The exodus of middle-class—and aspiring middle-class—whites from the city center is not unique to Baltimore. This is a characteristically American settlement pattern, stimulated by the advent of the electric trolley (streetcar) in 1888, and further accelerated by social and economic transitions since then.

The fabric of Southeast Baltimore’s working class communities was woven from the availability of good blue-collar jobs in the manufacturing industries surrounding the waterfront. Plant closures, layoffs, and the general decline of the manufacturing sector began to weaken that fabric in the 1960’s.

Changes in the city’s demographic composition fed fears and prejudice among residents who were already suffering economic hardships. Profound social shifts arising from the effects of the civil rights movement strengthened the case for elimination of residential housing segregation, but unfortunately, the unintended consequence was white flight. Absentee landlords, property abandonment, predatory lending and property flipping activities further fed the decline in Baltimore’s city center.

Concerted efforts by the city’s political and business establishment began to focus on downtown redevelopment in the 1970’s. While helpful, these efforts did not really halt the growing problems of housing abandonment and disinvestment in Southeast Baltimore in general, and Patterson Park in particular.

The mid 1990’s were a particularly difficult time for our neighborhood, as nearby public housing estates were shut down, ejecting residents and obliging them to fend for themselves. Irresponsible absentee landlords in the PPNA neighborhood made a fortune renting properties to these dispossessed folks, some of whom struggled with social and economic difficulties. The ensuing stresses brought on by these changes further weakened our neighborhood’s strength.

Luckily, some residents refused to give up. Neighborhood old-timers will tell you that they have lived here for thirty or forty years, raised their families and wouldn’t dream of leaving! Local visionaries, like the founders of Patterson Park Community Development Corporation and Banner Neighborhoods, rolled up their sleeves and hunkered down to fight for the survival of this neighborhood. Pioneer homeowners who’ve arrived in recent years have joined hands with these and other organizations to carry on the torch for revitalization, to make our neighborhood the best it can be!

Patterson Park Neighborhood currently benefits from the ripple effect that flows from nearby revitalization efforts. The winds of development are blowing from the Inner Harbor in the west, Canton Crossing in the south, and the East Baltimore Life Sciences & Research Park Project, or “Biotech Park” just north of us.

Today, our neighborhood is showing distinct signs of recovery, as the newest generation of urban pioneers rediscovers the charm and historical value of Patterson Park’s marble houses!

References

Bender, S. “Baltimore’s Backyard.” Southern Living Magazine: Mid-Atlantic Living Bonus Section, page 3-5. March 2004.

Hayward ME, Belfoure C. 1999. The Baltimore Rowhouse. Princeton Architectural Press.

Hayward ME, Shrivers FR. Eds. 2004. The Architecture of Baltimore: An Illustrated History. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Dannes J. Collateral Damage: Unintended Consequences of Urban Renewal in Baltimore, Maryland. http://shepherd.wlu.edu/PDF_files/Consequences%20of%20Baltimore%20Urban%20renewal.pdf

Harnick, P. “The Best Backyard in Baltimore.” Landscape Architecture. Vol 92, No. 12. December 2002.

Howe, J. ed. The houses we live in: an identification guide to the history and style of American domestic architecture. London: PRC Publishing Ltd. 2002

McAlester V and McAlester L. 1984. A field guide to American houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Kostof, P. 1991. The city shaped: urban patterns and meanings through history. Bulfinch Press.

Pollack M, Rutkowski E. 1998. The urban transition zone: a place worth a fight. Baltimore: Patterson Park Community Development Corporation.

South East Community Development Corporation. Oral History Project. http://www.picced.org/lowres/seco.htm