Irvington (Baltimore)
Encyclopedia
Irvington is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore
, located between Yale Heights
neighborhood to the west and the Gwynns Falls
neighborhood to the east.
More than 50 percent of the homes in Irvington were built before 1950. Its population in 2008 was estimated at 4,548.
The community's boundary with the Gwynns Falls neighborhood is drawn by Caton Avenue and the MARC Penn Line
. Its boundary with Yale Heights follows Maiden Choice Run from Frederick Avenue (north) to Loudon Park Cemetery
(south). Irvington's southwest corner encompasses Loudon Park Cemetery, ending at Beechfield Avenue (west), where it meets the Beechfield
neighborhood and Wilkens Avenue (south).
and Catonsville
. The bus serves stops on Frederick Avenue and Yale Avenue.
Quickbus Route 46
stops at Frederick Avenue and Augusta Avenue in Irvington as it travels between the Paradise Avenue loop and the Cedonia loop. It operates only on weekdays, from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Bernardine's Catholic School, at 3601 Old Frederick Road, previously taught children from kindergarten
through grade 8. It closed its doors on June 4, 2010, after 13 years of service. The school was one of 13 in the archdiocese selected for closing at the end of the 2009/2010 school year. Prior to this, the elementary school was called Saint Joseph Monastery Elementary School. Behind this school was the original wooden school. This wooden school caught fire and burned down in the early 1970s.
, was a prominent landmark of the community. After remodeling in 1967, it was renamed the Irvington Cinema and began screening classic and foreign films.
The cinema's marquee became a somewhat less welcome presence in the neighborhood when the cinema began screening adult films in 1969. It closed in May 1971 in response to local protests. In September 1971, the building was converted into a church. A marquee sign is no longer attached to the building.
. In 1868, the Passionists built a small wooden church on a tract of land along Frederick Avenue, opposite Loudon Park Cemetery. This building became known as the "Church of the Passion," marking the beginning of St. Joseph's Monastery Parish.
Construction of a new, larger church began in 1881 and was completed in 1883. Its cornerstone was placed by Cardinal James Gibbons. The original monastery, beside the church, burned down in 1883. A new monastery was completed in 1886.
The congregation of St. Joseph's Monastery Parish outgrew their church building in the following century. In 1931, Archbishop Michael Joseph Curley
placed the cornerstone for the parish's current church building. It was completed on October 2, 1932.
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...
, located between Yale Heights
Yale Heights (Baltimore)
Yale Heights is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Beechfield and Irvington . Most of its homes were built in 1955 as a development of two-bedroom, brick townhouses...
neighborhood to the west and the Gwynns Falls
Gwynn's Falls, Baltimore
Gwynn's Falls is a neighborhood in the Southwestern District of Baltimore, located between Irvington Gwynns Falls Leakin Park . Frederick Avenue marks the neighborhood's boundary to the north; Wilkens Avenue draws its southern edge...
neighborhood to the east.
More than 50 percent of the homes in Irvington were built before 1950. Its population in 2008 was estimated at 4,548.
The community's boundary with the Gwynns Falls neighborhood is drawn by Caton Avenue and the MARC Penn Line
Penn Line (MARC)
The Penn Line is a MARC commuter rail line running from Union Station, Washington D.C. to Perryville, Maryland via Penn Station, Baltimore, Maryland on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is MARC's busiest and only electric line. Currently the line is the fastest commuter rail line in the country, with...
. Its boundary with Yale Heights follows Maiden Choice Run from Frederick Avenue (north) to Loudon Park Cemetery
Loudon Park Cemetery
Loudon Park Cemetery a subsidiary of Stewart Enterprises, Inc., the second largest operator of funeral homes and cemeteries in the United States, is a cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated in 1853 on the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by a local merchant and politician...
(south). Irvington's southwest corner encompasses Loudon Park Cemetery, ending at Beechfield Avenue (west), where it meets the Beechfield
Beechfield, Baltimore
Beechfield is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Yale Heights and the Baltimore County line . Its population in 2008 was estimated at 3,789....
neighborhood and Wilkens Avenue (south).
Public transportation
MTA Route 10 passes through Irvington as it travels between DundalkDundalk, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,306 people, 24,772 households, and 16,968 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,689.5 people per square mile . There were 26,385 housing units at an average density of 1,985.9 per square mile...
and Catonsville
Catonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
. The bus serves stops on Frederick Avenue and Yale Avenue.
Quickbus Route 46
Route 46 (MTA Maryland)
Route 46 is a limited stop bus route, identified as a "Quickbus", operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. The line currently runs from the Cedonia Loop in Northeast Baltimore to the Paradise Loop, in Catonsville. Service operates every 15 minutes during rush hour only...
stops at Frederick Avenue and Augusta Avenue in Irvington as it travels between the Paradise Avenue loop and the Cedonia loop. It operates only on weekdays, from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Schools
Mount St. Joseph College, located at 4403 Frederick Avenue in Irvington, is a Catholic high school for boys in grades 9 through 12.St. Bernardine's Catholic School, at 3601 Old Frederick Road, previously taught children from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through grade 8. It closed its doors on June 4, 2010, after 13 years of service. The school was one of 13 in the archdiocese selected for closing at the end of the 2009/2010 school year. Prior to this, the elementary school was called Saint Joseph Monastery Elementary School. Behind this school was the original wooden school. This wooden school caught fire and burned down in the early 1970s.
Nearby schools
Two public schools are located in adjoining neighborhoods.- Beechfield Elementary School, at 301 South Beechfield Avenue in Yale Heights, serves children from pre-kindergartenPre-KindergartenPre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
through grade 6.
- Sarah M. Roach Elementary School, at 3434 Old Frederick Road in the neighborhood of St. Joseph, serves pre-kindergarten through grade 5.
Irvington Theatre
Since it opened at 4113 Frederick Avenue in January 1925, the Irvington Theatre, with its marquee signMarquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
, was a prominent landmark of the community. After remodeling in 1967, it was renamed the Irvington Cinema and began screening classic and foreign films.
The cinema's marquee became a somewhat less welcome presence in the neighborhood when the cinema began screening adult films in 1969. It closed in May 1971 in response to local protests. In September 1971, the building was converted into a church. A marquee sign is no longer attached to the building.
St. Joseph Monastery
St. Joseph Passionist Monastery and St. Joseph's Monastery Parish, located at 3801 Old Frederick Road, constructed from blue granite blocks, are among the city's most beautiful historic structures. The Passionist Order was invited to Baltimore in 1865 by Archbiship Martin John SpaldingMartin John Spalding
Martin John Spalding was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville and Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...
. In 1868, the Passionists built a small wooden church on a tract of land along Frederick Avenue, opposite Loudon Park Cemetery. This building became known as the "Church of the Passion," marking the beginning of St. Joseph's Monastery Parish.
Construction of a new, larger church began in 1881 and was completed in 1883. Its cornerstone was placed by Cardinal James Gibbons. The original monastery, beside the church, burned down in 1883. A new monastery was completed in 1886.
The congregation of St. Joseph's Monastery Parish outgrew their church building in the following century. In 1931, Archbishop Michael Joseph Curley
Michael Joseph Curley
Michael Joseph Curley was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. Originally a priest and bishop in the Diocese of St...
placed the cornerstone for the parish's current church building. It was completed on October 2, 1932.
External links
- Baltimore City iMap. Interactive maps of Baltimore neighborhoods.