Evergreen, Baltimore

Boundaries

North–Oakdale Road

South–Cold Spring Lane

East–Stony Run Park

West–Mayadier Lane

Zip code–21210

History

The Evergreen neighborhood is located in North Baltimore and was one of the first residential developments in its area, coming even before Roland Park. The land subdivided to become Evergreen was inherited by an heir of the Cockey family in 1813 and was originally called “Ridgely’s Whim.” Lewand, Karen. "North Baltimore, from estate to development". The Dept., 1989.] In 1873, two men named Brooks and Barton purchased the land and began to create a neighborhood called Evergreen for middle-class workers and their families.

The Evergreen is a rare example of an early non-rowhouse suburban-style community. The neighborhood was easily accessible, despite being several miles from the heart of Baltimore. There were two railroad stops on opposite corners of the neighborhood; one was at Cold Spring Lane and one at Wyndhurst. This connection to the city allowed the neighborhood to grow and thrive. However, neither of these railroad stations exist today. The neighborhood was overwhelmingly composed of hard-working citizens. Many of its residents were builders and tradesmen who worked in Roland Park during its major period of construction from 1895 to 1910. Most of Roland Park's firemen (who were mostly volunteers) ironically lived in the Evergreen neighborhood. [Spellman, Howard C. "I Remember...Roland Park's Early Firefighters". Unknown Baltimore Newspaper.]

Demographics

In the latest census, the Evergreen is made up of four hundred ten residents. It is a predominately white neighborhood, with ninety-seven and a half percent of the people being white. The majority of the people do not have kids (though there is a considerable upward trend of young children since the census), and the median age is thirty five years. Half of the residents are married and have an average income of sixty four thousand dollars. Forty three percent of the residents are single with an average salary of forty six thousand dollars. Forty of the individuals are below the poverty level, and there are thirty four individuals who have not completed high school. However, one hundred ninety five of the residents have completed college and received a degree. [http://censusprofile.bnia.org/Evergreen%20Demographic%20Profile.pdf]

Architecture and Design

Of the two hundred five houses that make up the Evergreen, many different architectural styles exist. Schenely Road, Keswick Road, Wilmslow Road,and Evergreen's other smaller streets feature fourteen foot wide Victorian houses as well as two story Shingle Style houses, three and a half story Queen Anne style houses, and contemporaries.

While Evergreen is mostly composed of residential houses, it also features a neighborhood commercial area on the south boundary at Cold Spring Lane. The neighborhood streets are set up in a grid pattern with alleys. The driveways to the houses are accessible by the alleys. This allows the sidewalks to be unbroken by curb cuts. The houses, which face the street, are surrounded by luscious greenery. Every house has a big green lawn and is surrounded by trees, shrubs, and bushes. The sidewalks in front of all the houses promote communication between residents and allows for a close-knit community.

References