Clifton Park, Baltimore
Encyclopedia
Clifton Park is a public urban park
located in the Belair-Edison
neighborhood in the northeast section of Baltimore
, Maryland
. USA. It is roughly bordered by Erdman Avenue
to the northeast, Sinclair Lane to the south, Harford Road
to the northwest and Belair Road
to the southeast. The eighteen-hole Clifton Park Golf Course, the site of the annual Clifton Park Golf Tournament, occupies the north side of the park.
The land on which Clifton Park sits was once farmland. In 1838, it was bought by Johns Hopkins
for his estate, and developed with a lake and a large sculpture collection. Later, in 1858, it was converted into an Italian villa. The mansion from when it was a farmland is now used as the pro shop at the golf course.
On the land is the Clifton Park Valve House
, an 8-sided house that was used in 1887 as a water transporter, with eight valves. It supplied water for the whole village and water for cropping.
St. Vincent de Paul Church
Cemetery
borders the golf course in the southeast section of the park. Still owned by the church, which is located about three miles southwest of the cemetery, it is a seven-acre burial ground for about 2,000 parishioners of Irish
, German and Italian
descent dating back to the mid-19th century. Heavily hit by vandalism
during the 1960s, it was officially closed in the early 1980s and has since fallen into disrepair. Cleanup and maintenance of the cemetery began in mid-2010.
Clifton Park became the central area where national guard troops were moved in and out of Baltimore during the riots of 1968
. It was there that the troops camped out during their mission. They guarded the streets against looting during the day and slept at the park during the night hours. Dallas Arthur, a national guard troop, describes the situation as intense when he relates to roadblocks posted near Clifton Park.
Clifton Park once had a reservoir, named Lake Clifton Reservoir; this was drained in the early 1970s. On this site, Lake Clifton Eastern High School
, now referred to as the Lake Clifton Campus, was built, which is the largest school in physical size in the Baltimore City Public School System. The school currently contains two smaller schools: Heritage High and REACH! Partnership School.
Clifton Park is also home to Real Food Farm, a 6-acre urban farm managed by Civic Works that was started in 2009. The farm aims to increase food access in the neighborhoods around the park, demonstrate the economic potential of urban farming, and provides experiential education opportunities to the students of Heritage, REACH, and other city schools.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
located in the Belair-Edison
Belair-Edison, Baltimore
Belair-Edison is a neighborhood in the Northeastern part of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is located along Harford and Bel Air Roads, above Sinclair Lane, bounded on its eastern and northern side by Herring Run Park...
neighborhood in the northeast section of Baltimore
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...
. USA. It is roughly bordered by Erdman Avenue
Maryland Route 151
Maryland Route 151 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as North Point Boulevard, the state highway runs from 7th Street in Sparrows Point north to U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore...
to the northeast, Sinclair Lane to the south, Harford Road
Maryland Route 147
Maryland Route 147 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Harford Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore north to US 1 and US 1 Business in Benson. MD 147 is an alternate route to US 1 between Baltimore and Bel Air, the county seat of Harford County...
to the northwest and Belair Road
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
to the southeast. The eighteen-hole Clifton Park Golf Course, the site of the annual Clifton Park Golf Tournament, occupies the north side of the park.
The land on which Clifton Park sits was once farmland. In 1838, it was bought by Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
for his estate, and developed with a lake and a large sculpture collection. Later, in 1858, it was converted into an Italian villa. The mansion from when it was a farmland is now used as the pro shop at the golf course.
On the land is the Clifton Park Valve House
Clifton Park Valve House
Clifton Park Valve House, also known as Lake Clifton Gate House or Lake Clifton Valve House, is a historic building located in Clifton Park of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is a massive octagonal stone gatehouse featuring large Romanesque archways that alternate with Gothic style windows...
, an 8-sided house that was used in 1887 as a water transporter, with eight valves. It supplied water for the whole village and water for cropping.
St. Vincent de Paul Church
St. Vincent de Paul Church (Baltimore, Maryland)
St. Vincent de Paul Church is a is a historic Roman Catholic church located at 120 N. Front Street, Baltimore, Maryland, United States.-History:The church was dedicated in 1841 and is "the oldest Catholic parish church in continuous use in Baltimore."...
Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
borders the golf course in the southeast section of the park. Still owned by the church, which is located about three miles southwest of the cemetery, it is a seven-acre burial ground for about 2,000 parishioners of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, German and Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
descent dating back to the mid-19th century. Heavily hit by vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
during the 1960s, it was officially closed in the early 1980s and has since fallen into disrepair. Cleanup and maintenance of the cemetery began in mid-2010.
Clifton Park became the central area where national guard troops were moved in and out of Baltimore during the riots of 1968
Baltimore riot of 1968
The Baltimore Riot of 1968 began two days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. Rioting broke out in 125 cities across the United States, and spread to the city of Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, April 6. The Governor of Maryland, Spiro T...
. It was there that the troops camped out during their mission. They guarded the streets against looting during the day and slept at the park during the night hours. Dallas Arthur, a national guard troop, describes the situation as intense when he relates to roadblocks posted near Clifton Park.
Clifton Park once had a reservoir, named Lake Clifton Reservoir; this was drained in the early 1970s. On this site, Lake Clifton Eastern High School
Lake Clifton Eastern High School
Lake Clifton Eastern High School, now referred to as Lake Clifton Campus, was a public high school located in Northeast Baltimore City, Maryland in an area known as Clifton Park, the result of a merger of Lake Clifton High School and Eastern High School.-History:Lake Clifton Eastern High School was...
, now referred to as the Lake Clifton Campus, was built, which is the largest school in physical size in the Baltimore City Public School System. The school currently contains two smaller schools: Heritage High and REACH! Partnership School.
Clifton Park is also home to Real Food Farm, a 6-acre urban farm managed by Civic Works that was started in 2009. The farm aims to increase food access in the neighborhoods around the park, demonstrate the economic potential of urban farming, and provides experiential education opportunities to the students of Heritage, REACH, and other city schools.
External links
- History and description of the park (accessed November 17, 2007).
- Brief description and address (accessed November 17, 2007).
- Map showing the location of the park (accessed October 14, 2007).