Canton, Baltimore
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Canton is a historic waterfront
neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The neighborhood is along Baltimore's outer harbor in the southeastern section of the city, roughly two miles east of Baltimore's downtown district and next to or near the neighborhoods of
Patterson Park Patterson Park is an urban park in Southeast Baltimore, Maryland, United States, adjacent to the neighborhoods of Canton, Highlandtown, Patterson Park, and Butchers Hill. It is bordered by East Baltimore Street, Eastern Avenue, South Patte ...
,
Fell's Point Fell's Point is a historic waterfront neighborhood in southeastern Baltimore, Maryland. It was established around 1763 along the north shore of the Baltimore Harbor and the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River. The area has many antique, musi ...
, Highlandtown, and Brewers Hill. Canton is considered one of Baltimore's trendiest and vibrant neighborhoods, known for its family-friendly community, urban lifestyle and hot spot for the social scene. The inclusive neighborhood continues to see rapid growth as more development opportunities come into the area. Since the late 1990s, the neighborhood has undergone significant
gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
and has been ranked the 16th most-gentrified zip code in the nation from 2000 to 2016.


History

In 1785, Irish merchant and slave owner, John O'Donnell settled in Baltimore after arriving on the ship "Pallas" from Calcutta and the
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
port of
Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
, then called Canton by English speakers. When O'Donnell purchased land, he named his plantation Canton. In the beginning of the 19th century, O'Donnell's land was sold off by his son Columbus O’Donnell, William Patterson and
Peter Cooper Peter Cooper (February 12, 1791April 4, 1883) was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and politician. He designed and built the first American steam locomotive, the '' Tom Thumb'', founded the Cooper Union for the Advancement of ...
, and was developed by the Canton Company for the waterfront industry and
blue-collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
housing. On April 5th, 2021, after a successful campaign by neighborhood groups, O'Donnell's statue was removed. A major feature of early Canton was Major David Stodder's shipyard, located at Harris Creek, with the most famous vessel being built the USS ''Constellation''. During the early 19th century, European immigrants settled in the area.
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
immigrants, primarily workers from
South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, began settling in Baltimore in large numbers beginning in the 1820s.
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
and
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
migrant workers composed a large portion of Baltimore's
working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
during the early and mid-1800s. In 1850, a large community of copper workers from
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
settled in the neighborhood. These workers established a Presbyterian church in 1865, located on Toone Street in Canton. Subsequent groups of immigrants have included
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
,
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
and
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
. In the 2000s, as industry moved out, new housing and marinas have been developed along the waterfront and
gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
of the existing housing has occurred further inland.


Boundaries

Canton is bounded by
Patterson Park Patterson Park is an urban park in Southeast Baltimore, Maryland, United States, adjacent to the neighborhoods of Canton, Highlandtown, Patterson Park, and Butchers Hill. It is bordered by East Baltimore Street, Eastern Avenue, South Patte ...
and Eastern Ave to the north, Chester Street to the west, the waterfront to the south, and Conkling Street to the east. The streets are laid out in a uniform north to south and east to west directions, with the major exception of Boston Street, which runs along the Patapsco River waterfront.


Transportation

Canton is conveniently situated with easy access to
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
, Interstate 895 and Boston Street and Eastern Avenues, which provide major surface routes to downtown Baltimore. Two high-frequency MTA bus lines (Gold and Navy) service Canton for direct access to the central business district and
Penn Station Pennsylvania Station is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals. Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may also refer to Current train stations * Baltimore Penn Station * Pennsylvania Station (Cinc ...
. The south waterfront area provides a water taxi link to Locust Point. Bus transportation to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
is available with frequent service at a nearby Eastern Bus stop on Ponca Street.


Landmarks

Many of the structures are included in the Canton Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Canton's traditional center is O'Donnell Square, a small park bordered on the north and south by
O'Donnell Street This is a list of WP:Notability, notable streets in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. A B C D E F G H Heath St. Route 64. (MTA Maryland) K L M N O P R Ramsay st S U ...
, to the east by South Potomac Street, and to the west by Linwood Avenue. O'Donnell Square is home to a number of lively bars and restaurants, gift shops, salons and other small businesses, as well as residences. Canton is also immediately adjacent to
Patterson Park Patterson Park is an urban park in Southeast Baltimore, Maryland, United States, adjacent to the neighborhoods of Canton, Highlandtown, Patterson Park, and Butchers Hill. It is bordered by East Baltimore Street, Eastern Avenue, South Patte ...
, a popular nearby attraction for local residents. In the 2000s, developments have added focus areas to the neighborhood, including the Canton Waterfront Park and Maryland Korean War Memorial, the rehabilitated American Can Company building, the Du Burns Soccer Arena, two marinas, a public boat launch, and new bars and restaurants. The Canton Dog Park, the first off-leash dog park in Baltimore, has been open for dog lovers since 2002. The neighborhood is home to the many food and wine festivals, Light Night Canton, Baltimore's annual Ukrainian-American festival, summer concert series, and is a popular destination to view Baltimore Harbor
July 4th Events Pre-1600 *362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaimed ...
fireworks. A premier shopping complex, The Shops at Canton Crossing, anchored by Target and Nordstrom Rack, has been serving local residents since 2013. Notable churches in the area include the St. Casimir (Roman Catholic) Church, built c. 1926, the
St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Ukrainian Catholic church located in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded to initially serve the needs of the Ukrainian immigrant community in Baltimore. History Western Ukrainians (sometim ...
, and the (Episcopal) Church on the Square. Canton's branch of the
Enoch Pratt Free Library The Enoch Pratt Free Library is the free public library system of Baltimore, Maryland. Its Central Library and office headquarters are located on 400 Cathedral Street (southbound) and occupy the northeastern three quarters of a city block bounded ...
, Baltimore's first and in operation since 1866, is centrally located on O’Donnell Square. A moored
trash interceptor A trash interceptor is a device in a river to collect and remove floating debris – before the debris flows out into a harbor, for instance. Mr. Trash Wheel Installed in May 2014, the water wheel trash interceptor known as Mr. Trash Wheel, o ...
, the female-gendered Professor Trash Wheel (with appropriate googly eyes) can be found off the Boston Street Pier Park since December 2016.


Housing stock

Most houses in Canton are turn-of-the-20th-century two- to three-story
rowhouse In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United Sta ...
s. Some homes closer to the waterfront date from the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and many are well-preserved despite their age. New townhouses have recently been built at O'Donnell Square and throughout the neighborhood, replacing some of the previous stock. There are also luxury waterfront apartments and condominiums in recently rehabilitated industrial buildings. According to the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, the median price of homes sold in 2016 was $286,500, an increase from $231,000 in 2011.


Demographics

Based on data derived from the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010 and 2014 ACS 5-year estimate, there were 11,398 people living in the neighborhood. The racial makeup of Canton was 90.8%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.9%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1% Native American, 2.3%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.0% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.0% from two or more races. The median household income in 2016 was $103,282, the 2nd highest of all Baltimore neighborhoods, behind
Roland Park Roland Park is a community located in Baltimore, Maryland. It was developed between 1890 and 1920 as an upper-class streetcar suburb. The early phases of the neighborhood were designed by Edward Bouton and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. History J ...
. 88.1% of the working-age population is employed, 3.0% is unemployed, both rates highest and lowest, respectively, among all Baltimore neighborhoods.


References


External links


The Canton Community Association
* , including photo from 2004, at Maryland Historical Trust
Boundary Map of the Canton Historic District, Baltimore City
{{authority control Gentrification in the United States Neighborhoods in Baltimore Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore Victorian architecture in Maryland German-American culture in Baltimore Irish-American culture in Baltimore Polish-American culture in Baltimore Welsh-American culture in Maryland Maryland populated places on the Chesapeake Bay Southeast Baltimore