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Photo credit: MHT Files, n.d.

Riverside Historic District

Inventory No.: B-5139

Date Listed: 4/30/2008

Location: Bounded by Race, West, Winder, Webster, Heath, Boyle, Fort, Marshall, Ostend, and Olive Streets, Baltimore, Baltimore City

Category: District

Period/Date of Construction: 1845-1910

Resources: 347 (315 contributing, 31 non-contributing)

Description: The Riverside Historic District is a 52-block area in the southern part of Baltimore, bounded on the west and south by a railroad line, established in the mid-19th century when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad decided to build a branch line to connect its Camden Station on Pratt Street to its now deepwater terminal on Locust Point. The northern boundary follows West, Olive, Ostend, and Marshall Streets and Fort Avenue, and abuts the Federal Hill South Historic District for much of its length. The eastern boundary is established by Webster, Heath, and Boyle Streets. The Riverside Historic District reflects the pattern of development which is characteristic of Baltimore neighborhoods of the period: rectilinear blocks densely lined with two- and three-story brick rowhouses reflecting the various architectural expressions of the latter half of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th. A city park is bounded by Randall, Johnson, and Covington streets in the eastern part of the district. The earliest residential development occurred along the major north-south artery, Light Street, a block north of the rail line. Here in the 1850s several groups of modest working-class housing were built for rail workers. Similar housing went up at the same time directly south of the Locust Point facilities. The area did not really begin to grow until after the Civil War when local landowners began leasing lots to builders near Fort Avenue and Light Street, extending west to S. Charles Street in the early 1870s. Further development west of Charles occurred mainly in the 1880s and 1890s, with a mix of 3-story Italianate houses built for managers and store owners along Light, Charles, and Hanover Streets, and more modest 2-story houses built for workingmen on the lesser streets. By this time, major industrial plants had located west and south of the rail lines and houses were needed for the workers. At the turn of the 20th century an ambitious local developer put up rows of fashionable neoclassical style houses in the blocks directly north of and east of Riverside Park. These houses remain in excellent condition. Today, many of the older houses west of the park are being restored.

Significance: The Riverside Historic District is historically significant for its association with the development of transportation and industry in Baltimore. The area developed when the new Baltimore & Ohio Railroad extended a spur line in 1845 from its Mount Clare facilities to a new coal pier being developed at Locust Point. The entire neighborhood, including a city park, lies inside the L-shaped course of this rail line. The earliest surviving, modest housing dates to the 1850s, having been built for those working on the rail line. After the B&O opened a new car roundhouse south of the park and moved many workers to the area in the early 1870s, developers lined the major arteries with spacious three- and two-story houses. The railroad facilities, and their close connection to a deepwater terminal, quickly attracted major industries to the area, and ambitious building developers put up rows and rows of two-story houses for their employees. The district derives additional historical significance for its association with the history of immigration in Baltimore, with particular reference to German immigration. A key event for the history of the neighborhood was the 1868 opening of an immigration pier at Locust Point, the result of an agreement between the president of the B&O Railroad and the North-German Lloyd line, headquartered in Bremen. Although many of the German immigrants bought through-train passage to the Middle West, many also stayed and settled in the neighborhoods near the docks--either in Locust Point or Riverside. The many German-language churches in the district are a testament to this phenomenon. Finally, the district is significant for its architecture, which is representative of the full range of domestic and ecclesiastical building types characteristic of Baltimore neighborhoods during the period from the mid-19th century through the first decade of the 20th. The rowhouses built in the district contain a few examples of late Federal and Greek Revival designs, but are mainly Italianate in style, built between the late 1860s and the early 1890s. At the turn of the 20th century, a stylish group of neoclassical style houses went up east of Riverside Park. The district’s physical development pattern exemplifies the dense urban rowhouse environment characteristic of Baltimore during the period.

District Resources (347) (315 contributing, 31 non-contributing)

From associated listing in National Register nomination form. C = Contributing, NC = non-contributing, blank = not evaluated.

Address	Status	Resource Name and MIHP (if any)
500-508 E. Barney	C
1-19 W. Barney Street	C
1-21 Barney Street	C
2-8 W. Barney Street	C
4-8 E. Barney Street	C
14-18 W. Barney Street	C
21-25 W. Barney Street	C
23-45 E. Barney Street	C
26-38 E. Barney Street	C
40-46 E. Barney Street	C
102-106 Barney Street	C
105-127 Barney Street	C
112-128 E. Barney Street	C
138 W. Barney Streey	C	Seiler-Hughes Chemical Co.
200-222 E. Barney Street	C
501-509 E. Barney Street	C
510 E. Barney Street	C
511 E. Barney Street	C
600-610 E. Barney Street	C
1500-1510 Battery Avenue	C
1501-1527 Battery Avenue	C
1512-1518 Battery Avenue	C
1500-1524 Belt Street	C
1501-1531 Belt Street	C
1601-1649 Belt Street	C
1616-1650 Belt Street	C
1700-1734 Belt Street	C
1701-1749 Belt Street	C
1801-1847 Belt Street	C
1814-1846 Belt Street	C
27-35 Birckhead Street	C
107-123 Bloomsbury Street	C
1500-1554 Boyle Street	C
100-108; 112-128 Burnett Street	C
101-129 Burnett Street	C
110 Burnett Street	C
1502-1532 Byrd Street	C
1505-1513 Byrd Street	C
1517-1533 Byrd Street	C
1700-1730 Byrd Street	C
1705-1707 Byrd Street	C
1709-1725 Byrd Street	C
1804-1820 Byrd Street	C
1822-1836 Byrd Street	C
1300 S. Charles Street	C
1301 S. Charles Street	C	Church of the Advent and rectory
1302-1340 S. Charles Street	C
1319-1325 S. Charles Street	C
1327-1345 S. Charles Street	C
1403-1437 S. Charles Street	C
1404-1418 S. Charles Street	C	Grace United Church of Christ
1420-1450 S. Charles Street	C
1501-1517 S. Charles Street	C
1506-1516 S. Charles Street	C
1518-1528 S. Charles Street	C
1519-1545 S. Charles Street	C
1530 S. Charles Street	C
1532-1540 S. Charles Street	C
1543-1545 S. Charles Street	C
1600-1608 S. Charles Street	C
1601-1633 S. Charles Street	C
1614-1650 S. Charles Street	C
1700-1720 S. Charles Street	C
1701-1747 S. Charles Street	C
1722-1748 S. Charles Street	C
1800-1832 S. Charles Street	C
1801-1817 S. Charles Street	C
1819-1849 S. Charles Street	C
1834 S. Charles Street	C	B-1067 -- Pabst Brewing Company (Maryland Glass and Mirror Company)
1901 S. Charles Street	C	B-5191 -- Baltimore Foundry & Machine Corp., site (P. Kennedy Foundry, Baltimore Malleable Iron & Steel Casting Co., White & Middleton Gas Engine)
1301-1319 Clarkson Street	C
1400-1424 Clarkson Street	C
1401-1425 Clarkson Street	C
1501-1523 Clarkson Street	C
1512-1522 Clarkson Street	C
1524-1538 Clarkson Street	C
1600-1640 Clarkson Street	C
1603-1621 Clarkson Street	C
1623-1637 Clarkson Street	C
1700-1754 Clarkson Street	C
1701-1723 Clarkson Street	C
1725-1755 Clarkson Street	C
2-8 W. Clement Street	C
101-109; 113 W. Clement Street	C
102; 106-114 W. Clement Street	C
104 W. Clement Street	C
111 W. Clement Street	C
115-137 W. Clement Street	C
116-140 W. Clement Street	C
1061-1025 Covington Street	C
1500-1530 Covington Street	C
1505-1543 Covington Street	C
1631-1651 Covington Street	C
1701-1729 Covington Street	C
1731-1751 Covington Street	C
1801-1847 Covington Street	C
1700-1712 Elkins Avenue	C
1711-1715 Elkins Avenue	C
1724-1726 Elkins Avenue	C
1612-1626 Elkins Street	C
1613-1619 Elkins Street	C
5-17 Fort Avenue	C
6-16 E. Fort Avenue	C
9-11 W. Fort Avenue	C
13-17 W. Fort Avenue	C
19-39 Fort Avenue	C
28-34 E. Fort Avenue	C
43-47 E. Fort Avenue	C
102-114 W. Fort Avenue	C
105-115 Fort Avenue	C
105-121 Fort Avenue	C
116-138 W. Fort Avenue	C
125-135 Fort Avenue	C
137 Fort Avenue	C
201-211 Fort Avenue	C
213-221 Fort Avenue	C
313-317 E. Fort Avenue	C
319-323 Fort Avenue	C
401-423 E. Fort Avenue	C
425-441 E. Fort Avenue	C
501-513 E. Fort Avenue	C
515-539 E. Fort Avenue	C
607-635 E. Fort Avenue	C
701-715 E. Fort Avenue	C
737-743 E. Fort Avenue	C
801-823 E. Fort Avenue	C
10-22 Gittings Street	C
1201-1215 Hanover Street	C
1208-1222 S. Hanover Street	C
1217-1225 Hanover Street	C
1224-1226 S. Hanover Street	C
1227 S. Hanover Street	C	B-2922 -- Engine Co. #6 (Truck Company #6)
1228 S. Hanover Street	C
1301-1311 Hanover Street	C
1310-1316; 1320-1340 S.Hanover Street	C
1313-1327 Hanover Street	C
1318 S. Hanover Street	C
1400-1438 Hanover Street	C
1411-1439 Hanover Street	C
1500-1550 Hanover Street	C
1501-1509 Hanover Street	C
1511-1527 Hanover Street	C
1529-1543 Hanover Street	C
1600-1610 Hanover Street	C
1601-1611 Hanover Street	C
1613-1621 Hanover Street	C
1613-1651 Hanover Street	C
1620-1626 Hanover Street	C
1623-1631 Hanover Street	C
1632 Hanover Street	C	Inner Harbor Church of God
1634-1644 Hanover Street	C
1700-1710 Hanover Street	C
1701-1753 Hanover Street	C
1712-1752 Hanover Street	C
1801-1805 Hanover Street	C
1809-1843 Hanover Street	C
1701-1705 Harden Court	C
1-5 W. Heath Street	C
2-6 Heath Street	C
3-17 E. Heath Street	C
7-11 W. Heath Street	C
8-12 Heath Street	C
13-51 Heath Street	C
18-32 E. Heath Street	C
34-42 Heath Street	C
46-62 Heath Street	C
100-110 W. Heath Street	C
201-223 E. Heath Street	C
225-233 Heath Street	C
601-611 E. Heath Street	C
1500-1518 Henry Street	C
1501-1519 Henry Street	C
1500-1548 Jackson Street	C
1501-1527 Jackson Street	C
1600-1648 Jackson Street	C
1700-1748 Jackson Street	C
1701-1749 Jackson Street	C
1800-1828 Jackson Street	C
1801-1829 Jackson Street	C
500-534 Jackson Street	C
1600-1606 Johnson Street	C
1602 Johnson Street	C	Riverside Baptist Church
1700-1722 Johnson Street	C
1724-1744 Johnson Street	C
1800 Johnson Street	C	B-1070 -- W.J. Knox Net and Twine Company
1055-1016 Light Street	C
1504-1541 Light Street	C
1518-1530 Light Street	C
1532-1538 Light Street	C
1538 Light Street	C
1600-1606 Light Street	C
1601-1615 Light Street	C
1608-1618 Light Street	C
1632-1638 Light Street	C
1700 and 1708 Light Street	C
1701-1705 Light Street	C
1707-1711 Light Street	C
1710-1730 Light Street	C
1713 Light Street	C
1715-1717 Light Street	C
1719-1733 Light Street	C
1735-1741 Light Street	C
1736 Light Street	C
1738-1742 Light Street	C
1800-1802 Light Street	C
1801-1845 Light Street	C
1804-1814 Light Street	C
1816-1824 Light Street	C
1826-1842 Light Street	C
1900-1914 Light Street	C
1901 Light Street	C	B-1069 -- National Enameling & Stamping Company (Matthai, Ingram & Company, NESCO, Inc.)
1920-1936; 1940-1944 Light Street	C
1938 Light Street	C
1302-1306 Marshall Street	C
1400-1446 Marshall Street	C
1500-1520 Marshall Street	C
1505-1539 Marshall Street	C
1600-1620 Marshall Street	C
1601-1621 Marshall Street	C
NE corner of Patapsco Street and Fort Avenue	C
NE corner of Randall Street and Belt Street	C	Disciples of Christ Christian Church
1401-1429 Olive Street	C
1524-1526 Olive Street	C
1528 Olive Street	C
1605-1627 Olive Street	C
1711-1723 Olive Street	C
1725-1737 Olive Street	C
1-17 E. Ostend Street	C
1-7 W. Ostend Street	C
17-21 W. Ostend Street	C
19-37 E. Ostend Street	C
100-110; 114-120; 124-138 W. Ostend Street	C
101-111 W. Ostend Street	C
112 & 122 W. Ostend Street	C
113 W. Ostend Street	C
115-137 W. Ostend Street	C
140 W. Ostend Street	C	B-2942 -- Scully's Tavern
1700-1704 Patapsco	C
1303-1317 Patapsco Street	C
1312-1318 Patapsco Street	C
1400 Patapsco Street	C
1400-1460 Patapsco Street	C
1401-1453 Potapsco Street	C
1500-1520 Patapsco Street	C
1501-1521 Patapsco Street	C
1501-1521 Patapsco Street	C
1600-1602 Patapsco Street	C
1603-1623 Patapsco Street	C
1604-1618 Patapsco Street	C
1620-1624 Patapsco Street	C
1701-1703 Patapsco Street	C
1705-1723 Patapsco Street	C
1706-1740 Patapsco Street	C
1725-1739 Patapsco Street	C
1401-1425 Race Street	C
1503-1523 Race Street	C
1601-1629 Race Street	C
1-13 Randall Street	C
3-7 Randall Street	C
4-8 Randall Street	C
6-20 Randall Street	C
9-15 W. Randall Street	C
10-14 W. Randall Street	C
22-32 Randall Street	C
25-29 Randall Street	C
31-49 E. Randall Street	C
46-60 E. Randall Street	C
51-55 Randall Street	C
57-65 E. Randall Street	C
102-106; 110-114 E. Randall Street	C
102-112 Randall Street	C
103-107 Randall Street	C
103-125 E. Randall Street	C
108 E. Randall Street	C
109-115 Randall Street	C
114-136 Randall Street	C
116-132 Randall Street	C
121-143 Randall Street	C
127-157 E. Randall Street	C
159-163 Randall Street	C
200-210 Randall Street	C
212-214 E. Randall Street	C	Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church
300-310 E. Randall Street	C
400-420 E. Randall Street	C
422-436 Randall Street	C
500-510 E. Randall Street	C
501-511 Randall Street	C
601-609 E. Randall Street	C
1500-1530 Riverside Avenye	C
1501-1517 Riverside Avenue	C
1532-1538 Riverside Avenue	C
SE corner of Fort Avenue and Riverside Avenue	C	Fire Engine House No. 12
SE corner of Hanover Street and Ostend Street	C	Mt. Vernon M.E. Mission Church
south side of W. Heath Street	C
SW corner of Charles Street and Clement Street	C	Fort Avenue Savings Bank
SW corner of Fort Avenue and Clarkson Street	C	Grace Reformed Church
SW corner of Fort Avenue and S. Charles Street	C	Olive Branch Independent Methodist Church
1500-1516 Webster Street	C
1501-1519 Webster Street	C
1600-1632 Webster Street	C
1601-1635 Webster Street	C
1700-1746 Webster Street	C
5-29 W. West Street	C
1800 Westphal Place	C
1801-1817 Westphal Place	C
1810-1812 Westphal Place	C
1819-1833 Westphal Place	C
1834-1840 Westphal Place	C
1500-1516 William Street	C
1501-1527 William Street	C
1518-1548 William Street	C
1700-1702 William Street	C
1701-1713 William Street	C
1704-1722 William Street	C
1729-1739 William Street	C
east side of S. Charles Street	NC
121 Fort Avenue	NC
123 Fort Avenue	NC
205, 209, and 219-21 Fort Avenue	NC
501 and 505 Fort Avenue	NC
719-723 Fort Avenue	NC
14-16 W. Fort Avenue, west of Olive Street	NC
1329-1339 Hanover Street	NC
1612-1618 Hanover Street	NC
100 E. Heath Street	NC	Thomas Johnson Elementary School complex
1501-1503 Light Street	NC
1521 Light Street	NC
1827 Marshall Street (NE corner of E. Wells Street)	NC
north side of Wells Street (west of Hanover Street)	NC
NW corner of E. Randall Street and Marshall Street	NC
Randall Street	NC
22 E. Randall Street	NC
312 E. Randall Street	NC
SE corner of Fort Avenue and Battery Avenue	NC
SE corner of W. Barney Street and Clarkson Street	NC
south side of E. Barney Street	NC
SW corner of Fort Avenue and Clarkson Street	NC
SW corner of Hanover Street and W. Barney Street	NC
1507 and 1511 Webster Street	NC
2 E. Wells Street	NC	B-1057 -- Sinclair-Scott Company
west side of Hanover Street	NC
west side of Hanover Street	NC
west side of Olive Street	NC
west side of S. Charles Street, south of W. Wells Street	NC	Pratt-Thompson Co. warehouse
77-83 W. West Street	NC
1514 William Street	NC
1736 Westphal Street