Union Square, Baltimore

A view of Union Square park

Union Square, a thriving SoWeBo (SouthWest Baltimore) community steeped in history and art, is a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. See also: Union Square

Overview

Named for the graceful park at its center, Union Square is a diverse urban setting - home to art galleries, artist studios, H.L. Mencken’s life-long residence, and spacious three-story Italianate and Victorian rowhouses. On the historic ground of Southwest Baltimore known to locals as Sowebo, Union Square is less than a mile from Camden Yards - the finest baseball stadium in the land – this community is within walking distance of the Inner Harbor, B&O Railroad Museum, Ravens Stadium, and University of Maryland-Baltimore. The state-of-the-art UMB Biotech Park is a recent addition, with portions still under construction. A public golf course is nearby, next to the newly-renovated Montgomery Park office building. Access to I-83, I-95 and the MARC commuter train to Washington D.C. are minutes away.

Attractions

Hollins Market

A vital part of the community, Hollins Market was built in the Italianate style in 1838 at the east side of the neighborhood and is Baltimore’s oldest home to food merchants. Also in the Union Square Historic District, attractions include annual events such as the Union Square Christmas Cookie Tour plus the Black Cherry Puppet Theatre, the H. L. Mencken House, the Southwest Baltimore Charter School, the H. L. Mencken Memorial Fountain (1976), the Enoch Pratt Free Library No. 2 Branch (1886), Sowebo Arts, Inc., and Union Square Park at the west side of the neighborhood contains a Greek Revival Pavilion. Other nearby sites of interest include the Lithuanian Hall, Carroll Park, the Mount Clare Museum, the Babe Ruth Museum, the Irish Shrine and Railroad Workers Memorial Museum, and the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum.

The H. L. Mencken House is located at 1524 Hollins Street. Baltimore's famous son, Henry Louis Mencken, lived here from 1883 until his death in 1956. After his death on January 26, 1956, Mencken's home was bequeathed to the University of Maryland. In 1983 the City of Baltimore acquired the H. L. Mencken House from the University

Arts Festival

An annual event - the Sowebohemian Arts Festival - is held in the streets around Hollins Market on the Sunday afternoon of the Memorial Day weekend.

Historic District

The Union Square / Hollins Market District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1967. The historic district is significant for its architecture and history, which reflect the development of urban America. The district is a community of well-preserved rowhouses used for both residential and commercial purposes and, as a result, it is a fine example of a nineteenth century neighborhood.

Real Estate

Union Square Rowhouses

On the Square and on nearby streets, spacious three-story rowhouses predominate. Most are pre- and post-Civil War Italianate in style, but there are many examples of Early Victorian Greek Revival and Late Victorian Romanesque Revival. A majority of the homes have ten- to fourteen-foot ceilings, tall distinctive windows, wood floors, and plaster walls. Exteriors are brick and mortar facades with attractive cornices and marble steps. On the side streets and alleys there are an additional variety of charming two-story and two-story-with-attic rows. House prices range from $40,000 to $400,000.

Community

An uncommon synergy prevails in the neighborhood as residents, both longtime and newly-arrived, work together through various committees and forums to enhance the area’s quality of life. Toward that end, Union Square is also actively engaged in outreach with other nearby neighborhoods and non-profit groups. This historic neighborhood, one of Baltimore’s friendliest, is marked by classic architecture, period street lamps, brick sidewalks and stately row homes.

Boundaries

The District is bounded by South Fulton Street to the west and South Schroeder Street to the east, with north and south borders of West Baltimore and West Pratt Streets. Union Square proper, just west of the Market, is bounded by South Carey and South Fulton Streets from the east and west respectively, and by West Baltimore and West Pratt Streets to the north and south. The area is built on a grid street system which conforms to the original 1818 layout of the area. Zip Code: 21223.

External links

• Union Square Online
• Live in Baltimore - Union Square
• National Register of Historic Places
• Friends of the H. L. Mencken House
• Sowebo Arts Inc.
• The Irish Shrine at Lemmon Street