Walking Tour: Eutaw Place
Starting in 1853 due to pressures from the Civil War blacks started migrating from South Baltimore to the relatively Jewish community, Eutaw Place and farther west. There are many stories from the early 1900’s about Baltimore’s undergoing racial transitions (i.e. removal of public benches so the African American community would not congregate in the evenings as well as stories of African Americans launching rocks through windows). Residents felt the pressures of white supremacy for they led racial segregation. The black community was cut off from heaters, restaurants, night clubs, and clothing stores (which were all prime sources for employment). Up until the 1920’s Eutaw Pl remained Jewish, but then they began to evacuate the neighborhood due to the interracial community and in the 1930’s The Great Depression put an end to some of Baltimore’s developing areas. This caused the African American community to undergo the constant issue of overcrowding, which soon brought up sanitation issues. Much of the area surrounding Eutaw Pl today is again going to be redeveloped by the State Center (for it is seen as the “slums”) and to be demolished for the upper class. The city has been constantly fought over, not decided, nor agreed. Yet again, gentrification at its best.
Some historical sites from today:
In 1857 the Douglass Memorial Community Church was founded, and in the 1970’s it was bought out by the African American Mason Association.
Founded in 1896 the female Western Institution was the only educational school for females (besides grammar school). It is now the home of Booker T Washington Middle School which at the time was the center for African-American education.
In 1922 the Royal Theater was founded. Here, all the big African American jazz and funk players (such as Natt King Cole and The Temptations) preformed. The place represented a community cohesiveness as it was a place for meeting and greeting, karaoke, and other singing competitions. After WWII many people in the city began to move away. Therefore causing reinvestments throughout the city and the theater was one. Today, only leaves an arc with white lettering reading Royal .
Founded in 1870 was once a white school (like most in the area) then transitioned to black. Former U.S supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall attended this school. School commissioner Richard Biggs was not happy about the transition because he believed education encouraged black people to do things they would never be able to attain. It then became named the Upton Henry Highland Community Center and now closed down.
