Canton, Baltimore

Canton Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The western end of O'Donnell Square
Location	Baltimore, Maryland
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Late Victorian, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	80001784
Added to NRHP	January 29, 1980

Canton is a neighborhood located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The neighborhood is located along Baltimore's outer harbor in the southeastern section of the city. Canton is traditionally considered centered around O'Donnell Square, a park bordered on the north and south by O'Donnell Street, to the east by South Potomac Street, and to the west by Linwood Avenue. O'Donnell Square is home to several bars and restaurants, an art gallery, a coffee shop and a number of other businesses and residences, as well as a former fire station.

In recent years new developments have added other focus areas to the neighborhood, including the Canton Waterfront Park and Maryland Korean War Memorial, the rehabilitated American Can Company building, two marinas and a public boat launch, the DuBurns Soccer Arena, and many other bars and restaurants. Canton is adjacent to or near the neighborhoods of Patterson Park, Fells Point, Highlandtown, and Greektown. It is roughly two miles east of Baltimore's downtown district.

History

A view west on O'Donnell Street along Canton's O'Donnell Square (located to the left)

The Canton area was developed from the plantation of seaman John O’Donnell in the late 1800s by his son Columbus O’Donnell, and William Patterson and Peter Cooper. The land was sold for expanding waterfront industrial uses and housing to support blue-collar workers. During the early 1900s, European immigrants settled in the area, most notably, Welsh, Irish, German and Polish. In the past several years though, as industry moved out, new housing and marinas have been developed along the waterfront and gentrification of the existing housing has occurred further inland.

The first branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library is located in Canton on O’Donnell Square. The branch has been in continual operation since 1886.

The name Canton is derived from an antiquated transliteration of Guangzhou, China (Canton). John O'Donnell was the first person to transport goods from Canton (Guangzhou) to Baltimore and named his plantation after it.

Housing stock

The majority of houses in Canton are turn-of-the-century two- and three-story rowhouses on narrow or wide streets. Some of the homes closer to the water date from the Civil War. New townhouses have been built at Canton Square and the Anchorage, as well as on empty lots throughout the neighborhood. There are also waterfront apartments and condominiums in rehabilitated industrial buildings.

External links

• The Canton Community Association
• Baltimore Neighborhoods - Canton
• Canton on MySpace
• Canton News
• Canton Gallery