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Flag House Courts

Buildings and structures in BaltimoreJonestown, BaltimorePublic housing in Baltimore

Flag House Courts was a public housing project built in 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising three 12-story buildings and multiple low-rise units. It had recreational facilities with bingo and dances, a swimming pool, and a basketball court. However, the complex had problems from its opening. Elevators often broke down, trapping riders for hours. Residents were forced to run fans, even in winter, because a faulty heating system made the buildings unbearably hot. There were also the problems of crime and drug dealing. By the late 1960s, gunshots at the complex were common, and elevators and stairwells reeked of urine. Residents often threw objects out of windows, including Christmas trees. Vacant apartments were turned into drug hangouts, and stairwells became violent crime areas. In 1993, the projects were renovated slightly, but problems continued. They closed in 1998 and 1999 and were imploded in 2001.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Flag House Courts (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Flag House Courts
South Exeter Street, Baltimore

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N 39.288333333333 ° E -76.601666666667 °
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South Exeter Street 127
21202 Baltimore
Maryland, United States
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Jonestown, Baltimore
Jonestown, Baltimore

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 Old Town, west of the Washington Hill, and east of the Downtown Baltimore neighborhoods. The southern terminus of the Jones Falls Expressway is located here. Jonestown is a historical section of southeast Baltimore established in 1732 that was laid out on 10 acres (40,000 m2) divided 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 rowhouses and townhouses throughout the area, though a historical presence is still felt. In the early 2000s, though, modern row housing replaced the public housing. Jonestown is home to Baltimore's central post office in addition to 8 Baltimore City Landmarks including the Flag House; the Jewish Museum of Maryland, home of the Lloyd Street Synagogue; the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture; the Carroll Mansion; the Phoenix Shot Tower; the Old Town Friends' Meeting House; The House at 9 North Front Street; and the McKim's School.

Flag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum
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 Jonestown/Old Town and adjacent to Little Italy neighborhoods of eastern downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Built in 1793, it was the home of Mary Young Pickersgill when she moved to Baltimore in 1806 and the location where she later sewed the "Star Spangled Banner," in 1813, the huge out-sized garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry at Whetstone Point in Baltimore Harbor in the summer of 1814 during the British Royal Navy attack in the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The museum contains furniture and antiques from the Federal period as well as items from the Pickersgill family.A supplemental 12,600-square-foot (1,170 m2) museum was constructed to the rear next to Pickersgill's home. This museum houses exhibits on the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore. It has an orientation theater, gift shop, exhibit galleries, and meeting rooms. The museum features a 30 by 42-foot (13 m) tall window which was created to be the same color, size, and design of the original "Star-Spangled Banner" flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes made by Pickersgill in the adjacent Flag House and completed on the floor of a nearby brewery by members of her family and servants/slaves. Set into the ground outside the museum is a map of the United States, with each state formed from a piece of stone quarried within its borders.

1840s Carrollton Inn
1840s Carrollton Inn

The 1840s Carrollton Inn and Plaza, located in Baltimore, Maryland consists of two historic buildings and their complementary 1980 additions built to resemble the previous federal style buildings. The oldest of the rowhouse buildings dates back to the late 18th century, and anchors the east side of the block containing the Carroll Mansion (not part of the inn), the winter home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. These buildings and others were assembled by the City of Baltimore in the 1980s and became the Baltimore City Life Museums until its closure in 1997 due to financial issues. The 1840s Carrollton Inn opened in July, 2007 with 13 boutique rooms. Each room has whirlpool baths, fireplaces, antiques and decorator furnishings. The main entrance to the building is through the historic doorway at 50 Albemarle. The home was bought by John Dalrymple from the heirs of George Davy, in 1796 for $3,300. Dalrymple was probably a principal in the construction of the remainder of the buildings on Lombard and Albemarle. Along with James Mosher, he was co-architect and builder of the First Presbyterian Church (1791) at Fayette and Guilford. The three story brick house retains its Flemish bond brick work and splayed brick lintels. One mantel is original to the house. A noteworthy feature is the huge fireplace in the basement which was used for cooking. This building was sold to John Hutchinson, a wheelwright in the 1840s. Grocers and other businesses used the house until the last private owner, renting to a variety store, closed shop in 1983. After renovation by the Baltimore City Life Museums, the Hutchinson family's life was portrayed as living history during public programs, and through museum tours of what was known as "1840 House." The adjoining 1860 smaller house to the west features six over six wood windows and shuttered first floor windows set in segmented arches and was also used for living history on the first floor. Though the remaining buildings were demolished by the City Life Museums for public safety, the architects chose to construct buildings close to the originals in exterior appearance. The new addition adjacent to the Carroll Mansion closely resembled an early 1900 photograph and housed the Center for Urban Archaeology. The three buildings on Albemarle damaged by fire and demolished were rebuilt and housed the “Courtyard Gallery” and the museum offices. In 1996 the Fava building, on the north side of the courtyard, was opened as the Morton K. Blaustein City Life Exhibition Center. Four floors of exhibits and galleries illustrated Baltimore's distinct history and culture over three centuries. Its signature feature was the reuse of the cast iron façade of the 1869 G. Fava Fruit Company. Over 100 cast iron buildings existed in Baltimore before the Fire of 1904. Today, less than 12 remain. The Fava façade, Baltimore's largest, stood until 1976 when it was condemned to make way for the Convention Center. Its reuse in the Blaustein City Life Exhibition Center won numerous awards. The buildings were retained as city property until 2003 when the space was bought by the Pomykala family, who combined the row homes into the 1840s Carrollton Inn and created the 1840s Plaza. The Pomykala Family turned the Fava Building's top floor into an event space with panoramic views of Baltimore and called it The Ballroom. They rented the three first floors to a local restaurateur, who opened Gardel's Restaurant and Supper Club. Gardel's was noted for Latin dancing and night life in the after hours. Its closure allowed the Pomykala family to remodel their three other levels within the Fava Building into distinct event spaces. Thus, the 1840s Plaza was born! Since that time, the 1840s Plaza has been the scene of numerous weddings, parties and conferences. The gated courtyard gardens on the lower level create a promenade between the Fava Building and the Carroll Mansion. Designed to give a hint of the past, they include boxwood, flowers of the Carroll period, and a herb garden. Underneath the brick, where Charles Carroll of Carrollton's stable was sited, is a hypocaust. This, perhaps, was used to keep the water warm for the horses in the cold winters. The upper courtyard with its tall flowering trees and boxwood is enclosed by the 1840s Carrollton Inn. In 2001, all of these buildings were added to the Baltimore City Landmark list as an expansion of the Carroll Mansion Landmark designation.