Baltimore Alley House Study Phase 1

Joint Community Planning and Historic Preservation Studio University of Maryland Fall 2017 Baltimore Alley House Study Phase 1 University of Maryland Joint Community Planning and Historic Preservation Studio HISP 650/URSP 708 Fall 2017

Studio Instructors Professor Lee Edgecombe, AIA, AICP Professor Jeremy Wells, Ph.D.

Studio Team Partner Institutions Iryna Bondarenko Juan Castro Cerdas Jamesha Gibson Ridhima Mehrotra Jack Narron Abidemi Olafusi Meagan Pickens Andrew Seguin For more information, please contact: Nayo Shell Professor Jeremy Wells Holly Simmons Historic Preservation Program Hadassah Vargas University of Maryland, College Park [email protected] Cover photo courtesy Ridhima Mehrotra (301) 405-2176

ii Acknowledgments We would like to thank the following individuals for their insight and assistance with Phase 1 of the Baltimore Alley House Study: Willie Graham, Architectural Historian Amanda Apple, Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) Melissa Archer, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Tiffany Davis, DHCD Carlton Eley, United States Environmental Protection Agency Martin French, City of Baltimore Planning Department Eric Holcomb, Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation Peter Kurtze, MHT

iii Executive Summary This report, prepared as part of a joint studio between graduate students in the Master of Community Planning and the Master of Historic Preservation programs at the University of Maryland, College Park, for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), and the City of Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), seeks to answer the following questions: •• What is an alley house? •• How many alley houses exist in the City of Baltimore, and where are they located? •• What is the best method for determining the fate of these buildings?

The impetus for this report was the inhabited by poor and working-class alley houses in Baltimore. To determine implementation of Project C.O.R.E. people from diverse backgrounds; which alley houses or groups of alley houses (Creating Opportunities for Renewal and • small, affordable house offering the should be rehabilitated, demolished, or Enterprise), a Maryland state initiative possibility of homeownership to those stabilized as part of Project C.O.R.E., we begun in 2016 which, in part, seeks for whom it might not otherwise be an recommend that a three-part scoring to demolish abandoned, derelict, and option; system be implemented during Phase 2 dilapidated buildings in Baltimore. • a point of pride for many owners; of this study: a building condition survey, • rowhouse opening onto a narrow an objective significance score reflecting This report constitutes Phase 1 of a two- street that fosters a strong sense of historical and architectural value, and phase study of Baltimore’s alley houses. community by serving as a social space a neighborhood resident survey. We Phase 2 will be a contemporary survey of for residents. The physical intimacy of further recommend averaging the building Baltimore’s alley houses, to be performed alleys has placed these spaces in a grey condition survey and objective significance during Spring 2018. Based on a review of area between public and private for the scores and creating a database of all alley relevant literature and interviews with people who inhabit them. house groups so groups can be examined stakeholders, we arrive at the following individually and comparatively, using scores definition of an alley house: We find that Baltimore’s alley houses have derived from the resident survey to confirm • vernacular building, typically one or two historically provided affordable housing for or deny the results of the building condition stories tall, approximately 12 feet (two the city’s working class. Alleys in other areas and objective significance scores. We bays) wide, and 20 to 30 feet deep; of the country and the world also serve as recommend using the Survey123 for ArcGIS located on inner-block streets that are commercially and residentially viable spaces, application to record field work data. To 30 feet wide or less, including sidewalks; outlined as case studies in this report. gain community input on this process, we • constructed from the late eighteenth recommend that a charrette be conducted century until approximately 1909, and Using ArcGIS software, we located 3,918 over the course of five to seven days. iv Baltimore Alley House Study This page was intentionally left blank.

Baltimore Alley House Study v Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 8

Chapter 2: History 16

Introduction...... 17 Scholarly Literature Review...... 18 Grey Literature Review...... 28 History of the Demolition of Baltimore’s Alley Houses...... 35

Chapter 3: Case Studies 38

Introduction...... 39 Jewelers’ Row, Philadelphia...... 40 Blagden Alley and Naylor Court, Washington, DC...... 41 The Mews of Portman Estate, London...... 43 Conclusions and Recommendations...... 44

Chapter 4: Survey & Recording Methodologies 46

Introduction...... 47 Building Assessment...... 48 Electronic Data Recording Method...... 61 Resident assessment...... 62 Conclusion...... 69 vi Chapter 5: Community Outreach Strategy 70

Introduction...... 71 Proposed Charrette Strategy...... 74

Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations 80

Technical Appendices 84

Appendix 1: Definitions of Alley Houses...... 85 Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms...... 88 Appendix 3: Alley House Typologies...... 90 Appendix 4: Description of Grey Literature...... 92 Appendix 5: Plans That Impact and/or Address Alley Houses.. 99 Appendix 6: Interview Methodology...... 100 Appendix 7: Building Condition Survey Material...... 107 Appendix 8: Alley House Identification Process...... 116 Appendix 9: Maps...... 118

vii Chapter 1 Introduction

8 Introduction According to the historian Mary Ellen Hayward, no city in the United States has had a longer history of building “small houses on narrow alley streets” than Baltimore. Hayward, who performed a survey of Baltimore alley houses for the Maryland Historical Trust in the late 1990s that later informed her book, Baltimore’s Alley Houses: Homes for Working People since the 1780s, claims that there are more extant alley houses in Baltimore than any other city in the United States. Nearly twenty years after Hayward’s original survey and in the context of a state initiative that directly impacts the future of alley houses, this topic deserves revisiting. This report, prepared as part of a joint studio between graduate students in the Master of Community Planning and the Master of Historic Preservation programs at the University of Maryland, College Park, for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), and the City of Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), seeks to answer the following questions: • What is an alley house? • How many alley houses exist in the City of Baltimore, and where are they located? • What is the best method for determining the fate of these buildings?

Much of the work done for this report has stakeholders, we arrived at the following • rowhouse opening onto a narrow relied on the development of an operational definition: street that fosters a strong sense of definition of an alley house. In this report, Alley house, n. community by serving as a social space we use the phrase “alley house” in its • vernacular building, typically one or two for residents. The physical intimacy of technical, academic sense, realizing that stories tall, approximately 12 feet (two alleys has placed these spaces in a grey some inhabitants of these buildings find bays) wide, and 20 to 30 feet deep; area between public and private for the such a term pejorative. We wish to make located on inner-block streets that are people who inhabit them. it clear that our use of this term is not 30 feet wide or less, including sidewalks; meant to indicate disrespect in any way, • constructed from the late eighteenth Using these criteria will allow future but instead recognizes that “alley house” century until approximately 1909, and researchers and practitioners to make clear is both the official term used by the clients inhabited by poor and working-class distinctions between what is and what is for this report, as well as the term used in people from diverse cultural and racial not an alley house. For more extensive the literature we surveyed. Incorporating backgrounds; information on what defines an alley house, objective characteristics, cultural history, • small, affordable house offering the see Appendix 1 (page 81). and contemporary meanings held by possibility of home ownership to those members of the community gleaned for whom it might not otherwise be The clients have also received a geographic from the academic and professional (or an option; a point of pride for many information system (GIS) shapefile with the “grey”) literature and interviewing local owners; Baltimore Alley House Study 9 locations of all extant alley houses identified. In the shapefile’s attribute table, we populated relevant fields for which information currently exists, and included blank fields to be populated during Phase 2 of this study. Additional information regarding specific fields in the attribute table can be found in the shapefile’s metadata.

Extant Baltimore Alley Houses, By the Numbers Elements of this alley house definition (most importantly, street width) enabled us to identify the alley houses still existing in Baltimore. With this definition, we performed a spatial analysis based on parcel frontage and street width criteria to identify all possible alley houses. We then visually cross-referenced the results of our spatial analysis with Google Street View and Google Earth (for further information, see Appendix 8 on page 112)

The results of this analysis are below. “Alley house group” refers to a contiguous group of alley housing units sharing party walls. In some instances, past demolitions of one or two alley houses in the middle of a contiguous group have led to the creation of two smaller alley house groups where there was previously an intact group. “Alley house building” refers to an individual alley housing unit. For reference, we compare our numbers with those from Mary Ellen Hayward’s earlier MHT survey.1

Total Alley House Groups 727 MHT Survey Alley House Groups 407 Alley House Study, Phase 1 Groups 320 Total Alley House Buildings 3918 Alley House Groups With at Least 1 Vacant Lot 88 (12%) MHT Survey Alley House Groups 87 Alley House Study, Phase 1 Groups 1 Alley Houses with Full Addresses 98% Alley Houses with Year Built Data 85%

1. For More information on the limitations of our data, please see page 13.

10 Baltimore Alley House Study Baltimore’s Alley Houses

Baltimore Alley House Study 11 Why This Report? Why Now? the current status of the city’s alley houses. involving stakeholders in this process, Part of the Project C.O.R.E. mitigation and case studies of successful alley and The impetus for this report was the agreement specifically stipulates that rowhouse neighborhoods which can inform implementation of Project C.O.R.E. DHCD “fund a study to evaluate the current stabilization efforts. The information (Creating Opportunities for Renewal and conditions and feasibility of redeveloping presented here can prove useful in Enterprise), a Maryland state initiative alley housing in targeted areas of the City.” prioritizing demolition, stabilization, and begun in 2016 which, in part, seeks The study would build upon existing survey redevelopment decisions, and identifying to demolish abandoned, derelict, and data and historical research conducted alley house blocks bearing historic and dilapidated buildings in Baltimore. By law, through Hayward’s Baltimore Alley House cultural significance. While this report will all Maryland state units (in this case, the Project; it would culminate in an updated prove to be of most immediate use to City of Baltimore) are required to “ensure survey of Baltimore’s alley houses. Project C.O.R.E. decisionmakers, it will also that no property listed in or eligible to be be of interest to planners, preservationists, listed in the Historic Register inadvertently The contemporary survey of Baltimore’s advocates, and ordinary citizens interested transferred, sold, demolished, destroyed, alley houses is now planned for Spring 2018, in alley houses. substantially altered, or allowed to and is referred to throughout this report as deteriorate significantly” (§ 5A-326 (a)(2)), “Phase 2.” This report constitutes Phase 1 of Methodology through a process which closely mirrors the the alley house study, and the information federal government’s Section 106 process contained herein is intended to guide Phase To complete Phase 1 of this two-phase (36 CFR 800). 2. In this report, we chart the history of alley study, we used a variety of qualitative houses, identify remaining alley houses, methods. These methods included spatial Because some of the properties proposed and outline a process whereby it may be analysis, stakeholder interviews, case for demolition through Project C.O.R.E. determined which alley houses should be studies, and literature reviews. To determine were eligible for or listed in the National stabilized, demolished, or left as is. We base the number of alley houses still existing Register of Historic Places, avenues for this alley house prioritization process on the in Baltimore City, we performed a spatial mitigating adverse effects were outlined in following three criteria: analysis using data provided by the MHT a programmatic agreement among DHCD, and publicly available data provided by MHT, and the Mayor and City Council • The significance of a building Baltimore City on Open Baltimore Beta (i.e., of Baltimore. It was believed that much (architectural, historical, and data.baltimorecity.gov).1 We conducted of Baltimore’s alley housing had been sociocultural) stakeholder interviews and analyzed demolished during the later half of the • The current physical state of the them using a qualitative methodology, twentieth century and into the twenty-first; building producing themes that informed our however, because no conclusive definition • The potential for the rehabilitation of “alley house” definition and subsequent of an “alley house” existed, and thus no the building tracking of these buildings’ demolition had We also present recommendations for 1. For a detailed methodology describing the process used to identi- occurred, it proved difficult to determine fy alley houses with ArcGIS software, see Appendix 8 (page 108). 12 Baltimore Alley House Study PROJECT LIMITATIONS may not meet this criterion. For example, and philanthropic organizations) and sought Spatial Analysis we know that some alley houses were built to interview stakeholders from throughout MHT provided a shapefile of the alley house after 1909 according to tax assessors’ data. the city. Over the course of three weeks, groups surveyed in Hayward’s original alley To create a shapefile that conforms to our we performed eleven interviews. After house project. In the years since this earlier definition, we considered eliminating groups conducting interviews in teams of two to MHT survey, some alley houses have been in which the oldest house was built after three students, we aggregated our sample demolished. We were able to locate these 1909. However, we decided not to eliminate and found that all eleven interviewees vacant parcels using Baltimore City’s open these houses from our final count for the were male, only one was a person of color data, and we attempted to eliminate these following reason. Our shapefile locates (African American), and some alley house parcels from our final count. This, however, groups of alley houses, and we find that neighborhoods were strongly represented presented technical problems. In ArcGIS, we individual alley houses in a contiguous group (e.g., those in Fells Point) while others were able to disaggregate the alley house may have been built at different points were not represented at all (e.g., those in groups to the individual building level. We in time. However, the year built data is Southwest Baltimore and in Middle East). were then able to eliminate alley house incomplete. There are some groups in which Because of the short amount of time buildings which had been torn down. In all houses with year built data were built allocated to the interview process, it proved our attempts to re-aggregate the individual after 1909, but many contain one or more difficult to coordinate effectively between buildings back to groups, though, we lost houses for which no year built information is teams, which appears to have compromised all of the data provided to us in the MHT available. We cannot say for certain whether the inclusion of a more diverse range of shapefile for all but approximately 100 the houses without this information were participants. groups. Ultimately, it was not possible to built before or after 1909. Because this data assess the vacancy of the 407 MHT groups is incomplete and tax assessors’ year built This experience provides as an important without losing most of the MHT data in the data is less reliable for older houses, we lesson on actively furthering inclusive process. Therefore, we decided to maintain decided to present this information intact techniques. We could, and should, have used the MHT alley house groups as they were in the attribute table of the alley house a more coordinated approach to ensure presented to us, and to assess vacancy for shapefile provided to this report’s clients. a diverse and representative sample. As a only the the new alley house groups that result of these limitations, the interviews we identified. Because of this, our final alley Stakeholder interviews conducted for this report may not provide house group count contains 88 alley house Time and logistical constraints limited a comprehensive view of stakeholder groups (12%) with one or more vacant lots. the number of interviews conducted. We thoughts and concerns regarding the identified a range of possible interviewees physical, socio-cultural, and historic qualities Although this report defines an alley house representing various levels of community of Baltimore’s alley houses. However, with in part based on its year built (we write that involvement (community leaders, political a clear understanding of their limitations, alley houses were constructed from the leaders/policymakers/state and local these interviews still present valuable late eighteenth century until approximately employees; residents, civic organizations information. 1909), some alley houses in our final count and community associations; and nonprofit

Baltimore Alley House Study 13 chapters. We conducted brief case studies alley house condition, determining to understand the ways in which alleys Structure of the report the houses’ objective and subjective and alley houses have been used in other significance, and recording collected data parts of the country and the world, and we In chapter 2, we draw on professional via mobile application. Chapter 5 makes photographically documented examples and academic literature to understand recommendations for community outreach of alley houses in Baltimore to better existing knowledge of alley houses’ and involvement. We pay particular understand the local context. Throughout cultural and historical significance, existing attention to engaging individuals who have the process, we reviewed relevant literature, conditions, and possible future in the traditionally been marginalized in planning drawing on information and data from a fabric of Baltimore. Chapter 3 presents processes, highlighting possible ways that variety of sources (technical documents, case studies for sustainably redeveloping Project C.O.R.E. can utilize bottom-up case studies, gray literature, and empirical alley houses, exploring the successful, processes to achieve greater equity. Finally, research, for example), which helped us contemporary uses of alleys in the U.S. chapter 6 offers conclusions and overall to determine best practices, preferred and abroad. In chapter 4, we provide recommendations on implementing Phase 2 outcomes, and informed recommendations technical documents intended to facilitate of this project. during each section of our study. the implementation of Phase 2 of this project. We outline methods for surveying

Dover Street, Ridgely’s Delight (Photograph Courtesy Holly Simmons)

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Baltimore Alley House Study 15 Chapter 2 History

16 Introduction

Jasper Street, Seton Hill (photograph courtesy Jack Narron)

Alley Houses in Baltimore have had a rich and vibrant history over the course of two centuries, serving as a shelter to many different people who have called Baltimore home. In this chapter, the history of alley houses is examined in three different ways. The first is through a scholarly literature review, in the form of books and journal articles detailing history of alley houses and their associations were analyzed; the second was through a grey literature review, which was conducted through analysis of professional reports and surveys; and the last section is through a focused study on the demolition history of alley houses in Baltimore, which better informs us of what is left after nearly a century of developmental change within the city. These three sections provide a detailed and multifaceted understanding of the significance of alley houses and their place within the broader context of the history of Baltimore as a whole.

Baltimore Alley House Study 17 Scholarly Literature Review

The purpose of this section is to gather and programs. This helped us gain a better on both sides. Hayward describes an alley scholarly information on the history and understanding of how alley houses have street as “little streets” or lanes influenced current life of alley houses. The primary been redeveloped in recent years. by English provincial towns narrow streets geographic location is Baltimore, specifically called “mews”.2 Historically, Baltimore’s its alleys and the houses within them. The Life in Alleys alley houses were colorfully named; themes discussed in this section are as In this section we looked at the people examples include Apple Alley, Petticoat follows: who lived, and still live, in alley houses Alley, Strawberry Alley and Star Alley. Early and what makes these alleys unique. We alley streets in Baltimore first took shape Genesis and Evolution of Alleys focused specifically on the living conditions, in Fells Point, then spread to the West side This section details the history of alley resident lifestyle/experiences, and activity of the harbor and eventually to other parts houses, with a particular focus on the patterns of alley communities. This theme of Baltimore. The houses built along these architectural design and aesthetics of is not constrained to one timeframe of alley alley ways, usually in brick, with two or three these spaces. This section also details the houses but focuses on the whole lifespan of floors are called alley houses. Alley houses socioeconomic composition of alley house alley houses. can be visually defined as houses which neighborhoods. Another key point for this share their party walls with the adjacent theme was to look at the socio-economic Definition of an Alley House houses, packed together in a row only pattern of alley house lifestyles. having their front and back exposed. Before defining an alley house, the reviewed The Fall of Alleys literature in this paper emphasizes the need Genesis and Evolution of Alleys There are many factors that contributed of defining an alley street. According to to the fall of alley houses. Key factors DHCD, the definition of alley house is based In the United States, Baltimore witnessed examined include segregation, on the characteristics of the street rather the most extensive history of construction abandonment, and demolition. than its architectural style, as dwellings in of alley houses. Alley house construction the style of alley houses can be found on began in the late 18th Century and Redevelopment of Alleys main streets.1 An alley street is defined as continued into the 20th Century, while In this section, we looked at the processes a narrow passage between 12 to 16 feet Philadelphia stopped building them after and steps that were taken to redevelop wide with sidewalks four feet wide each the Civil War and Washington started alley houses, as well as aspects of alley greening, infrastructural development, 1. Alley Houses 1987. Department of Housing and Community 2. Hayward, Mary Ellen. Baltimore’s Alley Houses: Homes for Work- conversion, and the role of housing policies Development, Research and Analysis Section. Baltimore: DHCD, ing People Since the 1780s. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University 1988. Press, 2008. 18 Baltimore Alley House Study constructing them only after the beginning were at the rear. The second floor consisted comprising kitchens. Many of them also of Civil War.3 The present literature tries to of bedrooms, two in the back building and had a back building which usually housed a capture the alley house styles by arranging one facing the main block.6 kitchen.9 them in three typologies based on their overall dimension- width, depth and With the rise of industrialization, an Formally, this typology has been mentioned height. These houses are also classified industrial working class emerged, many as- houses “two bays wide and one room by their architectural elements, including of whom immigrated to Baltimore from deep” and “two bays wide and two rooms ornamentation, facades, and interior Europe and surrounding rural areas deep.”10 The former type was built to detailing. These features were continuously looking for jobs. Between 1870 and 1900, accommodate the poorest laboring people, introduced by the diverse immigrant Baltimore’s population nearly doubled, the free black population, and independent groups in Baltimore that brought along the resulting in a severe shortage of affordable slaves. Some were only one and a half essences of their native architecture. housing. This drove the construction of stories in height and had a width between small row houses along alleys rather than 10.5 to 12 feet, with a kitchen adding an In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Baltimore the main streets.7 Unlike the grand houses additional story, although kitchens were saw the construction of fashionable and which involved an architect’s vision, these not necessarily present in all of them. It had elegant row houses which were owned by houses were constructed by local builders stairs tightly winded next to the partition wealthy merchants. They had a grandeur and craftsmen. The houses were ordinary wall between the parlor and the kitchen. in their style, were very spacious, and were in design with simple beams of rectangular The interior construction was modest with generally three and a half stories tall.4 These cross sections and plain woodwork. plain mantels, windows and doors.11 Smaller row houses are referred to as “three bays Nonetheless, a few of these houses did have houses had a very steep, high pitched gable wide and two rooms deep.”5 They have a elegant and rich interior work with fan- roof due to their one room depth, with a width between 18 and 30 feet and depth lighted doorways.8 dormer window and kitchen on the rear. between 30 and 40 feet, with kitchen almost 14 by 20 feet housed with a dining Fells Point saw the construction of the Frame house construction discontinued space in a high basement. The basement city’s first alley houses. These houses were after 1799 due to fires. The abundant supply was high to include the kitchen, which influenced by English colonial architecture. of affordable bricks in Baltimore made brick would otherwise be accommodated in the They were simple, constructed in wood or structures popular after the turn of the back building with a family breakfast room. ordinary bricks that required painting, had 19th Century.12 Houses had their front and There was a side hall which ran the full one or two rooms of depth, two to two and rear walls built with double width masonry length of the main block with doors opening a half stories height, and high basements and partition walls in single masonry. The in the front and rear of the house and stairs houses followed a Georgian-style brick

6. Ibid, 20. 3. Ibid. 7. Fee, Elizabeth, Linda Shopes, and Linda Zeidman. The Baltimore 9. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses. 4. Ibid. Book: New Views of Local History. Philadelphia: Temple University 10. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 20. 5. Hayward, Mary Ellen, and Charles Belfoure. The Baltimore Row- Press, 1991. 11. Ibid, 21. house. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2001, 19. 8. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 19. 12. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses

Baltimore Alley House Study 19 façade. The houses with three and a half elegantly designed doorways.15 architecture became trendy in Baltimore floors were laid in Flemish bonds, the with the introduction of cast iron in elevation of these houses had elegant To access the backyards of these lots, a ornamentation. Three-bay-wide alley houses proportions, heavy moldings, multipaned passageway was designed called a “sally were decorated with elaborate cornices and windows, chimneys, and interior woodwork port,” or an arched tunnel between the their friezes were adorned with brackets finishing. After the mid-1820s, the common houses. Prior to 1840, water was not bearing jigsaw design. Two-bay-wide houses bond brickwork replaced the Flemish bond supplied via indoor plumbing systems but also imitated these elevation details, on the front face; however it was already was rather drawn from hand pumps. Rich especially the frieze boards.18 being used for smaller houses, in cellars, people had their own water hydrant in their and in the party walls. Use of this brick yards.16 Steam-powered production in factories bond declined after 1830 and running bond made carving elaborate patterns affordable became common on main facades. The Another wave of housing construction to the middle class. Wood, marble stone, quality of bricks was very ordinary then.13 began in 1840s when Irish immigrants came and metal were steam sawed to be used for Window and door openings had simple flat to Baltimore. Their houses were inspired embellishment.19 timber sill and lintels. In some cases, jack by Greek forms, resulting in a more formal arches and segmental arches were also used look. During this time, alley houses became After 1892, rowhouses were modified to as lintels for both openings. Dutch style taller, the pitch of the roofs was lowered remove wooden cornices and replace sash windows were used in the early houses. allowing the addition of an attic floor, them with metal sheets to protect from After the War of 1812, stone or stucco also and narrow windows replaced dormant fire hazards. This was the beginning of became common as it provided a more windows. This new house type came to be the “Renaissance Revival Period” when elegant finish than brick.14 known as a “two-story-and-attic” due to neocolonial details emerged on the its taller attic with low-pitched roof. The façades.20 There was a great fire in 1904 The builders and craftsmen designed these wealthy could afford higher-quality entrance after which building materials saw a shift to houses in a Georgian English style with porticos with stone columns, whereas the ironspot bricks and classic marble houses.21 Philadelphian influence as they moved from working class settled for a door pediment “Marble house” was the selling name for Philadelphia to Baltimore with its growing and pilasters on door sides. White or the neoclassical type row houses built in construction demand. These houses are gray paint was also seen on the façade to two-story version.22 Bricks were corbelled referred by Belfoure and Hayward as imitate stone. The houses built in this style to create the lower frieze with side brackets “Federal Style rows,” an evolved American are mentioned as “Greek Revival Row” by that supported metal crown molding. version of Georgian English style, identified Belfoure and Hayward.17 by their narrow, tall windows, Flemish 18. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses, 2008. bond brick work, stone sills and lintels and By 1880s, Italianate style Romantic-era 19. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 21. 20. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses, 2008. 21. Hayward, Mary Ellen., and Frank R. Shivers. The Architecture of 15. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses, 2008. Baltimore: an Illustrated History. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University 13. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 21. 16. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 21. Press, 2004, 258. 14. Ibid. 17. Ibid. 22. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 21.103. 20 Baltimore Alley House Study Windows on the first floors became wider styles were influenced by medieval London. alleys for housing.29 Lots already utilized with an arched lintel. Superior quality roman Though they lagged behind in the race to for street-facing buildings were subdivided bricks were used and the basement face and match themselves in style and fashion with further, with the intent of using the alley- entrance steps were cladded with marble. the rest of the world, they still managed facing section of the lots for additional Windows had a large single piece of glass. to enjoy the art and design of that era. dwellings. These alley-facing homes tended Door transoms that ventilated the house According to Belfoure and Hayward, the to be in the most densely populated were decorated with stained glass.23 The most intriguing thing about alley houses sections of the city, and may initially have interior of the two-story houses opened built from 1880 and 1915 is that even being been a mixture of both planned houses, up, allowing formal, straight flight staircases small and affordable, they highlighted style and shanty-style houses, hastily erected by which resulted in windowless rooms in and fashion in their form.28 freedmen or others who needed housing the center.24 By the 1950s, stucco veneer quickly.30 In places like Mount Carmel, PA, products became quite popular as façade By the mid-1900s, alley houses began the building of alley houses was prompted cladding for their stone imitation for those to face sanitation and living condition by the unwillingness of the industrial who did not have their houses built in spot issues. When middle-income families companies to develop workforce housing. iron bricks.25 and other wealthy people chose to move Property owners began to subdivide their out to the suburbs and the building and lots and build alley houses to either rent or Other significant additions to these houses state mandates required that daylight sell. As a result, by 1913, 18 percent of Mount included indoor bathrooms, gas lighting, design factor in houses, developers were Carmel’s residential structures were alley central heating plants in the basements, concerned that the construction of more houses.31 and stoves in the kitchens. Middle-income alley houses would lead to regulatory residents were able to afford new sewage difficulties. Economic considerations played a large part systems and indoor bathrooms only after in the rise of alley houses. Pre-Civil War, 1911.26 In 1912, the longest row of houses was By the middle of the middle of the there were roughly 49 inhabited alleys in seen in the 2600 block of Wilkens Avenue, 19th Century, American cities were fast Washington D.C. documented, although it which is now a registered historic district.27 becoming “pedestrian” cities, where is likely that there were many more in so- inhabitants’ mode of transportation for called “hidden alleys.” By 1873, this number From the late 1700s until the mid 1900s, work, pleasure and errands was primarily had jumped to 500, following an influx alley houses went through a journey of walking. As a result, the population tended of roughly 48,000 people in the decade various architecture styles and building to choose to live as close to the places materials and many of the origins of these that they frequented as possible. This 29. Borcher, James. “The Rise and Fall of Washington’s Inhabited Al- began to strain the spatial limits of the city, leys: 1852-1972”. http://www.jstor.org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/ stable/pdf/40067777.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Ae6e827b9c2f368f11b- 23. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses, 2008. necessitating an expansion of the use of 351f989b881141 24. Hayward and Belfoure, The Baltimore Rowhouse, 102. 30. Ibid. 25 Ibid, 118. 31. Mosher, Anne E. and Holdsworth, Deryck W. “The Meaning of Al- 26. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses, 2008. ley Housing in Industrial Towns: Examples from Late-Nineteenth and 27 Hayward and Shivers. The Architecture of Baltimore: an Illustrat- Early-Twentieth Century Pennsylvania.” https://media-proquest-com. ed History. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004, 259. 28. Ibid, 106. proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/media.

Baltimore Alley House Study 21 prior.32 Urban land had begun to see a shift century on, and by 1913, fewer owners occupations—barbering, brickmaking, in value, from traditional homeowner use to of alley property lived even in the same or shopkeeping—living alongside the income use.33 The system of “ground rent”, block as the property they owned, and in “unskilled” laborers.39 For most of the where a land speculator or developer paid Washington D.C., only 15 alley houses were 19th Century, it appears, Baltimore was a small amount to the owner of the land owned by their occupants.37 remarkably progressive in terms of housing in order to be able to build, contributed opportunities and living conditions for the to the affordability of alley homes. The The alley houses began to be more working-class families who occupied alley main leaseholder might construct a row largely segregated, as well, by the end streets. home on the street-facing side, while they of the nineteenth century. According to subleased the back portion for a term of Washington D.C. census data, by 1871 81 The Fall of Alleys ninety-nine years. In turn, homes would percent of heads of household in alley be built on that back, alley-facing portion, homes were African American, while only As already covered in the previous section, which could be rented or financed.34 The 19 percent were White. From 1858 to 1871, alley houses represent an important part landowner secured a steady income from in Washington D.C., 56 percent of African of Baltimore’s housing and development the rent on the land, and developers were Americans living in alley homes were history, and comprise a significant share able to build small, affordable homes that unskilled laborers, with 25 percent being of the city’s total housing supply as well. In could be rented or financed to immigrants classified as semi-skilled. 61 percent of white fact, in 2000 row houses represented 58 and other working-class families.35 Baltimore residents of alley homes were listed as percent of Baltimore’s total housing stock.40 was different from other cities that used unskilled, and 5 percent as semi-skilled. 18 Therefore, the decline of alley houses in alleys for residential purposes in that percent of white residents in Washington Baltimore is closely tied to the general homeownership was the norm among those D.C. alley homes were listed as “skilled.”38 decline of housing that the city suffered living in the alley homes, while in other cities In Baltimore, it was not until the 1880s during the 20th Century. Factors like such as Washington D.C.,36 alleys tended to that alley homes began to be primarily residential segregation, racial and economic be overcrowded, with landlords charging occupied by African Americans, with separation, and abandonment of housing ever-increasing rents for dilapidated homes concentrations in Fells Point and Federal help explain the decay of housing in the city, that sometimes housed more than one Hill. In 1882, approximately 31 percent of including alley houses. family. This continued from the mid-19th all alley house residents were common laborers, with an additional 16% working as It seems to be a consensus among scholars 32. Borcher, “The Rise and Fall of Washington’s Inhabited Alleys.” oyster shuckers. It was more likely however that the introduction of residential 33. Shammas, Carole. “The Space Problem in Early United States Cities”. http://www.jstor.org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/stable/ to see a mixture of workers in Baltimore’s segregation ordinances in Baltimore during pdf/2674264.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Ae985e60569e035565e92cb- alley homes, with occupants working in the early 20th Century represents a major, 63b2c8ce25 34. Power, Garrett. “Entail in Two Cities: A Comparative Study of jobs such as education, nursing, or skilled Long Term Leases in Birmingham, England and Baltimore, Maryland 1700-1900”. 39. Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses. 35. Hayward, Mary Ellen. Baltimore’s Alley Houses. Johns Hopkins 40. Hollander, Justin; Johnson, Michael; Drew, Rachel “Changing University Press, Baltimore. 2008. 37. Borcher, “The Rise and Fall of Washington’s Inhabited Alleys.” Urban Form in a Shrinking City”. University of Massachusetts Boston, 36. Power, “Entail in two Cities.” 38 Ibid. 2017. 22 Baltimore Alley House Study if not the most important, factor for the tenements for three or four families. the general abandoned-housing problem housing decline in Baltimore. On May 15, Furthermore, even though the migration specifically in the city of in Baltimore, as 1911, Baltimore mayor J. Barry Mahool of White families to outer Baltimore during well as the challenges involved in trying signed an ordinance mandating that blocks the 1920s improved the crowding in Black to rehabilitate housing in the city. Cohen be exclusively comprised of Whites or housing, the quality problem remained. examined this issue in the Harlem Park, African Americans41 According to Power, Power mentions that a 1933 study found Sandtown-Winchester, and East Baltimore the segregation ordinances in Baltimore that the “blighted” areas in Baltimore were neighborhoods.45 These neighborhoods had the important effect of limiting the primarily comprised of African-American were first settled in the late 1800s, and overall housing supply available for the residents. The blighted term was used while the first two were mainly middle-class burgeoning African American population.42 for those areas whose dwellings’ physical suburbs with two story alley houses and Segregation resulted in higher prices on conditions were below the standard for three-story rowhouses on main streets, African Americans’ housing as well as a rehabilitation. The study mentioned that the latter served primarily as a home for deterioration on the housing conditions. these areas received few municipal services: manufacturing, port, and railroad workers. Power explains that new housing was garbage and refuse were not collected, Cohen also notes how exclusionary financed largely by building and loan and even many houses lacked proper zoning made these neighborhoods almost associations created by immigrant groups connection to the city’s sewer system.43 exclusively African American by the early and labor unions that refused to extend 1970s.46 credit to black residents. Therefore, Black Segregation was not the only factor that residents had little or no loan options for contributed to the decline of Baltimore’s According to Cohen, two important factors financing housing. Thus, the increase in housing stock. Even though residential contributed to the physical and economic demand and the very limited supply resulted segregation rules remained unchanged decline of these neighborhoods: the loss in higher prices for blacks seeking to either for many years, the population growth of of manufacturing jobs in Baltimore and the buy or rent. Black residents in Baltimore increased from fair housing laws that allowed middle- and 142,000 to 326,000 between 1930 and 1960. upper- income black residents to emigrate Moreover, Power also argues that the low This factor added to the above-mentioned from the inner-city areas. As already supply and the few financial alternatives overcrowding of African American residents mentioned, most of the alley houses Black forced black residents to crowd together in the limited supply available to them.44 residents’ occupations were tied to the in order to pay for high rents, which had a More people lived in the same supply of main economic activities in inner Baltimore, negative impact on the quality of housing houses, which caused the houses to start especially port and manufacturing jobs. in black neighborhoods. In some cases, being neglected. However, as the economy of the City even small alley houses were turned into started to abandon these activities and On the other hand, James Cohen studied

41. Baltimore, Maryland Ordinance 692. 45. Cohen, James. “Abandoned Housing: Exploring Lessons from 42. Power, Garrett. “Apartheid Style: the Residential Segregation Baltimore”. Housing Policy Debate, Volume 12, Issue 3. Fannie Mae Ordinances of 1910-1913” Maryland Law Review, Volume 42, Issue 2, 43. Ibid. Foundation, 2001 Article 4, 1983 44. Ibid. 46. Ibid.

Baltimore Alley House Study 23 move towards other ones, particularly in others deteriorated after their elderly deteriorating alley houses. They crowded the second part of the 20th Century, black owners died. In addition, many landlords in the small houses and living conditions, as workers in the area had more problems abandoned their rowhouses when they well as the houses’ conditions, continued to finding a job, and thus a way to pay for rent. stopped being profitable. Langdon explains deteriorate. Cohen provides data supporting the decline that as houses were abandoned some of of the three studied neighborhoods.47 them started to be used for drug hangouts Redevelopment of Alleys Sandtown-Winchester saw a decline in or other illegal activities, which added to the its population from 30,000 in its peak to sense of housing decline.49 Following the population decline and around 10,300 by 1990. By the end of the abandonment of alley houses in the early same decade, 3,000 of the total 4,600 Stein pointed out a valid argument for an to mid-20th Century, alley house vacancy housing units needed rehabilitation or additional factor of the decline of alley became a critical issue in Baltimore. The demolition, which represents 65 percent houses, particularly in the inner harbor City responded to this issue in what of total units. In East Baltimore, a survey area of Baltimore. The authors describe Philip Langdon describes as “a pattern of conducted in 2000 found that 32 percent how the inner harbor was a bustling center reckless demolition practices and failed of the area’s total housing stock was vacant at the turn of the twentieth century, with rehabilitation plans.”52 He argues that there and unoccupiable. merchants and shipping companies doing should be more strategic redevelopment business around the port.50 Many of these and rehabilitation plans for alley houses. Hollander et al further note how shipping companies hired newly migrated Langdon suggests that the alley house economic factors influenced the decline Black residents. Thus, the area around the rehabilitation efforts should be focused on of Baltimore’s rowhouses.48 The authors inner harbor became home for many Black transitional neighborhoods with an up- explain how residents started to move residents during those years, in particular and-coming market and concentrations out from the high-density row house alley houses. The authors elaborate on how of employment, among other things. In neighborhoods to job-rich suburbs, as the inner harbor area was decimated after additions, he proposes that demolition of the urban manufacturing industry in the the Baltimore Fire in 1904.51 The shipping alley houses should focus on places that, Baltimore area started to shrink. Langdon industry moved to Locust Point, southwest after demolitions, would be large enough elaborates on the effect on neighborhoods of the inner harbor, after the Fire; and as for a redevelopment. Finally, Langdon of the constant flow of residents out of businesses and industries left the harbor, argues that cities like Baltimore and the city. He explains that as more residents black residents were restricted to the now Philadelphia, which have many vacant and continued to move out from inner areas, deteriorating alley houses, should enact the neighborhoods became poorer and policies and programs that balance the more crime-ridden. In turn, many houses 49. Langdon, Philip. “The Disappearing Rowhouse Neighborhoods of Baltimore and Philadelphia: What’s an Urbanist to Do?” Knight preservation of intact alley houses and the were sold to usually absent landlords, and Program Fellow Knight Program in Community Building at University of Miami School of Architecture. 2001. 50. Stein, Alexandra. “Mapping Residential Segregation in Baltimore 52. Philip Langdon, “The Disappearing Rowhouse Neighborhoods 47. Ibid. City”. Senior Thesis and Projects, Trinity College Digital Repository, of Baltiomore and Philadelphia: What’s an Urbanist to Do?” (Knight 48. Hollander, Johnson, and Drew, “Changing Urban Form in a 2011. Program in Community Building Final Report, University of Miami, Shrinking City.” 51. Ibid. 2001), 3-5. 24 Baltimore Alley House Study ambitious demolition and redevelopment of constitutes this process in their alleyways.55 space the alleys are occupying. Residents more deteriorated alley houses.53 of these spaces feel connected to their Life in Alleys community because of the closeness of Chronic alley house vacancy and the homes along the alleyway, and many dilapidation has led to health and safety Life in the alleyways of Baltimore can be houses have remained in the same family concerns. Citizens have worked within the understood by examining the existing for several generations. However, as the civic system to combat these problems. literature surrounding alleyways in the neighborhoods around them change and For example, residents of the Luzerne Mid-Atlantic and elsewhere. This literature are filled in with high-rise residential towers, and Glover Streets in the Patterson makes clear that alley housing has served new, more transient neighbors arrive. These Park neighborhood sought to create a different roles and clientele over its lifetime. neighbors soon discover the wonders of sustainable way to protect their alleys the roji but do not usually interact with the from crime, and to beautify the space. The In her article on alleys in Tokyo, Heide Imai longstanding residents. This adds to the residents concluded that the best way to defined a “liminal space” as “a place where feeling of the alleyways as interstitial spaces, achieve these goals was to gate off the boundaries dissolve.”56 This means that an as if they are connecting historic old Tokyo alleyways. This concept set a new precedent alleyway, (known as roji in Japanese), can with its modern version. The city of Tokyo for Baltimore City officials, because the city be understood as a place that straddles has recognized this and is trying to preserve code did not permit them to actively gate multiple different dimensions of city the roji which still exist in the city.58 off the alley right of way. The Luzerne and life. While some alleyways in Tokyo are Glover residents fought for and succeeded still in active use, they are increasingly While Tokyo may seem a world apart from in creating new legislation that would allow marginalized and left behind in an ever- Baltimore, its alleyways may show a path them to request that the City gate off the growing city, and thus occupy a role that is forward for mid-Atlantic cities attempting alleyways and give residents a sense of half present-day and half living history, and to preserve their own heritage and find safety and, subsequently, the ability to use give residents a window into the past that solutions for rising housing costs. Alleys their alley space freely for recreational can be hard to find in modern Tokyo.57 offer opportunities for the kind of human- activities.54 Today, Baltimore’s Alley Gating scale housing and living which is increasingly and Greening program is one of the two Alleyways also offer an unusual blend of being destroyed in Japan, and Baltimore programs in United States committed to private and public ownership, which can could see its alleys as a strategic asset to building and empowering communities. As leave visitors uncertain of the type of keep communities bound tightly together as part of the greening programs, alley house they were in the past. residents can propose and determine what 55. Joshua P. Newell, Mona Seymour, Thomas Yee, Jennifer Renteria, Domestically, alley houses were also an Travis Longcore, Jennifer R. Wolch,and Anne Shishkovsky, “Green 53. Ibid, 25. Alley Programs: Planning for a sustainable urban infrastructure?” integral part of Washington, D.C.’s history. 54. K. A. Herrod, “Creating New Urban Commons: A Baltimore Case Cities 31 (April 2013), 146 and 147. In the articles “The Surviving Cultural Study, Paper presented at the Sustaining Commons: Sustaining Our 56. Imai, Heide, “The liminal nature of alleyways: Understanding the Future, the Thirteenth Biennial Conference of the International As- alleyway roji as a ‘Boundary’ between past and present,” Cities: The sociation for the Study of the Commons, Hyderabad, India, January International Journal of Policy and Planning, 2013 2011. 57. Ibid. 58. Ibid.

Baltimore Alley House Study 25 Landscape of Washington’s Alleys,” by in residential uses of alley housing. By the The conditions in the alleys were also ripe Kim Prothro Williams, and “Alley Life 1970s, fewer than 200 households citywide for frequent social interaction, due to in Washington: An Analysis of 600 lived in alleys, and they were mostly middle- homogeneity of residents and proximity of Photographs,” by James Borchert, the class professionals living in Capitol Hill, space. Washington’s alleys were “defensible authors find that alleyways in Washington Foggy Bottom, and Georgetown.61 A report spaces,” allowing residents to protect each were first constructed in the 1800s as a of all the existing alley houses in Washington other from crime and outsiders by keeping convenient way to house the city’s poorest, was released in 2014 and identified eyes on the street at all times.63 Alley usually African Americans.59 An analysis approximately 1,800 houses.62 residents looked out for each other and of alley housing at its peak in the Mount helped each other out with small expenses, Vernon Square area of Washington in the Initially, Washington’s alley houses suffered which facilitated a community atmosphere. 1880s shows that while the neighborhood from poor living conditions, often lacking Ultimately, what these readings seem to was racially mixed at a neighborhood level, running water and proper sanitation. indicate is that the levels of crime and it still experienced microsegregation. 93 They lacked sewers or running water and uncleanliness commonly associated with percent of alley dwellers were black, and were extremely unsanitary. The tight living alleys may indeed have very little to do with 91 percent of main street residents were quarters, lack of green space, and mix of the physical nature of the alleys themselves, white.60 uses with further contributed to these and more to do with the systematic conditions. As more far-flung housing was deprivation of the people who lived in the Washington’s alleys were eventually used as built, in combination with the streetcar and alleys. This leads us to believe that alley mixed-use spaces, where homes neighbored automobile, those who could moved out of housing can be a positive development for with industrial buildings and horse stables. alley houses and their uses were taken over a neighborhood, so long as it is managed Alley houses in Washington were first built more and more by industrial uses such as appropriately and not allowed to become a in the 1850s, but many more were built after garages. site for concentrated poverty. the Civil War as a result of rapid population growth. In the 20th Century, however, they Alley houses tended to be well-made Alley houses were first brought to began to be abandoned and demolished, brick structures but they were not well Baltimore and the Mid-Atlantic at the end and only recently have there been any maintained due to absentee landlords. of the 1700s, and they were often built in efforts to preserve the existing alleyways. These houses were still organized though neighborhoods like Fells Point to serve the The turn of the century saw a ban on new and the families that lived in them were too, laborer classes as well as free blacks and alley house construction and the advent of contrary to common perceptions of alley servants. Throughout the 1800s, however, the streetcar, though, which saw a decrease dwelling families as disjointed and dirty. as new waves of immigrants came to Baltimore and cities like it, alley houses

59. Williams, Kim Prothro, “The Surviving Cultural Landscape of were constructed throughout the core of Washington’s Alleys,” Washington History, 2015. & Borchert, James, 61. Ibid. “Alley Life in Washington: An Analysis of 600 Photographs,” Records 62. Williams, Kim Prothro, “The Surviving Cultural Landscape of of the Columbia Historical Society, 1973/1974. Washington’s Alleys,” Washington History, 2015. 63. James Borchert, “Alley Life in Washington: An Analysis of 600 60. Ibid. Photographs,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society, 1973/1974

26 Baltimore Alley House Study the city to house those who were looking the residential segregation ordinances drew heavily on concepts from cities of to climb onto the first rung of the housing established in Baltimore at the beginning of the past. The still-existing alleys in cities ladder. Recent immigrants would first live the 20th Century caused a growing African like Baltimore have begun to be seen as in an alley dwelling as they worked hard American population to crowd into existing a useful feature of their neighborhoods, and saved up, and would then eventually houses, without the opportunity to build or allowing for cheaper housing options in move out, and the next tenant would buy new houses. The crowding of several desirable neighborhoods. These spaces often come from the next wave of recent families in small alley houses inevitably foster creativity and diversity, as well as immigrants. The rise of immigration saw a resulted in the deterioration of housing places to store less-desirable land uses corresponding increase in the number of quality in those neighborhoods. On the which allow the overall streetscape to look alley houses constructed in Baltimore, as other hand, the strong relationship between as attractive as possible. This has led to more parts of the city were filled in. The the alley houses residents’ occupations largely-successful campaigns to save alleys rise of migration of African Americans from with the economic activity of Baltimore, from demolition. Negative connotations the South also contributed to the increase particularly in the harbor area, caused a of alleys persist, and in less-desirable in demand for alley housing. The immigrant crisis when port activities moved from areas neighborhoods, alleys are often still failing groups that settled in Baltimore played a like the harbor to other more profitable to attract much interest. significant role in bringing new architectural areas. When the economy switched, styles to these alley houses which are now many low-income workers dedicated to The widely held public perceptions of alley city’s historical assets. Industrialization, manufacturing and port activities could not housing and alley dwellers have not always invention of machines, helped in bringing leave the harbor area due to the inability been grounded in reality. For instance, life down the construction costs of alley houses to rent or buy a house somewhere else in the alleyways of both Baltimore and while accentuating their design aesthetics (African Americans in particular could not Washington in the 1800s was characterized both externally and internally. The story of leave their houses due to the segregation by poor living conditions and the constant alley housing in Baltimore thus essentially ordinances). These areas suffered due to threat of disease, which led many to mirrors the origin stories of many the loss of economic activity, while some assume that these areas suffered from a Baltimore-area families. Many families could, alley houses stayed heavily crowded and lack of social cohesion which exacerbated if they tried, trace their history back to an deteriorated rapidly. their misery. However, tightly-knit immigrant or a freed slave who found their communities formed in these alleyways way to Baltimore and first settled in an alley While alley houses seemed to be past which kept crime low and allowed alley house somewhere. their historical usefulness by the late dwellers to have access to more resources 20th Century, a new school of thought and social capital than they would have had Conclusion called New Urbanism began to see these otherwise. spaces in a new light. Promoting compact, In general, we found that two factors stand walkable cities, New Urbanists realized out from others as possible reasons for that alleys could be a critical part of their the decline of alley houses. On one hand, vision for the city of the future, which

Baltimore Alley House Study 27 Grey Literature Review

To gain a better understanding of the One theme encountered in many reports that alley houses served laborers and past, present, and possible future of alley is the cultural significance of alley houses. the working class, while South Baltimore houses in Baltimore, we have performed Reports consistently note that African Gateway Master Plan describes alley houses a review of relevant professional reports, Americans (specifically free blacks), and as home to mostly low-income, working- studies, and plans, broadly termed “gray immigrants made up a majority of alley class immigrants and African Americans4 5 6 literature.” This review of gray literature home residents. The National Register of includes information organized into three Historic Places Form: Old West Baltimore From 1838 to 1954, Old West Baltimore broad categories reflecting the themes Historic District states that prior to 1890, was a segregated neighborhood housing found in these sources. In the first section, African Americans were “relegated to alley African Americans. Working class blacks we trace the traditional cultural, historical, housing spread throughout the city.”1 The (either freed slaves or migrant workers) and environmental significance of alleys Master Plan for the Upton Community goes lived in alley houses on inner-block streets and alley houses in the city. We find that, a step further to note that exclusionary and wealthier families inhabited larger despite recording environmental issues, zoning in the late 19th and early 20th rowhouses along main corridors.7 Today, most of the grey literature recognizes that centuries worked to keep African American West Baltimore remains a predominately Baltimore’s alley housing has provided families from purchasing much else within African American neighborhood with an important resource for a variety of many of Baltimore’s neighborhoods.2 growing ethnic groups, including Spanish-, residents throughout the city’s history. Immigrants, many from Europe, also Indo-European-, and Asian-speaking In the second section, we examine the lived in alley houses. The Baltimore City populations. According to the South existing conditions of Baltimore alleys and Heritage Area Management Action Plan Baltimore Gateway Master Plan, however, alley houses as described in neighborhood notes that most 19th century immigrants neighborhoods throughout West Baltimore plans. We discover that the grey literature were primarily from Eastern and Southern experienced an increase in vacant and largely focuses on a variety of problems Europe.3 The affordability of alley houses dilapidated commercial and residential that alleys and alley houses may present made them attainable for these individuals. infrastructure (including alley houses) as a to communities. In the third section, we Master Plan for the Upton Community result of Baltimore’s population decline in turn to documents guiding the continued and Greenmount West Masterplan note the 1950s.8 utilization and possible redevelopment of alleys and alley houses in Baltimore. 4 “Master Plan for the Upton Community,” 8. 1 “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Old West 5“Greenmount West Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Depart- Baltimore Historic District,” United States Department of Interior, ment, 2010. 18. Cultural and Historical National Park Service. 6“South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Significance 2“Master Plan for the Upton Community,” Baltimore City Planning Department, 2015. Department, 2005. 8. 7 “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Old West 3“Baltimore City Heritage Area Management Action Plan,” HRG Baltimore Historic District.” Consultants, Inc & AB Associates, 2001. 10. 8 “South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan.” 28 Baltimore Alley House Study East Baltimore was established by Eastern public housing.10 alley houses with nearby three-story row European industrial workers primarily from houses, indicating that alley houses are the Germany in the early 1800s, as discussed Size, Structure and Planning smallest of housing types within the Old in the South Baltimore Gateway Master West Baltimore Neighborhood.15 Certain Plan. Toward the mid-19th century, the Many documents note the “modest” or articles, such as in the National Register community progressively became more “small” size of alley houses. The DC Historic Nomination Inventory Form for the Old West diverse, with working class families living in Alley Building Survey, which provides insight Baltimore Historic District, base architectural two-story row or alley houses on smaller on the regional context of alley houses, significance of alley houses on their small streets. Today, the area remains densely uses the term “modest” to describe houses size, specifically denoting their two-story populated with the highest portion of that were built on interior lots.11 The term is stature to underscore this point.16 rehabilitated housing and alley housing also found in the South Baltimore Gateway structures. East Baltimore is predominantly Master Plan, which states that laborers and Alley streets are sometimes referred to European-American with a growing free blacks lived in more modest houses on as “small streets,” and the buildings facing percentage of Spanish-, Indo-European, and alleys and block interiors in the Otterbein onto these small streets have a different Asian-speaking ethnic groups. It persists and Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhoods.12 relationship to them than buildings facing as a major industrial, commercial, and The National Register of Historic Places onto larger streets. The Baltimore City entertainment corridor for Baltimore’s Inventory Nomination Form for the Federal Heritage Area Management Action Plan residents.9 Hill – Riverside Park Historic District also notes that parking is often prohibited, the states that smaller, more modest Italianate corners are often marked by stores or According to the South Baltimore Gateway houses are found on side streets and restaurants, and the spaces are secluded Master Plan, many two-story rowhouses alleys.13 The Southwest Partnership Vision and intimate.17 The Biotechnology Park and alley buildings in South Baltimore Plan states that small two-story alley houses Programmatic Agreement Among the City housed workers during World War II. help create a unique historic character in of Baltimore… outlines the term agreement After the war, large-scale public housing the group of neighborhoods that make up reiterates the alleys’ small size by describing developments were constructed to house the Southwest Partnership (Franklin Square, the streets that alley houses are found on as low-income residents. The urban renewal Poppleton, Union Square, Hollins Market, “narrow.”18 movement led to infrastructure renovation Mount Clare, Barre Circle, and Ridgely’s in South Baltimore and the demolition the Delight).14 The Baltimore City Heritage Area of 1950s style infrastructure and other Management Action Plan juxtaposes “tiny” 15. “Baltimore City Heritage Area Management Action Plan,” 13. culturally significant features. Today, 16. “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Old West South Baltimore is home to a fast-growing 10 Ibid. 36-39. Baltimore Historic District,” 4. population of Spanish-speaking residents 11Prothro Williams, Kim. “The DC Historic Alley Building Survey,” DC 17. “Baltimore City Heritage Area Management Action Plan,” 18. Office of Planning, 2014. 5. 18. “Programmatic Agreement Among the City of Baltimore, East among other ethnic groups. The housing 12“South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan,” 23. Baltimore Development Incorporated, Baltimore Commission stock remains primarily suburban-style 13 Parish, Preston. “Federal Hill Historic District,” National Register for Historical and Architectural Preservation, Second Chance of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Maryland Historical Incorporated, and the Maryland Historical Trust Regarding the East Trust, Annapolis, April 16, 1969. 5. Baltimore Development Project (Biotech Park Initiative), Specifically 14. “Southwest Partnership Vision Plan,” Southwest Partnership, Phase One,” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 9 “South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan,” 23-27, 36-39. 2015. 180. 9-10.

Baltimore Alley House Study 29 Location The Sharp-Leadenhall Plan denotes that one and health concerns for residents, bringing alley block on Bevan Street was built on the rise to cases of environmental injustice. When compared to citywide-level reports, site of a former brickyard in the late 18th Aside from sewage and trash infrastructure, a much larger number of neighborhood century.20 Likewise, the Fort Worthington alley streets are targets for addressing reports underscore the importance of Elementary/Middle School Inspire Plan stormwater maintenance. Baltimore the alley house, indicating that those that also indicates that another brickyard was City aims to reduce the amount of who work most closely with and who know located not far from alley houses. When impervious surfaces while increasing the most about cultural, architectural, this brickyard closed after World War II and stormwater capture and/or treatment. and historical Baltimore neighborhood development occurred upon it, those who Alley streets would be reconstructed with components have felt the need to highlight lived in the nearby alley houses moved to “porous asphalt that allows rainwater to the importance of alley houses through the new community.21 seep through” thus reducing on street time. stormwater volumes. Through this Environmental Conditions mechanism, allow with the creation of Blight and demolition of alley houses, more stormwater gardens, and planted specifically beginning in the urban renewal Alley houses scattered throughout street medians, the porous surface period, is a prominent topic. Several Baltimore’s inner city have faced various aids in decreasing the amount of street reports denote that urban renewal efforts adverse environmental conditions, as erosion, sediment and pollutants flow have resulted in the loss of many alley discussed in The Baltimore Sustainability into the harbor and bay. Other efforts houses that were once an important part of Plan. During the early 1900s, sewage such as rain barrels for rain collection, these communities’ contexts. The National maintenance prior to an established system privately-owned rain gardens, tree planting, Register of Historic Places Registration caused various health issues especially trash management and downspout Form for the Old West Baltimore Historic for alley residents. The report states that disconnections are other mechanisms to District notes that many alley houses were during the periods of urban renewal, encourage homeowners and residents to demolished as a part of urban renewal housing officials deemed alley houses as decrease stormwater runoff while fostering efforts. This form reports that, within the environmentally unsanitary and in need of community-wide stewardship.23 Harlem Park Urban Renewal Area, all alley connecting to a newly established city-wide houses were razed for inner block parks in septic system. Those that could not, were Existing Conditions the 1960s. The number of remaining alley deemed unsuitable for inhabitants.22 The houses is unclear.19 Baltimore Sustainability Plan also states that While many plans and documents describe alley streets have also been locations for various city conditions experienced This review revealed the location of more trash dumping in furthering environmental citywide, descriptions of existing conditions than one row of alley houses built on or in alleys and alley houses are found primarily very near the site of historic brickyards. 20. “Sharp-Leadenhall Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Department, in neighborhood development plans. Among 2004. 14. the 48 neighborhood plans published by 21. “Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School Inspire Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Department, 2016. 15. 19. “National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Old 22. “The Baltimore Sustainability Plan,” Baltimore City Planning West Baltimore Historic District.” Commission. 2009. 29-35. 23. Ibid, 48. 30 Baltimore Alley House Study the Baltimore Department of Planning, ten The South Baltimore Gateway Plan reports Poor Sanitary Conditions discuss the situation in alleys. Although that vacant and abandoned buildings create some of these plans may not mention alley safety issues and depress property values.25 Baltimore’s Neighborhood development houses specifically, they are relevant to this The York Road Plan aims to accomplish plans often identify littering as one of the review of professional literature because a “[d]ecrease in percent residential largest problems in alleys. Four of these they discuss alleys in the neighborhoods properties that are vacant and abandoned reports (York Road Plan, South Baltimore where alley houses are located. According at the end of year” as the first of its three Gateway Plan, Monument - McElderry to these plans, the main challenges for primary goals.26 - Fayette Plan, and Fort Worthington housing in alleys are vacant housing, poor Concerns about alley house vacancies Elementary School Plan) mention dirty sanitary conditions, safety and security are compounded by perception of alley alleys in neighborhoods where alley houses concerns, and poor transportation houses’ lack of appeal to the contemporary are located. The Monument – McElderry conditions. These problems are often homebuyer. The authors of the Monument – Fayette Neighborhood Plan lists “safe, identified as reciprocally dependent, but – McElderry – Fayette Plan report that clean streets and alleys” as one of its three some plans identify the large amount of alley house parcels are very narrow main goals.29 York Road Plan set a goal to vacant housing as the key challenge from and shallow, making reconstruction for decrease the number of reported incidents which other problems, like dirty streets, residential uses difficult. The plan provides illegal dumping, clogged storm drains, and rats, and low safety stem. the example of Duncan Street, which rats.30 The Fort Worthington Elementary contains parcels that are 12 to 14 feet wide School Plan states that vacant lots and Vacant Housing and 50 feet high.27 They write that “it is alleys in the plan area are targets for illegal difficult to imagine viable rehabilitation household trash and commercial dumping, Vacant and abandoned alley houses are for residential use. Neither a third floor which attracts rodents and threatens the often named a problem for neighborhood nor rear additions - to bring the size of the health of the community.31 development. The plan for the Monument houses up to contemporary requirements – McElderry – Fayette neighborhood, which - appear feasible in such cases.” Likewise, The Fort Worthington Elementary School is located north of Fells Point and includes the Seton Hill Master Plan reports one of Plan also provides a map of dirty streets and some several alley house groups, reports the challenges the community faces is alleys in the neighborhoods surrounding the that nearly 5 percent of land parcels (150 the “small size of the [Seton Hill] housing school.32 The map identifies dirty streets lots) in the area are vacant, and 20 percent stock by modern standards, particularly the and alleys based on the number of 311 of all lots have vacant structures. This plan remaining alley houses.”28 service request hotline calls received from also notes that the major areas of city and January to May 2015, and shows clusters Baltimore Housing Authority consolidated of calls on alleys with abandoned housing. ownership are on alley streets, where alley The South Baltimore Gateway Plan also 24 houses have already been demolished. 25. “South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan,” 45. 26. “York Road Community Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Depart- ment, 2006. 11. 29. “Monument - McElderry - Fayette Plan,” 6. 27. “Monument - McElderry - Fayette Plan,” 28. 30. “York Road Community Plan,” 38. 24. “Monument - McElderry - Fayette Plan,” Baltimore City Planning 28. “Seton Hill Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Department. 31. “Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School Inspire Plan,” 32. Department, 2006. 21, 45. 2012. 25. 32. Ibid. 51.

Baltimore Alley House Study 31 references a large number of calls to the can be particularly impacted by unsafe of Baltimore’s housing landscape. “Live,” city’s 311 service hotline. This plan reports vehicle behavior. The results of the one of the plan’s four major guiding themes, trash and dumping on streets and alleys and Fort Worthington Elementary School focuses on residential land use. Central to the presence of rats as the cause of these Plan’s parent, family member, teacher, this section is an emphasis on revitalizing calls.33 and community member survey reveals Baltimore’s housing stock and maintaining concerns that cars drive too quickly housing diversity. The plan details several Safety and Security Concerns through alleys when children walk to strategies to achieve this vision, including school.38 The Baltimore Downtown Open enhancing and reusing underutilized Some plans note that streets and alleys also Space Plan indicates that some pedestrian historic structures, balancing the needs present safety issues, though the severity of alleys are filled with parked cars.39 of higher and lower income residents, these issues varies. In a survey conducted and emphasizing location, convenience to as part of the Fort Worthington Elementary Alley Houses and the Future amenities, and price when redeveloping School Plan, parents, family members, of Baltimore Baltimore’s housing stock.40 Alley houses teachers, and community members could play an integral role in Baltimore’s identified unsafe or “deteriorating” alleys In the planning- and preservation-related housing future, as their size makes them an as an impediment to walkability and literature that envisions the future that affordable option and their location near bikeability.34 The Upton Master Plan reports mention alleys, more attention is paid to the Downtown align with the city’s emphasis that drug dealing is a frequent practice streets themselves rather than alley houses on developing housing in geographically in such places.35 The Operation ReachOut in particular. That being said, information convenient locations. Southwest Neighborhood Action Plan from many of these reports provides insight confirms this, and indicates the necessity on how alleys and their houses fit into these Historic Preservation to gate alleys and to improve lighting.36 stakeholders’ future plans. The Barclay – Midway – Old Goucher Small Many of the city’s guiding historic Area Plan mentions that poorly lit areas Comprehensive Planning preservation documents both directly exacerbate the perception of alleys as being and indirectly set the boundaries for unsafe.37 The Baltimore Comprehensive Plan, the redevelopment of alleys and alley published in 2006 by the Baltimore City houses in historic districts. Baltimore City Poor Transportation Planning Department, is the primary guiding Historic Preservation Design Guidelines, document for planning in Baltimore. a document produced by CHAP, details Because of their narrow width, alleys Although the plan does not specifically design regulations for alleys and alley mention alleys or their houses, its guiding houses. As a whole, the document calls principles can be used to inform the role for the preservation of alley houses 33. “South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan,” 174. 34. “Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School Inspire Plan,” 56. that alley houses may play in the the future “where they remain,” and calls for the 35. “Master Plan for the Upton Community,” 23. 36. “OROSW Neighborhood Action Plan,” Operation ReachOut Southwest, 2002. 14-15, 33-34. 38. “Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School Inspire Plan,” 56. 37. “Barclay-Midway-Old Goucher Small Area Plan,” Baltimore City 39. “Downtown Open Space Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Depart- 40. “City of Baltimore Comprehensive Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Department, 2005. 36. ment and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, 2010. 54-55. Planning Department, 2009. 18-74. 32 Baltimore Alley House Study repair of alley houses in poor condition, guidelines. While developers appear to have numbers of calls made to 311 for unsanitary if possible. In particular, these guidelines some flexibility to make additions to alley alley conditions and calls for an increase in restrict the modifications that can be dwellings, planners will have little freedom the amount of sanitation inspections.44 made to alleys and alley houses. While the to modify surrounding alleys beyond what document permits rooftop and terrace is permitted. This may conflict with the In addition, community members and additions to alley houses, it restricts visions detailed in many of Baltimore’s area planners have identified alleys as areas modifications to street designs and block plans, which call for pedestrian and safety prone to crime. The Barclay-Midway- patterns. In addition, the document calls improvements in alleys. Old Goucher Area Plan highlights the for unobtrusive alley parking designs and community’s alleys as hiding spaces for for preservation of historic curbing and Cleanliness and Safety criminals. To ameliorate these safety paving.41 concerns, the plan calls for lighting and The majority of the discourse about alleys aesthetic improvements, which improve Alleys have also been discussed in relation and alley houses in Baltimore’s planning- visibility and deter criminals from utilizing to historic preservation policy. In 2004, and preservation-related documents alleys.45 The Greenmount West Master the City of Baltimore partnered with surrounds the relationship between Plan includes several profiles of areas of several nongovernmental organizations in alleys and cleanliness and safety. After planning interest, including sites with alleys. a programmatic agreement to demolish a comprehensive review of Baltimore’s Some alleys are described as “[havens] homes to make way for the development of area plans, we found that planners and for undesirable behavior,” and call for infill the University of Maryland’s Biotechnology community members emphasized mitigating projects for vacant sites with adjacent Park (BioPark). This agreement recognizes trash dumping, abating rodent populations, alleys.46 the historic significance of alley houses and and eliminating vagrant behavior in the plans for several houses to be preserved as city’s alleys. Planners repeatedly noted the If alley houses are to be made an attractive “representative examples of their historic amount of 311 calls made by community option for residents looking to purchase significance.” Actions taken to preserve members in response to unsanitary alleys. homes in distressed neighborhoods, the these houses include performing inventory The York Road Neighborhood Plan, for alleys they are located on must be made analyses and identifying two alley house example, calls for a decrease in the amount safe and sanitary. The strategies identified in rows to be preserved.42 of dirty alley reports made to the city, and the aforementioned area plans will be useful aims to expedite trash removal and initiate in future planning efforts. Because the majority of the city’s alley “block watch dumping reporting” programs houses are located in historically designated to ensure that “alleys […] are kept in clean Accessibility districts, it will be essential for planners and good repair.”43 In addition, the South and developers to pay attention to these Baltimore Gateway Master Plan cites the high Revisioning alleys as pedestrian thoroughfares is a motif commonly

41. “Baltimore City Historic Preservation Design Guidelines,” Bal- 43. “Revitalizing the York Road Corridor,” Urban Land Institute, timore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, 11-14. https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/ULI%20 44. “South Baltimore Gateway Plan,” 45-73. 46-61. Baltimore%20York%20Road%20TAP%20Report%20-%20Final%20 45. “Barclay-Midway-Old Goucher Small Area Plan,” 36. 42. “Programmatic Agreement Among the City of Baltimore...” 7-14. 1.23.14.pdf 46. “Greenmount West Master Plan,” 32-55.

Baltimore Alley House Study 33 identified in this report’s review of residents, neighborhood coalitions, and years gone by, but also as a possible beacon Baltimore’s area plans. The Mount Vernon planning organizations have focused for the future. Master Plan calls for improving pedestrian attention on issues and challenges present connections “upon the existing alley street in alleys’ existing conditions. Many of the network […] to encourage pedestrian use neighborhood plans reviewed in this report and create clearly marked signage, links, cites problems related to alleys, including and access to larger open spaces” in the concerns about vacancies, lack of safety, community.47 The Downtown Open Space uncleanliness, and transportation issues. Plan mentions that downtown Baltimore’s Recognizing these challenges, many plans alleys are key pedestrian nodes, and efforts offer possible solutions and paths toward should be made to open currently-closed the revitalization of Baltimore’s alleys and alleys and prohibit parking in alleys to foster alley houses. They recommend such actions walking in these spaces.48 In the review of as creating additional lighting, performing Baltimore’s area plans, the Greenmount aesthetic improvements, and implementing West Master Plan is unique in calling for infill projects on vacant lots. the construction of a brand new alley. Specifically, the plan calls for the addition The gray literature indicates that many alley of a pedestrian alley to link arterial streets houses have been demolished as a tactic with open space.49 While pedestrian for urban renewal or otherwise removed, improvements are not directly related to and that the total number of alley houses alley homes, they can be utilized to activate that have been removed is unknown. That these spaces and put “eyes on the street,” being said, the role that alley houses have therefore addressing safety concerns for historically played in providing respectable alley inhabitants and visitors. housing for low-income and disadvantaged populations illustrates that they can prove Conclusion a boon for communities as well. In addition to recognizing the historic importance of The professional literature reviewed in alley houses, one plan notes the importance this report reveals that the qualities which of alleys to the city’s modern pedestrian in years past served alley houses well are infrastructure, and another even calls for characteristics now make them undesirable the construction of a new alley, despite for many. In the present context, Baltimore any potential drawbacks. In an era with increasing housing costs and emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle accessibility, alley Melvin Drive, Ridgely’s Delight (photo courtesy Holly 47. “The Mount Vernon Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Simmons) Department, 34. houses appear not only important as a 48. “Downtown Open Space Plan,” 29-111. reminder of their role that they played in 49 “Greenmount West Master Plan,” 62. 34 Baltimore Alley House Study History of the Demolition of Baltimore’s Alley Houses

While alley houses have been targeted for demolished alley houses. What is more institutional and personal maneuvers - such demolition recently, this is actually part of a easily observable are the large-scale as fear and pressure tactics, residential long multi-century trend. Still, in regards to projects in Baltimore, such as Public covenants, refusal of loans to blacks, and the 18th Century to the late 19th Century, Housing (1930s and 40s), Urban Renewal “enforcing” city housing code violations relatively little is known about how many (1960s and 70s) and Neighborhood towards landlords who rented to African alley houses were demolished and what the Resources Studies (1987), which illustrate Americans in white neighborhoods - purposes and goals behind their demolition the trends of the comprehensive demolition Whites in Baltimore geographically isolated were. The aim of this section is to answer of alley house blocks. Within these African Americans to a defined area, and the following questions: projects and their subsequent trends, one constrained their expansion in the city.1 • When were most of the alley houses can discern at least three major themes been demolished? surrounding the demolition of alley houses Location • Approximately how many were in Baltimore. These themes include race, demolished? location, and building conditions. Based on these discriminatory practices, • Are there certain regions of the city African Americans in Baltimore were in which more alley houses have been Race confined within the borders west demolished compared to other areas? of McCulloh Street, south of North • Are there certain kinds of alley houses Beginning in the years following the Avenue, and east of Gilmor Street. In that have been demolished more Civil War, White Baltimoreans sought the 1920s, African Americans from frequently than others? geographically contain the African the rural south flocked to Baltimore American population. These sentiments during the period known as the “Great To answer these questions, we also look led to the passage of the first residential Migration”on boundaries, where they at why the demolition of alley houses housing ordinance, which stipulated that settled in established African American may have followed trends in regards to African Americans could not move into neighborhoods or move into older demolition, using scholarly literature, a neighborhood that was composed alley houses that descendants of earlier professional reports, and newspaper of white residents who totaled fifty immigrants had abandoned for better articles. percent or more of the neighborhood housing in the suburbs. This influx in population. By 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court population contributed to dilapidated It is unclear exactly how many alley houses overturned the ordinance. Determined were built in Baltimore from the 18th to to keep the races separated, Baltimore’s the early 20th Centuries. Consequently, white population enacted “clearance and 1. Mary Ellen Hayward, Baltimore’s Alley Houses: Homes for working People since the 1780s (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University it is hard to deliver an exact number of containment” strategies. Utilizing both Press, 2008), 236 and 238.

Baltimore Alley House Study 35 building conditions and health hazards way for “open space” and “park-like areas.”4 poor sanitary conditions. One of the that were the result of overcrowding. The Despite these large and ambitious projects, neighborhoods, Ridgely’s Delight, was Great Depression exacerbated conditions, which devoured many of the alley houses in written about as having “open drains, as landlords could not provide basic these areas, a 1987 report by the Baltimore great lots filled with high weeds, ashes amenities.2 Department of Housing and Community and garbage accumulated…foul tenements Development revealed that one-third of filled with foul air…”6 This problem affected By the late 1930s, city officials seeking to all existing alley houses at the time were primarily African American newcomers, who improve declining economic conditions located within these “distressed” and had not yet acquired the jobs or income in the city core used New Deal funding to “impoverished” neighborhoods.5 necessary to afford to live in better parts of create public housing in hopes of attracting the city; and immigrants, who faced similar suburbanites back to the city. In the The 1987 report highlights the location economic struggles. In the late 19th Century, process, they underwent “slum clearance” of alley houses and connects them to the population of Baltimore had doubled. initiatives -- demolishing many alley houses the history of racial segregation and within an area they identified as the “Ring economic disinvestment in the northwest, Overcrowding, insufficient fire protection, of Blight.” The Ring included the African west, and north central portions of lack of water supply, and lack of a sewage American neighborhoods that were Baltimore. Historical forces and economic system led to depressed and unhealthy confined within the segregated boundaries.3 disinvestment made these areas a target conditions in these neighborhoods. for large scale slum clearance project by Smallpox and tuberculosis became a 30 years later, during the era of Urban the city, and the subsequent destruction concern, and the city focused their health Renewal, the cycle was repeated. While alley of many alley houses within those investigations on the alley neighborhoods, houses in East Baltimore near Patterson neighborhoods. commissioning an investigation in the Park and Fells Point received advocacy early 1900s titled Housing Conditions in attention from preservationists, alley Building Conditions Baltimore, aimed primarily at alley houses houses in the western, northwestern, and and their residents. It was finished in 1907, north central parts of Baltimore (which Towards the end of the 19th Century, and the recommendations included the were still predominantly African American) alley houses were frequently occupied by condemnation of alley houses determined did not receive that same defense. As such, newcomers to cities, who often sought to be “uninhabitable”, as well as preventing the houses and their inhabitants were left them out as a source of inexpensive any future construction of alley houses.7 In vulnerable to the city’s Urban Renewal housing. Multiple families might live in 1908, the Baltimore City Council did in fact agenda. Alley Houses like those found one house, leading to overcrowding and pass an ordinance banning the construction in Harlem Park -- an African American of any new “alley houses”, specifically neighborhood -- were deemed as “blighted” houses on a street less than forty feet wide. properties and set for demolition to make 4. Baltimore Urban Renewal Housing Authority (BURHA), Outline of Urban Renewal, 1961,(Baltimore, 1961), 2. cdm16352.contentdm.oclc. org/. 6. Power, Garrett. “Apartheid Baltimore Style: the Residential Segregation Ordinances of 1910-1913”. Maryland Law Review. Vol 42, 2. Ibid, 235-239. 5. Baltimore Department of Housing and Community Development, Issue 2. 3. Ibid, 240-241. Alley Houses, 1987, (Baltimore, 1988), 13. 7. Ibid. 36 Baltimore Alley House Study However, builders continued erecting two- care is taken to not displace or alienate story narrow houses on streets exactly forty these groups in the future. feet wide, and these houses continued to be taken up by newly arrived immigrants.8

In the end, it is clear that demolition has historically targeted specific areas of the city, notably the northwest, west and north central portions of the city. These areas were targeted by city officials as part of slum clearance and urban renewal, which sought to clean up the city and spur “better” economic development for the city as whole. Those affected by these initiatives were predominantly the African American populations who were confined to these areas due to restrictive covenants designed South Chapel Street, Fells Point (photograph courtesy Meagan Pickens) to segregate and demobilize this group. It is by tracing these trends that we are able Conclusions to get a sense of where most of the alley houses might have been demolished and Overall, the history of alley houses helps to consider more than just the what types of houses they might have been. practical meanings associated with them. It serves to show the social and Since these were areas where records of cultural meanings as well, which form a more complete understanding of why the housing stock was not very carefully alley houses are an important part of the cityscape both the to the people that taken, it is nearly impossible to know about live in them and to other citizens of the city and perhaps around the country. how many have been demolished and to get Going forward, the chapter should be used to make informed decisions about a sense of what types of these buildings (in the futures of the alley houses of Baltimore, so that their significance is not terms of material and building technology) forgotten, even as the city changes over time. might have been most targeted. In making policy decisions, it will be best to take into account these historical trends and how they have affected African American groups and other minorities to ensure that more

8. Hayward, Mary Ellen. Baltimore’s Alley Houses: Homes for Work- ing People since the 1780s. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. Baltimore. Pp 231-5.

Baltimore Alley House Study 37 Chapter 3 Case Studies

38 Introduction

The Mews of Portman Estate (left) and Jewelers’ Row (right). Photos courtesy Google

Baltimore’s alley house neighborhoods share a variety of commonalities with housing typologies in several eastern seaboard and European cities. In order to create a more comprehensive understanding of how Baltimore’s alley houses can be redeveloped, a case study was undertaken of Jewelers’ Row in Philadelphia, Blagden Alley and Naylor Court in Washington, D.C., and the Mews of Portman Estate in London. Jewelers’ Row, one of the oldest examples of rowhouses in the United States, has been morphed into a high-end retail destination. Blagden Alley and Naylor Court share many commonalities with the historical trajectory of Baltimore’s Alley Houses, and have become a vibrant, mixed-use micro community. Due to rigorous preservation measures, the Mews of Portman Estate illustrate how a unique sense of space and a high-quality residential environment can be created in a neighborhood of small houses. Each case study contains historical and contextual information, as well as a description of their present-day built environments. This study concludes with a list of recommendations informed by each case study and is applicable to Baltimore’s alley houses.

It is worth noting that the brevity of each case study was limited by the amount of information available. Because alley houses have not been rigorously examined in existing literature, it was difficult to obtain precise statistical data. That being said, a mixture of media, satellite imagery and Google Maps, and government documentation was employed to inform each case.

Baltimore Alley House Study 39 Jewelers’ Row, Philadelphia

Just like Baltimore, Philadelphia is known South 7th and Sansom Streets.1 for its abundance of row houses. In a rapidly expanding and industrializing Developer William Sansom was responsible city, row houses provided colonial-era for the development of Carstairs Row. At Philadelphians with a modest, cost-efficient a time when most of Philadelphia’s streets housing option. William Penn, the founder were dirt roads, Sansom paved the street of the Province of Pennsylvania, had a vision to attract tenants, and hired architect for a green country town where homes Thomas Carstairs to design a row of 22 would occupy large open lots. In cities like look-alike houses on the south side of the Philadelphia, however, the opposite of that street.2 These row houses were the first vision came to fruition. The first purchasers to be purposely designed to have uniform of Penn’s land divided and sold parts of frontages and share the same walls. their land to new immigrants who wanted Carstairs Row is now synonymous with Sansom Street, Philadelphia (photo courtesy Google) to live close to the business and industrial Jewelers’ Row, which has become a popular regions proximate to the Delaware River. commercial area in Philadelphia. The severely altered and restructured over time These parcels were divided and subdivided frontages of Carstairs Row housing allowed to adapt to changing business necessities. even further. Continuing the division of for the easy transformation into commercial 730 and 732 Sansom Street (seen above) land, Philadelphia began to resemble the properties. has preserved some elements of its original crowded cities of Europe that Penn had design, except for raised entrances and hoped Philadelphia would be the opposite Carstairs Row can be viewed as a successful other changes that profoundly alter their of. Shops and houses that shared a wall on example of how to treat row houses frontages.4 On the other hand, 700 Sansom one or both sides were established adjacent around the nation because it has become Street remains relatively unchanged since to each other. Terraced housing, which has a strong economic point of interest within it was originally built.5 This collection of come to embody the stereotypical image Philadelphia. When originally developed, rowhouses provides a prime example of of America’s row homes, was the most the street’s row houses stood 3.5 stories a current city landscape of the present common type of housing in contemporary tall, 18 feet wide and 40 feet deep, with coexisting with essentials of the rich history European cities. One of the first planned each house containing marble steps and of the past. row houses to be built in Pennsylvania was interior chimneys.3 Carstairs Row has been Carstairs Row (also known as Jewelers’ Row), which developed around 1799 at 1. White, Meghan. Diamonds are forever, but jewelers row might not be (National Trust for Historic Preservation). 4. The Philadelphia Row House: America’s First Rowhouse (The 2 Ibid. Urban Rowhouse; Feb 4, 2009).. 3. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 40 Baltimore Alley House Study Blagden Alley and Naylor Court, Washington

Blagden Alley and Naylor Court, adjoining never to the standards of street-facing Convention Center, as well as the federal alleys in Washington, DC’s Shaw neighborhoods, sanitation standards began historic designation of Blagden Alley and neighborhood, have come to symbolize the to decline rapidly towards the turn of the Naylor Court.5 As gentrification took off revitalization that has affected large swaths twentieth century; social commentators throughout Northwest Washington in the of the city in the past decade. Populating and news reports commented on lack of 2000s and 2010s, Blagden Alley and Naylor two square blocks between 9th, and 10th, plumbing and crowded conditions. In 1892, Court have attracted a variety of critically- M, and O streets, these alleys form a mixed- alley dwelling construction was banned in acclaimed bars, third-wave coffee shops, use community home to offices, trendy Washington, and several concerted efforts and private offices. restaurants and cafes, and residential units. were made to demolish these spaces during the twentieth century. By the 1960s, According to Daniel Nairn, Blagden Alley These alleys were included in city plans Blagden Alley and Naylor court lay mostly and Naylor Court are unique among the as early as 1792, but remained sparsely vacant; properties in these alleys sold for city’s alleys in the sense that their block developed through the antebellum period. as little as $25,000 into the 1990s.3 While structures have remained unchanged As Washington’s population boomed after many of Washington’s other alleys were since 1865.6 Both alleys are comprised of the Civil War, development took off in demolished, the majority of Blagden Alley’s nonlinear street patterns. The heart of these alleys. By 1859, city documents cited structures remained untouched throughout Blagden Alley’s street design forms an “H” 81 property owners in Blagden Alley, 20 of the twentieth century.4 shape, with several sub alleys connecting its whom were people of color and 11 were Beginning in the 1990s, Blagden Alley and core to adjacent streets. Although an official women.1 By 1888, both alleys were almost Naylor Court’s fortunes began to improve. parcel-level inventory was unavailable at completely developed.2 According to local historians, revitalization the time of writing, an informal walk of Similar to Baltimore’s alley dwellings, began when Blagden Alley became an the neighborhood and a Google search these alley homes were small in size (most “underground skateboarding, rock-and- indicates that the majority of Blagden Alley’s were smaller than 700 square feet) and roll, and art mecca.” Throughout the office and retail parcels are located in the backed into larger street-facing homes. 1990s, development in Blagden Alley was alley’s core. Conversely, most of the alley’s Although these alleys were primarily largely driven by individual members of residential units are located in the alleys built for residential uses, many homes Washington’s counterculture. After 1996, that extend from the core. The majority of had adjoining stables and garages. While larger scale development was sparked by the alley is zoned for mixed use, with some conditions in Washington’s alleys were the construction of the Walter Johnson parcels proximate to the adjacent streets

1. Weible, David. “The Hidden History Inside Washington, D.C.’s Blag- 3. Weible, “The Hidden History Inside Washington, D.C.’s Blagden 5. Weible, “The Hidden History Inside Washington, D.C.’s Blagden Al- den Alley.” National Trust for Historic Preservation. Alley.” ley,” and National Park Service, “Blagden Alley-Naylor Court historic 2. Nairn, Daniel. “The Physical Evolution of Blagden Alley-Naylor 4. National Park Service. “Blagden Alley-Naylor Court Historic Dis- District.” Court.” Greater Greater Washington. trict.” https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc67.htm. 6. Nairn, “The Physical Evolution of Blagden Alley-Naylor Court.”

Baltimore Alley House Study 41 place and the high quality restaurants that have settled in the space. “When something’s hyped that much, people are more willing to explore something that they weren’t previously,” Capo claims. When asked how the alley has defied the mantra that storefronts must be visible in order to be successful, Capo argues that its destination status as a unique setting brings people out of their way to Blagden Alley. “Before people get to the restaurant, they already feel like they’ve been transported by the neighborhood … it’s like, I’m not in DC, and there’s all these cool experiences back there.’ This serves as the starting point.” Furthermore, social media has inadvertently marketed the space. Blagden Alley, Washington, DC (photo courtesy Pintrest) “Blogger culture loves to shoot back here. People take pictures off [Edit Lab’s] zoned for residential.7 The core of Naylor establishments are visible from the main balcony on weekend, on the murals on Court’s street pattern forms a “U” shape, streets. Megan Capo, an interior designer alley walls. A lot of times people geotag with several alleys connecting its core to with Edit Lab at Streetsense, a DC-based where they took the photos, and people adjacent streets. Residential properties firm that designs many of the alley’s see that it’s in Blagden Alley.” Although comprise the north-south wings of the core, restaurants and bars, claims Blagden Alley’s Blagden’s historic character has made with a small commercial strip running along provides patrons with a unique experience it a unique space, creative placemaking, the east-west portion of the core. Naylor that is not found elsewhere in the city. community-led efforts, and viral Court contains a much higher proportion of “The alley is successful because DC is not marketing are all equally crucial to its residential properties than Blagden Alley. really an industrial city at all. There’s a lot current popularity. From a commercial standpoint, Blagden of big corporate buildings and historical Alley and Naylor Court’s success defies sites … Blagden feels activated, and it’s been several traditional rules of retail, as transformed into its own vibe, different none of the alley’s food and beverage from what the rest of the city has.” In this respect, Blagden Alley has become a fixture

7. District of Columbia Office of Zoning. “Zoning Maps of the District in DC’s cultural milieu because of the of Columbia.” http://maps.dcoz.dc.gov/. unique placemaking efforts that have taken 42 Baltimore Alley House Study The Mews of Portman Estate, London

The Portman Estate is a 110-acre section Estate, provides for a still-existent example Oxford Street, the parking garage, and of the Marylebone neighborhood in the of a traditional mews. Baker’s Mews is the smaller size which allows for a more London borough of Westminster. It has largely used for residential purposes now, affordable price relative to the overall been continuously owned by the Portman although its original purpose was primarily central London housing market. That allows family since their purchase of the parcel to serve as stables and servant housing, this alley, and the other alleys similar to it in 1532.1 The estate has lots of grand and as it remains in a highly-fashionable within the Portman Estate, to be extremely properties on large streets, as well as some neighborhood, its homes are well-kept and successful compared to other alleys one commercial areas, but it also contains at highly-valued.4 might find in other parts of London or in least nine documented extant Mews, a the US. British term for alleys. This is perhaps the Baker’s Mews, one of the Portman Estate’s highest concentration remaining in the city. alleys, is simply a cut-through and loading The rigorous nature of UK preservation Below is a map showing the Portman Estate bay for the 10 Portman Square office efforts following the devastation of the Blitz in the context of the rest of the city. building, with no housing, but the cul-de-sac means that alley housing in central London portion is where the residences sit. Many is robust, well-documented, and far from The land covered by the Portman Estate residents appear to have converted their endangered. The careful stewardship of remained rural for several centuries after first stories into garages, something which the Portman Estate means that alleys, or its purchase, and only became developed the buildings’ original uses as stables allow Mews, in that neighborhood are even more in the 18th Century; by 1820 it was almost quite easily. The street in the cul-de-sac is abundant and thriving than those in other completely developed. The Portman Estate paved with cobblestones, as opposed to fashionable neighborhoods around the city. was a fashionable Georgian neighborhood the standard asphalt found in most streets. This holds a lesson for US cities trying to with tree-lined streets.2 According to At the end of the cul-de-sac, however, is preserve their own forms of alley housing: Everchanging Mews, a database and another loading dock for the 20 Manchester it is never too early to start defining alley authority on London’s Mews, a street Square office building, suggesting that the housing, documenting the inventory of can only be officially considered a Mews residents of Baker’s Mews still live on a truly alley housing, and placing alley houses onto if it was originally of “equine heritage,” mixed-use street. the National Register of Historic Places, or in other words, used as horse stables.3 a similar list, which ensures that they will Baker’s Mews, a small through road with The minor nuisances suffered by the remain in existence for the foreseeable a cul-de-sac located within the Portman residences of Baker’s Mews, though, can future. probably be tolerated, given the incredible

1. The Chilterns London W1, Marylebone Through the Years, 2015. location just blocks from Hyde Park and 2. Ibid. 3 . Martyn John Brown, A Typical London Mews, Everchanging Mews Ltd, London, Date Unknown. 4. Ibid.

Baltimore Alley House Study 43 Conclusions and Recommendations

Although the alleys and rowhouses class. In order to further incentivize the large swaths of the city’s built environment described in each case study developed creation of a flourishing creative scene due to their unique nature. That being in a unique manner, the success of these in Baltimore’s alley houses, government said, stakeholders considering undertaking examples can provide guidance in the officials should allow for flexibility and large-scale alley redevelopment projects redevelopment of Baltimore’s alley houses. discretion if members of the creative class must consider implementing placemaking Based on these case studies, this working or counterculture choose to move to these efforts that set these spaces apart. Possible group recommends the following: dwellings. creative placemaking features may include murals, unique flora, lighting, community Careful preservation can serve as a Flexibility in use should be prioritized. events, and customized building facades development catalyst. All three cases are Although the potential for alley houses which can collectively assist in animating the well preserved, and have become popular to be converted into non-residential local environment with human activity. housing, shopping, and dining choices. uses is somewhat limited, each case Because of historic preservation, each represents how row and alley houses Perceived safety is the basis for success. case was able to position themselves as can be repurposed in ways that deviate Megan Capo argued that Blagden Alley a unique housing and retail choice within from their original use. Rowhouses have would not be successful if it was not their respective community, thereby further become exclusive jewelers, stables have perceived as safe. In a city that has a improving their value. Likewise, Baltimore’s been converted into garages and cafes, reputation for crime, developers targeting alley houses can gain a distinction in the and warehouses now serve as restaurants. alleys for redevelopment should consider local market by providing a historically In some cases, the mixed use nature of prioritizing alleys that are located in or near unique housing and/or commercial option. alleys has contributed to their success highly-populated or already-established and popularity. While each alley will have neighborhoods. Additionally, developers Provide changemakers with the freedom varying potential in repurposing parcels, the and city officials should consider using to develop spaces organically. Aside government should consider zoning alleys environmental design features that increase from its historic designation, governmental for mixed use. the safety of these spaces. intervention or large-scale developers had As demonstrated above, a careful balance very little influence on development in Placemaking is crucial. While Blagden between historic preservation and Blagden Alley. In the absence of outside Alley’s design and historic status provided pragmatic rehabilitation is integral to the influences, a close-knit group of residents business owners and residents with a repurposing of alleys and rowhouses. organically created a unique and desirable baseline for future success, concentrated Baltimore’s alley houses comprise a location. Similarly, inexpensive housing placemaking efforts are responsible for wide variety of typologies, but several prices in many Baltimore alley districts making it the place that it is today. Similarly, overarching lessons can be gleaned from have the potential to influence the creative Baltimore’s alley houses are set apart from the aforementioned cases.

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Baltimore Alley House Study 45 Chapter 4 Survey & Recording Methodologies

46 Introduction

Baltimore’s alley houses are characterized by a wide array of features. As previously discussed, alley houses are typically one or two stories tall, located on inner-block streets, and constructed for the most part during the nineteenth century. However, these generalizations fail to capture many of the details that vary from one group of alley houses to the next. They do not tell you about the condition of a building or about its relative significance. Knowing the width and depth of a typical alley house does not tell you whether an individual alley house is currently in a state of structural decay; nor will it tell you whether it was designed by a notable architect; nor will it tell you about the meaning that residents of the surrounding community construct around local alley houses and alley spaces. To reveal this information, more research is required. To this end, an integral part of this project present a method for combining the two collecting data in the field during Phase 2 of will be a field survey of Baltimore’s alley scores into a composite score, if desired. this project. The second section presents houses, to be conducted as Phase 2 of this the Resident Assessment, which outlines a study. In turn, the information gleaned in Second, recognizing the importance of method for developing a subjective analysis the Phase 2 alley house survey will inform contemporary and historical sociocultural of the alley houses based on meanings held decisions to preserve, stabilize, or demolish meanings, we recommend complementing by individual community members. groups of alley houses going forward. In the Building Assessment with a mixed this chapter, we present a recommended methods Resident Assessment designed method for conducting this survey. to reveal subjective value. The Resident Assessment will be used to confirm, deny, or First, we recommend a two-part Building add nuance to the findings of the Building Assessment that accounts for both (a) Assessment. building condition and (b) objective significance as represented by architectural Chapter 4 is structured as follows: the first and historical characteristics. To assist section includes the Building Assessment, decision makers in determining outcomes comprised primarily of recommended for groups of alley houses, this assessment methods for assessing building condition results in two scores on a zero-to-five scale, and objective significance, along with forms one for the building’s condition and one created to facilitate these processes. This Jasper Street, Seton Hill (photo courtesy Jack Narron) for its objective significance based on the section also contains recommendations of building’s history and architecture. We also software and hardware for electronically

Baltimore Alley House Study 47 Building Assessment

The Building Assessment is composed of survey data later.1 The buildings surveyed pests from entering the interior.2 two parts: the building condition survey during Phase 2 will be selected based on and the objective significance score. For their building type (houses situated on alley We reviewed a number of survey methods the former, we propose a method for streets or “small streets,” as identified in this and forms, ultimately determining that assessing the physical condition of alley report). the “Linden Gateway Small Area Study”3 house building elements including the roof, performed in the City of Covington, walls, windows, and doors. The objective Various building elements are included Kentucky, provided the format best suited score accounts for heritage values that can in building condition surveys based on for a reconnaissance survey of alley houses. be seen, touched, or which have verifiably their role in ensuring that a structure is We used the Linden Gateway survey form happened (for instance, an association “maintained in good repair, structurally as a guide for designing an alley building between a building and a specific person or sound and sanitary so as not to pose survey form to obtain information quickly event). a threat to the public health, safety or and accurately, resulting in a numerical welfare.” According to Section 304 of the score for building elements. We also include Part I: Building Condition International Code Council’s International a detailed definition matrix (see figure 4.2 Survey Method Property Maintenance Code (IMPC), on page 52) to eliminate surveyor confusion the most widely-adopted document and facilitate accurate, consistent scoring. A building condition survey is a process that addresses building condition whereby the overall physical condition characterization, the exterior of structures From our review of building condition of buildings in a defined geographic area must perform four functions: surveys and the IMPC, we identified six are assessed in a consistent, methodical major building elements (also referred to manner in terms of their state of • It must be in good repair, with no as “evaluation criteria”) for inclusion in the maintenance and repair. During Phase 2, evidence of deterioration or damage. survey. They are: a selective reconnaissance survey will be • It must be structurally sound, and conducted. A reconnaissance survey (also structural elements must perform the • Foundation called an identification survey) is a broad intended functions. • Roof, gutters, downspouts, chimneys visual inspection or cursory examination of • It must be kept in sanitary conditions. • Wall/exterior surfaces historic resources in a specific geographical • It must be able to keep the weather and • Windows & doors area in which only exterior documentation of the resource is required to record 1. “Guidelines for Conducting Historic Resources Survey in Virginia.” 2. “International Property Maintenance Code: Code and Commen- resources at a minimum level and provide Virginia Department of Historic Resources, 2011. tary.” International Code Council, 2009. 29-34. 3. “Linden Gateway Small Area Study.” Northern Kentucky Area Plan- a base upon which to obtain more detailed ning Commission & Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, 2007. 51-57. 48 Baltimore Alley House Study • Entrance (stairs, handrails) Performing the Building Condition Condition Assessment Survey Form” • Embellishments Survey (see Figure 4.1 on page 50) to perform the survey. Basic information about These elements can easily be surveyed from In the Field the structure, including street number, the public right-of-way and can be evaluated number of floors, and evidence without excessive technical knowledge. • Prior to surveyors entering the field, of recent improvement should be When performing the building condition the survey form should be prepared reported. A survey should be filled out survey, surveyors will inspect each of these using the recommended software, for every alley house group (defined as six elements for evidence of deterioration, Survey123 (described in “Electronic Data a contiguous group of alley houses, all damage, and loosening, including holes, Recording Method” on page 59). If an sharing party walls). cracks, decay, or other defects. Using the alley house group does not yet have an • Surveyors should assign a numerical aforementioned definition matrix, elements ID number, this should also be assigned. grade to each element, corresponding will then be ranked based on condition and • Surveyors should bring the necessary with its condition and maintenance maintenance. Three of the individual criteria tools, including: based on the provided “Building may be scored from 6 (the “best” score) to Electronic tablets, one for each survey Condition ” (see Figure 4.2 on page 52). 1 (the “worst”); two have been weighted as team, in protective cases and equipped • If there is no building on a property less critical, and can be scored from only 4 with surveys formatted in Survey123 being surveyed, surveyor should note to 1. Scores reflect that an element: Paper, a clipboard, and pens to this on the survey form, concluding the facilitate additional note-taking survey for that property. 6: is well maintained A mobile phone, carried for safety • Surveyors will finally take a photograph 5: requires moderate maintenance A tape measure, which can come in of the street-facing building exterior 4: requires minor repair handy for taking dimensions (or entire property in the absence of 3: requires moderate repair A set of binoculars, which can make a building), capturing in one photo all 2: requires major repair viewing roofs and upper stories easier. building elements visible from the public 1: is not salvageable • To ensure safety, surveyors should right-of-way as best possible. Additional notify someone at the office where they pictures may be taken to highlight Scores are to be summed, resulting in will be when they are out in the field.4 specific details, should the surveyor a score corresponding with the overall • All building condition surveys should be find it necessary to properly illustrate soundness of the building. In the case that conducted from the public right-of-way building condition. an element is not visible to the surveyor, (streets or sidewalks). Surveyors should that element receives a ‘0’ score is dropped not inspect the back of properties Back-Office Data Processing in determining the overall condition score. unless they are visible from the street. • Surveyors should use the Survey123- The building condition survey will result based mobile version of the “Building in scores on a 0 to 32 scale. These scores should be transformed to a 0 to 5 scale using the following equation: 4.. Ibid.

Baltimore Alley House Study 49 Figure 4.1: Building Assessment Survey form

50 Baltimore Alley House Study Portugal Street, Fells Point (photo courtesy Meagan Pickens)

Baltimore Alley House Study 51 Figure 4.2: Building Condition Definition Matrix

Score 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Not Salvageable Moderately Needs Moderate Needs Major Evaluated Well Needs Only (Majority of Well Repair (Up to 1/4 Repair (Up to 1/2 element needs Elements Maintained Minor Repair of element) Maintained of element) repair) Cracks, missing Cracks, missing Cracks, missing Some peeling A few small mortar, loose or mortar, loose or mortar, loose or Does not or cracking in cracks, a small broken surface broken surface over broken surface over require the protective amount of over a majority of a moderate area. No a large portion. Some Foundation immediate surface over missing mortar, a the foundation. evidence of settling evidence of settling maintenance only a small small hole over a Evidence of major or being out of or out of vertical portion small area settling or out of vertical alignment alignment vertical alignment Missing, buckling, Missing, buckling, Needs minor More than one or sagging shingles; or sagging shingles; repair to correct missing or sagging holes in the roof or holes in the roof or Small leaves a missing or shingle, gutter, or chimney; missing chimney; missing Not Roof, Does not or debris sagging shingle, downspout; chimney or loose gutters or or loose gutters Gutters, require on roof, or gutter, or cracked, settling, or downspouts; chimney or downspouts; Witnessed Downspouts, immediate gutters that downspout; slight leaning; rotting fascia settling or leaning; chimney settling or maintenance need to be crack or missing affecting less than cracked or rotting leaning; cracked or Chimneys cleaned brick or mortar 1/4 of roof and/or fascia affecting rotting fascia affect- in chimney; moss chimney elements between 1/4 and ing the majority of growing on roof 1/2 of roof and/or the roof and chim- chimney elements ney elements Walls/ Major repair work is Exterior Paint and/or Paint and/or siding needed to correct A majority of the Surfaces siding need need repairs and paint, siding, or protective surface Does not Isolated areas (Paint, minor repair there is evidence other parts of the is missing, loose, require where touch siding, etc., or re-pointing, of some structural protective surface. rotting, or broken, immediate up painting is & structural but there is no decay, such as dry There are areas of allowing weather to elements that maintenance needed add strength, evidence of rot, affecting up to structural decay reach the house’s bear weight, structural decay 1/4 of the surface affecting up to 1/2 of structural elements or insulate) the surface

52 Baltimore Alley House Study Building Condition Definition Matrix (cont’d)

Score 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Not Salvageable Moderately Needs Moderate Needs Major Evaluated Well Needs Only (Majority of Well Repair (Up to 1/4 Repair (Up to 1/2 element needs Elements Maintained Minor Repair of element) Maintained of element) repair) All doors, Need minor frames, and Missing or broken panes, Missing or broken panes, Majority of windows and repairs to correct glass present; broken or rotting window broken or rotting window or doors are failing. Missing Does not a broken or may need or door frames, or other door frames, or other holes or broken panes, broken Windows & require cracked frame, isolated touch- holes related to a door or related to a door or window or rotting window or immediate re-hang a door, up, such as window failure affecting failure affecting between door frames, or other Doors maintenance or a small hole replacing a up to 1/4 of all doors and 1/4 and 1/2 of all doors and holes related to a door or related to a door latch or other windows windows window hardware or window

More than one missing, Between 1/4 to 1/2 A majority of Not Does not need broken, or cracked of the steps, risers, the steps, risers, Entrance immediate step, riser, baluster, balusters, handrails, balusters, handrails, or railings are missing, or railings are Witnessed N/A N/A maintenance handrail, or railing in (Stairs, or needs minor need of minor repair broken, rotting, or missing, broken, or handrails) touch up, repairs, or paint. Not a serious cracked. Hazard of cracked. Hazard of or paint safety concern. tripping or falling tripping or falling because of disrepair because of disrepair

Needs only painting or A majority of the Does not require Up to 1/2 of the cornices, minor repairs. Cornices, cornices, trim, corbels, immediate trim, corbels, overhang trim, corbels, overhang overhang extensions, maintenance. All extensions, etc. need N/A N/A extensions are properly etc. need major repair embellishments repair or are not anchored. Not a safety or are loose and pose a are properly properly anchored anchored. concern. falling hazard corbels, etc.) (Trim, cornice, (Trim, cornice, Embellishments

Baltimore Alley House Study 53 assess ten criteria across three main • Character-defining features weigh categories relating to building significance: heavily in determining if a building is an Where: Architecture, History, and Integrity/ alley house, so the scope of alterations : The resulting score on a authenticity. done to a building are given the highest 0 to 5 scale weight within this category. Architecture: • While decorative features help to : The original score on a 0 • Building style is given the highest define alley houses, they are weighted to 32 scale weight, as the defining features of the less heavily because the buildings are building can determine whether or not a vernacular. The resulting 0 to 5 scale building condition house in the surveyed neighborhoods is survey score, , should then be considered an “alley house.” Each category can be measured using the assigned to the respective alley house group • Construction and age are weighted data gathering techniques recommended in the alley house master shapefile provided equally, as both may contribute a below, either through in-person surveys, along with this report. particular alley house being considered historical record analyses, or literature a pristine example of its type. reviews. Part 2: Objective Significance • As alley houses are vernacular buildings, Scoring Method the notability of the architect is The proposed Objective Significance Survey considered least important in this Form is presented in Figure 4.3 (page 56). A The literature on scoring the significance category. three-grade scale (Excellent, Good, or Poor) of heritage buildings covers a variety of History: is proposed for each of the ten criteria. concepts relating to the subject. Although • Association with either a notable Because the purpose of the objective we did not locate an example of a scoring person or event/scope of events significance assessment is to obtain a score system that was perfectly applicable to related to an alley house’s history for each group of buildings, we propose the alley houses within the body of literature, are given equal weight, as either may assignment of numerical values to the grade we gleaned key concepts from a variety of contribute to the building’s significance. scale for each criterion. sources to inform the scoring method that Integrity: we created. • Setting and facade material are Information about some of the criteria weighted equally. If a street has been should be assessed in the field, while The scoring system created here focuses on altered so that it no longer resembles information about other criteria must objective values of heritage - values that can the historic “alley street” archetype, be gathered from other sources, thus be seen, touched, or which have verifiably the building may be considered to have entailing a mixed-methods approach to happened (for instance, an association a lower authenticity value than one on data collection. Information about style, between a building and a specific person or an intact street. Facade material is also construction, setting, facade material, event). important, because the material of an alteration, and decorative features alley house is considered a character- information should be collected in the field; We propose a scoring system that will defining feature. while age, architect, historical person, and

54 Baltimore Alley House Study historical event will be informed by sources Objective Significance Survey Form to scores per category should be taken such as existing Maryland Historical Trust record the address range of the group into account). For each individual surveys and the alley house master shapefile of buildings, as well as the predefined ID survey, the three category scores should provided with this report. number for the group. Surveyor name then be added to obtain the final score and survey date is also required. for each alley house group on a 0 to 100 Performing Objective Scoring • Using the Objective Significance scale. Definition Matrix (Figure 4.3 on page • The objective significance score should The procedure for scoring the objective 56) as a guide, the surveyor should then be converted from a 0 to 100 scale significance is composed of three parts: determine whether each criterion is to a 0 to 5 scale using the following field data collection, back-office data Excellent, Good, or Poor, and assign the equation: collection, and back-office data processing. corresponding score.

Field Data Collection Back-Office Data Collection Where: The criteria to be assessed by this method The information for the following criteria are: will be collected in the office from existing : The resulting score on a MHT Alley House Surveys and from the alley 0 to 5 scale Style house shapefile provided with this report: Construction : The original score on a 0 Setting Age to 100 scale Facade material Architect Alteration Historical person • The resulting 0 to 5 scale objective Decorative features Historical event significance score, , should then be assigned to the respective alley • Prior to surveyors entering the field, the Using the Objective Significance Definition house group in the alley house master Objective Significance Survey (Figure 4.3 Matrix as a guide, surveyors should shapefile provided along with this on page 56) should be prepared using determine whether each criterion is report. the recommended software, Survey123. Excellent, Good, or Poor, and assign the If an alley house group does not yet corresponding score. have an ID number, this should also be assigned. Back-Office Data Processing • Surveyors should carry much of the equipment required for the building • When all ten criteria on a survey have condition survey. been assessed, scores within a given • For each alley house group, surveyors category will be summed to obtain a should use the electronic version of the final score for each category (maximum

Baltimore Alley House Study 55 Figure 4.3: Objective Significance Survey Form

Building Address

ID Number

A Architecture (Maximum Score: 35)

Criterion Explanation Excellent Good Poor TOTAL

1 Style 13 8 0

2 Construction 9 5 0

3 Age 9 5 0

4 Architect 4 3 0

ARCHITECTURE TOTAL

B History* (Maximum Score: 35)

5 Person 35 15 0

6 Event 35 15 0

HISTORY TOTAL

*Note: If either criterion within the History category is graded as “excellent,” the aggregate category score will total 35, regardless of the other criteria score.

56 Baltimore Alley House Study Objective Significance Survey Form (cont’d)

Building Address

ID Number

C Integrity and Authenticity (Maximum Score: 30)

Criterion Explanation Excellent Good Poor TOTAL

7 Setting 7 3 0

8 Facade Material 7 3 0

9 Alterations 12 7 0

Decorative 10 4 3 0 Features

INTEGRITY TOTAL AGGREGATE TOTAL

Surveyor

Date

Notes

Baltimore Alley House Study 57 Figure 4.4: Objective Significance Definition Matrix Category Subcategory Grade Grade Assessment Excellent Fits most or all of the defining characteristics of an alley house

Fits many of the defining characteristics of an alley house Style Good Fits very few of the defining characteristics of an alley house Poor Has unique construction materials or methods Excellent Has standard construction materials or methods Construction Good Architecture Poor Has poor construction materials or methods Excellent Early or rare example Age Good Built during period of significance Poor Built after period of significance Architect or builder of particular importance to the history of Excellent the community, state, or nation Architect Architect or builder identified and known, but of no particular Good importance Poor Architect or builder unidentified or unknown Person, group, etc. of primary importance intimately Excellent connected with the building Person, group, etc. associated with a broad pattern of history History Person Good connected with the building Building has no connection with person, group, etc. of Poor importance

58 Baltimore Alley House Study Figure 4.4: Objective Significance Definition Matrix Objective Significance Definition Matrix (cont’d) Category Subcategory Grade Grade Assessment Category Subcategory Grade Grade Assessment

Excellent Fits most or all of the defining characteristics of an alley house Event of primary importance intimately connected with the Excellent building. Fits many of the defining characteristics of an alley house Events associated with the broad patterns of alley history Style Good History Event Good connected with the building. Fits very few of the defining characteristics of an alley house Poor Poor Building has no connection with event of importance. Has unique construction materials or methods Excellent Excellent Located on a street that fits the historical definition of an alley

Construction Has standard construction materials or methods Setting Street has some elements that fit the historical definition of an Good Good alley Architecture Poor Has poor construction materials or methods Poor Street does not retain historical characteristics of an alley Excellent Early or rare example Excellent Keeps the original facade material Age Good Built during period of significance Facade material has changed but new material is of historic Facade Material Good significance Poor Built after period of significance Architect or builder of particular importance to the history of Integrity and Poor New facade material has no historic importance Excellent the community, state, or nation Authenticity Excellent No or few alterations have been made Architect Architect or builder identified and known, but of no particular Good importance Alterations have been made but the character of the house Alterations Good has been retained Poor Architect or builder unidentified or unknown Many alterations have been made that damage the historical Person, group, etc. of primary importance intimately Poor character of the house Excellent connected with the building Person, group, etc. associated with a broad pattern of history Excellent Has significant or unique decorative features History Person Good connected with the building Decorative Building has no connection with person, group, etc. of Features Good Has few or common decorative features Poor importance Poor Has no decorative features

Baltimore Alley House Study 59 Final Building Score take into account the scores of all alley : Objective significance score house groups in Baltimore. A proposed We propose combining the building on a 0 to 5 scale decision rule for quintiles could be applied condition survey score and the objective as follows: significance score into a comprehensive Decision Making building score. This will provide a tool for • Fourth and fifth quintiles (upper the overall objective assessment of alley The Final Building Score can be used to range): Candidate for preservation house groups, both physical condition and produce either a comprehensive, ranked • Second and third quintiles (middle objective significance. assessment for every alley house group in range): candidate for stabilization the inventory, or an individual assessment of • First quintile (bottom range): Several methods can be used to combine each group. Candidate for demolition the building condition survey score and the objective significance score: adding, Option 1: Comprehensive Ranked Option 2: Individual Assessment- multiplying, or averaging. The chosen Assessment Block by Block Analysis aggregation process should ensure that low or high values on either of the component Ideally, every existing alley house Although a comprehensive assessment scores do not lose their weight in the Final group in Baltimore will be identified, resulting in a ranked database represents Building Score. For instance, if a group scored based on building condition and the ideal application of the scoring system, of houses has a low value on one score objective significance, and ranked from such a method requires an extensive effort and a high value on the other, the ideal lowest to highest. This would result in a in a short period of time, and may delay aggregation method would maintain the comprehensive assessment of all alley decision making until every single alley relative importance of that low score. houses in Baltimore, enabling assessors to house group is assessed and scored. This Averaging the building condition and the determine the significance of each alley may not be feasible, and policymakers may objective scores achieves this. Thus, the house group relative to all others, and to need to make determinations in a shorter following equation provides the Final proceed with next steps depending on the timeframe. Building Score: objectives and financial constraints of the organization. Therefore, we propose a method in which alley house groups are scored individually For example, if an objective is to demolish and preservation decisions are made on a Where: 20 percent of the city’s alley house groups, case-by-case basis. Under this model, the : Final Building Score on a or if funds allow for the demolition of 20 following decision rule is proposed based 0 to 5 scale percent of alley houses groups, a quintile on the 0 to 5 Final Building Score: analysis can be performed based on the : Building condition score ranked Final Building Scores of all Baltimore • 3 to 5: Candidate for preservation on a 0 to 5 scale alley house groups. The decision of which • 1 to 3: Candidate for stabilization groups to demolish, stabilize, or preserve • 0 to 1: Candidate for demolition

60 Baltimore Alley House Study Electronic Data Recording Method

In Phase 2 of this study, surveyors will these reasons, we recommend utilizing an on a smartphone or tablet with internet enter the field to collect information for electronic system for data collection and access. Survey123 uploads the range of data the building survey and the objective storage in Phase 2 of this alley house study. collected in the field to ArcGIS Online in real significance score. The authors of this time, avoiding the extra work of manually report understand that the Maryland In this section, we present entering the survey data. If surveyors Historical Trust currently uses paper-based recommendations for effective electronic will not have Internet access in the field, systems for the collection and storage of field recording of the historic alley house upgrading to Survey123 Connect, which historical data. While most industries have data to be gathered during Phase 2 of this offers offline data collection, provides a transitioned from paper-based to electronic, project. To make our recommendation, we viable option. Survey123 works natively on often cloud-based or mobile-based reviewed software and hardware typically both mobile and desktop operating systems, solutions for data collection and storage, used for data collection in the field. allowing users to collect data using current but the paper-based system employed by Based on this review, we recommend that systems. MHT also has advantages. Paper has stood Survey123 Connect software and tablet the test of time. hardware be used for data collection in Case Study: Flood Response & Phase 2 of this project. Survey123 for ArcGIS in Prince However, paper systems have downfalls Edward County, Ontario, Canada as well. They can be unwieldy, difficult to Recommended Software: search, and require staff time and effort Survey123 for ArcGIS After a state of emergency was declared in to manually convert paper-based data May, 2017, Prince Edward County in Ontario, to electronic systems for manipulation. Survey123 for ArcGIS, Esri’s form-centric Canada performed a digital survey with Further, although paper persists through field data collection application (i.e., it Survey123 for ArcGIS to collect information time, it, too, may be lost or misplaced. The uses Microsoft Excel to configure data for related to flooding issues.6 The county origins of this report exist as a compelling survey-based data collection), is simple created new generic users in the county’s case-in-point: Mary Ellen Hayward’s grant to adopt and to use, provides the ability ArcGIS Online organization account and application from the original Alley House to create customized surveys online, sent instructions for downloading the Project has been lost in the ensuing years, and is implicitly compatible with ArcGIS.5 mobile Survey123 for ArcGIS application along with the methodology she used and With Survey123, the administrator can to county staff members. It took only ten the definition of “alley house” guiding create a customized survey online, and minutes to train the staff to use Survey123. her work. This loss of information has surveyors in the field can then input data undoubtedly resulted in a need to recreate 6. Hopkins, G., & McCue, S. (2017, October 12). Flood Response & in this report some of the work previously Survey 123 for ArcGIS in Prince Edward County. Retrieved November 5. G. (2016, August). Mobile GIS Best Practices. Retrieved November 20, 2017, from https://esri.ca/sites/default/files/documents/Prince%20 completed in that original survey. For 18, 2017. Edward%20County%20-%20Grant%20Hopkins.pdf

Baltimore Alley House Study 61 Online database (the data collected in the field) into the alley house master shapefile. This application can be used to create individual surveys for the objective significance score and for the building condition survey.

Recommended Hardware

Based on our research, a minimum nine- inch tablet computer with a protective case is necessary for effective electronic data collection in the field. Surveyors tend to do a lot of writing in the field, a task which is much easier with a keyboard. While devices Figure 4.5: Survey123 application interface. with screens smaller than seven inches are highly portable, they are too small to The County listed the following advantages house groups being surveyed (to be provide useful in-screen keyboards. Tablets of using this application: consistency in data used later to link data collected in or smartphones of this size will increase collection, fast and targeted deployment, the field with the master shapefile). data recording time (and frustration) rather and easy analysis of collected data. Figure than eliminate it. Nine-inch and larger 4.5 above provides a snapshot of the In the field: tablets offer a certain level of portability application. • Fill in the survey for each alley combined with enough room to have a house group using the Survey123 small keyboard for typing. To minimize the Using Survey123 for ArcGIS application, being sure to assign chance of damaging the electronic device, correct identifiers. we recommend storing surveyors’ tablets in Using the application requires the following: • Upload the data to the ArcGIS rugged, protective cases such as those built server if working offline. by Otterbox, which ensures their products Prior to entering the field: The final two steps of this process (listed with “Certified Drop+ Protection.” • Create an ArcGIS Online account for under In the field) should be repeated for each surveyor. each alley house. Any data collected will • Create the survey on a computer. be automatically saved in a database in an • Download the application on tablets ArcGIS server, accessible on the survey to be used by surveyors in the field. owner’s ArcGIS Online account. Assigning • Download the survey to be applied. unique identifiers to each house will allow • Assign unique identifiers to all alley staff to merge information in the ArcGIS

62 Baltimore Alley House Study Melvin Drive, Ridgley’s Delight (photo courtesy Holly Simmons)

Baltimore Alley House Study 63 Resident Assessment

Because many of the inherent values of will implement a two-step resident and how these features are perceived.3 heritage buildings are difficult to quantify, assessment, with two different sources The goal is to gain knowledge about the researchers often face challenges when of data. The first will involve conducting observed neighborhood and to understand trying to integrate these concepts into a “transect walking” analysis, which will and systemize the attitude of participants concrete models. To create a method produce map analysis and interview data. toward these features and processes. for the analysis of historic alley houses’ By revealing stakeholders’ understandings subjective significance, we reviewed a of Baltimore districts, transect walks can Transect walks are appropriate for the variety of research methods, including help inform the development of themes and purpose of this study, because walking resident surveys and interviews, case wording for subsequent surveys, thereby through alleys will allow participants to studies, transect walks, behavioral improving the overall reliability and validity recall different stories, emotions about mapping, cultural mapping, and participant of survey instruments. specific houses, and characteristics of observation. Each individual method individuals living in these homes. These presented limitations. For example, while The second step will build off the first. “thick descriptions” of alleys may be methods such as surveys are effective We recommend that transect walk data omitted during discussion from distance. for quickly collecting sufficient data from be combined with the meanings received Additionally, the participation of the different neighborhoods, they restrict from Phase 1 interviews. Data gleaned from interviewee in the preparation for the the variety of meanings that residents transect walks and/or interviews will then be transect walk may also reveal additional may reveal; interviews, alternatively, allow used to construct a survey. The subjective subjective meanings. residents to express deep meaning, but that meanings gleaned from the results of the meaning may be difficult to quantify and interviews conducted as part of Phase 1 can The broader understandings provided time-consuming to collect and code.1 For be included. Surveys will be distributed to verbally by community participants and this reason, we propose a sequential mixed respondents based on alley house groups the relations that they indicate should method approach combining qualitative located in historic neighborhoods. The be recorded by researchers using tape and quantitative methods - namely, transect results of surveys will then be averaged for recorders, handwritten notes, and walks and surveys.2 each historic neighborhood and used as a photographs. A voice recorder, printed subjective meaning score. neighborhood map, pencils, pens, and To reveal subjective meanings, researchers a camera will be necessary to concisely Part 1: Transect Walks 1. John W. Cresswell, “Research Methods: Qualitative, Quantitative, 3. Dana H. Taplin, Scheld, Suzanne, and Low, Setha M. “Rapid Ethno- and Mixed Methods Approaches”, Sage publications, Inc., 2013. In a transect walk, researchers accompany graphic Assessment in Urban Parks: A Case Study of Independence 2. Jeremy C. Wells, “Using Sequential Mixed Social Science Methods National Historical Park,” Human Organization 61, no. 1 (2002): to Define and Measure Heritage Conservation Performance,” community members on a tour of a study School of Architecture, Art, and Historic Preservation Faculty area, where they discuss key area features 86-90. Papers, Paper 21, 2011. 64 Baltimore Alley House Study and accurately gather information. The By conducting tours with small groups, compose the survey statements “My alley data from all transect walks should researchers can manage information house is significant to me because it is be transcribed and coded, in order to gathered while concurrently allowing associated with a unique history,” and “Alley synthesize questions about the subjective participants to engage in a communal houses function as a safe space for children meanings of alley houses, to be used later conversation and debate regarding after school.” When composing survey for community surveys. the significance of alley houses and statements, researchers should apply neighborhood space as they answer the colloquialisms gathered during the transect Possible questions to ask the participants interview questions. Researchers should walks to give the statements a degree of while on walks include: strive to perform group transect walks with familiarity to the survey takers. participants in order to gauge a variety • Why did you decide to choose this of subjective meanings for the surveys. The survey questions should be structured route? Thirty minutes per walk should suffice, but using five point Likert scales. This structure • Tell me about this neighborhood. What transects may be extended if participants will allow individuals to express how much kind of feelings do you have when you want to continue talking. they agree or disagree with a particular talk about it? Why? statement, resulting in the following • Which of these buildings/places is the Part 2: Surveys responses: most significant for you? Why? • Which building do you like the most/the Surveys will constitute the quantitative 5: Strongly Agree least? Why? arm of the resident assessment, allowing 4: Agree • What do you think about the plans researchers to obtain data in a limited 3: Neither Agree nor Disagree to demolish row houses? Do you amount of time. The surveys will be 2: Disagree think demolition should occur in this informed by the meanings expressed by 1: Strongly Disagree neighborhood? Why? residents and experts during the transect walking tours and in interviews conducted A sample survey constructed using Because transects and surveys are intended for this report. Examples of these meanings information from interviews conducted to help researchers better understand the can be found in Appendix 6 (page 98). with stakeholders during Phase 1 (Fall subjective meanings of alley houses, current 2017) is shown in Figure 4.6 (page 66). To and former residents and representatives Researchers will compose surveys ensure a representative sample, a minimum of community organizations should consisting of statements relating to a major of thirty surveys should be collected for be involved in the research process. themes gleaned from the transects or from each Baltimore district where alley houses Secondary stakeholders who should also existing interviews. For example, if the are located.4 Researchers can distribute be represented include members of local transects reveal themes such as “We love the surveys in a variety of ways. Surveys nonprofits, politicians, and preservationists. our alley house because it is associated with can be sent out in the mail, made available a unique history,” and “Alley houses provide Transect walks should be conducted a safe social space for children after school,” in groups of three to five participants. based on these themes, researchers may 4. Meier K.J., Brudney J.L., Bohte J. Applied statistics for public and nonprofit administration, Sixth edition. 2005.

Baltimore Alley House Study 65 Figure 4.6: Resident Assessment Survey Form

District Name

Gender Male Female Other (Circle one) Black/African Native Asian/Pacific Latinx/ Race/Ethnicity (Circle one) White Other American American Islander Hispanic

Relation to Alley Houses Current Former Other Expert (Circle one) Resident Resident (Specify) Current/Former Residents: Less than 1 5-10 More than 20 How long have you lived in 1-2 years 2-5 years 10-20 years year years years an alley house? Neither Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Statement Agree nor SCORE Agree (5) (4) (2) Disagree (1) Disagree (3) In an alley house neighborhood, social relations are/were especially important. I feel/felt the support of a community in an alley house neighborhood. Alley houses respect the generations of my family who lived here. Alley houses honor people who lived in these houses in previous eras.

66 Baltimore Alley House Study Resident Assessment Survey Form (cont’d) Neither Strongly Disagree Strongly Statement Agree (4) Agree nor SCORE Agree (5) (2) Disagree (1) Disagree (3) Alley houses respect the people who lived here in previous generations. Alley houses honor people who lived in these spaces previously. The history of alley houses makes me excited. Alley houses are aesthetically pleasing. I like that alley houses are small and compact. I like(d) the feeling of intimacy and closeness of my alley house. I am/was personally engaged in the maintenance of my alley house. I am/was personally engaged in the alley house’s maintenance or restoration. My alley house is/was important for me for another reason. AVERAGE SCORE SURVEYOR DATE

Baltimore Alley House Study 67 on the internet (www.Surveymonkey. findings of that survey. Similarly to the Researchers should incorporate this com, Google Surveys, etc.), or conducted building assessment, a quintile analysis can consideration when formulating work over the telephone. We recommend that be performed for the resident assessment. plans and deadlines. surveys be made available in multiple If performing an analysis of quintiles: • Schedules of researchers and formats to maximize participant access. community activities (determining the However, researchers will need maintain an • Fourth and fifth quintiles (upper times at which transect walks can be inventory of survey respondents to avoid range): Candidate for preservation conducted) may not always coincide. collecting duplicate data. To capture a • Second and third quintiles (middle • Researchers should use their best wide audience, surveys can be distributed range): candidate for stabilization judgment regarding safety when through the same organizations that • First quintile (bottom range): considering participant-planned researchers partnered with for the transect Candidate for demolition transect walks. walks. Additionally, they may be distributed • Transect walk routes may not be at stakeholder engagement charrettes Limitations and Considerations Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) proposed in chapter 5. accessible. Researchers should work Transect walks are recommended but diligently to create accommodations Constructing the Resident not necessarily essential in informing the for all willing participants, regardless of Assessment Score significance score. If there is a limitation ability. on time and/or resources, the subjective • Participants may engage in open All categories of subjective meaning have meanings from Phase 1 interviews can debate regarding the significance of the same weight. Therefore, all survey inform the survey instruments in Phase alley houses and neighborhood space questions have the same weight. For each 2 instead; however, it should be noted as they answer interview questions. survey, researchers should calculate the that this survey may give very narrow Sometimes these debates can become average score. Then, all of the scores within interpretations of subjective meanings heated. Researchers should work with a given district should be averaged, creating because the interview sample was small and the sponsoring organizations’ authority an averaged subjective significance score homogeneous. At the same time, obtaining to mediate debates and defuse hostile for each individual Baltimore district. This and understanding different subjective situations. score will be understood to reflect on the meanings may be important for broader • Researchers should use best practices entire district, not specific buildings or analysis of alley houses (not for significance for cultural competency in behavior and neighborhoods. score only). If so, it may still be beneficial to language use. It should be remembered perform transect walks. that researchers are invited guests in When making decisions regarding participants’ communities, and they demolition, preservation, or stabilization, Should transect walks be utilized, it will be should respect the neighborhood and the resident assessment should not deliver important to consider the following: culture. the final verdict, but instead should be used in conjunction with the Building Assessment • It will take time to gain the trust of to confirm, deny, or add nuance to the community organizations and residents.

68 Baltimore Alley House Study Conclusion

Despite past demolitions, many alley houses remain in Baltimore. While these houses can be identified as a group with similar characteristics, it can be assumed that they also vary in condition and significance. To implement the survey portion of this study in Phase 2, we propose a method for capturing and quantifying variance among alley houses and alley house spaces. We recommend using a Building Assessment to identify alley house condition and objective significance, and a Resident Assessment to understand the subjective, community-based significance of these buildings and spaces. The Building Assessment and the Resident Assessment, which incorporate a wide range of objective and subjective factors, will equip planners and preservationists with a comprehensive assessment that can be used to prioritize Baltimore’s alley houses when making demolition, stabilization, and preservation decisions.

Dover Street, Ridgely’s Delight (photo courtesy Holly Simmons)

Baltimore Alley House Study 69 Chapter 5 Community Outreach Strategy

70 Introduction

Although this report provides extensive information to guide planners and preservationists to decide where to demolish, stabilize, or preserve alley houses, it is essential that decision making is also informed and guided by community residents. While some residents were consulted in the interviews and will be involved in the upcoming significance scoring initiative, this section outlines how community members can be further involved in the planning and preservation process. We argue that the most effective method of community involvement is through a charrette, where residents are formally involved in creating an alley house preservation plan. This section details the importance of community involvement in planning and preservation decisions, outlines a charrette plan, and discusses potential limitations to community involvement. Why Is Community Outreach • Through their knowledge and influence, developers, and nonprofit community Important? community members can assist in organizations.1 implementing solutions prescribed by We believe that community participation planners. Though providing tangible knowledge can benefit further phases of this project in • The demolition of assets that are and guidance that is integral to the the following ways: viewed as valuable by community success of alley house redevelopment, members can be prevented. the community itself can benefit from • By relaying their experiences, • Residents’ knowledge of their direct participation in the process in the community members can provide communities can provide planners and following ways: practitioners with a greater preservationists with the knowledge understanding of the socioeconomic necessary to create innovative • A diverse array of interests and issues at the root of blight and policy solutions and implementation stakeholders within a community can disinvestment. strategies. be united for a shared purpose. • Community members can identify • Local knowledge provided by • Community participation can key issues that may not be community members can identify demonstrate to the public that their immediately apparent to planners and specific locations to direct voice is valued. preservationists and provide a holistic redevelopment funding. This allows • Community inclusion instills a perspective on planning solutions. planners and preservationists to take a belief in residents that they are • Ensure that redevelopment plans do comprehensive approach to demolition, key stakeholders in the process not harm residents, provide greater stabilization, preservation, and of redevelopment in their provisions of service, and have a redevelopment based on the collective character that aligns with community vision and expertise of residents, local preferences. leaders, government officials, private 1 U.S. Department of Housing. “Choice Neighborhoods Promising Practice Guides,” Issue Brief #3.

Baltimore Alley House Study 71 neighborhoods. from historic structural conditions • Establish community-based • Constant community input creates such as racism, disenfranchisement, participatory and asset-based an interactive process to identity and residential segregation, and oppression” community development approaches re-identify community needs and that communities may continue to that recognize the right that all develops the vital assets of residents of experience today.4 Baltimore City’s residents have to “participate in the marginalized communities.2 Continued history encompasses all of the factors process of defining problems, in involvement can take place in the stated, therefore, keeping the concept mobilizing assets and strengths ([such form of serial charrettes, community of trauma recovery a part of the as] individuals, social networks, and meetings, townhalls, and other venues redevelopment process is integral to institutions), as well as in designing that keep communities involved in this project. and implementing interventions and the development process of their • Identify community organizations and solutions”.5 Under this approach, communities. significant community leaders for all community members can better identify neighborhoods of focus. the main issues, needs, and concerns Furthermore, it remains vital that minority • Identify existing language barriers regarding their community. They can and marginalized communities are engaged (both foreign languages and vernacular also provide insight on where they think throughout this project to ensure the language) in all focus communities and redevelopment should be targeted. success of alley house redevelopment. provide multilingual services to keep • Build a transparent partnership with Marginalization refers to the isolation of all community members engaged in marginalized communities that identifies communities from mainstream society the process. We suggest hosting work and establishes the “cultural and due to “linguistic barriers, geographic town halls, community meetings and/ language protocols needed to establish isolation, history of oppression, racism, or a charrette (or serial charrettes) trusting and meaningful relationships” discrimination, and poverty.”3 Key ways to that have translators available. We also between government personnel, keep marginalized communities involved in suggest providing handouts, pamphlets, developers, and other stakeholders is alley house redevelopment include: and other vital web-based or paper vital to alley house redevelopment.6 information regarding the project in Building a partnership also protects the • Enter each neighborhood with the the (foreign) languages spoken in focus rights and interests of the community, knowledge and understanding that neighborhoods. Here, religious-based thus, allowing members to participate many marginalized communities are organizations that offer multilingual and remain actively involved and a result of trauma resulting from the services will be integral to the success valued partners in the community “stressful and threatening experiences of conveying vital information to all redevelopment process. residents regarding workshop events • Employ the skills of multilingual,

2. Emily Weinstein, Jessica Wolin, and Sharon Rose. “Trauma In- and project updates. culturally competent facilitators to formed Community Building A Model for Strengthening Community in Trauma Affected Neighborhoods”, Healthy Equity Institute. May 2014. 4. Emily Weinstein, Jessica Wolin, and Sharon Rose. “Trauma In- 5 UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, “Building Partner- 3. UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities, “Building Partner- formed Community Building A Model for Strengthening Community ships: Key Consideration When Engaging Underserved Communities ships: Key Consideration When Engaging Underserved Communities in Trauma Affected Neighborhoods”, Healthy Equity Institute. May Under MHSA,” n.d. Under MHSA,” n.d. 2014. 6 Ibid. 72 Baltimore Alley House Study manage dialogue, keep conversations Housing and Community Development on track and focused on the mission, (DHCD) is the entity responsible for and mediate disputes between diverse supporting the City of Baltimore in groups.7 gathering community input for Project C.O.R.E initiatives. DHCD will use public How does this fit into Project meetings to inform community members C.O.R.E.’s goals and objectives? about Project C.O.R.E initiatives and to collect their input on the development The goals of Project C.O.R.E. are “to process. Some of the proposed topics support community growth in Baltimore for these meetings include “workforce City, eliminate in a strategic manner as training opportunities, analysis of blocks many full blocks of blight as possible, and lots, incorporating community input, and encourage investment in Project and adverse impacts and mitigation.”9 C.O.R.E. communities through attractive Although public meetings are essential in financing and other incentives”.8 Thus, community engagement, we argue that a in order to accomplish these goals, charrette-style meeting is one of the most Project C.O.R.E. will need to have effective effective methods to garner community community engagement strategies wherein input because we believe it facilitates a stakeholders can be involved in planning greater exchange of information between community growth initiatives and solutions, officials and the public. We argue that assist in strategic demolition, and assist the charrette is a mechanism which in planning the equitable distribution of ensures that information is flowing in a financing and incentives in communities, two-way direction instead of in a one-way particularly in distressed communities. direction, and that it gives room for greater Stakeholders should also be educated on negotiation between the officials and the how to gain access and utilize these tools community members in the development Portugal Street, Fells Point (photo courtesy Meagan so that they may be actively involved in the process.10 However, for the charrette to be Pickens) implementation of collaboratively planned most effective there must be a community solutions. outreach strategy that centers around identifying a diverse set of stakeholders. Currently, the Maryland Department of

9. Ibid. 10. Gene Rowe and Lynn J. Frewer, “A Typology of Public Engage- 7. Lawrence E. Susskind and‎ Jeffrey L. Cruikshank, Breaking Robert’s ment Mechanisms,” Science, Technology, & Human Values 30, no. 2 Rules: The New Way to Run Your Meeting, Build Consensus, and Get (Spring 2005): 255-256. Results (New York:Oxford University Press, 2006), 179. 8. Department of Housing and Community Development, “About Project C.O.R.E.,” n.d.

Baltimore Alley House Study 73 Proposed Charrette Strategy

A list of key stakeholders has been created for this project, and community members will be consulted in devising significance scores in Phase 2. However, we feel that the current list of stakeholders is not diverse enough, as there is a severe underrepresentation of women and people of color. Because of the reasons listed in the previous section, we also believe that further initiatives can benefit from increased community involvement. We argue that any comprehensive redevelopment projects should include a more diverse group of residents and consider utilizing a community-based charrette. Guided by the outline provided in the American Planning Association’s Charrette Handbook, the following section outlines how a charrette could be used in latter stages of this project. Although the scope of the project beyond Phase 2 is to be determined, a charrette would ensure comprehensive community involvement if large-scale redevelopment of alley houses is undertaken. Charrettes are inclusionary processes that Baltimore’s alley houses is detailed below. Part 1 Tasks utilize community input to guide planning decisions, and are typically undertaken Research, Education, and • Draft a list of objectives, strategies, and for projects of critical importance to the Charrette Preparation measures relevant to the project. livelihood of communities. After a series • Identify stakeholders and determine of goals and objectives are identified, a Part 1: Project Assessment and stakeholder “levels.” The goal is to charrette team comprised of planning, Organization include stakeholders from a broad design, and preservation specialists engage range of demographic and professional with community members to formulate The first stage of the charrette involves the backgrounds. The Charrette Handbook a range of alternative planning concepts. research, public outreach, and logistical identifies four types of stakeholders: After a four-to-seven-day process, preparation necessary to conduct a individuals with decision-making power, planners eventually formulate a design successful charrette. The preliminary those who may be potentially affected plan informed by the input and approval process begins with a project assessment, by the plan’s outcome, those who can of community members and stakeholders. where members of the charrette team promote the project, and those who The charrette process is typically divided (which is usually comprised of planners, could block the project. into three parts: research, education, and urban designers, architects, landscape • Perform a complexity analysis. A preparation; the charrette workshop itself, architects, and economic development complexity analysis determines research and implementation of the plan devised specialists) meet with the project sponsor needs, budgetary considerations, time through the charrette process.11 A proposed to determine the goals and objectives to be necessary to successfully plan and charrette for the redevelopment of produced during the charrette. perform a charrette, and identifies logistical concerns. • Create a “planning process roadmap.” 11. The Charrette Handbook, 7-13. 74 Baltimore Alley House Study This longitudinal document strategizes a charrette to create a redevelopment Part 2 tasks a potential planning process and plan, consideration should be paid to determines what level of public the funds and political will available to • Conduct community outreach. involvement is necessary. implement such a project. Outreach can occur through informal, • Write a “charrette ready plan,” which • The project manager will only be able one-on-one interactions; or at public serves as a to-do list of what tasks need to assemble a charrette team once meetings, neighborhood gatherings, to be completed prior to the charrette the scope of the project has been community meetings or community and who will perform them.12 articulated, as this will reveal the specific institutions. By utilizing a variety of skillsets necessary to complete the outreach methods, charrette team Alley House Charrette project. members can ensure a more diverse Considerations • The appropriate identification of a stakeholder cohort. Identifying diverse list of stakeholders (particularly and reaching out to community Because the goals of a charrette have not residents) may be difficult due to the development organizations, been pre-defined, individuals in charge vast geographic scope of distressed neighborhood groups, community of Phase 2 should meet with the sponsor alley houses as well as power leaders, religious-based groups, grass- clients to gain a specific understanding of differentials among sponsor clients/ roots organization, youth groups what these groups want from the charrette. individuals in Phase 2 and stakeholders and other known social networks It is also worth discussing the budgetary, (particularly residents). within target communities to spread political, and logistical feasibility of what • Consideration should be paid to information of this project is suggested. could be achieved in a redevelopment plan. the amount of time it takes to gain This strategy should also encourage For example, the content of a charrette stakeholders’ trust, especially regarding collaboration between identified will be limited if it is only feasible for a politically-charged subject such as stakeholders while opening the door to demolition and stabilization decisions to be Project C.O.R.E., in order to receive other community-serving organizations made rather than a full-scale, fully-funded stakeholders’ full and honest input. and neighborhood networks that may redevelopment plan. Further challenges not be identified in the initial process.13 include the following: Part 2: Stakeholder Research, • Engage with the public and exchange Education, and Outreach information. This stage attempts to • Identify a specific geographic scope may understand which stakeholders have the be necessary. Distressed alley houses This part reveals who can promote (or most influence in their communities. are scattered throughout Baltimore, block) the project and devises a strategy to Here community leaders will be a crucial creating difficulties in drafting a involve these individuals or groups in the stakeholder to identify and contact coordinated and comprehensive charrette. As previously mentioned, this per target neighborhood. Leaders redevelopment plan. report has already created a preliminary actively represent their community, • While it may be technically possible for list of stakeholders, but we believe a more diverse group is necessary to ensure a 13 Robert Chaskin and Mark Joseph. “Building “Community” in successful charrette. Mixed-Income Developments Assumptions Approaches and Early 12. Ibid, 33-43 Experiences,” University of Chicago, January 2010.

Baltimore Alley House Study 75 “foster strong social networks” and Part 3: Base Data Research and five-day charrettes are also possible.16 educate their fellow residents of multi- Analysis, Project Feasibility Studies, scale community development such and Pre-Charrette Prep Alley House Charrette as housing demolition, stabilization, Considerations preservation, and redevelopment, the The goal of this part is for each charrette foci of this project.14 team member to become fully rehearsed in • Much of the baseline data will be • Divide stakeholders into “primary” how his or her area of expertise is related to gathered in Phases I and II of the and “secondary” groups. As detailed the project. project, minimizing the research needed in the next section, separate meetings to be performed by team members. will be held with primary stakeholders Part 3 Tasks That being said, team members may throughout the charrette. find it necessary to collect additional • Work with stakeholders to develop a • Formation of a final charrette data not included in the original terms unified vision that builds off the initial team. Charrette teams are usually of reference. Potential data may goals and objectives. The Charrette comprised of a planner, a designer, include real estate market analyses, Handbook argues that stakeholder an architect, a landscape architect, an transportation data, and environmental engagement is the basis of developing environmentalist, an economist, and a information. In terms of timing, it will be a common ground that can be used transportation planner. For the sake of best to perform the charrette sometime to articulate the means and ends of this project, it may also be necessary to in the summer of 2018, soon after the project. Vision development can include a preservationist and a housing Phase II is completed. The length of be enhanced through public kickoff expert. the charrette itself is contingent on the meetings, bus tours, and technical • Team members will gather base data funding and time available. workshops.15 research and perform a SWOT analysis related to their field. The Charrette Alley House Charrette • The team should congregate to perform Considerations conceptual sketches and tests, which Charrettes are typically governed by can help uncover potential feasibility two management models: 1) a primary The final composition of stakeholders issues and opportunities. project manager oversees all aspects of will depend on the scope of the project. • Project manager(s) should create the charrette, or 2) a project manager Furthermore, it will be essential to dig deep a comprehensive project brief that is appointed to keep in touch with the into community networks, as the Charrette summarizes data and research provided charrette team, and a charrette manager is Handbook notes that some of the most by each team member. appointed to manage logistics. This section influential community leaders may not be • In the weeks leading up to the charrette, details each element of the charrette in known to planners or politicians. logistics and scheduling matters should chronological order. For the purposes of be dealt with. Ideal charrettes typically this document, a seven-day model is used. 14. U.S. Department of Housing. “Choice Neighborhoods Promising last seven days, although abbreviated Practice Guides,” Issue Brief #3. 15. Ibid, 45-50 16. Ibid, 53-73 76 Baltimore Alley House Study Part 1: Initial Charrette Phases (Day managers should attempt balancing input to begin articulating a final vision. 1) creativity with ensuring that the • After a final sketch is comprised, alternatives are created punctually. stakeholders are convened to provide • Host a start-up meeting with the • Hold a conceptual meeting. During input and critique. charrette team. The objective of this this meeting, central themes gleaned • Once the stakeholders are consulted, a meeting is to ensure that the team from research and public input are public open house is hosted. During the is clear on the charrette goals and articulated, which will be used to open house, additional information is objectives shape the character of the proposed gathered to polish the final concept. • Order the charrette team to perform a alternatives. By the end of the meeting, site tour while the project manager(s) the team should articulate the list of Part 4: Production and presentation meets with the primary stakeholders. A alternative concepts and tasks should be (Days 6-7) pre-charrette stakeholder meeting will divided by field of expertise. allow the project manager(s) to gather • Initial alternative concepts should be • Using the public input gathered from last-minute information relevant to the rough to communicate to stakeholders the open house, the team creates a project and ensure that all stakeholders and residents that further input will be finalized product that will be presented are on the same page. necessary to create a finalized product. to the public for review at the end of • Host an initial public meeting. The initial • After the initial alternative concepts are the seventh day.17 meeting includes an informational created, each concept is presented to lecture on the project and a hands- primary stakeholders, who will discuss Implementation on workshop. During the workshop, the feasibility of each alternative and attendees are divided into even groups, provide additional critique. Once a final plan is created, the charrette examine and discuss preexisting • At the end of the third day, a second team will meet with the project sponsors conditions relating to the project, public meeting is held where community to devise a course of action to implement brainstorm a list of visions for the plan, members provide input on each the plan. To maintain public support, the and report the results back to the group alternative concept. Charrette Handbook recommends that as a whole. the implementation team communicates Part 3: Preferred Plan Synthesis constantly with the public throughout the Part 2: Alternative Concepts (Days 4-5) course of the project. Development (Days 2-3) • After the second public meeting, the • After the initial public meeting, the charrette team is tasked to synthesize charrette team creates no more than a definitive plan from each alternative four alternative concepts, utilizing concept. baseline research and input from the • At the beginning of day 4, the charrette previous night’s meeting. The Charrette team convenes to process the results of the second public meeting and uses that Handbook emphasizes that project 17. Ibid, 84-115

Baltimore Alley House Study 77 Sample Themes from Stakeholder The experts also expressed that alley be gleaned from stakeholder engagement Engagement in Phase 1 houses located in distressed neighborhoods (in this case via interviews) that can inform experience higher vacancy rates and lower the development decisions related to alley To broaden the scope and understanding demand for this unique housing type. houses throughout Baltimore City. Please of this project, unstructured ethnographic Most experts saw alley houses as a form refer to Appendix 5 to view the codebook interviews were conducted with eleven of affordable housing and would seek to used to identify major themes. stakeholders including five experts, three preserve and redevelop blocks of alley from non-profit organizations, one from houses that are still suitable for habitation a government entity, and one from a versus rehabilitating one house at a time. community organization, along with An overall need for market demand of six residents who lived in alley houses. alley houses was mentioned throughout The interviews focused on the physical, expert interviews as such forces drive sociocultural, and historic qualities in the neighborhood growth and stabilization. context of Baltimore’s alley houses. Once completed, interviews were transcribed and Each resident interviewed truly enjoyed coded to identify major themes. being in an alley house. A few residents had combined adjacent alley houses to increase We find that each interviewee recognized alley house size or purchased or rented the historical and/or cultural significance larger sized alley houses. However, one of alley houses in some form as they resident’s partner did not like how small were an affordable housing option for their alley house was and they chose to historically working-class immigrant and move because of this. Resident interviews migrant populations. Each commented on stressed the attractiveness of how the characteristics of alley houses being affordable alley houses were. They enjoyed small and located on smaller side streets. A living off the larger street, the community redevelopment strategy that was common feel, the diversity, the intimate social among all interviews with experts and interactions, and the pedestrian-oriented residents alike mentioned that combining characteristics their alley streets created two or more alley houses together to and fostered. Many residents were also increase its size would be a useful strategy attracted to their neighborhood due to their to increase demand and use. close proximity to shops, restaurants, and other neighborhood serving resources. Common themes among the experts included seeing the small size of alley These interviews and their subsequent houses as a possible hindrance for themes demonstrate the deeper social, Tyson Street, Bolton Hill (photo courtesy Jack Narron) contractors or attracting new residents. cultural, and economic meanings that can

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Baltimore Alley House Study 79 Chapter 6 Conclusions & Recommendations

80 Conclusion

Alley streets have nestled in the spaces between the warp and wood of Baltimore’s main streets for hundreds of years, and the poor, working classes, immigrants, and African Americans have historically nestled into houses on these alley streets. Because of this, rich and poor, black and white, immigrant and native-born have lived in close proximity in Baltimore City. Those who cannot (or choose not to) afford houses on the main streets continue to live on the alleys, naturally facilitating the integration of varying economic statuses in the city.

Many alley houses have disappeared from to reinvest in Baltimore City, and in some on a 0 to 5 scale. The building bssessment the City over the years, replaced by inner instances this will involve tearing down and should include scores for both building block parks or empty patches. However, as eventually building anew. Project C.O.R.E.’s condition and the objective significance of we discovered through the course of our great potential can also be realized by the building based on factors relating to its research, many alley houses remain. These proactively choosing to preserve. With history, architecture, and integrity. Scoring spaces continue to carry the stories of Phase 1 of the Baltimore Alley House Study should be based on the surveys provided in ordinary and working-class residents, some completed and Phase 2 soon to begin, the this report. We then recommend assigning of which we heard during the interview only thing left to do will be to decide. The numerical values to each category’s score, process conducted during Phase 1 of this materials in this report will help to make in order to achieve an aggregate final score study: the story of the family with thirteen these difficult decisions easier. that will determine a building’s significance. children that ate dinner on the front stoop, passing plates of food to one another up Recommendations The results of the objective building and down the steps; the story of neighbors assessment provide insight into the who sit in the alley on hot days and watch Utilizing academic literature, professional condition and objective significance of alley TV or listen to the radio from the street; documents, stakeholder interviews, and house groups, but alone they not provide the story of the couple that continues to case studies, we have developed a series of a complete understanding of alley houses. express pride in buying their first home, recommendations for implementing Phase 2 The human element is missing, because an alley house. People who live on alley of this project and for conducting outreach residents’ and other stakeholders’ subjective streets seem to relish the communal feel in the community. values around alley houses are left of these spaces, their affordability, and the unaccounted. Therefore, we recommend experience of being surrounded by noises For Phase 2, we recommend scoring each the final building score be understood in created by humans instead of vehicles. building based on its physical condition conjunction with the subjective significance and its objective significance, which can be of the parts of Baltimore City in which alley Project C.O.R.E. represents an opportunity combined to provide a final building score houses exist, according to resident and

Baltimore Alley House Study 81 stakeholder values. To this end, we propose from stakeholders, which can then be used a two-part Resident Assessment. The first to devise a plan. The plan can then be (optional) part is to be a series of transect presented to the stakeholders who initially walks of areas where the alley houses are attended, and can also be modified for located, conducted by researchers and future action. local community members. Second, a resident and stakeholder survey should be conducted to gather quantifiable data about Baltimore’s alley house districts. Researchers can choose either to create surveys using the information gathered during transect walks, or use the surveys provided in this report.

We also recommend using a charrette- based process for community and stakeholder engagement in Phase 2 and beyond, based on guidelines laid out in the American Planning Association’s Charrette Handbook. Outreach should involve the entire community, so that the most representative sample possible is present for the charrette. Sufficient planning for the charrette is necessary for success, and should include stakeholder analysis and a “planning process roadmap,” as well as ensuring that the purpose and goals of the charrette are clearly understood by all. Outreach should be conducted in a way that encourages stakeholders to be present for the charrette, and the project team should be appropriately briefed throughout the process to ensure understanding of Tyson Street, Bolton Hill (photograph courtesy Jack Narron) the objectives. The charrette will provide an initial community meeting with input

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Baltimore Alley House Study 83 Technical Appendices

84 Appendix 1: Definitions of Alley Houses

Objective Descriptions house. Historically, these steps might have the city fabric, not entirely private nor been wooden, with merchants pulling them entirely public, and residents feel as if they Alley houses were originally constructed up at night for safety, but today they range have shared ownership of these spaces.5 as housing options for the working classes from wood, to stone, to brick. The primary According to Kim Prothro Williams, from the late eighteenth century until materials for house construction include alleys tend to foster high levels of social approximately 1909. The majority of alley brick and wood, though the primary facades interaction among their residents, a house residents consisted of freed African of many of these houses may be covered in sentiment that was also expressed in American slaves and migrants with the Formstone, vinyl, or stucco today.3 several stakeholder interviews. Although remaining population historically consisting the majority of the gray literature that of Eastern European, Irish and German Shared party walls with adjacent houses are discussed Baltimore’s alley houses focuses immigrants.1 Alley houses are mainly defined also characteristic, leaving only the front on problems associated with these spaces, by the size of the street they line, and are and back exposed. For the purposes of this the Southwest Partnership Vision Plan usually located on inner streets within project, the functional definition of alley noted their unique housing style. The plan a block, described as narrow passages houses are houses located on streets that framed these spaces specifically in the typically between 12 and 16 feet wide with are 30 feet or less including sidewalks.4 context of Baltimore, where they form a sidewalks approximately 4 feet wide on backbone of small, cozy two-story houses either side of the street.2 Contemporary Value of Alley surrounding the city’s historic downtown Houses (Southwest Partnership Vision Plan). Alley houses can be further defined by their physical characteristics, though greater A review of the professional and grey Our interviews confirmed and expanded emphasis is often placed on the street size. literature on alley houses and the interviews on many of the aforementioned concepts. These units are typically two and a half performed for this study revealed several First, there was a general agreement that stories with an attic and basement kitchen defining features of an alley house. In her alleys can be defined as streets which are that are roughly 10.5 to 12 feet, or two bays, study of Tokyo’s alleys, Heide Imai found at maximum 20 to 30 feet wide (including wide. Alley houses are generally two rooms that alleys often have unique significances, sidewalks) and create a “tunnel effect” deep, with 2 to 3 steps at the front of each meanings, and uses to the residents who for anyone traveling through them. Alleys live and frequent them. Imai argues that are usually built in the interior of blocks 1. Greenmount West Master Plan,” Baltimore City Planning Depart- alleys occupy an in-between space in and were often originally used as servants’ ment, 2010. 18. https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/ Greenmount%20West%20Area%20Master%20Plan_0.pdf 2. Hayward, Mary Ellen. Baltimore alley houses: Homes for working 3. Hayward, Mary Ellen, and Charles Belfoure. The Baltimore 5. Imai, Heide, “The liminal nature of alleyways: Understanding the people since the 1780s. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, Rowhouse. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. alleyway roji as a ‘Boundary’ between past and present,” Cities: The 2008. 4. Ibid. International Journal of Policy and Planning, 2013.

Baltimore Alley House Study 85 quarters or for non-residential uses. The To further create a well-rounded and the street to the chagrin of the adults.9 houses that occupy alleys are usually holistic definition of alley houses, we look In the article “Life, Death, and Demolition,” narrow, approximately 12 feet wide and to residents (both past and present) and Mable Olds, who lived on Bradford Street between 25 to 30 feet deep, set in rows and the stories they tell about their homes and for 40 years, further confirms this narrative. supported with party walls. Residents noted neighborhoods. To craft a definition of In particular, her house was an “everybody that alley houses are often comprised of alley houses based on cultural history, we house” where neighbors gathered.10 two rooms on each floor, and are two or examined newspaper articles and interviews Speaking of her block, Olds says, “It was two and a half stories tall.6 conducted for this report. Residents often a lively block, it was like a family block.” describe their neighborhoods as affordable, Olds says that her children ran barefoot in Most stakeholders noted that Baltimore’s diverse, and friendly. They also perceive the alleys and rode bicycles in the street. alley houses were generally constructed that alley houses are not well regarded by David Bell, who also lived on Bradford from the 1790s through the 1920s, with a those who do not live on alley streets, but Street, remembers when African Americans majority built in the late 1800s. Residents residents believe these negative opinions began to move into alley houses; Bradford claimed that alleys have historically are misguided. In general, residents’ stories Street had traditionally been a Bohemian served as homes for many of the working describe their neighborhoods in reference neighborhood. Meanwhile, “Big Mike” classes and new immigrants, and have to sights, sounds, and people.7 Saunders remembers residents had to been repurposed in many well-off shove the coal that fueled their furnaces neighborhoods as affordable housing for In the article “Baltimore as Remembered by through their basement windows.11 young professionals. Interviewees also Janet Divel (nee Vanik),” Janet Divel, who distinguished between row houses and alley lived on Eager Street from the late 1940s to The interviews conducted for this report houses: row houses are built with party the early 1960s, describes her alley house reveal contemporary stories of alley houses walls, while alley houses are a particular type neighborhood as a tight-knit, working- and alley house neighborhoods. Many of of row house that are only located on alleys. class neighborhood where neighbors the residents interviewed reported that Some alley house residents also expressed helped one another financially.8 “We all alleys are much quieter than main streets, concern with the term “alley streets,” were responsible for something that we because alleys are secluded from “all the feeling that it carries a connotation of crime called neighborhood,” she says. Everyone vehicle traffic and the MTA bus and the and danger, and stated that they preferred took pride in how clean their street and emergency vehicles.” On hot summer days, the term “small streets” instead. houses were and worked diligently to keep some of their neighbors turn up the radio them that way. She also talks about how or the television and sit outside, as they Community Stories and Cultural neighborhood boys would play baseball in escaped the heat. Because alley houses are Heritage

7. Max Pollock and Janet Divel, “Baltimore as Remembered by Janet 9. Ibid. Divel (nee Vanik),” January 25, 2017. https://baltimorebrickbybrick. 10. Steve Hendrix, “Life, Death, and Demolition,” The Washington com/2017/01/25/baltimore-as-remembered-by-janet-divel-nee-van- Post, February 2, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/ 6. “Southwest Partnership Vision Plan,” Southwest Partnership, 2015. ik/#comments. local/baltimore-life-death-and-demolition/. 180. 8. Ibid. 11. Ibid. 86 Baltimore Alley House Study closely situated to one another, neighbors the houses on the main streets, another From these stories about place, we can “had to listen up or listen in.” Residents are resident states, “But a lot of the alley glean information about the living context also likely to use alleys as social spaces. One houses are historic, too, because it’s where which contributes to the definition of an resident reports, “On my block, they’ll put the workers live. The people who worked in alley house. We can discern that residents a cone at the end of the street where it’s these adjacent big houses, they lived there take pride in their alley houses and not officially closed, but there’ll be a lawn before it was affordable and simple.” appreciate both their historic qualities and chair and some people out there, on a late their affordability. We can also discern evening or something.” Residents also relate Evidence about the living and personal that there are tight-knit communities that they can hear neighbors when they context of alley houses and alley house within these alley house neighborhoods. argue, because their houses are so close to neighborhoods can also be revealed, Additionally, we can see that alley streets one another. ironically, through their destruction. become social spaces for both children and Recently, former resident Mable Olds adults, whether they are playing or escaping Many people believe alley houses are an and descendants of former residents the summer heat. These themes describe ideal size for one or two people. Residents who inhabited the same house in the the intangible, or cultural, practices tell stories of families they know of who early 20th century visited an alley house associated with an alley house. The cultural grew up in their alley street neighborhoods on North Bradford Street before it was practices associated with alley houses with many more children. One interviewee’s demolished. At this meeting, the group expands the definition beyond brick and friend grew up in an alley house, along with told rich stories about the alley house and mortar to the meanings people impress his twelve siblings. He reflects, “[W]hen the neighborhood. This meeting revealed upon the built environment. they were having dinner, they would sit on the connections that people had to this From these meanings we can derive a the steps. The older guys got to sit on the place that they, or their ancestors, once cultural history definition of alley houses bottom and the younger kids sat on the top considered home. The significance of alley and alley house neighborhoods: Alley and they didn’t have a dining room table, so houses and alley house neighborhoods is houses are small, affordable houses offering they passed the food up the steps and that’s determined by not only aesthetic values, the possibility of home ownership to those where they sat to eat their dinner.” but also by human values; the humans for whom it might not otherwise be an impressing values upon these places should option, and thus have become points of Many residents find pride in the affordability be consulted about their futures. While pride for many residents. Alley houses and the historic nature of their houses. Mable Olds understood that vacancy was open on to human-scale streets that serve A resident whose wife bought the house one of the underlying causes leading to the as social spaces where residents play, sit when she was single reports, “She bought it demolition of the alley house she once lived in lawn chairs, listen to the TV or radio, because she was single and tired of renting, in, she stated, “I just don’t know, I just don’t and even to eat dinner each night. Finally, and it was affordable. [...] She’s proud of know about tearing down good houses.”12 because neighbors live in close proximity buying that herself without getting help and share the common street space, alley from anybody. That’s her main point of house neighborhoods tend to foster a pride.” After noting the importance of strong sense of community. 12. Ibid.

Baltimore Alley House Study 87 Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms

The portion of the facade equivalent to the width of a door or Bay window unit.

A brick masonry wall pattern in which a header course of brick Common Bond is laid after every five or six stretcher courses.

Tuscan, doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite column, base, Classical Orders and capital designs from ancient Greece and Rome.

A block (typically stone or timber) projecting from a wall to Corbel support the beams or eave of a roof, floor, vault,or similar feature; often elaborately carved.

Cornice The crowning or upper part of a wall or entablature.

The small, toothlike elements decorating friezes, usually set Dentils directly beneath the cornice.

Windows, usually with triangular pediments, set into gable Dormers roofs to light the attic story. The upper part of a classical order, consisting of the horizontal Entablature architrave which rests on columns or pilasters, the decorative frieze above the crowning cornice. Facade The front or face of a building.

A method of laying brick so that, for added strength, stretchers Flemish Bond (long side of bricks) and headers (ends) alternate in each row.

The portion of the entablature set between the architrave and Frieze the cornice, usually decorated.

88 Baltimore Alley House Study A steeply pitched roof, usually with its ridgepole running Gable Roof parallel to the street.

Identifying the geographical location of a place or person using Geolocate computer-based digital information.1

Lintel The horizontal top piece of a window or door opening.

Decorative shapes or designs given to projected members or Molded pieces of a design.

A slightly projecting, flattened column decorating a façade or Pilaster interior wall.

A columnated space-detached, attached or recessed-with Portico columns supporting the roof on at least one side.

Qualitative Subjective data pulled from stakeholder interviews that was used to build the Subjective Significance Analysis for Alley Assessment Houses. Tangible numerical data from the scoring system used to Quantitative construct the Assessment Building Condition Survey and Objective Significance Analysis of Alley Houses.

All bricks in this bond are stretchers, with the bricks in each Running Bond successive course staggered by half a stretcher.

Stucco Plaster or cement coating used to cover facades.

1. Oxford Dictionary. “Geolocate.” Oxford University Press. 11 December 2017. https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/geolocate.

Baltimore Alley House Study 89 Appendix 3: Alley House Typologies

Figure 1: Typical first floor plans of two bay wide and one room deep alley houses and a kitchen added to the rear of the house. (Sketch courtesy Ridhima Mehrotra)

Figure 2: Floor plans and elevation of two bay wide and two rooms deep houses. (Sketch courtesy Ridhima Mehrotra) 90 Baltimore Alley House Study Figure 3: Two-and-a-half story houses with high basements (Photo courtesy Holly Simmons)

Figure 4: Brick cornices, 6 over 6 sash windows with a larger first floor window, painted brick facade with a transom over the door (Photo courtesy Holly Simmons)

Baltimore Alley House Study 91 Appendix 4: Description of Grey Literature

Author Title Year Client Summary The presentation highlights the key elements of the City of The Baltimore City report including: protecting and enhancing ecology Baltimore resources , economic growth, sustainable redevelopment Green Network 2017 N/A Office of of vacant lands , safety and improved connection to green Vision Plan space via nodes, corridors, pedestrian paths and other Sustainability modes. Programmatic Agreement This agreement outlines the stipulations for enacting Between the City of Baltimore, East the Biotech Park Initiative, including Section 14: Baltimore Development “Representative Alley House Rows.” (p7) It recognizes Incorporated, The Baltimore Commission that alley houses have historic significance, and outlines for Historical and a process for preserving representative examples. This City of Architectural Preservation, Second Chance 2004 N/A includes mapping, performing a comparative analysis, Baltimore Incorporated, and the providing recommendations for a minimum of two alley Maryland Historic Trust Regarding the East house rows to be preserved, deciding which two will Baltimore Development be preserved, developing plans for rehabilitation, and Project (Biotech Park Initiative); Specifically carrying out that rehabilitation. Phase One Report tackles a wide variety of issues, but of interest to us is a focus on improving the city’s housing stock. Among Baltimore City Baltimore Baltimore City other priorities, the city is looking to strategically develop Department Comprehensive 2006 Department of properties, maintain safety and cleanliness in residential of Planning Master Plan Planning neighborhoods, improve neighborhood design quality, promote TOD, and protect/enhance historic buildings and neighborhoods. This report details a wide range of planning goals related to the neighborhood. Of note, the plan hopes to increase household totals, limit conversion of homes into multi- Baltimore City Baltimore City family apartments, and promote historic preservations. Department Mount Vernon Plan 2013 Department of The plan also hopes to “build upon the existing alley of Planning Planning street network... to encourage pedestrian use and create clearly marked signage, links, and access to larger open spaces.” Several alleys were included in assessments of neighborhood infill projects. 92 Baltimore Alley House Study Author Title Year Client Summary The plan aims to identify assets in each neighborhood Southeastern Baltimore City Baltimore City cluster and build upon them within market demand Neighborhoods Department of 2005 Department of framework. This is done to implement agency actions to Development maximize benefit and impact. Planning Planning Plan Not particularly relevant because alleys were not part Baltimore City Baltimore City Penn North Area of the plan, although the plan does discuss issues of Department of 2006 Department of low homeownership rates and widespread residential Master Plan Planning Planning vacancies.

This is a comprehensive report on improving housing in Central the area directly to the north of Penn Station. Although Central Central Baltimore alleys are not specifically mentioned, the plan aims to Baltimore 2016 Baltimore encourage housing typology diversity, improve safety in Partnership Partnership Partnership residential areas, and decrease housing vacancies. The Housing Strategy report also goes neighborhood by neighborhood to identify areas ripe for residential redevelopment. Plan of development of the neighborhood along the York Road, describes dirty and unsafe alleys. Two goals of plan Baltimore City The York Road Baltimore City are dedicated to alleys improvement (to decrease the Department of Community 2006 Department of number of incidents on alleys, to make them free of trash Planning Action Plan Planning and rats). Doesn’t mention alley houses directly, but this neighborhood is located in an area where historic alley houses are located. Plan of Upton neighborhood development contains short Baltimore City Master Plan Baltimore City description of alleys as places for modest workers housing in “History” part and offers to gate/close alleys to prevent Department of for the Upton 2005 Department of crime and drug dealing. Planning Community Planning

The plan of development of seven neighborhoods offers The Southwest to use alleys for bicycle connection, and to educate Southwest Southwest Partnership 2015 residents for keeping alleys clean. Partnership Partnership Vision Plan

Baltimore Alley House Study 93 Author Title Year Client Summary The plan describes activities to achieve the highest level Baltimore City of services and leadership in urban and strategic planning, Department of Sharp- historical and architectural preservation, zoning, design, Baltimore City Planning, Sharp- Leadenhall development, and capital budgeting to promote the 2004 Department sustained economic, social, and community development. Leadenhall Neighborhood of Planning It describes some original alley houses preserved in Planning Plan neighborhood (Bevan and Creek streets). Committee

This action plan identifies neighborhood strengths and Operation Operation OROSW opportunities, describes strategies for neighborhood ReachOut ReachOut improvement, and provides the information necessary for Neighborhood 2002 Southwest Southwest all interested parties to make decisions about neighborhood Action Plan investments. It describes the situations when residents gated (OROSW) (OROSW) alleys by themselves. The plan offers the vision how to create a mixed income Barclay- Baltimore City Baltimore City area that has a thriving commercial area, as well as housing Midway-Old options for all whether it is single family, multi family, Department of 2005 Department Goucher Small home ownership and/or rental. It describes unclean alleys Planning of Planning in neighborhood (rats, trash) and attempts of locals to Area Plan improve that. This report outlines phases 1 and 2 of the DC Historic Alley Buildings Survey begun in 2011. These phases focused recording the current conditions and historic data of alley Kim Prothro- buildings in Georgetown (Phase 1) and Historic Capitol Hill The DC (Phase 2). The report addresses the historic context of alleys Williams, Historic Alley in Washington, DC, along with survey findings relating to DC Historic 2014 N/A building distributions, dates of construction, and typologies. Building Preservation It also makes recommendations for rediscovering and Survey reinventing alleys and alley buildings, including increasing Office their visibility, encouraging heritage tourism, developing ideas to reinvent alleys, engaging the planning community, and developing case studies based on alley reactivation efforts.

94 Baltimore Alley House Study Author Title Year Client Summary

Old West The purpose of the report is to outline the significance Fred B. Baltimore of Baltimore’s Old West Neighborhood. In regards to Department of the alley houses, the report outlines who lived in them and Shoken, National 2004 Interior- National why they were built. The report also discusses how and Preservation Historic District Park Service why many them were torn down, and why it is likely that Consultant National Register there aren’t as many alley houses to be found in this Nomination Form neighborhood, as it is for them to be found in others. The report seeks to manage the historic, cultural, natural HRG Baltimore City and architectural resources of Baltimore. The main focus Consultants, Heritage Area: is preservation, planning and economic development. 2001 N/A Inc & AB Management History and culture of Baltimore is outlined, followed by planning initiatives regarding how resources are managed, Associates Action Plan promoted, preserved, developed and revitalized. The report presents aims to promote commercial Southwest revitalization in the Southwest Partnership particularly on Partnership; West Baltimore Street using a Toolkit based on historic preservation. The objective was to preserve infrastructure Baltimore University for commercial rehabilitation that connected the West Baltimore Commission for of Maryland neighborhoods’ social history and historic architectural Street Toolkit Historical and character to facilitate community development in the Historic 2014 for Commercial Architectural present. The toolkit provided insight on funding strategies Preservation of historic structures, development that complements Vitalization Preservation; Studio local features, and a guide to develop a strong sense of Neighborhood Design neighborhood identity and space. Center; Gensler; Baltimore Heritage

This report provides a comprehensive review of Baltimore via an annual report for 2014. It highlights their zoning Baltimore code rewrite aimed to further ongoing actions to Special Issue: Baltimore City City revitalize Baltimore City via modern development and 2014 Year in 2014 Department of private investments. It addresses various aspects for city Department Review Planning wide revitalization starting with a review of CHAPS and its of Planning goals to preserve and rehabilitate historic neighborhoods, architecture and monuments, preventing demolition from neglect, and integrating the city’s past.

Baltimore Alley House Study 95 Author Title Year Client Summary The purpose of the report is to outline the Old West significance of Baltimore’s Old West Neighborhood. Fred B. Department of Baltimore In regards to alley houses, the report outlines who Shoken, the Interior - lived in them and why they were built. The report Historic District 2004 Preservation National Parks also discusses how and why many them were torn National Register Consultant Service down, and why it is likely that there aren’t as many Nomination Form alley houses to be found in this neighborhood, as it is for them to be found in others. The purpose of this report is to outline the significance of Federal Hill - Riverside District. In Federal Hill Department of regards to alley houses, we get an insight into Historic District the Interior - the diversity of cultures that were found. It also Robert L. Baker 1969 National Register National Parks discusses the location within blocks and gives insight into why the alley houses in this particular Nomination Form Service neighborhood were not removed as intensely as in other neighborhoods of Baltimore. The report seeks to manage the historic, cultural, HRG Baltimore City natural and architectural resources of Baltimore. The Consultants, Heritage Area: main focus is preservation, planning and economic 2001 N/A development. History and culture of Baltimore is Inc & AB Management outlined, followed by planning initiatives regarding Associates Action Plan how resources are managed, promoted, preserved, developed and revitalized. Southwest The report presents aims to promote commercial Partnership; revitalization in the Southwest Partnership particularly on West Baltimore Street using a Toolkit Baltimore based on historic preservation. The objective was to Commission for University preserve infrastructure for commercial rehabilitation West Baltimore Historical and that connected the neighborhoods’ social history of Maryland Street Toolkit Architectural and historic architectural character to facilitate Historic 2014 community development in the present. The toolkit for Commercial Preservation Preservation provided insight on funding strategies of historic Revitalization (CHAP); Studio structures, development that complements local Neighborhood features, and a guide to develop a strong sense of Design Center; neighborhood identity and space. Gensler; Baltimore Heritage 96 Baltimore Alley House Study Author Title Year Client Summary Author Title Year Client Summary The purpose of the report is to outline the This report provides a comprehensive review of Baltimore Old West significance of Baltimore’s Old West Neighborhood. via an annual report for 2014. It highlights their zoning Fred B. Department of Baltimore In regards to alley houses, the report outlines who Baltimore code rewrite aimed to further ongoing actions to Shoken, the Interior - lived in them and why they were built. The report Special Issue: Baltimore City revitalize Baltimore City via modern development and Historic District 2004 City Preservation National Parks also discusses how and why many them were torn 2014 Year in 2014 Department of private investments. It addresses various aspects for city National Register Department wide revitalization starting with a review of CHAP and its Consultant Service down, and why it is likely that there aren’t as many Review Planning Nomination Form alley houses to be found in this neighborhood, as it of Planning goals to preserve and rehabilitate historic neighborhoods, is for them to be found in others. architecture and monuments, preventing demolition from neglect, and integrating the city’s past. The purpose of this report is to outline the significance of Federal Hill - Riverside District. In CHAP, Baltimore This report outlines the goals, purposes and guidelines Federal Hill Department of regards to alley houses, we get an insight into in association with historic preservation in the City of Historic District the Interior - the diversity of cultures that were found. It also Baltimore City Historic Baltimore. For our purposes the information on the Robert L. Baker 1969 National Register National Parks discusses the location within blocks and gives City Preservation 2013 N/A original design and subsequent urban planning efforts of Baltimore are useful, as it links the street hierarchy Nomination Form Service insight into why the alley houses in this particular Department Procedures and neighborhood were not removed as intensely as in of Planning Design Guidelines directly to Baltimore’s social hierarchy. Further, the goal other neighborhoods of Baltimore. of preserving alleys as they are is clearly outlines. The report seeks to manage the historic, cultural, Baltimore City This report outlines the goals, purposes and guidelines HRG Baltimore City natural and architectural resources of Baltimore. The Department of in association with historic preservation in the City of Baltimore. For our purposes the information on the Consultants, Heritage Area: main focus is preservation, planning and economic Planning, New Baltimore City 2001 N/A development. History and culture of Baltimore is Greenmount original design and subsequent urban planning efforts Inc & AB Management Greenmount 2010 Department of outlined, followed by planning initiatives regarding West Master Plan of Baltimore are useful, as it links the street hierarchy Associates Action Plan how resources are managed, promoted, preserved, West Planning directly to Baltimore’s social hierarchy. Further, the goal developed and revitalized. Community of preserving alleys as they are is clearly outlines. Southwest The report presents aims to promote commercial Association Partnership; revitalization in the Southwest Partnership Baltimore City Plan of modernization and improvement of Fort particularly on West Baltimore Street using a Toolkit Worthington Elementary school which is located in area Baltimore based on historic preservation. The objective was to Baltimore Department of Commission for surrounded by alleys with alley houses. Plan contains the University preserve infrastructure for commercial rehabilitation City Fort Worthington Planning, Fort results of surveys and facts about existing conditions of West Baltimore Historical and that connected the neighborhoods’ social history 2016 of Maryland Department Plan Worthington alleys. Street Toolkit Architectural and historic architectural character to facilitate Historic 2014 community development in the present. The toolkit of Planning Elementary for Commercial Preservation Preservation provided insight on funding strategies of historic School Revitalization (CHAP); Studio structures, development that complements local Baltimore Plan describes the vision of creating open spaces in Neighborhood features, and a guide to develop a strong sense of Baltimore City downtown. One of the goals of the Plan is to explore City Downtown Open Design Center; neighborhood identity and space. 2010 Department of improvements to existing public spaces and the creation Gensler; Baltimore Department Space Plan of new open spaces to help attract and retain businesses Planning and residents to Downtown. Heritage of Planning Baltimore Alley House Study 97 Author Title Year Client Summary Monument- The community development planning project McElderry-Fayette for the 40-block area bordered by Washington, Monument, Linwood, and Fayette. Residential Community parcels on alleys are extremely narrow, so it’s with technical difficult to rehabilitate of residential area here. assistance from Goody Clancy in Mounument- Baltimore City association with McElderly-Fayette 2006 Department Archplan Area Plan of Planning Kittelson & Associates Lipman, Frizzell & Mitchell LLC

Baltimore Baltimore’s housing market typology was City Planning developed to assist the City in its efforts to strategically match available public resources Department, Baltimore City’s Department to neighborhood housing market conditions, to Baltimore 2014 Housing Market 2015 of Housing address city-wide vacant housing challenges, and Housing, and The Typology to tailor market interventions and strategies to Reinvestment neighborhood conditions. Fund How to develop a small residential community nearby Baltimore’s downtown, aims to preserve historical integrity, to promote neighborhood Baltimore Baltimore City Seton Hill master assets. City Planning 2012 Department Plan Department of Planning

98 Baltimore Alley House Study Appendix 5: Plans That Impact and/or Address Alley Houses

Arundel Elementary and Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle School INSPIRE (2017)* Harford Road Corridor Study (2008) Penn North Area Master Plan (2006)* Barclay - Midway - Old Goucher (2005)** Inner Harbor Master Plan 2.0 (2013) Port Covington Master Plan (2016)* Belair Road Corridor Report (2011) Irvington TAP (2016) * Seton Hill Master Plan (2012)** Bel Air Road TAP (2011) John Eager Howard Elementary School Sharp Leadenhall Master Plan (2004)** INSPIRE (2017)* Brooklyn and Curtis Bay (SNAP) Sinclair Lane TAP (2016) (2005) Key Highway Waterfront Master Plan (2008) South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan Charles Street Scenic Byway (2015)** Cherry Hill Master Plan (2008) Liberty Heights Corridor Assessment (2015) Southeastern Neighborhoods Development Coldstream Homestead Montebello (2006)* Locust Point Plan (2004) (SEND) (SNAP) (2005)* Dolfield Avenue Revitalization TAP Report Lyndhurst Elementary/Middle School Southwest Partnership Vision Plan (2012) INSPIRE (2017)* (2015)** Downtown Open Space Master Plan (2011)** Madison Square Area (2006)* Upton Master Plan (2005)** Edmondson Village Master Plan (2007)* Middle Branch Master Plan (2007) West Baltimore MARC Station Master Plan (2008) Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle Monument - McElderry - Fayette (2006)** School INSPIRE (2017)* Westport - Mt. Winans - Lakeland Master Mount Vernon Master Plan (2013)* Plan (2005) Frederick Elementary School INSPIRE (2017)* Northwest Community Planning Forum York Road Community (SNAP) (2006)* (SNAP) (2005) Greater Northwest Community York Road Corridor Vision & Action Plan Coalition (GNCC) (SNAP) (2005)* Oldtown Redevelopment Plan (2016) (2015)* Greater Roland Park Master Plan (2011)* OROSW (Operation ReachOut SouthWest) York Road TAP (2013) (2002)* Greater Rosemont & Mondawmin (GRAMA) (2012)* Park Heights Master Plan (2008)* Greenmount West Master plan (2010)** Pen Lucy Area Master Plan (2006)* * - Plan discusses alleys Baltimore Alley House Study ** - Plan discusses alley houses 99 Appendix 6: Interview Methodology

The studio team conducted eleven interviews within the timeframe of three weeks, three from non-profit organizations, one from a government entity, and one from a community organization, along with six residents who lived in alley houses. The team was split into 5 groups -- 4 groups of 2 and 1 group of 3 to conduct interviews. The interviews focused on the physical, socio-cultural, and historic qualities in the context of Baltimore’s “alley” houses. The methods in which the interview process took place included:

• Seeking permission from the University of Maryland’s Institutional Review Board to undergo the interview process. • Identifying potential interviewees based on various levels of community involvement including Community leaders, political leaders/policymakers/state and local employees, residents, civic organizations, community associations, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. • Contacting identified persons which the studio team identified as significant community leaders, experts, and residents via email and telephone. Contacted persons who presented interest in being a part of the study worked with studio team members to schedule a date and time to conduct the interview. Interviews took place between the dates of October 17th and November 3rd and each lasted between 20 and 45 minutes. • Transcribing the interviews and coding them to identify major themes from each interview as well as relevant literature the studio team gathered. A list of themes used for the coding process are described in the table on pages 97-100.

100 Baltimore Alley House Study Description of Themes (Categories) Revealed in Interviews

Code Subcode Description of Subcode

How interviewees define alley houses, Alley House Definition -- distinction between “alley house”, “row house”, and “small street house” How interviewees define alley streets, Alley Street Definition -- distinction between “alley”, “row”, and “small street” Description of the current economical Economic situation with alley houses Description of market for alley houses and Demand/Market what is needed to create more demand for alley houses throughout the city Description of alley houses in a historic Alley House Condition Historical context Present Recent changes with alley houses Description of the location of alley houses Location throughout downtown Baltimore Description of the architecture and/or Architecture/Design design of alley houses Description of different types of historical Historical significance of alley houses, including historical structure and design Different types of cultural significance of Cultural alley houses Alley House Significance Value and/or Contribution to Contribution of alley houses to the Neighborhood neighborhood development Significance of alley houses as a stock of Affordability/Feasibility affordable housing

Baltimore Alley House Study 101 Code Subcode Description of Subcode Commercial significance, for example, to Commercial attract guests to Airbnb apartments in alley houses Lifestyle, personal choice in favor of alley Personal (Subjective) houses, description of subjective values of Alley House Significance alley houses Uniqueness of the house (subjective Uniqueness significance) Contribution to the neighborhood’s Social Relations community development Economic problems and disadvantages of alley Economic houses (no market, no demand, distressed neighborhood, disinvestment) Problems with alley houses caused by Historical historical context Legal Problems with alley houses caused by laws

Size Problems with alley houses caused by size

Location Problems with alley houses caused by location Alley House Problems Use Problems with alley houses caused by their use

Problems with alley houses caused by poor Cleanliness and Safety condition

Vacancy Problems with alley houses caused by vacancy

Age Problems with alley houses caused by age

Noise Problems with alley houses caused by noise

102 Baltimore Alley House Study Code Subcode Description of Subcode

Transportation Problems with transportation in alley streets Alley House Problems Problems with alley houses caused by their Displacement redevelopment or gentrification

Economic Economic steps that may save alley housing Converting and developing alley houses as Affordable Housing affordable houses in Baltimore Redevelopment, often of the entire Redevelopment (Gentrification) neighborhood Increasing the size of alley house through the Extension extension to the back yard Alley House Solutions Increasing the size of alley house through the Combination combination of two houses Preservation of alley houses for their historic Preservation and architectural significance Building pocket areas, parks, playgrounds, Rethinking of Space community gardens, garages instead of or inside the block of alley houses. Solution of alley house-related problems Demolition through their demolition Description of residents of alley houses, their Residents of Alley Houses -- actions, offers Sometimes interviewees stated their position Personal Opinion -- not related to the alley houses directly, but it might be important to understand the context

The role of the interviewee’s organization in Organizational Role -- alley house development and rethinking

Baltimore Alley House Study 103 Interview Theme Descriptions

Interview Name Examples of Meaning Mentions

Street festivals, Block Parties, are a big deal. And it is great. Somebody’s got grills, somebody’s Social got coolers, somebody’s got a boombox or music. Its interesting how the new residents have 8 relations an immediately embraced this kind of [thing] and they’re all in it together. So it’s kind of a Baltimore kind of thing. So, in our block, this is also a Baltimore alley street, we had an alley behind our alley street. Community So we were separated by main street houses by an alley. And that was more like your typical 3 Support alley where people left trash out or whatever. I think once you have stoops and front doors, [unintelligible] sort of way, people are less likely to do this. Again, if we go to the Billie Holliday block, there’s a family there that has lived there for Generational generations, and sadly Miss Pauline has just passed away within the last year, and she was sort 1 Respect of the matriarch. But families to me seem to be pretty tight and involved with their little space if not the whole community. I don’t personally think of it as an alley house. When I talk about the history of it I refer to it like Excitement “Oh it’s an alley house – this block used to be called Strawberry Alley.” You know, so I’m aware 6 about history of the history of it as an alley house. I think it’s cute and it pays homage to the history. You know, from a field perspective, I don’t feel like I live in an alley. We wanted to restore the record of who was buried there, and follow that, and try to honor Past suffering the, honor the dead, and got really interested in this whole thing. 1 Perception of People in alley houses can more affordably do sort of fun, decorative painting or put planters outside their house or something because there’s just not that much area to cover. It creates 3 Beauty really sort of picturesque, kind of… it’s just cute. Love of And they’re also just really cute. In the same way that people think tiny houses, you know, the little ones on trailers, are really cute – alley houses have some of the same characteristics. It’s a 2 compactness door, three windows, and maybe a little roof that you see, the detail is very small. Intimacy The intimacy, the closeness, you know can be a detriment [of an alley house], and a plus. 1 Personal When I finished the house, I thought this is, this is a great house. I love this house. And I applied for a heritage award, which I won, yeah, and it was a really proud moment to stand up in front 2 engagement of all those architects and get that award.

104 Baltimore Alley House Study Interviewee Demographic Profile

Neighborhood of Work/ Pseudonym Age Race Position Residence Franklin 50-60 White Government housing expert Downtown Baltimore Community association John 60s White Federal Hill, Fells Point representative Community association Keenan 45-50 White Mount Vernon representative Community development Albert 50-55 White West Baltimore organization director

Garrett 60s White Resident, Airbnb host Fells Point Carter 30s Black Resident, Airbnb host Fells Point Mike 40s-50s White Resident Upper Fells Point David 40s White Resident Butcher’s Hill

Bradley 30-35 White Former alley house resident Old Goucher

Jared 50-60 White Resident Mount Vernon

Baltimore Alley House Study 105 105 This page was intentionally left blank.

106 Baltimore Alley House Study Appendix 7: Building and Resident Assessment Materials

Baltimore Alley House Study 107 Building Condition Definition Matrix

Score 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Not Salvageable Moderately Needs Moderate Needs Major Evaluated Well Needs Only (Majority of Well Repair (Up to 1/4 Repair (Up to 1/2 element needs Elements Maintained Minor Repair of element) Maintained of element) repair) Cracks, missing Cracks, missing Cracks, missing Some peeling A few small mortar, loose or mortar, loose or mortar, loose or Does not or cracking in cracks, a small broken surface broken surface over broken surface over require the protective amount of over a majority of a moderate area. No a large portion. Some Foundation immediate surface over missing mortar, a the foundation. evidence of settling evidence of settling maintenance only a small small hole over a Evidence of major or being out of or out of vertical portion small area settling or out of vertical alignment alignment vertical alignment Missing, buckling, Missing, buckling, Needs minor More than one or sagging shingles; or sagging shingles; repair to correct missing or sagging holes in the roof or holes in the roof or Small leaves a missing or shingle, gutter, or chimney; missing chimney; missing Not Roof, Does not or debris sagging shingle, downspout; chimney or loose gutters or or loose gutters Gutters, require on roof, or gutter, or cracked, settling, or downspouts; chimney or downspouts; Witnessed Downspouts, immediate gutters that downspout; slight leaning; rotting fascia settling or leaning; chimney settling or maintenance need to be crack or missing affecting less than cracked or rotting leaning; cracked or Chimneys cleaned brick or mortar 1/4 of roof and/or fascia affecting rotting fascia affect- in chimney; moss chimney elements between 1/4 and ing the majority of growing on roof 1/2 of roof and/or the roof and chim- chimney elements ney elements Walls/ Major repair work is Exterior Paint and/or Paint and/or siding needed to correct A majority of the Surfaces siding need need repairs and paint, siding, or protective surface Does not Isolated areas (Paint, minor repair there is evidence other parts of the is missing, loose, require where touch siding, etc., or re-pointing, of some structural protective surface. rotting, or broken, immediate up painting is & structural but there is no decay, such as dry There are areas of allowing weather to elements that maintenance needed add strength, evidence of rot, affecting up to structural decay reach the house’s bear weight, structural decay 1/4 of the surface affecting up to 1/2 of structural elements or insulate) the surface

108 Baltimore Alley House Study Building Condition Definition Matrix (cont’d)

Score 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Not Salvageable Moderately Needs Moderate Needs Major Evaluated Well Needs Only (Majority of Well Repair (Up to 1/4 Repair (Up to 1/2 element needs Elements Maintained Minor Repair of element) Maintained of element) repair) All doors, Need minor frames, and Missing or broken panes, Missing or broken panes, Majority of windows and repairs to correct glass present; broken or rotting window broken or rotting window or doors are failing. Missing Does not a broken or may need or door frames, or other door frames, or other holes or broken panes, broken Windows & require cracked frame, isolated touch- holes related to a door or related to a door or window or rotting window or immediate re-hang a door, up, such as window failure affecting failure affecting between door frames, or other Doors maintenance or a small hole replacing a up to 1/4 of all doors and 1/4 and 1/2 of all doors and holes related to a door or related to a door latch or other windows windows window hardware or window

More than one missing, Between 1/4 to 1/2 A majority of Not Does not need broken, or cracked of the steps, risers, the steps, risers, Entrance immediate step, riser, baluster, balusters, handrails, balusters, handrails, or railings are missing, or railings are Witnessed N/A N/A maintenance handrail, or railing in (Stairs, or needs minor need of minor repair broken, rotting, or missing, broken, or handrails) touch up, repairs, or paint. Not a serious cracked. Hazard of cracked. Hazard of or paint safety concern. tripping or falling tripping or falling because of disrepair because of disrepair

Needs only painting or A majority of the Does not require Up to 1/2 of the cornices, minor repairs. Cornices, cornices, trim, corbels, immediate trim, corbels, overhang trim, corbels, overhang overhang extensions, maintenance. All extensions, etc. need N/A N/A extensions are properly etc. need major repair embellishments repair or are not anchored. Not a safety or are loose and pose a are properly properly anchored anchored. concern. falling hazard corbels, etc.) (Trim, cornice, (Trim, cornice, Embellishments

Baltimore Alley House Study 109 Objective Significance Survey Form (part 1 of 2)

Building Address

ID Number

A Architecture (Maximum Score: 35)

Criteria Explanation Excellent Good Poor TOTAL

1 Style 13 8 0

2 Construction 9 5 0

3 Age 9 5 0

4 Architect 4 3 0

ARCHITECTURE TOTAL

B History* (Maximum Score: 35)

5 Person 35 15 0

6 Event 35 15 0

HISTORY TOTAL

*Note: if either criteria within the “history” category is graded as “excellent,” the aggregate category score will total 35, regardless of the other criteria score.

110 Baltimore Alley House Study Objective Significance Survey Form (Part 2 of 2)

Building Address

ID Number

C Integrity and Authenticity (Maximum Score: 30)

Criteria Explanation Excellent Good Poor TOTAL

7 Setting 7 3 0

8 Facade Material 7 3 0

9 Alterations 12 7 0

Decorative 10 4 3 0 features

INTEGRITY TOTAL AGGREGATE TOTAL

Surveyor

Date

Notes

Baltimore Alley House Study 111 Objective Significance Definition Matrix Category Subcategory Grade Grade Assessment Excellent Fits most or all of the defining characteristics of an alley house

Fits many of the defining characteristics of an alley house Style Good Fits very few of the defining characteristics of an alley house Poor Has unique construction materials or methods Excellent Has standard construction materials or methods Construction Good Architecture Poor Has poor construction materials or methods Excellent Early or rare example Age Good Built during period of significance Poor Built after period of significance Architect or builder of particular importance to the history of Excellent the community, state, or nation Architect Architect or builder identified and known, but of no particular Good importance Poor Architect or builder unidentified or unknown Person, group, etc. of primary importance intimately Excellent connected with the building Person, group, etc. associated with a broad pattern of history History Person Good connected with the building Building has no connection with person, group, etc. of Poor importance

112 Baltimore Alley House Study Objective Significance Definition Matrix (cont’d) Category Subcategory Grade Grade Assessment

Event of primary importance intimately connected with the Excellent building. Events associated with the broad patterns of alley history History Event Good connected with the building.

Poor Building has no connection with event of importance.

Excellent Located on a street that fits the historical definition of an alley

Setting Street has some elements that fit the historical definition of an Good alley Poor Street does not retain historical characteristics of an alley Excellent Keeps the original facade material Facade material has changed but new material is of historic Facade Material Good significance Integrity and Poor New facade material has no historic importance Authenticity Excellent No or few alterations have been made Alterations have been made but the character of the house Alterations Good has been retained Many alterations have been made that damage the historical Poor character of the house

Excellent Has significant or unique decorative features Decorative Features Good Has few or common decorative features Poor Has no decorative features

Baltimore Alley House Study 113 Resident Assessment Survey Form

District Name

Gender Male Female Other (Circle one) Black/African Native Asian/Pacific Latinx/ Race/Ethnicity (Circle one) White Other American American Islander Hispanic

Relation to Alley Houses Current Former Other Expert (Circle one) Resident Resident (Specify) Current/Former Residents: Less than 1 5-10 More than 20 How long have you lived in 1-2 years 2-5 years 10-20 years year years years an alley house? Neither Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Statement Agree nor SCORE Agree (5) (4) (2) Disagree (1) Disagree (3) In an alley house neighborhood, social relations are/were especially important. I feel/felt the support of a community in an alley house neighborhood. Alley houses respect the generations of my family who lived here. Alley houses honor people who lived in these houses in previous eras.

114 Baltimore Alley House Study Resident Assessment Survey Form (cont’d) Neither Strongly Disagree Strongly Statement Agree (4) Agree nor SCORE Agree (5) (2) Disagree (1) Disagree (3) Alley houses respect the people who lived here in previous generations. Alley houses honor people who lived in these spaces previously. The history of alley houses makes me excited. Alley houses are aesthetically pleasing. I like that alley houses are small and compact. I like(d) the feeling of intimacy and closeness of my alley house. I am/was personally engaged in the maintenance of my alley house. I am/was personally engaged in the alley house’s maintenance or restoration. My alley house is/was important for me for another reason. AVERAGE SCORE SURVEYOR DATE

Baltimore Alley House Study 115 Appendix 8: Alley House Identification Process

Objective: residential were selected from the MD groups into a single shapefile. Identify additional alley houses not included Real Property parcel polygon. in the MHT shapefile of Alley Houses Step 7: Add address and year built Step 3: Select Parcels facing alley streets • The resulting group shapefile from Step Tools • By using the outputs from Step 1 and 6 was intersected with the MD Real • ArcGIS Desktop Step 2, those residential parcels that Property Building shapefile. • Google Street View face streets with width of 30 feet or less • This intersection allows to import the were selected. This group of parcels information related with the address of Inputs: represent the first candidate group to the parcels and the year in which the be considered as alley houses. buildings were built from the MD Real • Baltimore Open Data Property Building shapefile to the Alley • Street Center line line shapefile (stcl) Step 4: Visual validation of alley house Houses groups shapefile from Step 6. • Edge of Pavement line shapefile (edge) candidates • This step was performed for every alley • Vacant lots point shapefile (vcnt) • The candidate alley houses from Step house block, the new ones and the • MD Real Property Data 3 were validated visually using Google existing ones from MHT inventory, in • Building point shapefile (bldg) Street View, to confirm that the houses order to have a consistent and complete • Parcel polygon shapefile (prcl) and their context fit in the alley house address field for all groups. • MHT Alley Houses shapefile definition. This step allowed to drop • As each alley house block is composed

buildings that did not fit into our of several houses, the street number Identification Methodology functional definition for an alley house. and year of built were imported as the minimum and maximum values among Step 1: Estimate Street Width Step 5: Group alley houses facing a wall the included buildings. • For estimating each street segment • Based on the output from Step 4, and width, the street centerline and edge of by using the Dissolve ArcGIS function, Step 8: Assess vacancy pavements shapefiles were used. those alley houses’ parcels that share • The result from Step 7 was overlaid with • The corresponding distance was one side of the parcel were grouped to the vacancy layer from the Baltimore calculated from each street segment to form “alley houses blocks”. Open Data portal, to assess which alley the closest edge of pavement feature. houses blocks have at least one vacant That distance was multiplied by two. Step 6: Merge alley house lists lot within them. This information was Step 2: Select residential Parcels • The New alley house blocks from Step included as a field in the attribute table. • The parcels with land uses defined as 5 were merged with the existing MHT

116 Baltimore Alley House Study Baltimore Alley House Study 117 Appendix 8: Maps

118 Baltimore Alley House Study Neighborhoods Containing Alley Houses

Remington

East Baltimore Midway Barclay Mondawmin Penn North Walbrook Berea Druid Heights Bolton Hill Easterwood Greenmount West Broadway East Oliver

Biddle Street Sandtown-winchester Johnston Square Gay Street Upton Milton-montford Middle East Mount Vernon Seton Hill Mcelderry Park Midtown-edmondson Care Patterson Place Baltimore Highlands Patterson Park Penrose/fayette Street Outreach Washington Hill Butcher's Hill Poppleton Jonestown Franklin Square University Of Maryland Upper Fells Point Hollins Market Highlandtown Boyd-booth Shipley Hill Union Square Barre Circle Ridgely's Delight New Southwest/Mount Clare Canton Carrollton Ridge Otterbein Washington Village/pigtown Fells Point Millhill Federal Hill Sharp-leadenhall

Riverside South Baltimore Locust Point

0 0.375 0.75 1.5 Miles ¯

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Baltimore Alley House Study 119 Baltimore’s Alley houses

Remington

East Baltimore Midway Barclay Mondawmin

Walbrook Penn North Berea Druid Heights Bolton Hill Greenmount West Broadway East Easterwood Oliver

Johnston Square Biddle Street Sandtown-winchester Middle East Gay Street Upton Milton-montford

Mount Vernon Seton Hill Mcelderry Park Midtown-edmondson Care Baltimore Highlands Patterson Place Patterson Park Washington Hill Butcher's Hill Penrose/fayette Street Outreach Poppleton Jonestown Franklin Square University Of Maryland

Boyd-booth Hollins Market Upper Fells Point Highlandtown Shipley Hill Union Square Barre Circle Ridgely's Delight New Southwest/mount Clare Canton Otterbein Washington Village/pigtown Carrollton Ridge Fells Point Millhill Federal Hill

Sharp-leadenhall

Riverside Newly-Documented Alley Houses South Baltimore Previously-Documented Alley Houses Locust Point Neighborhoods with Alley houses ¯ 0 0.25 0.5 1 Mile

120 Baltimore Alley House Study Alley House Clusters Per Neighborhood

S CATON AV ¯

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Baltimore Alley House Study 121 Number of Alley Houses per Neighborhood

S CATON AV ¯

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

122 Baltimore Alley House Study Baltimore Neighborhood Market Conditions

¯

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Baltimore Alley House Study 123 Alley House Clusters With Vacant Parcels

Cluster Without Vacant Parcel Cluster With Vacant Parcel Neighborhoods with Alley houses

0 0.25 0.5 1 Mile ¯

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

124 Baltimore Alley House Study National Register of Historic Places Districts

Belair Rd

W North Av

N Fulton Av

Jones Falls Expwy

Pulaski Hw Orleans St

W Franklin St

Wilkens Av

I 95

1

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Baltimore Alley House Study 125 CHAP Historic Districts

Belair Rd

E North Av

JONES FALLS EXPWY

N Fulton Av

Pulaski Hw Orleans St

Alley houses CHAP Historic District

S CATON AV I 95 0 0.25 0.5 1

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

126 Baltimore Alley House Study 127