A spring walk in Druid Hill Park (Baltimore, Pikesville: rentals, houses)

[barante]

My group, officially known as the Setting Sun Walkers, did a nice couple of hours in Druid Hill Park yesterday.
We parked at 9.30 a.m. at the zoo parking lot and beat the crowds by minutes, then circled Druid Hill Lake on foot, went to see the Mansion House (which is now the headquarters and maintenance center for the zoo) and then walked to see the Victorian conservatory. A group of ladies were doing watercolors of lilies and cacti. (The conservatory, by the way, at one time was named for William Donald Schaefer. It then went through a renovation and re-emerged bearing the name of Howard P. Rawlings, the legislator who passed the bills bankrolling the overhaul. A bit like the old Soviet Union.)
After reaching the parking area, we wanted to have lunch and beelined to Clipper Mill in Woodberry. Parked inside the fire-damaged old factory building which Struever Bros. converted into parking, watched Tony Corradetti show his glassblowing skills to a group of students and went next door to find the restaurant "temporarily closed." (Again, a bit like the old Soviet Union). So instead, ended up admiring natural beauty at the submerged swimming pool across the street.
We then continued to Cafe Hon, whose lunch was quite substantial (I had a cheesesteak sub with fries and cole slaw). Overall, a splendid day.
Cafe Hon had copies of a new book I didn't know even existed. It's "Druid Hill Park: The Heart of Historic Baltimore."
I went to the Internet where some real deals are offered on the book, so I don't know yet what it tells us. But the overall story of Druid Hill Park is a fascinating one. Just a couple of highlights. It's as old and nearly as big as Central Park in New York. Olmested pere was the genious behind both.
My favorite story about Druid Hill Park involves the sheep, however. Until around 1944, a flock of more than 100 heads of sheep, led by a city-paid shepherd, was in charge of eating the grass. Photos exist -- perhaps even in the new book -- so this is no bull. Maybe this is the way to save money on mowing in these days of expensive gas.
It is obvious that the city has spend quite a bundle on sprucing up the park. Lots of new sidewalks, including flagstone paths. I, for one, think this is a wise investment because Druid Hill Park is truly a little-appreciated gem.

[Be More]

It is a beautiful park. Quite a view to downtown from the southeast corner by the lake, too.

Didn't Olmsted also have something to do with Patterson Park, too?

[barante]

I don't think so. Olmsted pere was involved in designing Sudbrook Park, a residential area near Pikesville. His son had a hand in designing Roland Park.

[carolott]

Druid Hill Park has cleaned up nicely in the 8 years I have lived here -- and the conservatory is beautiful. I love going there in the winter.

I saw a photograph of the sheep once, and I can"t remember where...probably in a book or on the internet somewhere. I"ll have to look again and see where I found it.

[jonjj]

Parks in Baltimore Maryland Bay Shore Park , Carlins, Clifton, Druid Hill , Electric Park, Gwynn Oak


Scroll down the page. You will see postcards of Druid Hill Park-one with sheep.

[barante]

Druid Hill Park's visibility will grow in coming years. The Parks and People Foundation will renovate the ruins of the superintendent's house:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...07/hb0787B.pdf
Also, I predict that the park's usage will increase with the continuing gentrification of the surrounding area. There will be hiccups. On my walk I noticed a group of rowhouses on Lake Drive. I visited them several years ago when a PG County contractor was rehabbing them, hoping to turn them into rentals. When I saw them, they were almost finished. But then work suddendly stopped and nothing. On Tuesday I saw that all of them have been stripped back to their skeletal state. So what happened? Was there a structural problem? Did they perform the work without permits?

[rudy_d]

I would like to see the city repair/replace the iron fence and stone wall around the lake. The walls are crumbling and the fence has fallen down in places. It would be a nice cosmetic improvement.

I also noticed that the fountain hasn't been running since sometime last year. Anyone know the story about that? I remember the city spent a lot of money to get it working again a few years ago.

[barante]

BTW, I had a chance to talk with David Herman, rabbi of the majestic Shaarei Tfiloh overlooking the park. He said that his congregation now numbers about 200 families, meaning that it has tripled over the past few years. David Cordish, the megadeveloper, now heads the board.
This growth reflects a return of young Jewish families to Reservoir Hill and other nearby neighborhoods, although Herman told me that the last Jew of Mondawmin (however that is defined) died about a year ago. I know an observant guy who occasionally walks from all the eay from Dickeyville to Shaarei Tfiloh. In fact, that walk is physically quite doable, although most Baltimoreans may shudder it psychologically.
Finally, a short contextual summary is in order. Baltimore's Jewish community's original home was in East Baltimore. While Lombard Street (where Attman's and Lenny's are) was the business center, the whole area was predominantly Jewish to the extent that several unassuming old synagogues are in evidence on streets that we today include in Little Italy. By the 1880s, the leading merchants and industrialists had begun to move to Eutaw Place. Other classes soon followed, occupying side streets in Reservoir Hill and generally in the North Avenue corridor, from Mount Royal Terrace to Poplar Grove Street.
According to a 1947 internal census, 29 percent of Jews -- the eldest by age in the community -- lived in that corridor. Fifty-one percent lived in northwestern areas beyond Fulton Avenue and Gwynns Falls Parkway.
Today, hardly any remainders of that period exist along North Avenue, although several synagogue buildings remain on Eutaw Place. In fact, very little documentation has been done about what the business stretch in particular was like. Theres was, for instance, a famous 24-hour delicatessen called Nates & Leon's. Everyone went there. I recently found a news clipping about a softball game in Washington, D.C., covered by The Post, with Nates and Leon's as one of the teams.
In the more northwestern area in Forest Park lots of architectural relics remain on Garrison Boulevard. One can only guess what the old Forest Theater was like in its glory days. I think it is today a mosque.

[jonjj]

There is a home and garden tour of Reservoir Hill today and tomorrow if anyone is interested.
http://www.reservoirhill.net/events_...Flier_0608.pdf

[Be More]

barante... here is the history of Patterson Park

History of Patterson Park (http://www.pattersonpark.com/Park%20Information/historyofpark.html - broken link) It mentions the Olmsteds and Latrobes.

Here is Druid Hill's
Druid Hill Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is Central Park's
Central Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is fantastic. Part of my summer program this year is a week on "Urban Environmental Studies". We were going to compare Patterson Park with Fairmont Park and Central Park. Not only by maps, but we will be visiting them, too. I am going to add Druid Hill to the list. In fact, I might even do a little scavenger hunt with the students...using this website. Ghosts of Druid Hill Park - B-More Ghosts (http://www.btco.net/ghosts/oddsends/druidhill/DruidHillpf.html - broken link)