Founded in 1729 on the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore quickly evolved into a major hub of industrial development.

Opportunities to make a buck in Baltimore swelled—along with the population—after the Civil War. In the 19th century, immigrant European laborers as well as free blacks like Frederick Douglas flocked here seeking jobs in the waterfront factories, rail yards and wharves. The architect-designed homes of Bolton Hill and Mount Vernon were beyond their reach. Luckily, profit-seeking, speculative builders stepped up to meet the need for worker housing, and they built block upon block of narrow rowhouses on inexpensive land, such as that found around Patterson Park.

William Patterson owned much of the land that now constitutes our neighborhood. In 1827, he donated the land that we now know as Patterson Park. His heirs were less interested in donating the land that remained; they wanted to make money from it. So, they leased the land to speculative builders, who then raised rowhouses on it. The builders sold these homes at a profit, while the Patterson heirs sat back and watched the ground rent fees roll in. Seedy motives aside, the partnership between landowners and speculative builders allowed laborers to actually own their own homes. That’s why homeownership is a hallmark of Charm-City livin’ to this day!