Historic Sites of Industry in the Jones Falls Valley
The Jones Falls provided the power that fueled manufacturing in Baltimore in the 19th and 20th centuries. The string of mills built in the valley along the river had an indelible economic and social impact on the surrounding areas, the effect of which can still be felt to this day.
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Mount Washington Mill
Mt. Washington Mill—historically Washington Mill, part of Washington Cotton Manufacturing Company—is one of Maryland’s earliest purpose-built cotton mills. In the early nineteenth century, the…
Woodberry Factory and Park Mill
The Woodberry Factory and Park Mill were built near the site of an eighteenth-century gristmill. An active industrial area for nearly two centuries, buildings here have been replaced and repurposed to meet changing demands for production of everything from textiles and netting in the nineteenth century to rubber tires and ice cream cones in the twentieth century.
Poole & Hunt Foundry and Machine Works: Industry and Adaptive Reuse at Clipper Mill
At its peak in the late nineteenth century, the Poole & Hunt Foundry and Machine Works employed over 700 people, making it one of the largest employers in the Jones Falls Valley after the textile…
Meadow Mill
Meadow Mill was built by industrialist William E. Hooper in 1877 during one of the most prosperous periods for industry in the Jones Falls Valley. Designed by architect Reuben Gladfelter, it represented the finest of Baltimore mill design. A striking belfry, landscaped paths, and tidy gardens signaled Hooper’s prominence among business leaders.
Hampden Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library: Robert Poole's Gift to Hampden Readers
Enoch Pratt Free Library Branch No. 7 opened its doors on July 2, 1900, 17 years after industrialist Robert Poole and fellow businessmen established Woodberry’s first community library. In 1899, Poole donated the land, the books from the old library, and $25,000 towards erecting the new branch of Enoch Pratt Free Library on Falls Road.
Whitehall Cotton Mill
Before the rise of textile mills, the fast-flowing water of the Jones Falls instead powered gristmills supplying Baltimore's lucrative flour trade. Whitehall Mill was established as a gristmill in the…
Mount Vernon Mill No. 1: At the heart of textile manufacturing along the Jones Falls
Mill No. 1 sits on the site of Laurel Mill, a late 18th-century flour mill originally owned by prominent businessman and abolitionist Elisha Tyson. In 1849, the newly chartered Mount Vernon Company…
Mill Centre: Offices at Mount Vernon Mill No. 3
Mount Vernon Mill No. 3, renamed Mill Centre in the 1980s, represented in 1853 an important expansion to Mt.Vernon Company. Led by president and former sailor Captain William Kennedy, both were among fourteen U.S. mills that—as part of a huge textile conglomerate—would capture up to 80% of the world’s demand for cotton duck in the early 1900s.Tour curated by: Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance & Preservation Maryland | This tour was developed as a partnership between the Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance & Preservation Maryland for the Six-to-Fix— Preservation Maryland’s proactive preservation program. This tour was supported in part by the Baltimore National Heritage Area, Baltimore Architecture Foundation, and Preservation Maryland. Research and writing by Nathan Dennies and Kyle Fisher. Special thanks to Meagan Baco.