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A simple historical and socio-economic analysis of the Baltimore neighborhood of Reservoir Hill.
Citation preview
Reservoir HillAn Analysis of a Baltimore Neighborhood
Jason Boothe
GEOG 391, Fall 2010Dr. ThompsonDecember 13, 2010
Reservoir Hill i
Table of Contents
Census Data Analysis.......................................................................................1
Introduction.....................................................................................................................2
Boundaries......................................................................................................................2
Population and Race........................................................................................................4
Housing...........................................................................................................................6
Education.........................................................................................................................8
Income...........................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................12
Historical Analysis..........................................................................................13
Early History and Development.....................................................................................14
Druid Hill and the Streetcar effect.................................................................................15
Start of the Decline and the Second World War.............................................................18
Continued Decline and White Flight...............................................................................19
Relation to Borchert Epochs..........................................................................................21
Personal Impressions.....................................................................................24
Introduction...................................................................................................................25
Transportation...............................................................................................................26
Housing.........................................................................................................................27
Commerce.....................................................................................................................31
Open Space...................................................................................................................33
Community Spaces........................................................................................................35
Overview.......................................................................................................................35
Reservoir Hill ii
Census Data Analysis
Reservoir Hill 1
IntroductionReservoir Hill is a neighborhood in Baltimore City, Maryland, located
just to the northwest of the central business district. According to the 1990
and 2000 census data, the neighborhood can be characterized as a being
mostly poor, majority black, and whose residents have a low level of
educational attainment, The majority of housing units in the neighborhood,
according to the same census data, are occupied and classified as rental
units. These are characterization that could also be similarly made for the
city as a whole for the 1990 and 2000 census.
BoundariesThe Reservoir Hill neighborhood is bound by North Avenue on the
south side, McCulloch Ave on the west, Druid Park Lake Drive/Swann Drive
on the north, and Interstate 83 (Jones Falls Expressway) on the east (Figure
1). In both the 1990 and 2000 census, the neighborhood had nine block
groups with countable population within its borders.
Reservoir Hill 2Figure 1. Map of the Reservoir Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland showing boundaries (in red). Sources: Basemap from Google Maps; Neighborhood boundary from LiveBaltimore.
In the
1990 census,
block group
1304 BG 3
extends into
the
neighborhood,
but includes
no housing units in its part within the boundaries of Reservoir Hill, and has
been excluded. Block group 1304 BG 1 also extends into the neighborhood,
and while this block group looks to have units from the neighborhood within
it, it cannot be precisely determined. This block group also contains housing
units in other neighborhoods and thus has been excluded (See Figure 2.).
In the 2000 census, block group 1304 BG 3 extends into the
neighborhood with a similar boundary as in 1990, but once again it contains
no housing
units, and has
been excluded.
Block group
1207 BG 3 also
extended into
the
Reservoir Hill 3
Figure 2. Map of Reservoir Hill neighborhood showing the boundaries of the neighborhood (in red) and 1990 Census block group boundaries (in green). Sources: Basemap from Google Maps; Neighborhood boundaries from LiveBaltimore and Block Group boundaries from American FactFinder.
Figure 3. . Map of Reservoir Hill neighborhood showing the boundaries of the neighborhood (in red) and 2000 Census block group boundaries (in blue). Sources: Basemap from Google Maps; Neighborhood boundaries from LiveBaltimore; and Block Group boundaries from American FactFinder.
neighborhood but contains no housing units in the neighborhood and has
been excluded (See Figure 3).
Population and RaceIn the 1990 census the majority of residents of Reservoir Hill were
Black. Whites make up the second largest racial group in the neighborhood;
their percentage of the total population being significantly smaller when
compared to that of Blacks. Small groups of American Indian, Eskimo, or
Aleut and Asian or Pacific Islanders also have representation in the
neighborhood. On a block group basis in Reservoir Hill, blacks represent a
significant majority of the population in all block groups. Citywide the
majority of the population is Black (See Table 1.). The percentage of the
population that is Black in Reservoir Hill is significantly higher though when
compared to the Black population citywide. (Figure 4, 5)
Reservoir Hill
Percent Total, Reservoir Hill
Baltimore, Maryland
Percent Total, Baltimore
Total: 8446 736014White 715 8.47% 287933 39.12%Black 7661 90.71% 435619 59.19%American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut 19 0.22% 2373 0.32%Asian or Pacific Islander 51 7.13% 7982 2.77%Other race 0 0.00% 2107 0.29%
Reservoir Hill 4
Table 1. 1990 Population by Race and Percentage of population by race within the Reservoir Hill neighborhood and . Baltimore City. Source: American Fact Finder 1990.
.
Between 1990 and 2000, the population of Reservoir Hill dropped, as
did the population citywide. This drop in population occurred across all racial
groups, with the exception of the American Indian and Alaska Native
populations, which had a slight increase. The two or more races category
was not included in the 1990 data (See Table 2.). Blacks still maintained the
dominant position percentage wise, with Whites being second, in both the
neighborhood and the city (Figures 6, 7.). The percentage of Blacks as the
total population of the city increased from 1990 to 2000; it slightly decreased
in the Reservoir hill neighborhood. The percentage of Whites both decreased
in the neighborhood and citywide.
Reservoir Hill
Percent Total, Reservoir Hill
BaltimorePercent Total,
BaltimoreTotal: 7065 651154White alone 459 6.50% 206445 31.70%Black or African American alone 6364 90.08% 417231 64.08%
Reservoir Hill 5
Figure 4. Percentage of Population by Race for 1990 in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood. Source American Fact Finder 1990.
Figure 5. Percentage of Population by Race for 1990 in Baltimore City. Source American Fact Finder 1990.
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 68 0.96% 2247 0.35%Asian alone 0 0.00% 10256 4.97%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0 0.00% 128 0.02%Some other race alone 39 0.55% 4659 0.72%Two or more races 117 1.66% 10188 1.56%
Table 2. 2000 Population by Race and Percentage of population by race within the Reservoir Hill neighborhood and Baltimore City. Source: American Fact Finder 2000.
The 2000 census also showed some shifting in the population within
the neighborhood. However, Increases and decreases in populations of all
block groups, with the exceptions of 1301 BG 4 and 1303 BG 1, can be partly
attributed to changes in the block group boundaries between 1990 and 2000
(See Table 3.).
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
2, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
3, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
4, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
2, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
3, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
4, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1303
Percent Change
245% -61% -37% 6% 85% -30% 106% -46% 10%
Total 2000: 655 716 928 666 808 1017 593 670 1012Total 1990: 190 1819 1464 628 437 1453 288 1248 919
Table 3. Percentage change of population by block group in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood from 1900-2000. Source American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000.
Reservoir Hill 6
Figure 7. Percentage of Population by Race for 2000 in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood. Source American Fact Finder 2000.
Figure 6. Percentage of Population by Race for 2000 in Baltimore City. Source American Fact Finder 2000.
HousingAs is the case in Baltimore City as a whole, the majority of housing
units in Reservoir Hill were occupied in both 1990 and 2000. From 1990 to
2000 both the city and the neighborhood experienced a loss in total housing
units. This corresponded with a drop in percentage of occupied units as well
as corresponding increase in vacant units in both the city and neighborhood
(See Table 4.).
Reservoir Hill (1990)
Baltimore City (1990)
Reservoir Hill (2000)
Baltimore City (2000)
Total 4565 303706 4215 300477Occupied 3690 276484 3163 257996Pct. Occupied 80.83% 91.04% 75.04% 85.86%Vacant 875 27222 1052 42481Pct. Vacant 19.17% 8.96% 24.96% 14.14%
Table 4.Total, occupied, and vacant housing units in Reservoir Hill and Baltimore City in 1990 and 2000. Source American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000.
Reservoir Hill 7
Of the block groups in the neighborhood, four showed an increase in
the number of available housing units (Figure 8.). Of those four block groups,
two (1301 BG 4 and 1304 BG 1) did not have boundary changes from the
1990 to 2000 census. Shifts in the number of housing units in the remaining
block groups
can be partly
attributed to the redrawing of the block group boundaries. Other
explanations could come from the gentrification of parts of the
neighborhood, allowing new housing units to become available, as well as
the elimination of blighted properties.
Of the occupied housing units in Reservoir Hill, a significant majority in
both the 1990 and 2000 censuses were rental units, as opposed to being
owner occupied. This differs from the city as a whole, where in both 1990
and 2000 the amount of rental units hovered around the fifty percent mark,
with there being more than fifty percent owner-occupied housing units
Reservoir Hill 8
Figure 4. Change in total housing units per Block Group between 1990 and 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 1990 and 200.
citywide in 2000 and less than fifty percent in 1990. As with the city as a
whole, the percentage of owner occupied homes in the neighborhood did
increase between the 1990 and 2000 census, and the number of owner
occupied properties in the neighborhood did increase as well (See Figure 9.),
even with the total number of housing units falling between the 1990 and
2000 census. This increase in the number of owner occupied units, with the
total number of
units falling, could
be seen as a sign
of gentrification in
the neighborhood.
Changes in
ownership by block
group are more
difficult to
determine due to changes in the block group boundaries, between the 1990
and 2000 census. In the two block groups that have no boundary changes,
1301 BG 4 and 1304 BG 1, the number of owner occupied housing units
increased from 1990 to 2000, though both block groups did not experience
an increased percentage of owner occupied units (See Table 5.); with the
percentage in 1304 BG 1 falling due to an increase in the amount of rental
Reservoir Hill 9
Figure 5. Percentage of owner occupied vs. owner occupied housing units in Reservoir Hill and Baltimore City for 1990 and 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000.
units. This increase in the ownership rates in these two block groups, both
next to each other, points to a possible sign of gentrification.
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
2, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
3, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
4, Census
Tract 1301
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
2, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
3, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
4, Census
Tract 1302
Block Group
1, Census
Tract 1303
Change 10.02% -5.77% 4.16% 9.60% 2.52% 2.86% -3.57% -5.67% -6.37%Table 5.Percent Change in Owner Occupied Housing in Reservoir Hill from 1900 to 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000
Reservoir Hill 10
EducationThe data on education
shows that there are not many
significant differences in the
level of education between the
residents of Reservoir Hill and
the city as a whole. The majority
in both the neighborhood and
the city as a whole in both 1990 and 2000 (Figures 10-14.) have not obtained
a higher than high school level of education. From 1990 to 2000 the
percentage of those having graduated from high school (or obtained
equivalence) or obtained/perused higher levels of education did increase,
with the exception of those with
associates degrees, in both the
neighborhood and in the city as a
whole, while those having less than
a high school education decreased,
showing that the population of both
the neighborhood and the city has
become slightly more educated in
2000 then in 1990. The decrease in the number of residents in the
neighborhood with lower levels of education cannot be directly correlated to
Reservoir Hill 11
Figure 7. Educational Attainment in Baltimore City in 1990. Source: American Fact Finder 1990.
Figure 6. Educational Attainment in Reservoir Hill in 1990. Source: American Fact Finder 1990.
changes in boundaries, it shows a
possibility of these residents
either obtaining a higher level of
education or moving out of the
neighborhood. Similar results are
also observed citywide.
While it is difficult to compare
levels of education in the block group levels due to changes in the block
group boundaries, in the two block groups that have no boundary changes
from 1990 to 2000 (1301 BG 4 and 1304 BG 1), there are some significant
changes that can be examined. In 1301 BG 4, there was an increase in
percentage and number of residents that had a graduate or professional
degree, the largest increase of all block groups. In 1301 BG 4, there was an
increase in percentage and in number of residents who had attended college
but had not received a degree,
the largest increase of all block
groups. Both of these increases
could be attributed to proximity
of institutes of higher education
to the neighborhood, with
professors, in the case of 1301
Reservoir Hill 12
Figure 8. Educational Attainment in Reservoir Hill in 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 2000.
Figure 9. Educational Attainment in Baltimore City in 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 2000.
BG 4, and students, in the case of 1304 BG 1, moving into these parts of the
neighborhood (Figure 14.).
Reservoir Hill 13
IncomeAs with the city in total, the level of median family income did increase
from the 1990 to the 2000 census. The level of income in 2000 increased at
a
Reservoir Hill 14
Figure 10. Percentage of residents by educational attainment for Block Group 1, Census Tract 1303 and Block Group 4, Census Tract 1301 for 1900 and 2000. Source: American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000.
Figure 11. Median Family Income by Block Group for Reservoir Hill and for the total of Baltimore City for 1989 and 1999. Source: American Fact Finder 1990 and 2000.
greater rate in Reservoir Hill than it did in the city as a whole, nearly
reaching the median level of income in the city as a whole, a number that it
was significantly lower than in 1990. This increase was primarily led by 1301
BG 4, one of the block groups that does not have a boundary shift from 1990
to 2000, with an over 250 percent increase in income level. All other block
groups but one, 1301 BG 1, also showed increases in their level of income,
but not to the extent that block group 1301 BG 4 does (Figure 15.).
ConclusionFrom the data gather about both Reservoir Hill and Baltimore City as a
whole, we can see that there have been some significant shifts in
demographics. Both the City and the neighborhood remain majority black
neighborhoods, with the number of Whites, as a percentage of and in total
population, in both communities falling. Home ownership rates in both have
increased over time, even though the number of available housing units has
decreased. The level of education in both communities also is trending to the
residents being more educated than in previous years, with a large number
of residents with lower levels of educational attainment possibly leaving the
city altogether. Income levels in both the neighborhood and the city also
increased, with their being a marked increase in the level of income in
neighborhood. These demographic markers are showing sighs of a
gentrification possibly taking place in the neighborhood, with a small but an
increased number of educated, and higher income earning household
Reservoir Hill 15
moving into and taking ownership of units of the neighborhood. This
gentrification is shown significantly in the demographics of the two block
groups whose boundaries did not change, 1301 BG 4 and 1304 BG 1
Reservoir Hill 16
Historical Analysis
Reservoir Hill 17
Early History and Development
The neighborhood known today as Reservoir Hill has its beginnings as
part of the wider area known as Mount Royal. Charles Carroll of Carrolton,
one of Maryland’s signers of the Deceleration of Independence, originally
owned the land. In the latter half of the 1700's Carroll received a grant to
purchase a tract 1,000 acres of land to the north of Baltimore Town and to
the west of Jones Town (Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, 2010).
In 1789 Carroll sold a part of the land to Dr. Solomon Brickhead, the
estate that Brickhead would construct would be named Mount Royal. The
Brickheads, who owned a home within the city limits of the time, purchased
the land with the intention of making it a summer retreat outside of the city.
Mount Royal was bound by Druid Hill, the Jones Falls, North Avenue, and
McCulloh Street. The mansion, know today as the Norwegian Seaman's
Home, sits at the intersection of Reservoir Street and Park Avenue. Portions
of the area surrounding the estate were generally considered by city
residents to be a rural area, even though it was located just outside of the
city limits. During the Civil War , the depression that is now occupied by
Druid Lake, served as a dumping ground for dead Union horses (Reservoir
Hill Improvement Council, 2010).
Reservoir Hill 18
In time, Brickhead began selling of portions of the land surrounding the
mansion to other prominent Baltimoreans for use as their country retreats.
Among the families
to whom he sold
land were the
Brooks, Gail,
Whitlock, Carroll,
Garrett, and Stricker
families (Reservoir
Hill Improvement
Council, 2010).
Druid Hill and the Streetcar effect
For much of the early 1800s, the residential development of the city
stayed considerably to the south of Mount Royal. By the 1840's though,
development began to move north towards North Avenue. As the area above
North Avenue became more attractive for the wealthy of Baltimore, the
development of three and four-story homes as well as churches began. The
older estates were either subdivided into duplexes or apartments or
converted into institutions for the elderly.
Reservoir Hill 19
Figure 12. City of Baltimore. (Published by Stedman, Brown & Lyon,Baltimore. 1873) Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
In 1860, Lloyd Rodgers, owner of an estate to the north of the Mount
Royal estate, sold a part of his property to the City of Baltimore to be used as
a public park. The plot of land that Rodgers sold was known as Druid Hill,
becoming today’s Druid Hill Park (Figure 16).
Not long
after the opening
of the park,
several streetcar
lines were built
from various
locations in the
city, to transport
residents to the
park. These lines
would spur further
residential
development in
the neighborhood.
Developers bought
estate lands,
dividing them into smaller parcels until only a few estates remained.
Reservoir Hill 20
Figure 13. Rand, McNally & Co.'s indexed atlas of the world map of Baltimore, 1897. Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
During this time the city annexed the Mount Royal area. Following
annexation, Druid Lake and Mount Royal Lake were made into reservoirs.
New streets were built and existing ones were paved and widened. By 1896
most of Mount Royal had been developed (Figure 17).
World War I and the Jewish Influx
The start of the 20th century brought an increase in industrial activity
as well as the invention of the automobile. Wealthier families continued to
move from the inner city towards the outskirts of the city, including Mount
Royal, with older families in Mount Royal moving even further out.
As affluent white Gentiles began to move out of the neighborhood,
they were replaced with affluent white Jews. Among some of the Jewish
families that settled in neighborhood at the turn of the century were that of
Gertrude Stein, retail empire families like Hechts and the Hamburgers, and
oil service families like the Blausteins, The neighborhood was a center of
Jewish upper class from the 1880s to the 1960s (Bolton Park Neighbors,
2010).
The increase in industrial activity brought an influx of people into the
city looking for work, increasing the demand for housing. The large
townhouses in the neighborhood were subdivided into apartments, with
other being demolished for multi unit high-rise structures. Much of this new
Reservoir Hill 21
and converted housing was equipped with what was considered at the time
to be modern amenities of indoor plumbing, refrigeration, and electricity.
With the dawn of the First World War, the demanding for housing
increased even further, as workers flooded in from other parts of the nation
to work in the ship and steel mills in and around the city. During this time,
the affluence of the neighborhood decreased, and it became more of a
working class neighborhood.
This working class was a mix of Jewish and non-Jewish residents,
becoming increasing more Jewish into the 1930s. By the 1930s the
community had become a predominantly Jewish middle class neighborhood,
complete with synagogues, as well as delis, schools and shops that catered
to the Jewish community of the neighborhood (Bolton Park Neighbors, 2010).
Start of the Decline and the Second World War
By the end of the
1930s and into the 1940s the
neighborhood began a
physical decline.
Homeowners concerned with
the decline formed the Mount
Royal Improvement
Reservoir Hill 22
Figure 14. Home Owners Loan Corporation, Residential Security Map, 1937. Source: Antero Pietila
Association. The Association would sponsor block-cleaning campaigns and
garden competitions. The Association was also a proponent against
blockbusting, asking homeowners not to sell their properties to speculators
or to subdivide them into apartments. However the policies of the
Association were largely ineffective, as the community continued to decline
going into the Second World War. Efforts to improve the community were
stymied by the Home Owner Loan Corporation (HOLC), which classed the
neighborhood as a Type C – Declining (Figure 18). Reservoir Hill was also
surrounded by neighborhoods classified as Type D neighborhoods,
neighborhoods considered by the HOLC to be the most risky. This
classification, while not preventing, made it less likely for prospective
homeowners to obtain mortgages to purchase homes in the neighborhood
(Palen,1984).
The Second World War once again put housing pressures on the city
and the neighborhood, with new workers coming into the city to work in
industries related to the war effort. Many of the remaining large townhouses
in the neighborhood were subdivided, and those subdivided previously were
subdivided even further. The wealthy residents of the neighborhood moved
into housing north of Whitelock Street, where properties their had not been
substantially subdivided as of yet. During the war period the Jewish
population began to leave the neighborhood, replaced by working class
Reservoir Hill 23
white Gentiles employed for the war effort. The overcrowding and
deterioration of housing conditions continued through the war. In 1948 the
City undertook a massive housing inspection program, examining some
3,500 housing units in the neighborhood (Reservoir Hill Improvement
Council, 2010).
Continued Decline and White Flight
Dismayed with the condition of the housing they were living in, and the
availability of new housing in the new suburbs following the Second World
War, the white population began departing the neighborhood. This “white
flight” continued for the next several decades. As the whites moved out of
the neighborhood, blacks began to move in, with the demographics of the
neighborhood going from majority white in the 1950s to majority black in the
late 1960s. During the same time speculators continued to purchase and
convert single family homes into multiple family dwellings, an attempt to put
as many residents into a structure as possible (Palen, 1984).
The shifts in housing continued through the early parts of the 1970s.
With the conversion of many single-family homes into multi-family rental
units, much of the housing stock began to deteriorate. Because of this sub-
standard housing, lower-income families began to move into the
neighborhood as rents on these properties decreased. Corresponding with
Reservoir Hill 24
the detrition of the housing and the downturn of the neighborhood, the
number and quality of commercial areas in the neighborhood also began to
deteriorate at the same time (Palen, 1984).
The “Urban Pioneer” program and Gentrification
In 1972 the city targeted the neighbored for urban renewal as part of
its Urban Pioneer program, a program to attract new residents to the city
and blighted neighborhoods. The city rechristened the neighborhood as
Reservoir Hill. Individuals such as Parren Mitchell assisted in the creation of
the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, initially a volunteer group of
neighborhood residents who sought ways to improve and rebuild the
neighborhood (Reservoir Hill Improvement Council, 2010).
In 1996 the residents of the neighborhood, in partnership with the city
Planning Department, developed a comprehensive revitalization plan. Key
points of the plan called for major investment in physical infrastructure and
human capital. The Plan was revised and updated in 2002 (Reservoir Hill
Improvement Council, 2010).
The neighborhood also rode the wave of gentrification that had
occurred in many areas of the city in late 1990s to the end of the 2000s. New
residents and speculators purchased and renovated distressed properties
either for their own use or to resell. However there still remained pockets of
poverty and distressed properties throughout the neighborhood. The
Reservoir Hill 25
neighborhood was at times considered one of the more hopeful revitalization
projects in the city (Suarez, 2008).
Like other neighborhoods in the city the neighborhood was also hit
hard from the mortgage crisis. A number of properties fell into foreclosure
not long after the start of the mortgage crisis, making the neighborhood one
of the foreclosure hotspots in the city (Montgomery, 2008).
Relation to Borchert EpochsIn 1967, University of Minnesota geographer John H Borchert
developed a theory that the urbanization of American cities developed along
four periods of time. He classified these periods of time as the Sail-Wagon
Epoch (1790-1830), the Iron Horse Epoch (1830-1870), the Steel Rail Epoch
(1870-1920), and the Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920- ). While many parts of
the Baltimore area follow the Borchert Epochs in terms of their development,
Reservoir Hill does for some epochs and doesn’t for others.
In the Sail-Wagon Epoch (1790-1830), Borchert describes the suburban
development of America, of which Reservoir Hill would have been at the
time, as developing along fall lines well outside of the economic heart of the
city, six to ten miles (Earl, p327). These suburbs were heavily involved in
manufacturing, particularly in textiles, with a surplus of unskilled labor and a
ready power source in fast moving waterways (Earl, p328). Reservoir Hill
does not follow this however. While located outside of the city, it sat adjacent
Reservoir Hill 26
to the northern border of the city, a shorter distance from the city center
then a community like Hampden. Also unlike these other communities that
Borchrt describes, Reservoir Hill never experienced industrial development,
despite being near the Jones Falls. Instead Reservoir Hill during this time
remained a relatively rural, undeveloped area of a few summer estate
houses for wealthy merchants from in the city.
In the Iron Horse Epoch (1830-1870), Borchert describes the continuing
development of urban areas and how the advent of rail travel assisted in it.
According to Borchert, rail travel allowed the far suburbs to continue to
develop, but developed also occurred along the rail lines from the central
city to the suburbs, allowing the development of the city to move outwards
(Earl, p377). Borchet then goes on to describe that as the limits of the city
continued to push outwards, other forms rail transportation, like streetcars
began to link the now near suburbs to the central city (Earl, p377). With the
exception of the early rail, the development of Reservoir Hill does follow this
epoch. The streetcar system was pivotal in the development and integration
of Reservoir Hill into the City. As the lines were built through the
neighborhood on their way to Druid Hill Park, they sparked urban
development in the community. This development was increased as
Reservoir Hill annexed into the city.
In the third epic, Steel Rail Epoch (1870-1920), Borchert describes the
rise of industrialization, immigration, segregation, and municipal service in
Reservoir Hill 27
urban America. He point out the affects of the assembly line and large need
for land for large-scale industrial development (Earl, p381). How the
immigration from other parts of the world was needed to supplement the
workforce, and how they formed distinct communities (Earl, p380). How after
the reconstruction of the south was ended, segregation throughout the
United States increased. And that how as cities expanded the need for
services became apparent, such as water and sewage (Earl, p382). As for
Reservoir Hill during this time, as a residential community it didn’t
experience industrialization, but the effects of, from the wealthy industry
owners being residents in the neighborhood. Segregation did play a small roll
in the neighborhood at this time, but mostly in that it was a predominately
white neighborhood, that was converting into a more Jewish one.
Immigration for the most part had little effect on the neighborhood. And as
the neighborhood become more of a central located within the borders of the
city, it received the services that other neighborhoods did, like water and
sewage.
In the last of Borchert epics, Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920-), Borchert
describe the rise of the new suburb and the decline of the city. Borchert
describes that new “city” dwellers were now starting to move towards the
green-belt cities surrounding the cities, and had in which the lifestyle was
different then what was seen in the cities, with large tract housing (Earl,
p391). At the same time cities began a decline for a variety of reasons, such
Reservoir Hill 28
as desegregation, the end of the war, and taxes. Reservoir Hill easily follows
this epic. As the white population began to flee from the neighborhood, the
neighborhood when into decline, the decline was sharp and quick. However
Borchert never gives incites into the future and the possible regeneration of
the neighborhood.
Reservoir Hill 29
Personal Impressions
Reservoir Hill 30
Introduction
Reservoir Hill is a neighborhood in the City of Baltimore just to the
northwest of the central business district. It is bound by North Avenue to the
south, McCulloh Street to the west, Druid Park Drive to the north, and
Interstate 83/the Jones Falls Valley to the east. The neighborhood started as
part of a larger estate ground in the 1700s, eventually becoming subdivided
and developed as site for country homes for Baltimore's elite. As the
population of the city began to expand out from the historic city center,
Reservoir Hill was absorbed within the limits of the city, becoming an upscale
community in the city. The neighborhood also served as a home for the
Jewish elite for the city as well as home for upper-class blacks. The fortunes
of the neighborhood changed after the Second World War, where it, like
many inner city neighborhoods in Baltimore, was effected by redlining and
demographic shifts of affluent and white populations to the suburbs. Over
the last twenty years, an effort has been made by residents and the City to
revitalize the community. Their is a feeling that the results of this effort have
been mixed, being hampered by economics, location, and outside perception
of the neighborhood.
For the purpose of this paper, I will be giving my observations on
several different aspects of the neighborhood after doing field observations.
Reservoir Hill 31
These aspects are Transportation, Housing, Commerce, Open Space, and
Community Space, ending with an analysis.
Transportation
Primarily developed after most of the city street gird had been laid out
south of North Avenue, the neighborhood incorporates portions of the city
street grid system as well as having a grid of its own. For the most part, the
north-south streets are extensions of the street grid coming north from North
Avenue, the southern border to the neighborhood, following a northwest to
southeast orientation. Eutaw Place and west, with the exception of the
merger of McCulloh Street and Druid Hill Avenue, follow nearly along the
same line a they do with their sections south of North Avenue. However, east
of Eutaw Pl, several of the north-south streets have shifts in them near their
crossing of Whitelock Street to a more north/south orientation, where others
are strictly in a north/south orientation.
In regards to east-west streets, the streets are in a northeast to
southwest orientation until, with the streets in the northern portion of the
neighborhood, Linden Avenue, or with the streets in the southern portion of
the neighborhood, and Brookfield Avenue, when they begin an east to west
orientation. Two streets, Whitelock Street and Newington Avenue; once they
cross Park Avenue, return to a northeast to southwest orientation. With the
Reservoir Hill 32
exception of Whitelock Street, none of the east-west streets has a connection
outside of the neighborhood.
Following an examination of the topography and field observations of
the neighborhood, with two and possibly three exceptions, there seems to
have been no specific, identifiable reason as for breaks in the road grid of
neighborhood. The two exceptions to this being Hendiler Lane and Brooks
Lane, with a possibility Chauncey Avenue, which seem to follow the curve of
Druid Park Lake Drive. One possible explanation of the breaks could be the
timeline of development of the neighborhood, as
it was not all developed at the same time.
Another possible explanation could be that the
streets follow the former property lines of the
estates that were located in the neighborhood.
In terms of mass transportation, there are
several bus routes that run along North Avenue
(5, 13, 91) (Figure 19) offering service to and
through downtown, as well as to other points throughout the city. One bus
line (5) does penetrate into the heart of the neighborhood. While of the bus
stops that were noticed were clearly marked with bus stop sign, none at the
time of observation had any potential passengers waiting at them, however
this should not be taken as indicative of the level of use of these stops, and
Reservoir Hill 33
Figure 15. Bus Stop on North Avenue. Source: Jason M Boothe.
could have been attributed to the time of day,
midday. Besides the bus, a light rail station is
located a couple of blocks to the east of the eastern
edge of the neighborhood on North Avenue. A
Metro-Subway stop is located a couple of blocks to
the west from the western edge of neighborhood
along North Avenue.
HousingThe majority of housing in the neighborhood
consists of three-story brick row-homes of various
architectural styles. Along with the three-story houses, there are two-story
row and semi-detached housing units, large fully detached homes, and a
number of apartment-style housing units ranging
from low-rise units of three to five stories to
multistory high rises of five or more stories.
From observations, most of the single housing
units in the neighborhood seemed to be occupied,
though there were a number of visibly unoccupied
structures in the neighborhood. Of the occupied
structures, most seemed to be in decent condition,
with a number showing improvements being made,
Reservoir Hill 34
Figure 16. Row of homes with front yards along Eutaw Place. Source: Jason M Boothe.
Figure 17. A home with "Security Shutters" affixed to windows. Source: Jason M Boothe.
in what I suspect, was the past several years (Figure 20). The unoccupied
structures were a mixed state of structures that were for sale, structures that
appeared to be under renovation, though little work was observed being
done for all but a few structures, and those in serious states of disrepair, with
several having roofs missing. While many of the row houses in the
neighborhood does have front yards, several that did had their yards fenced
off by chain-link, wooden pickets or shrubbery. A number of homes, both
occupied and unoccupied, displayed do not trespass signs, with several of
the unoccupied but possibly under renovation homes having “security
shutters” (Figure 21) on lower floor windows and doors. While just from
visual observation it is difficult to decide if the homes are single- or multiple-
family homes, some homes did give away their occupancy with multiple
mailboxes on the front of the structure. Lead paint also seems to be an issue
in these homes, at least one lead paint warning was observed on the exterior
of a home.
Reservoir Hill 35
There were only a handful of single detached homes in the neighborhood,
with all of them being located from Eutaw Place and to the east. While the
histories of these homes was not readily available, from an outside observer
one could suspect that these structures were at one time or are still very
large single family homes, perhaps former estate homes (Figure 22). Upon
further inspection, several of these structures lent to the idea that they are
no longer single family homes and are possibly being used as multiple unit
dwellings, possibly offices, with multiple mailboxes affixed near the front
entrance.
Apartment-style
housing complexes,
structures specifically
built to be apartments,
are located throughout
the neighborhood. Most
of these structures are
low-rise buildings of no
Reservoir Hill 36
Figure 18. . Former estate house on Eutaw Place. Source: Jason M Boothe.
Figure 23. Run down low-rise apartment. Source: Jason M Boothe.
Figure 19. Historic Designation Plaque on High-Rise Apartment Complex. Source :Jason M Boothe.
more than four stories. These structures are in various conditions, from being
recently renovated, to being abandoned (Figure 23), to under renovation, to
being used. Those that were being used looked to be in satisfactory condition
from the exterior. Along Druid Park Drive, the northern border of the
neighborhood there are located several high-rise apartment structures. The
ones to the western side of the neighborhood were older in appearance than
the complex to the eastern side of the neighborhood, with a couple having
plaques affixed near their entrances stating they were listed on the National
Register of Historic Places (Figure 24). Banners on several of the older
complexes advertised apartment leasing opportunities, also that they were
recently renovated.
Most of the housing looks to be in private hands; but at least one area
of housing was not. The section of the neighborhood bound by Lennox,
North, and Park Avenue has a low-rise apartment style public housing
complex. Also, the high-rise apartment complex in the northeast section of
the neighborhood is quasi-public co-op housing complex, run by the
Lakeview Towers Tenant Council.
One strange housing anomaly that I observed
was new construction in the neighborhood. Along
Brookfield Avenue, a set of three townhouses is
under construction. The website for the
Reservoir Hill 37
Figure 20. The Brookfields. Source: Jason M Boothe
development states that only one remained to be sold, none of the
townhouses looked to have had been occupied yet or in a finished condition,
with construction possibly being halted several months ago, perhaps due to
the economic downturn (Figure 25).
CommerceWithin the boundaries of the neighborhood, commercial activity was
extremely limited. Most of the commercial activity occurred along a stretch
of North Avenue, the southern boundary of the neighborhood and a
significant east-west thoroughfare in the city, from McCulloh Street to Linden
Avenue. Among the commercial activities taking place along this stretch
were a car wash, an auto parts store, a medical office, office of a technology
company, a liquor store (whose goods and employees were behind thick
Plexiglas) (Figure 26), a grocery/carry-out (whose goods and employees were
also behind Plexiglas), and a laundromat. While these are in the
neighborhood, I doubt that
they are located to serve
Reservoir Hill exclusively, and
are probably patronized by
residents from outside the
neighborhood.
Besides this strip, little
Reservoir Hill 38
Figure 26. Interior of Linden Liquors and Bar. Source: An H Tran.
else was observed in the way of commercial activity. The only other
commercial activities were a car repair shop on Whitelock Street, a
convenience store on the ground floor of a high-rise apartment building on
Eutaw Place, and a couple of doctor’s offices in former homes on Eutaw
Place. There are a couple of commercial looking buildings in the northwest
corner of the neighborhood, but they seemed to have no activity that was
observed and are possibly used for warehousing.
Of the commercial establishments that sold foodstuffs, the quality of
what was being sold was observed to be low. A fair number of products sold
would fall into the class of junk foods, or foods with high sugar content, and
while there was “fresh” produce available the freshness of the produce
would be considered suspect (Figure 25); it was observed that tomatoes in a
cold storage unit showed signs of freezer burn or mold. There was also
observed to be a lack of restaurants the neighborhood as well, or
establishments serving any significant quantities of
hot food.
While
commercial
activity is
limited in
the
Reservoir Hill 39
Figure 21. Interior of Atim's Mini Supermart. Source: An H Tran
Figure 22. Nearby Commercial Outlets on the Edge of Reservoir Hill. Source: Jason M Boothe.
neighborhood, the neighborhood is by no means isolated. Commercial strips
were observed within a short distance of the neighborhood boundaries within
a short walk for most residents of the neighborhood. While the quality of
these commercial establishments was not ascertained, they supplement the
limited commercial offerings of the neighborhood. For those with personal
transportation available to them, Mondawmin Mall, which is a short distance
away (Figure 26), has both standard retail and grocery offerings. It is also
accessible by the #5 bus line that runs through the neighborhood.
Open SpaceWhile most of the land in the neighborhood is taken up by housing
units, there are several plots of undeveloped land, ranging from open lots, to
designated parks, and even a community garden.
Most of the open lots, those not designated as parklands, are located
in the northern sections of the neighborhood. These lots gave no clue
whether if they had a previous use, as any previous structures were removed
and leveled and the lots graded. For the most part, the lots looked to be
maintained in the most minimal of way, with grass being trimmed but litter
was present. Most of the lots were grass-covered, with several being partly
dirt/gravel covered (Figure 27). While many of the lots remained vacant,
some served as parking areas. A couple of the lots closer to the central part
of the neighborhood had signs in them stating that they were for sale, and
Reservoir Hill 40
the potential development opportunities
based on the current zoning.
Several small municipal parks are
also located in the neighborhood. Of the
parks observed, all seemed to be
maintained, with no signs of significant
deterioration or unusable facilities; one
featured a functional water feature (Figure 28). At least one park was
recently improved, with fixtures looking fairly new, and a sign posted by the
city stating improvements had been made in the past several months. There
was practically no activity taking place in any of the parks during the times
observed, midday on weekdays. Two sites in the community serve as
community gardens,
Lennox Street and
Whitlock Street, featuring
several small plots, but I
was unable to determine
what was grown or the
extent to which the
gardens are used.
Reservoir Hill 41
Figure 23. An unimproved lot. Source: Jason M Boothe.
Figure 24. Park in the median of Park Avenue. Source: Jason M Boothe
Community SpacesIn the neighborhood, there are several
community-oriented structures. These include
churches, schools, and community centers. With
the exception of a church on North Avenue, most
of the churches in the community are small so-
called community churches. A synagogue
(Figure 29) is also located in the community,
located on Eutaw Place. The City maintains an
elementary school and a community center in the neighborhood, both
located just off of North Avenue.
OverviewBy far Reservoir Hill is a decidedly residential neighborhood. It is a mix
of properties from derelict to urban upscale, and it is not uncommon to see a
range of the conditions along the same street if not the same block. Signs
point to attempts being made to improve the neighborhood through the
renovation of housing. I was surprised though that the census data points to
a far more impoverished neighborhood than what I observed. General
speaking the census data points to the neighborhood being on the lower end
of the income scale, with a high amount of rental properties. Usually, from
my own personal observations and opinions, this point to a severally
distressed neighborhood that is in a downward slide. But while there are
Reservoir Hill 42
Figure 25. Beth Am Synagogue. Source: Jason M Boothe
signs of poverty, they are off set by improvements and investments in the
neighborhood. I am also not surprised with this either, as the census data
also showed that over the period of time from 1990 to 2000, income levels in
the neighborhood increased, educational attainment in the neighborhood
increased, and home ownership rates in the neighborhood also increased. I
would suspect that when then next set of census data is released for 2010
even further increases will be shown in these three metrics, with the highest
levels possible have been attained in 2007 or 2008.
Crime seems to be a concern in the neighborhood. While in the
neighborhood I never felt unsafe, the “security shutters” on the windows of
some properties points to the possibility of property crimes. There were signs
that the owners of the establishments were concerned with crime by placing
of inventory and employees behind Plexiglas. Police cameras were also
observed; leading me to believe that on street crime is a concern to the
residents in the neighborhood. During one of the walkthroughs of the
neighborhood, I had a chance to talk to some Police Officers on foot patrol in
the neighborhood. While they could not comment on specifics of crime or
activity in the neighborhood, they did warn to be careful. If this concern was
out of liability or a warning of criminal activity in the community, I could not
accurately tell. While it could be said that the presence of police foot patrols
points to crime issues in a community, I disagree somewhat. I for one
Reservoir Hill 43
welcome a police foot presence in the community, as it adds to sense of
reassurance that the community is being looked after by the police. However
that presence should be limited, as was in the case in Reservoir Hill, which
leads me to believe that while there is criminal activity in the community, it
is general not of a extremely violent nature.
I found the almost complete lack of commercial activity in the
neighborhood somewhat of a surprise. The quality of what was available
commercially was disappointing. With the stretch of stores on North Avenue,
none were inviting to me as a passerby on the street,
Even with these concerns, I would say that the neighborhood is, to use
a euphemism that has been used plenty for this neighborhood, is an up and
coming neighborhood with potential.
Reservoir Hill 44
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Boothe, Jason M (Photographer). (2010). Reservoir Hill, Baltimore. Personal photograph by author. 5 Nov 2010.
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Tran , An H (Photographer). (2010). Reservoir Hill, Baltimore. Personal photograph by author. 5 Nov 2010.
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