Abell, Baltimore
Encyclopedia
Abell is a neighborhood located in the north-central area of Baltimore
, Maryland
, United States
. It is considered to be part of Charles Village, Baltimore
.
The Abell neighborhood, like Abell Avenue, derives its name from the Abell
family, longtime owners of the Baltimore Sun
newspapers. The Abell family owned a large summer estate known as Guilford
, which was located a short distance north of today's Abell community.
The majority of residential structures in Abell are row houses
of medium-to-large size. East of Barclay Street in the northern portion are a number of interesting late-19th-century individual frame structures which remain from the former Victorian-era village of Waverly. Scattered throughout the community are a number of small apartment buildings. Mixed residential and commercial uses are prevalent along Greenmount Avenue
. Since the 1950s, portions of the community's southeast section have been dedicated to light industrial and educational use.
Early in its development, during the 'Teens and 1920's, Abell was known for its well-constructed row houses and such plumbing amenities as running water and indoor sanitary provisions. Daylight houses, which allowed light into all rooms, were built mostly by Edward J. Storck in the northern blocks. Areas to the south were developed with bay window, porch-front row houses. These new blocks were advertised as being in the Guilford area, thereby capitalizing on their proximity to that wealthier neighborhood to the north.
's Baltimore Orioles, and the field was renamed Oriole Park. The lives of many local children revolved around the dramatic presence of baseball in their community. In 1937 a new scoreboard, as tall as a -story building and as wide as four houses, was erected and billed as the largest scoreboard in the world, its ability to display all the important operations of the game using electricity was a marvel of the time.
When a six-alarm nighttime fire destroyed the wooden stands and buildings in 1944, 1,500 people had to flee the neighborhood. The intense heat melted asphalt on 29th Street and tar on nearby roofs. The Orioles moved to the twenty-year-old Baltimore Municipal Stadium
, and Barclay Street was cut through the old Oriole Park site. For years the land stood vacant and was used as a playground. During the mid-1950s, commercial and warehouse structures were built along the eastern portion, and the Barclay (originally Barclay Elementary, then Middle) School, #54, was built to the west in 1959.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is considered to be part of Charles Village, Baltimore
Charles Village, Baltimore
Charles Village is a neighborhood located in the north-central area of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is a middle-class area with many single-family homes that is in proximity to many of Baltimore's urban amenities. The neighborhood began in 1869 when of land were purchased for development...
.
Architecture
Abell is a predominantly residential community that structurally conforms to a grid street pattern established in the area during the first quarter of the 20th century. However, remnants of earlier diagonal roads still exist in the neighborhood—today's Merryman Lane, and the truncated Vineyard Lane, both of which are in the northeast section of the area.The Abell neighborhood, like Abell Avenue, derives its name from the Abell
Arunah Shepherdson Abell
Arunah Shepherdson Abell was an American publisher and philanthropist. Born in Rhode Island, Abell learned the newspaper business as an apprentice at the Providence Patriot. After stints with newspapers in New York City and Boston, he co-founded the Philadelphia Public Ledger and later founded the...
family, longtime owners of the Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
newspapers. The Abell family owned a large summer estate known as Guilford
Guilford, Baltimore
Guilford is a neighborhood located in the northern part of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is bounded roughly by Coldspring Lane on the north, York Road/Greenmount Avenue on the east, convergence of St. Paul Street and Greenway Street at University Parkway on the south, and Charles Street...
, which was located a short distance north of today's Abell community.
The majority of residential structures in Abell are row houses
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
of medium-to-large size. East of Barclay Street in the northern portion are a number of interesting late-19th-century individual frame structures which remain from the former Victorian-era village of Waverly. Scattered throughout the community are a number of small apartment buildings. Mixed residential and commercial uses are prevalent along Greenmount Avenue
Maryland Route 45
Maryland Route 45 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as York Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore north to the Pennsylvania state line in Maryland Line, where the highway continues as SR 3001...
. Since the 1950s, portions of the community's southeast section have been dedicated to light industrial and educational use.
Early in its development, during the 'Teens and 1920's, Abell was known for its well-constructed row houses and such plumbing amenities as running water and indoor sanitary provisions. Daylight houses, which allowed light into all rooms, were built mostly by Edward J. Storck in the northern blocks. Areas to the south were developed with bay window, porch-front row houses. These new blocks were advertised as being in the Guilford area, thereby capitalizing on their proximity to that wealthier neighborhood to the north.
History
The Abell community was part of the original "Huntington" tract of' 136 acre (0.55037296 km²) laid out for Tobias Stanboro in 1688. The early subdivision of Huntington had brought into being a number of attractive country seats including a few in the Abell neighborhood.Oriole Park
In 1889 a portion of the land near 29th Street and Greenmount Avenue was used as a baseball park—the first Oriole Park. However, this was abandoned two years later because it was considered too far out from the City. In 1914 Terrapin Park was established north of 29th Street at Greenmount Avenue as a ballpark for the Federal LeagueFederal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
's Baltimore Orioles, and the field was renamed Oriole Park. The lives of many local children revolved around the dramatic presence of baseball in their community. In 1937 a new scoreboard, as tall as a -story building and as wide as four houses, was erected and billed as the largest scoreboard in the world, its ability to display all the important operations of the game using electricity was a marvel of the time.
When a six-alarm nighttime fire destroyed the wooden stands and buildings in 1944, 1,500 people had to flee the neighborhood. The intense heat melted asphalt on 29th Street and tar on nearby roofs. The Orioles moved to the twenty-year-old Baltimore Municipal Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
, and Barclay Street was cut through the old Oriole Park site. For years the land stood vacant and was used as a playground. During the mid-1950s, commercial and warehouse structures were built along the eastern portion, and the Barclay (originally Barclay Elementary, then Middle) School, #54, was built to the west in 1959.