This summer husband and wife Aaron Pratt and Jessica Kampahaus, and their dog Phil, moved from Austin, Texas, to the 1200 block of Bolton Street. Pratt accepted the position of Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Early Books and Prints at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., prompting their move to the East Coast. Rather than live in D.C., the couple chose Baltimore because both Pratt and Kampahaus previously visited friends in the area, and, according to Pratt, “Baltimore is rad.”
Living close to Penn Station was a priority because Pratt would commute by MARC to his work at the Folger. According to Kampahaus, Bolton Hill was ideal “because it is logistically close to the train, the architecture is beautiful, the trees and gardens are lovely, and it is a contained community but not isolated from the city. In addition, the house we found is not super big and is manageable for the two of us.”
She continued, “What has surprised us was the extraordinary kindness and generosity of spirit of the community. Aaron moved here first, and every day he would tell me about the new neighbors he had met. When I joined him, we met more people when we walked our dog. The Bolton Hill community has been so welcoming, and we are so glad to be here.”
Prior to moving to Baltimore, Pratt was the curator of pre-1701 literature at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin. He specializes in bibliography, the history of books, and the literature and culture of early modern England, especially drama. Kampahaus has spent 13 years in public education and now teaches 8th-grade English and Literacy at Lakeland Elementary and Middle School in Baltimore City.
The couple enjoys local food, movies at the Charles Theater, and the punk music scene. They are continuing to run an online and pop-up vintage book business called Sleeper Books, which they started in Austin. Pratt and Kampahaus enjoyed their first Festival on the Hill and were especially impressed with the book sale. “The quality of the books at the First Edition pre-sale party and the at the Festival was so high. We bought books for ourselves and for our business,” Adam said. Their next pop-up is scheduled for Oct. 18th at R. House in Remington.
–Sallye Perrin
