Hampden, Baltimore

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Hampden Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic District
The Christmas lights display in Hampden.
Location:	Baltimore, Maryland
Architect:	Multiple
Architectural style(s):	Federal, Greek Revival
Governing body:	Local
Added to NRHP:	December 29, 2004
NRHP Reference#:	04001405[1]

Hampden is a neighborhood located in northwestern Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Roughly triangular in shape, it is bounded to the east by the neighborhood Wyman Park at Keswick Street, to the north by Roland Park at 40th and 41st Street, to the west by the Jones Falls Expressway, and to the south by the neighborhood SoHa below 34th Street. The Homewood campus of the Johns Hopkins University is a short distance to the east.

[edit] A Brief History

The annual Hampdenfest event, with the iconic Cafe Hon in the background.

Hampden was originally settled as a residential community for workers at the mills that sprung up along the Jones Falls; its first residents were in place well before the area was annexed to Baltimore City in 1888. Many of its residents came to the area from the hill country of Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania, looking for work in the mills. This influx cemented the image of the neighborhood for the decades that followed as a white, working-class, socially conservative enclave. However, like most of Baltimore, Hampden declined somewhat during the economic troubles of the 1980s-90s, and is a much more moderate political climate in recent history.

Traditional Christmas decorations over a 34th Street block in Hampden

In the 1990s the neighborhood, conveniently located vis-a-vis Johns Hopkins and downtown, and relatively safe when compared to other, more blighted areas of the city, was discovered by artists and other bohemians, who began the process of gentrification. Many of these artists were attracted by the 1987 creation of an artist studio and office space known as the Mill Centre, located in the southernmost region of Hampden between Falls Road and Mill Road. Over the past decade, housing prices in Hampden have skyrocketed, and the area's commercial center on a four block stretch of West 36th Street known as The Avenue, has seen trendy boutiques and restaurants occupy storefronts that had become vacant when poor economic conditions forced many of the Avenue's traditional retailers to close. Hampden contains several sub-communities: Wyman Park, along the eastern section of the area, and SoHa, the area below 34th with a concentrated community of artists working and living near the Mill Centre. Hampden is also home to Morton Street Dance Center, Atomic Books, The True Vine, and popular Mobtown Players. The Woodberry station on the Baltimore Light Rail system is just on the other side of the Jones Falls Expressway and is within walking distance of much of the neighborhood. Local bar Frazier's on the Avenue is a fan favorite, as well.

[edit] Culture

Baltimore has in recent years embraced certain aspects of old Hampden's traditional culture. Many of Hampden's transplanted residents have also found clever ways to profit from it. The neighborhood is home to the annual "Hon Festival" (also called HonFest and named after the term "Hon," a term of endearment used by residents of Hampden about as often as residents of Dundalk. HonFest features attendees who tease their hair into the enormous beehive hairdos of the 1960s. The festival also features a contest to find the best "Bawlmerese," a variation of Baltimore's unique traditional accent. This accent is also more commonplace in areas like Dundalk and Essex.

Hampden's 34th Street near the southern end of the neighborhood celebrates the Christmas holiday every year with the "Miracle on 34th Street" where home owners on both sides of the street decorate their houses with thousands of lights and Christmas decorations, attracting visitors from all over the world to see the spectacle. Hampden resident sometimes refer to it as the "Nightmare on 34 Street," as well, due to the profound effect that it has on Hampden's typically easy going traffic patterns.

Hampden received perhaps its most prominent nationwide exposure in 1999, when Baltimore native John Waters filmed his movie Pecker there. Starring Hollywood actors like Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci, Martha Plimpton, and Lili Taylor, the film celebrated old Hampden's traditional culture, and every young Hampden resident's dream to escape it.

Additionally, the novelist Philipp Meyer grew up on Hampden's 36th Street during the late 1970's and 1980's; much of his novel American Rust was reportedly influenced by his childhood there.

[edit] Housing Architecture

As Hampden was originally a center of mills and factories, much of its original structures were built to house workers. Small two story row houses, made out of brick or stone, were built to hold families of mill workers. Larger houses, many built with stone, were built for managers and upper level staff. One can find more modern housing were built around the edges of the Hampden area. In the 20th century apartment complexes were built around Roland Avenue and north of Hampden. There are very few areas amenable to further development in the neighborhood, a factor in the rising housing costs in the area. However, a very large mixed use development will begin construction in early 2008 in Hampden, at the site of the Historic Rotunda shopping center. The size and scale of this development has created some controversy for this neighborhood, though it is now in doubt due to recent economic downturn. Many of the row houses have also been converted into apartments for rent, as well.

[edit] Landmarks and schools

Local Hampden landmarks include a branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Burgee Hess Funeral Home, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Hampden School #55 and Robert Poole Middle School #56, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, and Western High School.

[edit] The Background of Hampden

Hampden started out as primarily as a 19th century industrial area in rural Baltimore County. The most important mills and factories in the area included the Mt. Vernon Mills (later the Mt. Vernon-Woodberry Mills), the Hooper Mills, and the Poole & Hunt Foundry. Many residents were employed at the nearby mills and lived in many of the neighborhood rowhouses. The mills were built up and down the Jones Falls water way, which is now below Interstate 83, which runs all the way into downtown Baltimore. Churches, community centers, marketplaces, and shops were built to support the community. The main avenue of commerce was conducted on 36th street or what is known as the "Avenue". Hampden was annexed by the city of Baltimore in 1889.^[2] During the early 20th century, trolley lines ran through Hampden and there were movie houses on 36th street. Employment was still plentiful and housing costs were relatively low.

As with many industrial areas and cities, Hampden experienced a downturn during the later half of the last century. Many factories and mills were either closed or moved elsewhere. Many workers sought employment elsewhere and businesses closed operations. During the 1970s and 1980s, many residents felt that the area went through a long term downturn. During this period, crime and drug usage increased along with changes in the dynamic of social life in Hampden. Like other areas of Baltimore, school dropout rates increased along with rising illiteracy rates. Drugs and prostitution became epidemic during the late 1990s, causing dramatic decreases in the quality of life for certain residents.

One very detrimental problem in Hampden was its history of racism. Many city residents that were African American or non Caucasian often experienced outright acts of racism in the form of physical and verbal attacks. African Americans that rode the buses often had to either duck or hide their heads as local residents would throw rocks or other items at the windows. African Americans that walked down 36th street, to dine at a local restaurants, would be verbally assaulted and sometimes harassed physically. Many Baltimore residents have stories of friends or relatives that experienced harassment in the Hampden area. Fortunately, outright or direct racial attacks have been reduced in recent years. While racism certainly still exists in Hampden, many attitudes have changed about diversity and for a greater inclusion of peoples from different backgrounds.

Today, Hampden is experiencing a great period of upward development. New residents and business owners have started to turn around the old Hampden. Many visitors now travel to 36th street to dine and visit the local antique shops. Houses are now in greater demand and many neighborhoods are being restored. Bus lines and the Light Rail have helped open up Hampden for both residents to find employment around the Baltimore area and for visitors to seek entertainment in Hampden. Crime, drugs, and prostitution problems have decreased in part from police operations and new tenants demanding change. The area has drawn in new residents that are highly educated and often hold higher level jobs than those residents that left the area the past several decades.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Hampden Village Merchants Association
• Hampden Community Council
• Hampden Community page on the Baltimore Collective
• HonFest
• "Miracle on 34th" Christmas Light Display
• The Rotunda Shopping Center
• Demographics from Neighborhood Indicators Alliance
• Hampden listing at Maryland Historical Trust
• Hampden listing at CHAP includes map

Coordinates: 39°19.9′N 76°37.9′W / 39.3317°N 76.6317°W / 39.3317; -76.6317

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