Baltimore Traces: Communities in Transition
AMST 422/682: Preserving Places, Making Spaces in Baltimore + MCS Media Production Fellows (Spring 2021)
https://baltimoretraces.umbc.edu/
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A Place Called Poppleton documents the history and culture of the Poppleton neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore. UMBC American Studies students produced a StoryMap virtual tour, zine, and walking tour brochure on Poppleton with a focus on the neighborhood's African American history and places lost or endangered due to redevelopment.
We hope the project will be a monument to the past and present people of Poppleton and West Baltimore.
UMBC’s Media Production Fellows produced the videos for the virtual tour and interviews with local residents.
We worked in collaboration with Curtis Eaddy II and the Historic Preservation Committee of the Southwest Partnership and Sonia Eaddy of the Poppleton Now neighborhood association.
https://baltimoretraces.umbc.edu/poppleton/
Brief Poppleton Timeline:
1930 - 1950s: Poppleton experienced “slum clearance” under programs like The Baltimore Plan (1954)
1940: Poe Homes opened as the first public housing complex in Baltimore City → Transform Poe (2018-present)
1958: The Lexington Terrace high-rise apartments were built (torn down in 1990s replaced by The Terraces)
1975: The Highway to Nowhere is finally completed cutting Poppleton off north of Franklin-Mulberry
1975: Poppleton Urban Renewal Area created + Phoebe Stanton’s Poppleton Study
1982: MLK Jr. boulevard expressway opens cutting Poppleton off from downtown
1995: Baltimore’s $100 millon federal Empowerment Zones (EZ) program (urban revitalization)
2004: Groundbreaking - $300 million UMD BioPark + City begins acquiring land for a large development project
2005: New York developer Dan Bythewood wins the right to develop a 13.8 acre parcel in Poppleton (from City)
2012: The City ends the agreement with the developer - he sues & keeps the right to develop the land
2019: The Center West luxury apartments open (stage 1a of a 3 stage plan)
2021: Developer returns after a period of absence...
Redevelopment… Center West
In November 2004, the City approved an amendment to the Poppleton Urban Renewal Plan to redevelop 526 properties on a 13.8 acre parcel in Poppleton. In order to get a large parcel for redevelopment, the City had to acquire the remaining 169 privately-owned parcels by eminent domain and 134 of those properties were occupied. The City made a deal with La Cité, the company of New York based developer Dan Bythewood, in 2006 for the redevelopment project.
Photo by Shae McCoy, who grew up in Poe Homes https://www.shaemccoyphotography.com/ + UMBC virtual exhibition, 2021
Transform Poe (redevelopment of Poe Homes)
Significance→ demolition March 3, 2021
303 - 309 N. Carrollton St.
Eaddy house
(on left)
Sarah Ann
Street
historic alley
homes
& park
just behind →
We want to dedicate our zine to Sonia Eaddy who is a tireless advocate for her community. She represents the fact that so much of the work fighting for people and against gentrification is done by Black women in Baltimore City. Thank you Sonia for all you do… and telling your story!
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE . . .
THE PRODUCTS
AMST 422/682 Teams + THE PROCESS
RESEARCH - edited all the place-based research for the project
INTERVIEW - Sonia Eaddy, Parcha McFadden, Courtney Hobson, Levar Mullen, Curtis Eaddy, Scott Kashnow, Jane Mayrer, Munira Swan … interviews are ongoing - email nking@umbc.edu
DESIGN - designed the one-pager + StoryMap + walking tour brochure
What is a StoryMap? It is a digital map that tells a story https://storymap.knightlab.com/
For more on these projects visit: https://baltimoretraces.umbc.edu/
Places on the map...
Poppleton Firehouse (No. 38) - 756-760 W. Baltimore Street
Sampson's Restaurant - 942 W Fayette St
Allen A.M.E. Church - 1130 W Lexington St
Pop Farms - 14 N Schroeder St?
Morning Star Baptist Church - 1063 W Fayette St
Waverly Terrace - 101-123 N. Carey St. (officially Franklin Square)
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (1857) - 217 N. Carey St (officially Franklin Square)
Carriage House/August Gross Wagon Shop - 300 N. Carrollton St.
Eaddy House - 319 N. Carrollton Ave. (also 321)
300 block (Alex)
Sarah Ann Street alley houses - 1102 - 1124 Sarah Ann St.
Boss Kelly House - 1106 West Saratoga St.
Greater Model Recreation Center - 1001 W Saratoga St
Excel Academy PS 161 - Fannie L Barbour Public School - 1001 W Saratoga Street
Center West (luxury apartments) - 101 N Schroeder St
Mt. Olive Freewill Baptist Church -
Metro Metals building - 902 West Saratoga Street
Edgar Allan Poe Historic House - 203 Amity Street
Poe Homes (city’s oldest public housing 1940) → Transform Poe
Lexington Terrace (past) → The Terraces (present)
Artist Markele Cullins designed a digital zine based on students research.
Walking tour
Brochure…
links to
the
StoryMap
MCS students… produced these videos → Parcha McFadden
CURTIS EADDY….
What’s next?
Walking Tour on
Friday, June 25
+
AMST 380: Community in American
Fall 2021
RESEARCH IS ONGOING...
For more info email Prof. Nicole King
Thanks for listening… Questions?