Thursday July 3, 2008 Current Conditions: 85° Partly Cloudy
baltimore Neighborhoods
Fells Point

Follow the shoreline East from the Inner Harbor to arrive in one of Baltimore's most well known communities, Fell's Point. This swashbuckling neighborhood has a grand maritime heritage preserved to this day by the efforts of the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fell's Point. While the clipper schooners may have long since sailed, much of the character still remains in the architecture, cobble stoned streets, taverns, food markets, and the people themselves.

Fell's Point has been around since the Colonial Era beginning as a separate town named after William Fell who purchased the land in 1726. His name along with those of his family survives to this day as street names such as Bond, Bethel, Ann, Aliceanna, and Fell St. Due to the deep waters off of "the point" sea faring vessels headed to England with cargoes of tobacco began to dock here and the waterfront community was born. Shipyards, markets, taverns and boarding houses for sailors thrived during this time.

Fell's Point was spared from the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 thanks to the Jones Falls River serving as a natural barrier. Thanks to the Jones Falls many of the oldest surviving residences in the City can be found in Fell's Point. It is worth your while to stop by the Fell's Point Visitor's Center to learn about some of these historic homes. Due to the rich history of the neighborhood and tireless efforts of the preservation society, Fell's Point was named as the second National Register Historic District in 1969.

Today Fell's Point is known for its eclectic collection of taverns, pubs, boutique shops, restaurants, market shops, and art galleries. The neighborhood hosts several popular annual events such as the Mother's Day historic house tour and the Fell's Point Fun Festival. On weekends the district comes alive with people spending the day walking about the shops and enjoying a meal at places such as John Stevens, Duda's , and Bertha's. At night the pubs and taverns pulse with energy as patrons from the neighborhood and far beyond come to swap their own sea stories and have their mugs filled by their favorite barkeep.