From the Archives: The Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association Records Are Open for Research!

The UB Special Collections & Archives is excited to announce that a new collection, the Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association Records, are now available for research!

Baltimore is a city full of many distinct and unique neighborhoods. Each community has its own personality and heritage. Ednor Gardens-Lakeside has a long history; and today it is known as an active and community focused neighborhood. The Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association Records document the area’s history and provide a window into the activities of a community orientated neighborhood.

The Ednor Gardens-Lakeside neighborhood in Baltimore City is in an area that was once owned by General Samuel Smith (1752 –1839), a Revolutionary War hero, a Maryland Representative, U.S. Senator, and mayor of Baltimore City. He also fought during the War of 1812 and defended Baltimore during the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. Smith fought with the French during the Revolutionary War, and he named his land “Montebello” in honor of their victory in the 1800 Battle of Montebello during the French Revolution. Later, the land was sold to the prominent Baltimore Garret family. John W. Garret was the President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In the 1920s, the Garretts sold the land to the real-estate developer, Edward Gallagher.

Gallagher, one of Baltimore’s most active home builders at the time, began building in this large planned community in the 1920s. Most of the neighborhood was built between the 1920s and the 1950s. The name Ednor came from a combination of Gallagher’s sons, Edward and Norman. Many of the early homes were built in the English Tudor styles, while others are Colonial in design. The homes were unique and popular. Later, Gallagher built row homes in the north and east portions of the neighborhood. The Lakeside neighborhood was named for its location next to nearby Lake Montebello. Lakeside is home to single family homes that are Colonial and traditional in style, built in the 1930s by developer Frank Novak. Both neighborhoods have a diversity of housing styles and unique architecture that have made the community popular in Baltimore City.

In more recent history, Ednor Gardens-Lakeside has been and is still home to a diverse community that has often been said to have a suburban feel with the convenience of its city location. Throughout the 1980s and recently Ednor Gardens-Lakeside has won awards for neighborhood beautification projects. Until it’s demolition in 2002, Memorial Stadium was located in Ednor Gardens-Lakeside. The stadium and neighborhood were the proud home of the Baltimore the Orioles baseball team until 1991 and home to the Colts and Ravens football teams between 1994 and 1997.

The Ednor Gardens Lakeside Civic Association, Inc. was established in 1927 and is one of the oldest civic associations in Baltimore. It was created by the members of the neighborhood to help the community work together on issues like recreation, education, housing, crime, neighborhood promotion, and other community projects. The Association’s newsletter, “Hi, Neighbor!,” is mailed to every home and keeps the community connected.

The Civic Association has been involved in city development that effects the community such as the re-use of the Eastern High site by Johns Hopkins in the 1990s and later, the demolition and the redevelopment of Memorial Stadium. The Association has also sponsored yearly events like Garden Walks, community clean ups, and other events.

Researchers interested in the history of Ednor Gardens-Lakeside and the activities of the Civic Association will find this collection particularly helpful. It contains the Association’s meeting minutes, newsletters, information about the neighborhoods’ histories, maps, neighborhood plots, meetings and members information, and records relating to the Association’s initiatives and community activities over the years. It also provides information about the history of the neighborhood in Baltimore. Also present are a number of documents relating to the Stadium Redevelopment project in the late 1990s and early 2000s and other neighborhood improvement projects.

If you would like to view and/or use the Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association Records for yourself, please contact the Special Collections & Archives to set up an appointment!