practically, as it forces automobiles to slow down and makes a pleasing sound. As you walk north, you’re getting closer to the 600 block, home of the H&S Bakery. You might catch a whiff of some enticing aromas. (If the smell is too tempting, you can buy breads at H&S’s outlet store on 1616 Fleet St.) But for now, take a right before you get to the bakery, onto Shakespeare St., revealing a quintessential Fells Point lane: brick row houses jammed together and looking very much like they have for more than two centuries. On this short two-block street lived no fewer than five ship captains, including Captain William Furlong, a successful privateer who lived at #1608. His residence dates to 1796. Across the street, at #1607, is the Fell family grave marker. Four male members of the Fell family are buried here. The block’s oldest house is #1600, dating to 1770.

  Continue to the end of Shakespeare St. to where it intersects with S. Broadway. Here you’ll emerge onto a plaza lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. To the left, at 806 S. Broadway, is the Vagabond Theatre, home of the Vagabond Players. This theater is the country’s oldest continuously operated “little theater,” begun in 1916. Its first production was H. L. Mencken’s The Artist. When F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were living in Baltimore, the Vagabond Players produced her play, Scandalabra. Unfortunately, it was a flop. Next door, at #802, is the site of Seaman’s Hall, the first local longshoreman’s union (1912). The union was later instrumental in the creation of the National Maritime Union, dramatically improving the working conditions and lives of seamen.

  Head south on S. Broadway, toward the water. On the corner of S. Broadway and Thames is the Admiral Fell Inn. The space the inn now occupies at 888 S. Broadway has been hosting visitors, initially seamen on shore leave, for almost 250 years. The inn today consists of seven adjoining buildings, the oldest of which date to the 1770s and 1780s. In 1889, the Woman’s Auxiliary of the Port Mission created the Anchorage here, a place where seamen could retire for the night with their Christian consciences intact. The Anchorage’s cellars were eventually turned into a vinegar bottling plant, which closed in 1976. The Admiral Fell Inn took over in 1985 and has become one of the finest and most interesting hotels around, garnering charter membership in the National Trust for Historic Hotels of America.

 Continue heading west on Thames St. to check out this largely intact 18th-century row. At 1626 Thames is The Horse You Came In On Saloon, established in 1775. Sometimes visited by Edgar Allan Poe, The Horse is the country’s only saloon to have operated before, during, and after Prohibition, making it America’s oldest continuously operating saloon. William Fell’s mansion stood at #1621, when this street was named Fell’s Street. Unfortunately, it was demolished many years ago.

  Across the street is Brown’s Wharf, which today houses shops and offices, including Jhpiego, a nonprofit international health organization affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University. But when it was built in 1820, it served as a warehouse for flour and coffee.

 Turn around and head back toward S. Broadway, crossing the plaza. On the water to your right is Broadway Pier. Regular ferry service between here and Locust Point ended in 1937. In the decades prior to that, this same ferry offloaded thousands of newly arrived immigrants just processed at a nearby immigration station. Still an entry point for new immigrants today, Baltimore has a long history of immigration and absorption, evidenced in the eclectic place names and ethnic enclaves scattered throughout the city. For many years in the late 19th and early 20th century, only Ellis Island saw more new arrivals than Baltimore, as many as 40,000 a year. By the close of the 19th century, the vast majority of these immigrants were Polish and Italian.Next to Broadway is City Recreation Pier, in the 1700 block of Thames St. You might recognize City Recreation Pier as the home of NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999), a creation of Barry Levinson and David Simon, both Baltimoreans. Levinson used Fells Point for filming locations in his films Avalon, Diner, Liberty Heights, and Tin Men as well. Fans of Homicide will recognize the bar across the street from City Recreation Pier as the one owned by three homicide cops in the show. In real life, it’s the Waterfront Hotel (a bar, not a hotel), housed in a 1771 building, the city’s second-oldest brick building. During the Civil War, the Waterfront housed soldiers.

 Continue along Thames St., taking in the colonial character, until you reach the amazing house at #1732. It was built in 1800 and remains in pristine and original condition. This merchant’s house is three and a half stories, typical of wealthy merchants’ houses. Close by, 1738 Thames St. was originally a tavern, built in the 18th century. It became a clothing sweatshop in the early 20th century.

 When you reach the next block, S. Ann St., take a left for a quick detour to the Robert Long House at 812 S. Ann. This street was named for Ann Fell, Edward Fell’s wife. When Edward died, Ann continued selling plots of land; her financial acumen made her one of colonial America’s most successful businesswomen. The Robert Long House is the city’s oldest existing residence, dating to 1765. Long served as a quartermaster for the Continental Navy. The house is open to visitors, who can see rooms furnished with Revolutionary War period pieces. Today, the house serves as the headquarters of the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fells Point. The preservation society was an outgrowth of the “Stop the Road” citizen uprising formed to halt the construction of a freeway that would have cut off Fells Point from the water. That’s unthinkable today, but in the 1960s, Fells Point had deteriorated into a seedy backwater. In fact, the neighborhood had, almost from the beginning, maintained a reputation as a carnivalesque place. One visitor in 1798 remarked, “Here ships land their cargoes and here the crews wait not even for twilight to fly to the polluted arms of the white, black, and yellow harlot.” But in a city that tolerates, even welcomes, the real and shuns artifice, Fells Point had always been a somewhat celebrated seedy backwater. Even in the late 20th century, locals were still celebrating its uniqueness. Indeed, Fells Point serves as the inspiration for several of John Waters’s early films, such as Pink Flamingos, Multiple Maniacs, and Polyester. Fortunately, in the 1960s, a sufficient number of locals were horrified by the prospect of a freeway destroying their neighborhood’s character. Led by a then-unknown social worker named Barbara Mikulski, they fought to save the neighborhood. Thank goodness they did. That fight led to the revitalization of the neighborhood and, of course, kickstarted Mikulski’s political career. In 2012, she became the longest-serving woman in the history of the United States Congress.

  Turn around and return to Thames St., taking a diagonal left down Fell St. At 910 Fell St., on the right, you will see the William Price house. Price made a fantastic living building Baltimore schooners in the late 1700s. His shipyard was behind the house. Across the street, at #909, is where Price’s son, John, also a shipbuilder, lived. Frederick Douglass worked at the Prices’ shipyard just before he made his break to freedom. Just up the block from the younger Price’s house, at #931, was the home of shipbuilder John Steele. The house was constructed in 1786. Across the street, at #936, is Belt’s Wharf, built in 1877 to serve as the port for the fleet of the C. Morton Stewart coffee distributors. Today, it houses condos.

  At the end of the street are two more wharves, Swann’s and Henderson’s. Swann’s Wharf, at 1001 Fell St., is one of the older warehouses in Fells Point, dating to the 1820s. Swann is a locally prominent name; Thomas Swann served as mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland, as well as the president of the B&O Railroad. Henderson’s Wharf, at Fell and Wolfe Sts., was a disembarkation site for European immigrants before 1850. The warehouse there, built in 1897, stored tobacco for European export. Today, there is an inn and private residences. Take a moment to enjoy the terrific water views before turning around and heading north on S. Wolfe St.

 Up the block to the right at Wolfe and Thames Sts., across from Thames Street Park, is the National Can Company building, which employed immigrants canning the Chesapeake’s bounty for 100 years, between 1880 and 1980. The sheer volume helped to propel Baltimore to its status as the world’s largest canning center. The building was converted to apartments in 1983.

 Cross the park and take a left onto Lancaster St. The third house on the left was the home of William Tinker, a local grocer. In the 1700s, this was a two-and-a-half-story dormered house, but it has seen many changes over the years.

 Take your next right onto S. Ann St. Just up the block, to the left, is the Gothic-style St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church. The church was built in 1889 to serve the area’s growing Polish community. In 1936 in this church, local longshoremen voted to strike, a bold move and a significant one for organized labor.

  Head north. Take a right onto Aliceanna St., named for Aliceanna Webster Bond, wife of John Bond, who helped settle Fells Point. Your next destination is two blocks away, where you’ll take a left onto S. Wolfe St. to the 600 block. But be on the lookout for the historical marker at the corner of the first block, S. Durham St., which gives you the lowdown on Frederick Douglass and the time he spent living here on Aliceanna St. The houses at 612–614 Wolfe St. are unique. Each is one and a half stories and built of wood, surviving from circa 1775, before fire mandates required houses to be built of brick. Three more wooden houses can be seen on S. Ann St., at #533, #717, and #719. The story behind the name of this street is interesting as well. The Wolfe here is British General James Wolfe, a victorious soldier in a 1759 battle against the French in Canada. That the street name retained its association even after the revolution is rather striking.

 Return to Aliceanna and take a right, following it to S. Broadway. If you didn’t before, take some time to poke around the shops here, or head into the terrific Broadway Market, on the right. Broadway Market has been at this location in one form or another since 1786. It was originally known as Fells Point Market and retained that name until 1797, when it became known by its current name. Recent work has refurbished some of the market, making it an even more inviting place to come and get some great food.

 Continue north on S. Broadway to Bank St. (three blocks north). At the corner is St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, which is the second-oldest church in the Baltimore diocese, founded in 1792. The current structure is not that old, however; it was built in 1897, replacing the original church building. The locally beloved Cardinal James Gibbons served his first assignment at St. Patrick’s, in 1861, before being named a cardinal and pushing for the creation of the Catholic University of America, eventually becoming its first chancellor. The church suffered some minor damage during the freak 5.8-magnitude earthquake Baltimore suffered in 2011. If you’re hungry, this is a great place to be. You’re now in the vicinity of what is known as Upper Fells Point, and it’s likely that you are hearing more Spanish than English. Many immigrants from Mexico and Central America have settled in this area in recent years. One of the benefits for longtime locals is a plethora of Latin restaurants. You’ll find plenty by heading a few blocks north.

 Once you’ve had your gustatory fill, return south on S. Broadway, back to Fleet St., and take a right. In three blocks, you’ll reach S. Dallas St. On this corner, in 1773, you would have seen Baltimore’s first Methodist meetinghouse. It’s no longer there, but head north on S. Dallas to see Douglass Terrace. When Frederick Douglass returned to Fells Point a half century after his time there as a slave, the then world-famous orator, ambassador, and author built five houses here and named them Douglass Terrace. The houses still stand today.

 Continue north on S. Dallas for a few hundred feet until you reach Eastern Ave. Diagonally to the right is the Baltimore Tattoo Museum, dedicated to the art of tattooing dating back to the 19th century. Because the museum also houses a fully functioning tattoo parlor, you might consider leaving with a more permanent souvenir.

 Return to Fleet St. and take a right. The next block is S. Caroline St. Take a left there. Your starting point is two blocks south.

Bond Street Wharf

Near Broadway Market

BACK STORY

Perhaps more than any other person in this country’s history, Frederick Douglass represents the ideals behind what is commonly referred to as the American Dream: that if you work hard enough, you will be rewarded. Douglass’s rise and what he accomplished in his life are nothing short of astonishing. Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Douglass was moved to Baltimore as a very young man, a move for which he was grateful, as he stated that city slaves were generally treated better than those in rural areas. Douglass wrote, “Going to live at Baltimore laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all my subsequent prosperity. I have ever regarded it as the first plain manifestation of that kind providence which has ever since attended me, and marked my life with so many favors.” He lived on Aliceanna St. in Fells Point and worked as a ship caulker. Inviting brutal whippings, Douglass taught himself to read, employing tricks on neighborhood kids and paying poor white kids with bread to teach him. In the end, Douglass rose from illiterate slave to eventually penning several books, earned international fame as an eloquent orator and abolitionist, and achieved the rank of U.S. ambassador to Haiti. He lived long enough to see slavery abolished and pass into the mists of history. But the man always carried the scars. His story and his writings are essential to every American wishing to understand this country.

CONNECTING THE WALKS

The starting point of this walk is essentially the same starting point (though moving in the opposite direction) of Walk 5: Harbor East.

POINTS OF INTEREST (START TO FINISH)

Frederick Douglass–Isaac Myers Maritime Park douglassmyers.org, 1417 Thames St., 410-685-0295

George Wells House / London Coffee House Northwest corner of Bond and Thames Sts. / 854 S. Bond St.

Brown’s Wharf Broadway and Thames St.

Fell Family Grave Marker 1607 Shakespeare St.

The Vagabond Theatre vagabondplayers.org, 806 S. Broadway, 410-563-9135

Seaman’s Hall 802 S. Broadway

Admiral Fell Inn harbormagic.com, 888 South Broadway, 410-539-2000

The Horse You Came In On thehorsebaltimore.com, 1626 Thames St., 410-327-8111

Broadway Pier Broadway and Thames St.

City Recreation Pier 1700 block of Thames St.

Merchant’s House 1732 Thames St.

Tavern / Sweatshop 1738 Thames St.

Robert Long House 812 S. Ann St.

Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fells Point preservationsociety.com, 410-675-6750

Captain John Steele House 931 Fell St.

Belt’s Wharf 936 Fell St.

Henderson’s Wharf Fell and Wolfe Sts.

Swann’s Wharf 1001 Fell St.

William Price House 910 Fell St.

St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church Aliceanna and S. Ann Sts.

Wooden Houses 612–614 Wolfe St.

Broadway Market 600 and 700 blocks of S. Broadway

St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church Broadway and Bank St.

Douglass Terrace Dallas St.

Baltimore Tattoo Museum baltimoretattoomuseum.net, 1534 Eastern Ave., 410-522-5800

ROUTE SUMMARY

1 Start at S. Caroline St. and go south to visit the Douglass-Myers Maritime Park.

2 Take a right onto Thames St.

3 Turn left onto S. Bond St.

4 Turn right onto Shakespeare St.

5 See the sites on S. Broadway and then turn right.

6 Turn right onto Thames St.

7 Turn around and head east on Thames St.

8 Take a left onto S. Ann St.

9 Return to Thames St. and take a left onto Fell St.

10 Go north on S. Wolfe St.

11 Take a left onto Lancaster St.

12 Take a right onto S. Ann St.

13 Take a right onto Aliceanna St.

14 Take a left onto S. Wolfe St.

15 Return to Aliceanna St. and take a right.

16 Take a right onto S. Broadway to visit Upper Fells Point.

17 Head south on S. Broadway and take a right onto Fleet St.

18 Turn right onto S. Dallas St.

19 Return to Fleet St. and turn right.

20 Turn left onto S. Caroline St.

Frederick Douglass bust