Jonestown, Baltimore
Encyclopedia
Jonestown is a neighborhood in the southeastern district of Baltimore
. Its boundaries are the north side of Pratt Street
, the west side of Central Avenue, the east side of Fallsway, and the south side of Orleans Street. The neighborhood lies north of the Little Italy
, south of the Oldtown, west of the Washington Hill
, and east of the Downtown Baltimore
neighborhoods.
Jonestown is a historical section of southeast Baltimore established in 1732 that was laid out on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) dived into twenty lots on the east side of the Jones Falls
. The district is a mix of industrial, commercial and residential buildings. In the last half of the 20th century, Jonestown has shifted from a predominantly Eastern European and Jewish neighborhood into a predominantly African American
neighborhood. Public housing replaced many of the former rowhomes
and townhouses throughout the area, though a historical presence is still felt. In the early 2000s, though, modern row housing resembling suburban townhouses replaced the public housing. Jonestown is home to Baltimore's central post office in addition to 8 Baltimore City Landmarks including the Flag House
and the Phoenix Shot Tower
, both Registered National Historic Landmark
s.
operates the Baltimore Main Post Office at 900 East Fayette Street in Jonestown.
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...
. Its boundaries are the north side of Pratt Street
Pratt Street
Pratt Street is a major street in Baltimore. It forms a one-way pair of streets with Lombard Street that run west-east through downtown Baltimore. For most of their route, Pratt Street is one-way in an eastbound direction, and Lombard Street is one way westbound. Both streets begin in west...
, the west side of Central Avenue, the east side of Fallsway, and the south side of Orleans Street. The neighborhood lies north of the Little Italy
Little Italy, Baltimore
Little Italy is a neighborhood located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.Situated just east of the Inner Harbor, it has one of the city's busiest restaurant districts. It is so named because of the large number of Italian immigrant families that moved into the area during the 20th century. The...
, south of the Oldtown, west of the Washington Hill
Washington Hill, Baltimore
Washington Hill is a neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is north of Fells Point, south of Johns Hopkins Hospital, east of Jonestown and west of Butchers Hill. It is bounded by Fayette Street, Washington Street, Lombard Street, and Central Avenue...
, and east of the Downtown Baltimore
Downtown Baltimore
Downtown Baltimore is the section of Baltimore traditionally bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west, Mt. Royal Avenue to the north, President Street to the east and the Inner Harbor area to the south. It consists of four neighborhoods: Westside, City Centre, Inner Harbor, and...
neighborhoods.
Jonestown is a historical section of southeast Baltimore established in 1732 that was laid out on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) dived into twenty lots on the east side of the Jones Falls
Jones Falls
The Jones Falls is a stream in Maryland. It is impounded to create Lake Roland before running through the city of Baltimore and finally emptying into the Baltimore Inner Harbor....
. The district is a mix of industrial, commercial and residential buildings. In the last half of the 20th century, Jonestown has shifted from a predominantly Eastern European and Jewish neighborhood into a predominantly African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
neighborhood. Public housing replaced many of the former rowhomes
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...
and townhouses throughout the area, though a historical presence is still felt. In the early 2000s, though, modern row housing resembling suburban townhouses replaced the public housing. Jonestown is home to Baltimore's central post office in addition to 8 Baltimore City Landmarks including the Flag House
Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum
The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, formerly the Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum is a museum located in the Little Italy section of Baltimore, Maryland, United States....
and the Phoenix Shot Tower
Phoenix Shot Tower
The Phoenix Shot Tower, also known as the Old Baltimore Shot Tower, is a red brick shot tower, tall, located near the downtown and Little Italy areas of Baltimore, Maryland. When it was completed in 1828 it was the tallest structure in the United States...
, both Registered National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
s.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Baltimore Main Post Office at 900 East Fayette Street in Jonestown.