Maryland's National Register Properties

Photo credit: MHT Files, n.d. Waverly Main Street Historic District Inventory No.: B-5229 Date Listed: 12/31/2013 Location: Baltimore, Baltimore City Category: District Period/Date of Construction: 1843-c. 1960 Resources: 168 (143 contributing, 24 non-contributing) Request Accessible Version Description: The Waverly Main Street Historic District is a district of approximately 6 city blocks located along Greenmount Avenue, as well as several adjacent blocks to the east and west, in north central Baltimore. It has an area of approximately 31 acres. There are 141 properties within the boundaries of the district, primarily dating to the late 19th and early-mid 20th centuries. It is mainly a commercial district, with most of the Greenmount Avenue blocks comprised of buildings being used for commercial spaces. The architecture is varied and includes many buildings that have been altered or added onto over time to accommodate a variety of commercial uses. The most common types of architecture found in the district are Italianate-style rowhouses and houses with a variety of Victorian influences, including the Queen Anne and Second Empire styles. Mission-influenced, Art Deco, and modern commercial buildings are also found within the historic district. Significance: The Waverly Main Street Historic District is architecturally significant as a representative example of a type of neighborhood commercial district that developed along a transportation corridor in Baltimore from the late-19th century through the mid-20th century. The district is characterized by a variety of small-scale commercial buildings (and commercial conversions of residential buildings) representing the period c. 1880-c. 1960; movie theatres and churches are also among the amenities offered in the district. The district achieves additional historical significance for its role in the early settlement and expansion of Baltimore City, its historical association with transportation along the York Turnpike, and its role as a local center of commerce, entertainment, and religious life. The district derives additional historical significance as the home (and frequent subject) of celebrated poet Lizette Woodworth Reese. The period of significance of the Waverly Main Street Historic District, 1843-c. 1960, represents the period which the district substantially achieved its current form and appearance. Although the developmental history of the area begins in the mid-18th century, the district's physical fabric and general character primarily evince the late-19th through mid-20th century.

Accessiblilty: National Register nomination forms listed before April 2026 may not be fully WCAG 2.1-compliant as they were created before the ADA Title II guidelines were established. Forms published after April 2026 are WCAG 2.1-compliant; MHT is committed to eventually bringing earlier forms into compliance (Accessibility Details).