Baltimore City Historical Society

Baltimore City Historical Society (BCHS) aims to cultivate and promote the history and diversity of Baltimore City, to work with historians to sponsor programs on City history and with museums and universities to support their collections of historical materials.

BCHS’s website is meant to be a gathering place for everyone interested in the City's history and a source of information about City historical activities and resources.

Visit www.historicbaltimore.org and check out the current and past issues of Baltimore Gaslight, the BCHS newsletter. 

The Baltimore City Historical Society hosts its 11th annual Mayor's Reception and History Honors on October 29, 2011 at St. Ignatius Church, 740 N. Calvert St., from noon until 2:30 pm honoring Historian Scholars: Edward Papenfuse, C. Fraser Smith, and Robert Keith (in memoriam); Living History: Sister Charmaine Krohe, Eddie and Sylvia Brown, Clinton Bamberger, and Sidney Hollander, Jr.; In Memoriam: Mack Lewis and Rabbi Mark Loeb.

There’s a $20 charge for admission to this public reception. Go to the webpage for a registration form to be mailed, with a check, to Baltimore City Historical Society, c/o Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21201.

BCHS recently sponsored a contest to find an alternative to the official State Song, Maryland, My Maryland, one that a broad range of Marylanders could sing with pride. Winners of the contest were Jared Denhard of Columbia, a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory, who won the prize for new lyrics and new music; and Dianne Lyday of Baltimore, a retiree from the Social Security Administration, who won the prize for new lyrics to the existing tune. Winning entries can be seen on the BCHC webpage.

The Society also sponsors an essay contest every year and a popular history evening informal speaking series at the Village Learning Place, where city history comes to life on third Thursdays between January and June. 

I joined BCHC in its first year when the price of membership was donation of a book about city history. My contribution was The Patapsco, Baltimore’s River of History, which was the same book I gave to the paddlers and boaters who led me across the mouth of that river when I swam between Pasadena and North Point.

It was not my plan back then to become engaged in learning and then writing about Waverly Village history. Nor did I think of myself as a candidate for service on the BCHS board; but that’s where I am today going to monthly meetings with some very interesting people. 

In preparing this blog I drove downtown to take a photo of the Peale Museum as saving that space sparked Judge John Carroll Byrnes to start the society. I found myself being drawn to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House to get a shot of the beautiful glass wall of red, white and blue stars and stripes.

Did you know that during The War of 1812 the flag had 15 stars? I didn’t! There are many things for me to discover about my city. BCHS is rooted in exploring our past and enlightening our future, as well as sometimes meeting challenges, like pealing back layers of lies or shameful omissions to find hidden truths and new perspectives that are part of our collective story yet to be revealed and told. You can be part of this process. You don’t need a degree or a sponsor to join.