BHCA creates committee on neglected and mismanaged properties
Responding to concerns expressed by neighborhood residents, BHCA has created a committee to identify and to try to spur action against property owners causing a nuisance with vacant or neglected buildings. An initial survey in August identified 18 addresses.
The Committee is co-chaired by Jeff Thompson and Charlie Duff and includes Ashley Chertkof, Jessica Dailey, Henri Daniels, Dolph Druckman, Jacquline Fiore, Doug Kelso, Stephanie Oppenheimer, Thom Shipley, Barbara Stern, Chris Taylor and Susan Van Buren. Peter Duvall from Community Development Services has been hired to help guide the committee’s next steps.
Properties under scrutiny are these:
- BOLTON ST – 1600, 1612, 1625 and 1735
- EUTAW PLACE – 1304, 1409, 1700, 1702, 1812, 1814 and 1920
- JOHN ST – 1429
- W. LAFAYETTE AVE – 247
- LINDEN AVE – 1703
- MT ROYAL AVE – 1510, 1512 and 1532
- PARK AVE – 1622
If you have information or concerns about these or other properties, send an email to properties@boltonhillmd.org.
Parago family honored with Centennial Homes award
Baltimore Heritage, in partnership with BHCA, awarded the Parago-Culbreath family with a Centennial Homes certificate on July 30. The Parago-Culbreath family has lived in the same home on Dolphin St. for over 116 years, the longest known occupancy by a family in Bolton Hill. Wilson B. and Maggie T. Parago bought the house in 1908. For several generations they held strong in spite of segregationist housing policies in the city.
The Baltimore Centennial Homes project, developed in collaboration between Baltimore Heritage and a former city councilman, recognizes families that have been in the same house for 100 years or more. These families have anchored Baltimore’s historic blocks and neighborhoods through good times and bad.
Edward William Parago, Sr. (1898-1983), a postal worker who lived in the house, and a neighbor, William Gailes Contee (1891-1987,) created what is now called Contee-Parago Park, renovated in 2022 by volunteers from BHCA.
Removing remnant of Confederate monument under discussion
BHCA has begun discussions with the City to remove the plinth that for decades held a garish monument on Mt. Royal Ave. paying tribute to Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The monument was taken down in 2017 under cover of darkness on orders from then-Mayor Catherine Pugh after violence broke out during a rally against the removal of a similar monument in neighboring Virginia. MICA has expressed interest in re-purposing the marble pedestal.
Jim Craigen, Bolton Square resident, dies
Longtime resident James (Jim) Edward Craigen Sr. died on July 17 after a series of health issues. He was 85 and a resident on W. Lafayette Ave. for 30 years. For 43 years he was a professor and directed the department of social work at Howard University in D.C., retiring in 2015.
He also chaired the Social Service Commission during the Baltimore City administrations of Mayors Kurt Schmoke and Martin O’Malley. More about Jim Craigen at https://boltonhillmd.org/bulletin/neighbors-2/
Two farmers’ markets are nearby on Wednesdays and Thursdays
There are two farmers’ markets lately serving the area on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. The newest, at Pearlstone Park (1364 Cathedral St.) on Thursdays next to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, opened in July with a dairy truck, vegetable stand, fruits from an orchard and an egg and flower vendor. Labor Day week, however, only the egg and flower lady and a candle vendor were present. According to their Instagram account, they are recruiting more vendors and hope to be open year-round.
In Druid Hill Park near the Rawlings Arboretum, a 3-7 p.m. Wednesday market more consistently has had a Caribbean food truck, vegetables, crafts, fruits and other goods. Typically, they end their season in late Sept. or early Oct.
Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church is fundraising to bring Cubans to Bolton Hill
The Cuba Partnership Committee at Brown Memorial Presbyterian church is fundraising to bring members of its Cuban partner church for a visit to Baltimore.
Brown Memorial members have been visiting the church in Camajuaní for years, but a key aspect of the partnership is reciprocal visits between the congregations. The committee hopes to raise around $4,000 to obtain visas and travel to Baltimore for their Cuban counterparts.
As a thank you gift, donations of $35 or more receive a set of notecards illustrated with scenes from the church garden in Camajuaní. For more information, contact Sarah Ramirez Cross.
About The Bulletin….
We’re back! The Bolton Hill Bulletin is published monthly except for July and August. It is designed by Elizabeth Peters. We invite others to help write, edit, provide photos or work on the business side. Send suggestions and comments to bulletin@boltonhillmd.org. Contributors this month were, among others, Sarah Ramirez Cross, Charlie Duff, Doug Kelso, Marc Huete, Sallye Perrin, Jim Prost, Lee Tawney, Susan Van Buren and Stacy Wells. Paula Jackson is our proofreader, but errors and omissions are the responsibility of the editor, Bill Hamilton.
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