The Lithuanian Hall ( lt, Lietuvių Namai), also known as Lith Hall, is the home of the Lithuanian Hall Association. It is a private

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

located on Hollins Street in the

Hollins Market Hollins Market is the name of the oldest existing public market building in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It is a contributing property to the Union Square-Hollins Market Historic District. The market, located at 26 South Arlington Ave just ...

neighborhood of

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 ...

and serves as a recreation center and meeting house for social events, including dance nights, musical events, community suppers and cultural events. The hall was founded to serve the needs of the Lithuanian community in Baltimore, Maryland. The hall is popular with artists and hipsters.

History

The hall was established in 1921, and was only referred to by the Lithuanian name ''Lietuvių Namai'' until 1968. During the 1920s the hall was provided as a venue for speeches by prominent members of the

Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

, such as William Z. Foster and

Juliet Stuart Poyntz Juliet Stuart Poyntz (originally 'Points') (25 November 1886 – 1937) was an American suffragist, trade unionist and communist spy. As a student and university teacher, Poyntz espoused many radical causes and went on to become a co-founder o ...

. On October 13, 1929, a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

branch of the

CPUSA The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

hosted a speech by Sol Hurwitz, the editor of the ''

Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a American Jews, Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialis ...

'', and the speech was interrupted by a mob of

anti-Communists Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...

. The Communists defended themselves with chairs until the police arrived to disperse the mob.Vernon L. Pedersen ''The Communist Party in Maryland, 1919-1957'' (2001) p 45

References

External links

Baltimore Lithuanian-American Community websiteBlog for Lithuanians in BaltimoreImage of the HallImage of Lith Hall
from

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

Official webpageWebsite for Lithuanian folk dancing group based at Lith Hall
''

'' {{Music venues of Maryland 1917 establishments in Maryland Clubs and societies in the United States Communism in Maryland Communist Party USA Dance venues in the United States Drinking establishments in Maryland Hipster (contemporary subculture) History of Baltimore Hollins Market, Baltimore Lithuanian-American culture in Baltimore Music venues in Baltimore Organizations based in Baltimore Organizations established in 1917 Union Square, Baltimore