Highlandtown, Baltimore

Patterson Park--Highlandtown Historic District
Northeast corner of Baltimore and Luzern Streets
Location Roughly bounded by Patterson Park Ave., E. Fayettte St., and Pulaski Hwy, Grundy St., Eastern Ave., Patterson Park, Baltimore, Maryland
Coordinates 39°17′30″N 76°34′23″W / 39.29167°N 76.57306°WCoordinates: 39°17′30″N 76°34′23″W / 39.29167°N 76.57306°W
Area 295 acres (119 ha)
Built 1867
Architect Gallagher, Edward J.; et al.
Architectural style Late Victorian, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
Governing body Local
NRHP Reference #

02001623

[1]
Added to NRHP December 27, 2002

Highlandtown is a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

The area currently known as Highlandtown was established in 1866 when the area known as "Snake Hill" was established as a village outside of 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 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 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.[2] In Baltimorese the neighborhood is pronounced "Hollantown". Historically one of the city's main commercial and industrial hubs, the neighborhood suffered a period of decline beginning in the 1970s as the manufacturing sector declined and department stores were replaced by shopping malls.

Modern Highlandtown is in transition. The Polish, 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.

Current United States Senator Barbara Mikulski grew up in Highlandtown.

Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 7,820 people residing 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 Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Dominicans, among others.[3] 59.8% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied. 15.5% of housing units were vacant.

52.0% of 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.[3]

See also

Highlandtown Arts District

References

External sources