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47-478: The area currently known as Highlandtown was established in 1866 when the area known as "Snake Hill" was established as a village outside the Baltimore city limits. The first settlers of the community were primarily German Americans . In 1870, residents renamed the neighborhood "Highland Town" because of the views it offered over the city. The neighborhood was made part of Baltimore City in 1919. The neighborhood today

94-547: A maritime reporter and editor for The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper. On March 26, 2024, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge blocked ships' access to the port; the channel was fully reopened on June 10, 2024. In 1608, Captain John Smith traveled 170 miles (270 km) from Jamestown (established the previous year) exploring the shores, rivers, creeks, and streams to the upper Chesapeake Bay towards

141-583: A number of German restaurants, though by 2014 Eichenkranz was the sole remaining restaurant that served German cuisine . That restaurant in turn, closed down in 2015. Port of Baltimore The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland , on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay . It

188-659: A pair of skeleton towers were erected on Locust Point to mark the Fort McHenry Channel, the final leg from the end of the Brewerton Channel to Curtis Point and the Inner Harbor. These lights remain in use, though they have all been automated. The Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light enjoys the distinction of being the tallest lighthouse in Maryland. In 2006, then-Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich participated in naming

235-517: A period of decline beginning in the 1970s as the manufacturing sector declined and department stores were replaced by shopping malls. Highlandtown was once known as a "Little Appalachia" or a "hillbilly ghetto." Before, during, and after World War II many Appalachian migrants settled in Baltimore , including in Highlandtown. Appalachian people who migrated to Highlandtown were largely economic migrants who came looking for work. Modern Highlandtown

282-661: A point just northwest of Seven Foot Knoll and running south to the mouth of the Magothy River , where it turned to the south-southeast and continued to Sandy Point, just north of the present location of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge . In the 1870s, a cutoff channel was dug to ameliorate the turn between the old and new channels; the Brewerton Channel was also extended to provide a connection to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal . Enlarged and extended to access various facilities within

329-568: A thriving German-language press, including publications such as the Baltimore Wecker ( Baltimore Alarm ). Immigration from Germany increased again after the various Revolutions of 1848 flaring up throughout Europe , bringing thousands of " Forty-Eighters " to Baltimore. By the time of the American Civil War , there were 32,613 German-born residents of Baltimore, not counting their American-born descendants of first generation along with

376-687: A wave of German immigrants came from the Palatinate , Hesse , Bavaria , and Bohemia . Many fled from Germany between 1812 and 1814, during the War of the Sixth Coalition , (1812-1814), the last of the series of French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars , in order to avoid military conscription into the Royal Prussian Army . The port of Baltimore was developed as a gateway for immigrants during

423-497: Is bounded by Haven Street to the east, Baltimore Street to the north, Linwood Avenue to the west, and Eastern Avenue to the south. The long stretch of Eastern Avenue that runs through the neighborhood is notable as the Highlandtown's main commercial thoroughfare. The area was designated as a "Main Street District" by a previous mayor Martin O'Malley , seeking to promote commercial revitalization through economic incentives from

470-547: Is in transition. The German , Polish , Czech , Italian , Irish , Greek , and Ukrainian population are being augmented with a growing Latino community. The headquarters of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society can be found on the northern edge of Highlandtown. Former United States Senator Barbara Mikulski grew up in Highlandtown. The easternmost eight blocks are occupied by parallel-running north–south streets that start with consecutive letters of

517-634: Is the deepest point in the natural harbor on the north shore of the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco. It soon became the colony's main shipbuilding center, with many shipyards , famed for the construction of the unique styled Baltimore clipper smaller-sized sailing schooners. These were notorious as commerce raiders, and privateers used them. This type of activity led to the British attack in September 1814, during

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564-535: Is the nation's largest port facility for specialized cargo ( roll-on/roll-off ships) and passenger facilities. It is operated by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), a unit of the Maryland Department of Transportation . Founded in 1706, the port was renamed in 2006 for Helen Delich Bentley (1923–2016), who represented Baltimore as a U.S. Representative for a decade and who had also been

611-616: The U.S.F Constellation was produced at the Harris Creek shipyard east of Fells Point (the site of the future neighborhood of Canton ) by a master shipwright from Hingham, Massachusetts named David Stodder. The third USS Enterprise was built at Henry Spencer's shipyard. Over 800 ships were commissioned from Fells Point shipyards from 1784 to 1821. The California Gold Rush of 1848–1849 led to many orders for fast vessels. Many overland pioneers also relied upon canned goods supplied from Baltimore factories. After Baltimore's founding,

658-554: The American Revolutionary War known as Fort Whetstone. These port fortifications were replaced beginning in 1798. In addition, Fort McHenry was expanded and reconstructed with brick and stone in a "star fort" shape. This work was conducted by the officers and engineers of the United States Army and its Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of War . Fells Point , first named Long Island Point in 1670,

705-528: The Civil War and others. In 1828, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) began track laying, eventually extending into Locust Point in 1845. The arrival of B&O and other railroads made the port a central transshipment point between inland points and the rest of the world. By the 1840s, the Baltimore Steam Packet Company ("Old Bay Line") was providing overnight steamship service down

752-665: The Convention Hall Theater . Beginning in the 1870s, many wealthy German Jews built lavish homes in the northwest area of the growing city along North Eutaw Street and Eutaw Place towards the new Druid Hill Park of 1860. They also built several synagogues, such as the Eutaw Place Temple . By 1880, there were around 10,000 German Jews living in Baltimore, most of whom were of Bavarian and Hessian descent. The German-born immigrant population in Baltimore peaked in 1890, when German-born Baltimoreans numbered 41,930 out of

799-528: The Federal Hill neighborhood, was listed as a German parish until 1959. The church had historically played an important institutional role for South Baltimore's large German community. The last German-language publication in Baltimore, the Baltimore Correspondent (formerly Der Deutsche Correspondent ), finally ceased publication in 1976. Aspects of Baltimore's German heritage remain, such as

846-478: The German language as their mother tongue. In 1940, 9,744 immigrants from Germany lived in Baltimore. These immigrants comprised 16% of the city's foreign-born white population. In total, 23,889 people of German birth or descent lived in the city, comprising 17.1% of the foreign-stock white population. As of 2000, 18.7%, or 478,646, of the Baltimore metropolitan area 's population were of German descent, making it

893-594: The Maritime Industrial Zoning Overlay District : In the 1996 action film, Eraser , the film's finale and ending battle take place on and around a Russian cargo ship in the Port of Baltimore, referred to in the movie as the "Baltimore Docks". The Port of Baltimore appeared in the 2002 thriller movie, The Sum of All Fears . The second season of the HBO series The Wire centers around activity at

940-498: The Susquehanna River , leading the first European expedition to the Patapsco River , named after the native Algonquian peoples who fished shellfish and hunted. English royal and proprietary land grants from 1661 were combined in 1702 by James Carroll , who named it Whetstone Point because of the landform shape resembling a sharpening stone. The area is now known as Locust Point , a residential and industrial area. The port

987-594: The United States Army Corps of Engineers but federal dredging appropriations preceded that project, beginning in 1830. This first project was completed in 1838. In the 1850s, a second dredging project was undertaken under Capt. Henry Brewerton , who was also later in charge of the Fort Carroll project. He excavated a straight channel from Sparrows Point out to the mouth of the Patapsco near Seven Foot Knoll Light between North Point and Hawkins Point , which

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1034-578: The War of 1812 known as the Battle of Baltimore . It is noted for the famous bombardment of Fort McHenry as well as a land attack to the southeast at the Battle of North Point , which attacked fortifications on the east side of town at Loudenschlager's and Potter's Hills (today's Hampstead Hill/ Patterson Park ). Fells Point was incorporated into old Baltimore Town in 1773. The Continental Navy ordered their first frigate warship, USS Virginia , from George Wells at Fells Point in 1775. The first ship named

1081-677: The Zion Lutheran Church . The church has held services in both English and German for over 250 years. There is also an annual Maryland German Festival held in the Baltimore area, which is sponsored by the German-American Citizens Association of Maryland. The German immigrants influenced the cuisine of Baltimore, introducing food items such as Berger Cookies . The Schmidt Baking Company was established by Elizabeth and Peter Schmidt, immigrants from Germany who used German recipes for their products. Baltimore used to have

1128-636: The 1820s, and soon became the second largest gateway to America after New York City , (and Ellis Island ), especially at the terminals of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on Locust Point, Baltimore , which had made an agreement with the Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd Line). By 1850, 20,000 German-born people lived in the city. Between 1820 and 1860, Germans were the largest group of immigrants to Baltimore. This wave of immigrants created numerous German institutions, including banks, insurance companies, and newspapers. German immigrants also created

1175-554: The 1920s, one third of Baltimore's public schools still offered German-language curricula and a quarter of Baltimoreans could still speak German fluently. Up until World War I the notes from the Baltimore City Council were published in both German and English. Before and during World War II , many Jewish refugees fled from Germany to Baltimore. By the end of the War they numbered 3,000. Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church , in

1222-583: The Chesapeake Bay by 1723, living in the area that became Baltimore when the city was established in 1729. German Lutheran immigrants established Zion Lutheran Church in 1755, which also attracted Pennsylvania Dutch settlers to the region. Early German settlers also established the German Society of Maryland in 1783 in order to assist German immigrants. Following the War of 1812 in North America ,

1269-501: The Chesapeake Bay. After the Civil War , coffee ships were designed here for trade with Brazil. Other industrial activities in Canton included Baltimore Copper Smelting Company and small oil refineries, later purchased by Standard Oil . By the end of the nineteenth century, European ship lines had terminals for emigrants from Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Poland. Maintenance of harbor channels and navigation aids began early. Dredging in

1316-535: The German immigrant community in that part of the city. In the year 1900, the city's German population was 34,000, according to the United States Census . Around 1900 there were over 30 congregations in Baltimore that were holding Sunday services in German. By 1914, the number had risen to 94,000, 20% of city's population. During the 19th Century, many of the city's public schools were known as "German-English". By

1363-630: The National Main Street Program. Highlandtown is one of Baltimore's traditional blue-collar neighborhoods, and for this reason was designated as part of the Patterson Park/Highlandtown Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places . In Baltimorese the neighborhood is pronounced "Hollantown" . Historically one of the city's main commercial and industrial hubs, the neighborhood suffered

1410-752: The alphabet, from B to H: Baylis, Conkling, Dean, Eaton, Fagley, Grundy and Haven. This scheme continues in Greektown to the east, and resets at Bayview. As of the census of 2010, there were 7,820 people living in the neighborhood. The racial makeup of Highlandtown was 42.3% white, 34% Hispanic, 19.7% African American, and 5% all other (Asians, Native Americans etc.). Most of the Hispanic population consist of Mexicans , Puerto Ricans , Salvadorans , Dominicans , Hondurans , Nicaraguans , Cubans , and Colombians , among others. 59.8% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied. 15.5% of housing units were vacant . 52.0% of

1457-490: The cargo handled during 2019. During the third quarter of 2017, the Port of Baltimore experienced a 15% increase in general cargo tons from the third quarter of 2016. Since 2014, the Port has become the fourth fastest-growing port in North America, with a 9.8% increase in cargo handled from the previous year. It is currently ranked 8th of 36 US ports for gross tonnage and 7th in dollar value. The Port handles one-fourth of

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1504-430: The city due to the violence. The population continued to surge after the Civil War , due in large part to the agreement signed on January 21, 1867 between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Norddeutscher Lloyd , a German steamship line which brought tobacco along with further German immigrants to the port of Baltimore from Bremen , Germany . German immigrants disembarked from the steamships at B&O's pier, which

1551-470: The country's coal exports. On March 26, 2024, the container ship MV Dali left the Port, then collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge , which collapsed, completely blocking maritime access to the port. Salvage crews worked for 11 weeks to remove the Dali and the bridge wreckage, and on June 10, 2024, the channel was fully reopened. The Port of Baltimore includes five terminal areas, which are located in

1598-427: The earlier wave of colonial and pre-revolutionary era settlers. Many German immigrants were politically active in opposing slavery , and German newspapers that editorialized against it were targets of attacks by nativists and Confederate sympathizers. During the Baltimore riot of 1861 , the office of the Baltimore Wecker was destroyed by mobs; the publisher, William Schnauffer, and the editor, Wilhelm Rapp , left

1645-529: The harbor can be traced back as far as 1783, when the Ellicott brothers (of Ellicott Dredges ) excavated the bottom at their wharf in the Inner Harbor . In 1790, the state government began systematic dredging using a "mud machine", which used a horse-drawn drag bucket, later upgraded with steam power. In 1825, Sen. Sam Smith of Maryland petitioned Congress for federal funding for this work. At this time, Congress

1692-400: The largest European ancestral group. In the same year Baltimore city's German population was 48,423, 7.4% of the city's population. As of 2011, immigrants from Germany were the seventeenth largest foreign-born population in Baltimore and the German language was the sixteenth most common language of those who spoke English "less than very well". German immigrants began to settle along

1739-562: The population were employed, 5.0% were unemployed, and 42.7% were not in the labor force. The median household income was $ 28,813. About 14.8% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line . Highlandtown Arts District History of the Germans in Baltimore The history of the Germans in Baltimore began in the 17th century. During the 19th century, the Port of Baltimore

1786-632: The port after Helen Delich Bentley during the 300th anniversary of the port. Currently, the port has major ro-ro (roll-on roll-off) facilities and bulk facilities, especially steel handling. The port handles around 700,000 vehicles annually. Most Mercedes-Benz cars that are imported into the U.S were handled here as well in 2004. In 2019, the port handled 43.6 million short tons (38.9 million long tons; 39.6 million metric tons) in foreign commerce (imports and exports), valued at $ 58.4 billion. The Port of Baltimore ranked 11th of 36 US ports in handling foreign tonnage and 9th in dollar value of

1833-495: The port, the Brewerton and Craighill Channels continue to be used to the present, essentially unaltered in configuration. Federal lighthouse construction in the bay began in the 1820s, and one early project was the erecting of range lights to guide ships into the Patapsco. The North Point Range Lights were lit in 1822, marking a path roughly the same as that of the current Craighill Cutoff Channel. Subsequent channel construction

1880-581: The total population of 365,863. Holy Cross Church on West Street off Light Street in old South Baltimore near Federal Hill was founded in 1860 to serve the growing numbers of Germans moving onto the peninsula south of "The Basin" of the Patapsco River's Northwest Branch and the Baltimore Harbor , which had been annexed into the city in 1816. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic was later founded in 1895 in Highlandtown in east Baltimore to serve

1927-483: The waterfront developed into drydocks , warehouses, ship chandlers , and industry, including mills, which were built behind the wharves. In what is now Canton , further southeast of Baltimore and Fells Point along the Patapsco River , John O'Donnell's plantation was developed in the early 1800s for worker housing and industry, including the Canton Iron Works owned by Peter Cooper and later Horace Abbott during

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1974-453: Was erected in 1855; this channel, known today as the Brewerton Channel, continues to be the central link in the path into the harbor. In 1865, Maj. William Price Craighill took over as Baltimore District Engineer of the Corps of Engineers . His initial survey of the Brewerton Channel disclosed severe shoaling at the mouth of the river. He excavated a new channel starting from the older channel at

2021-561: Was followed shortly by light projects. Brewerton's channel was marked by the Hawkins Point and Leading Point lights, constructed in 1868 and converted to skeleton towers in 1924. The original (lower) Craighill Channel was marked with range lights in 1875, following two years of temporary lightships ; the cutoff was marked with the upper range lights in 1886, replacing the North Point range, which had been discontinued in 1873. In later years,

2068-494: Was founded on this site in 1706 by the provincial Maryland General Assembly , which designated it one of the official Port of Entry for the tobacco trade with the Kingdom of England . In 1729–1730, Baltimore was established by Act of Assembly to the northwest at "The Basin" of the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco. This area was later known as the Inner Harbor . In 1776, local citizenry erected earthworks for port defense during

2115-510: Was located in Locust Point. By 1868, one-fourth of Baltimore's 160,000 white inhabitants were German-born and half of the remainder were of full or partial German descent. Many of the German immigrants who arrived during the latter half of the 19th century were affluent German Jews who created a number of cultural institutions, including Yiddish theatres such as the Concordia Hall and

2162-452: Was smarting from the incursions of the War of 1812 and had determined to expand naval defenses. In Baltimore, it led to the misconceived construction of Fort Carroll , an island three-tiered brick fortification in the 1840s (similar to various other East Coast island forts built such as the famous Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, South Carolina), supervised by young Col. Robert E. Lee of

2209-524: Was the second-leading port of entry for immigrants, after Ellis Island in New York City . Many Germans immigrated to Baltimore during this time. In 1880, Germans made up the majority of the foreign-born population of Baltimore at 58% of all foreign born residents. 16.9% (56,354) of Baltimore residents were foreign born, 32,685 of them Germans (including Prussians , Swabians , and Bavarians ). In 1920, 19,813 foreign-born White people in Baltimore spoke

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