I was asked if I could do a bit of research on the Sandtown-Winchester-Harlem Park-Pennsylvania Avenue neighborhood in West Baltimore, so here goes. That and the fact that my grandmother and her family lived on Mount Street, very near there kinda kicked me in the rear to do this. That and a lovely neighbor’s family lived on Woodyear Street.
Sandtown is a west Baltimore neighborhood that sits next to the once affluent Upton neighborhood. Its name comes from trails of sand that were left in the street when horse-drawn wagons hauled sand and gravel from the local quarry near Monroe, Laurens and Preestman Streets and out of the city. Referred to in the 50’s and 60’s as Baltimore’s Harlem, it was home to Cab Calloway, Thurgood Marshall and Billie Holiday. West Baltimore replaced an area near Fells Point as the center of the black community.
Just on the south border of Sandtown, sits Lafayette Square Park and Harlem Park, both home to barracks and hospitals during the Civil War. The West Baltimore encampments played a part in the Pre-Emancipation crumbling of the institution of slavery as thousands of enslaved blacks fled north and found shelter with the Union Army. They along with some of Baltimore’s free Blacks (there were 25,000 freemen in the city by 1850 and only about 3,000 enslaved blacks) built the earthworks for Fort Number 1 ½ which was located near Jarvis Hospital (Bon Secours Hospital today) By 1864, thousands more had fled to Baltimore to enlist in the 4th US Colored Infantry.
Home to the B&O Railroad, Baltimore was key in the movement of troops and supplies. After Virginia left the Union, the only way troops could reach Washington D.C. was to quite literally come through Baltimore as it was the terminus of three major railroads. To keep the city safe from Confederate attack, a series of earthworks, forts, hospitals and camps were constructed around the city, especially in West Baltimore and Lafayette Park on the southern border of Sandtown.
Known as Camp Hoffman, the barracks in Lafayette Park housed at least five Maryland Union regiments and troops from New York as well as other northern states. There was a hospital on site, a sutler, a kitchen and parade grounds, and it served as a muster point for Maryland and Delaware Union troops. In the area surrounding the park, on any given day, one might see a military band marching down to the 1400 bed Jarvis Hospital on Baltimore Street (built in Maryland Square – on the grounds of the Steuart family mansion which had been confiscated by the Federal government due to the family’s participation with the Confederate Army – Stewart Hill Academy? named for the family), drunken brawls at local watering holes between Union soldiers and Pro-Confederate civilians, deserters attempting to flee through Druid Hill Park only to be fired on by cavalrymen, and escaped slaves from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and other points south taking refuge with the soldiers.
Top right – a woodcut of Freemen arriving in Baltimore
Bottom right – Jarvis Hospital
left – Library of Congress Photo of a member of the US Colored Troops and his family
After the war ended, an attempt was made to return the area to a mecca for the middle/upper classes and by the 1870, hundreds of row houses had been erected and buyers were attracted by new amenities such as hot water, door bells and gas lighting.
Schools were also located there, The Maryland School for the Blind and the Maryland Normal School (later Towson University) were both located there until 1917, along with the Morgan State campus.
By 1900 white residents sought to keep African Americans from moving into the neighborhood by imposing deed restrictions on current property owners and by using the 1910 Baltimore City ordinance that kept colored folks from living on majority white city blocks. With the expansion of the black middle class in the 1920s, the neighborhood changed and black doctors and lawyers had gained access to the homes and by the 1930s the neighborhood was majority African-American and became an important part of the black community itself. Baltimore had proved 100 years earlier that African-Americans were perfectly capable of building a vibrant and civil community even within the surrounds of slavery and then segregation.
West Baltimore became a glittering showcase for businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues, with jazz clubs, vaudeville clubs, and first-run movie theaters, especially along Pennsylvania Avenue. In 2019 it was designated Maryland’s first Black Arts and Entertainment District. In it’s prime, it was.
The Business and Entertainment Scene in West Baltimore
The Metropolitan – 1538 W. North Avenue/2428 Pennsylvania Avenue – The “Met” as it was known, opened in 1922 at the corner of Pennsylvania and North Avenue. Warner Bros. bought the place in 1925 and was there until 1937 when it was sold and became an independent movie theater. It was refurbished in 1947 and by 1949 it was a first-run black theater.
Arch Social Club/Schanze Theater/Morgan Theater/Upton Theater – 2426 Pennsylvania Avenue – built across the street from the Met, the Schanze Theater was opened in 1912 by Frederick Schanze. It was a movie theater but had a dance hall on the second floor and also had vaudeville shows. By November 1938 it had been re-vamped and renamed the Morgan Theater only to be renamed again in just a little over a year. It then became the Upton Theater and was sold again in 1941. It became the Cinema Theater and screened Yiddish movies. Inevitably in was sold yet again and by 1946 it was once more renamed the Morgan Theater and catered to the Africa-American population in the area. Prior to 1946 it had been a whites-only theater. Damaged by fire in 1949, it became an arcade. That didn’t last long either and it was subsequently bought by Wilson’s Restaurant which was next door and went right back to being a whites-only theater. The Arch Social Club, founded in 1905 by Raymond A. Coates, Jeremiah S. Hill, and Sam L. Barney, has occupied the former theater space since 1972. The club is believed to be the oldest African-American men’s club in the US. The theatre is intact and they still host jazz, live music and dances.
Vilma’s Tavern – 2242 Pennsylvania Avenue – Known for its amazing crab cakes and fabulous cocktails, Vilma’s opened in 1933 and was owned and operated by Wendel Alexander Wilson. It was the first Black-owned bar in Baltimore. The bar’s manager was Charlie Carr, the bartender was simply named “Riley” and the mixologist was Ed Plater. Frequent praise was heaped on the cocktails in local newspaper columns, esp the Whisky Sours. The tavern had its own in-house entertainment, provided by Kitty West, Dot Turner, Georgia Paul and Howard Turner.
The Paradise – 2223 Pennsylvania Avenue – No trace of the club remains, it is now a liquor store.
Ubangi Club – 2213 Pennsylvania Avenue – owned by John Whirley – primarily a nightclub but the space could be rented for parties
The Rainbox/Lenox Theater – 2115 Pennsylvania Avenue – The Rainbow theater opened in 1919 as another of Baltimore’s vaudeville theaters along Pennsylvania Avenue and operated until 1925. Originally designated to become a church, it instead shuttered completely and became a garage for 10 years. It reopened in 1936 as The Lenox. It operated until 1964 and was bought by Christ Temple Church. They are currently attempting to preserve and restore the old property.
The Sphinx Club – 2107 Pennsylvania Avenue – One of the first Black owned nightclubs in the country, the Sphinx was owned and operated by Charles Tilghman until his death in 1988. At 2107 Pennsylvania Avenue since 1946, the club shuttered in 1992. Operated as an exclusive club, it was member’s and musicians only. You literally needed a card to get in and folks recall seeing limos lined up out front all the time. Famous for its New Year’s and Mardi Gras parties, black politicians and black businessmen mingled with Sam Cooke and Redd Foxx. It was the place to see and be seen and most performers at the Royal would go to the Sphinx after their set. The property is still there although still vacant and boarded up. Charles Tilghman’s grandson is hoping to restore it.
Charm Centre – 1811 Pennsylvania Avenue – another Black-owned business, Charm Centre was an upscale and very popular dress shop and haberdashery that opened in 1948. Owned by Victorine Quille Adams and her husband, at the time it was the only black owned and operated store for women in Baltimore. Project Beauty and Charm, a six-week course offered to women over 18 years of age was offered through the store. The purpose of the course was to teach the students to enhance their poise, charm, and appearance. The Easter Parade on Pennsylvania Avenue was basically a fashion show and advertisement for the store as most of the ladies had purchased their dresses at Charm Centre. It began out of frustration for Baltimore’s African-American women, who either had to go to Philadelphia to buy dresses or buy from just two other stores in town. A no returns policy and not being able to try on clothing made buying from those stores a daunting prospect.
The Avenue Market – 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue – Built in 1871, the market is a historic structure that is one of the earliest buildings built on Pennsylvania Avenue. It has survived a fire in 1953 that burned the wooden building to the ground. So beloved was it that the merchants and vendors banded together to rebuild it. Originally called the Lafayette Market, it was overhauled in 1994 and re-opened in 1996. It is still there and is still a market.
The Regent Theater – 1629 Pennsylvania Avenue – Built on the site of a former coal yard by the Hornstein family, the Regent opened in June 1916. When it opened, it was the largest movie theater in Baltimore. It at seating capacity of 500 and had its very own orchestra. By 1920, the Hornstein’s had expanded it to 2,250 seats with the addition of a balcony. A reviewer for the Afro-American newspaper called the newly expanded theater a “legitimate playhouse where colored patrons would not be humiliated by the odious presence of … ’Mister James Crow.’” It was known for its great attractions and low prices. Eubie Blake performed at the Regent and Jack Johnson gave a boxing exhibition.
In 1925, the Hornstein’s promptly cancelled the planned exhibition of films featuring boxing champion Jack Dempsey, after he made derogatory remarks about African-American challengers for his title and “proposed to prevent any colored contender from having a ‘look see’ at the heavyweight diadem.” Hornstein told a reporter from the Afro-Americanthat the Regent played “to colored patrons, and I would certainly be insulting them should I play a picture featuring a man having the sentiment as expressed by Dempsey in the press. I stand unalterably by my original refusal, and you may say for me that this picture or no other that in any way offends our patrons will ever be flashed from this screen.” Following Hornstein’s example, other theaters promptly did the same thing.
By 1928, the theater had made the switch from silent films to “talkies” and was the only African-American theater in Baltimore to have Warner Bros. sound system, Vitaphone installed. By the 50’s it was equipped with 3-D and Cinemascope.
The Avenue Bar – 1550 Pennsylvania Avenue
The Alhambra/Alhabra Tavern/Grill – 1520 Pennsylvania Avenue – All the reviews just say – crab cakes – amazing crab cakes. Known as the Alhabra in 1940, the name had been modified by 1947. The business is now demolished.
Club Casino – 1517 Pennsylvania Avenue – William Adams, Kenneth Bass and Askew Gatewood, opened Club Casino, a night club/restaurant, in the late 1930s. The building itself was built in the late nineteenth century, but prior to the 1930s purchase, it had been The Palm House, a saloon just serving beer at 1519 Pennsylvania Avenue. Adams owned the Real Estate business and the venue occupied the first floors at 1517 and 1519, with the Real Estate operation relegated to the second floor of 1519. Club Casino advertised music played by dance bands along with dinner. The club remained open through the late 1960s and then shuttered. The building is still there and a liquor store called Royal Casino occupies the space now.
Gamby’s – Called “Baltimore’s Own”, Gamby’s sat at 1502 Pennsylvania Avenue. L.M. Gamby was the owner and he was member of American Legion Post No. 14 Walter Green. Redd Foxx worked there as a Master of Ceremonies and called Baltimore the “toughest town on earth to work.”
The Belmont Billard Parlor – 1428 Pennsylvania Avenue – offered in one of their ads – free pack of cigs with each red star and it stated that Pool was a healthy recreation
The Bamboo Lounge – 1426 Pennsylvania Avenue – Owned by Ted Carver, it was very intimate but very international, serving food from Japan, China and Africa. Their barmaids were called “Starmaids”.
Murray’s Seafood and Chicken – 1423 Pennsylvania Avenue – they specialized in crab cakes as well.
Ike Dixon’s Comedy Club – 1414 Pennsylvania Avenue – It’s owner was born in 1896 and opened the original club in 1934 in the Savoy Ballroom. Ike had his own band called Ike Dixon and the Jazz Demons in the 1920s and the group was praised by Duke Ellington as the best band in Baltimore. He retired from the music scene in 1934 to open the club and in 1939, he had opened the Comedy Club Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue with 10 hotel rooms above the club itself. The venue hosted Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Arnett Cobb, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dinah Washington, and Chet Baker to name a few. When Ike died in 1953, management of the club went to his two sons, Howard and Isaiah “Ike, Jr.” who ran it until the 1960s.
Club Frolic – 1401 Pennsylvania Ave.
The Royal Theater – 1329 Pennsylvania Avenue – Opened as the 1,349-seat Douglass Theatre on February 15, 1922 by the same African American businessmen who opened the Dunbar in Philadelphia. It was renamed Royal Theatre from November 30, 1925 after it was sold to white owners. It had vaudeville & movies, and catered to an African-American audience. It was a major venue for well known musicians, singers and vaudeville acts. Gregory and Maurice Hines performed there as did Cab Calloway. Ethel Waters made her debut performance there along with Pearl Bailey who was a chorus girl. The Chick Webb orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Sam & Dave, The Motown Revue with the Temptations and The Miracles were regulars along with Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and Fats Waller who worked as accompanists. Singer Louis Jordan, Duke Ellington, The Tympany Five, Etta James, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, The Platters, and The Supremes, as well as a 40-piece, all-female band touring with Count Basie called the Sweethearts of Rhythm, all performed at the Royal. Basically, all the biggest names in black entertainment were there at some point because it was considered a major venue on what was called “Chittlin Circuit.” It was one of five theaters for black entertainment in big cities across the US. The other theaters were The Apollo in Harlem, New York, The Howard in Washington, D.C., The Regal in Chicago and The Earl in Philadelphia. Generally it was thought that once you performed at Baltimore’s Regal, the next step was The Apollo and then onwards and upwards from there.
The city’s first talking motion picture was shown at the Royal: a 1929 motion picture called Scar of Shame, featuring a black cast. The Royal was demolished in 1971 and a memorial currently sits at its site.
Buck’s Bar – 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue – Zion Towers sits at its location now.
The Harlem Theater – 614 N. Gilmor Street – In 1925, Harlem Park Methodist Episcopal Church moved west due to the beginnings of “white flight” and the church was converted into a theater. Built in 1902 out of Port Deposit Granite, it was damaged by fire in 1908 and again in 1924, with the second fire completely destroying the buildings interior. In 1928 the title was transferred with purpose being to rebuild the structures as “a 1,500 seat motion picture theatre for Negroes to be known as Harlem Theatre.” It was the first night movie house for West Baltimore’s black residents, and it featured a 65-foot marquee with 900 50-watt light bulbs and a forty-foot high sign that could be seen from two miles away. When it opened in October 1932 crowds of 5,000 – 8,000 plus people showed up for the festivities. A journalist described it thusly: “The blazing marquee studded with a thousand lights made the entire square take a semblance of Broadway glamour. The marquees illuminated the entire Harlem Square which was crowded with those who lined the sidewalk unable to gain admittance.”
Inside there were twinkling electrical stars and projected clouds that floated overhead. It had carpet, cushioned seats, a balcony and a three-story high ceiling. It was made fireproof through the use of steel and concrete and a fire-extinguishing system was installed.
The theater began to decline in the 1960s and had shut down completely in 1975. It was returned to use as a sanctuary for the Harlem Park Community Baptist Church by the Revered Raymond Kelly, Jr. The marquee was removed and the theater seats were replaced with pews. Almost 50 years later, the church still resides on Gilmor Street. (Oddly enough Gilmor Street is named after Harry Gilmor, a Confederate Officer who raided around Baltimore during the Civil War and later became Mayor of Baltimore.)
The Red Fox – Fulton Avenue – named for the hair color of the owner, George Foxx’s, wife. There is a liquor store and lounge at the present location.
Club Tijuana – Clifton Avenue – the club has been razed and is now an empty lot.
Astoria Musical Bar – 1309 Edmondson Avenue – The club opened in 1939 and was owned by Herman Clayborne. Billed as the “finest show-bar south of New York”, it had its own bandstand and booked acts like The Swallows and Shirley Scott. It had two floor shows nightly.
Peyton Place – between the Red Fox and the Tijuana – owned by Henry Baker who was a musician and also owned a beauty salon and haberdashery.
Club 511 – 511 Fremont Avenue
Jones Cocktail Lounge – 1724 W. Lanvale Street
909 Club – 909 N. Calhoun Street – the club has been shuttered even though the exterior still bears a sign that says 909 Club and Liquor. Pictures of the interior indicate that this is now a fixer-upper.
Phil’s – N. Mount and Mosher Street – owned by Joe Reuben and his brothers.
Sampson’s – Fayette Street
Sess’ Restaurant – 1639 Division Street between Druid Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue. Owned by William Sessoms who opened it in the 1940s.
Hotels in West Baltimore
The York Hotel – Located at Dolphin and Madison Street, the York was a 4 story, 20 room hotel which became the place of choice for Black performers in West Baltimore. Known for the York Bar and Grille, it became a meeting place, especially for politicians.
Smith’s Hotel – Built in 1912 by Thomas R. Smith, a Black political boss, the hotel sat at the corner of Druid Hill and Paca (437 Druid Hill) and was Baltimore’s oldest and largest African-American Hotel. It was also the largest colored hotel in the country. The owner spared no expense and it was covered in marble, mahogany and red carpet. It attracted high rollers from New York and Chicago and per several reviews, had the best bourbon anywhere. John Barrymore was a regular at the bar. Born in 1871, Smith was one of the wealthiest men of color in the country and contributed to the numerous local churches, the Victory Hospital and the Y.M.C.A.
The Penn Hotel -Sitting at 1631 Pennsylvania, this hotel was the York’s competition. Smaller (it was only 2 stories) and more exclusive than the York – it was also more expensive. It was Redd Foxx’s favorite when staying in Baltimore.
White flight and “slums”
After WWII, the older communities in West Baltimore began to face problems with overcrowding and deteriorating housing. As a result, urban renewal projects popped up but the end result was the demolishing of hundreds of homes to make way for the “Highway to Nowhere” in West Baltimore. What is now taken to be a deliberate move on the part of the city to contain African-American movement into other parts of the city, 971 homes were demolished in additional to 62 businesses in the predominantly black neighborhood. My father, who worked for BGE for 37 years, was sent in with a crew in the 70’s to shut off the gas and electric before the homes were torn down. He drove it once with me in the car to show me what they doing to the city, and he never ever drove it again. It is also now seen as a way for people from other communities to get to yet other areas of the city without having to interact with what was a vibrant black community. Not long after the highway construction began, it was abruptly halted leaving a 1 and a half mile stretch of roadway. There is talk of removing it.
The NAACP fought hard against the highway and then construction of Harlem Park Elementary School in the park itself. The city itself was still segregated and the Harlem Park was one of only a few parks that African-Americans had access to. The school construction moved west of the park but as a result, three blocks of homes were condemned for construction, and the park was still affected as that is where the schools baseball fields are located.
Inner block parks became a thing as well, with more demolition taking place on Woodyear Street, Vincent Street and other back alleys. The 4-5 room homes were old, some still lacked plumbing and indoor toilets and because of landlord neglect, they were becoming an issue for tenants. Rather than repair or replace the housing, hundreds of families were displaced, the homes were demolished and the property turned into small isolated parks. The one by Woodyear Street is know as Harlem Inner Block Park #E89.
I am still digging for more information on this section of the city. Because it was primarily an African-American community there is not as much information to be had – yet. With the designation of The Avenue as a Arts and Entertainment District, hopefully more information will be brought to light and shared. There is a school of thought that after the assassination of Dr. King in 1968 and the subsequent protests that followed, the city quit documenting the area.
Sources:
https://oxfordaasc.com/page/2901
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarvis_Hospital
https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandtown-Winchester,_Baltimore
https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2021-09-16/searching-for-a-turn-around-on-the-highway-to-nowhere
Baltimore Through My Eyes 