The First Settler Arrives

The first Anglo Saxon to lay eyes on Federal Hill was the celebrated English Colonial Settler Captain John Smith (1580-1631).   By the young age of 24 years, Smith already had served with brilliance in the Dutch Wars and in the Near East where he fell prisoner to the Turks. He escaped his captors and returned to England by 1604.  While there, he became interested in the newly chartered Virginia Company and made arrangements to be among the first settlers at Jamestown, Virginia (the first English Settlement in North America) in 1606.  Smith’s status as a historical legend was assured when Pocohantas supposedly pleaded with her Chieftain father Powhatan to spare John Smith’s life during the siege at Jamestown in December of 1607.

In June of 1608 he sailed from Jamestown up the Chesapeake Bay for a 19-day journey that ended with a voyage up the Patapsco River.  It was there that Smith reported seeing “a great red bank of clay flanking a natural harbor basin.”  Early Baltimore settlers referred to this “great red bank of clay” as “John Smith’s Hill”.

The Name

In May of 1788, 4,000 Baltimoreans marched through the City’s streets in a parade organized by a naval hero of the Revolutionary War, Commodore Joshua Barney, to celebrate the State of Maryland’s ratification of the United States Constitution.  The procession featured a 15-foot model of a fully rigged sailing ship named the “Federalist”.  A contingent of the Port of Baltimore’s ship captains, mates, and sailors decided to set the Federalist on wheels, and paraded it through the streets of the city before having it placed atop John Smith’s Hill.  Apparently, this was the auspicious beginning of one huge daylong party.  It was quite a celebration; those in attendance gorged themselves on 500 pounds of ham, 1,000 pounds of beef, 151/2 barrels of beer, 240 gallons of hard cider, and 91/2 gallons of peach brandy. As often happens in such situations, Commodore Barney and the other smashed sailors got antsy around midnight and decided it was a good time to take a trip. They slid the tiny Federalist down the hill and sailed it out of the Inner Harbor to Annapolis. So legendary has the revelry become that somewhere along the line someone decided in remembrance to rename John Smith’s Hill in tribute to Barney’s party boat.  Hence the origin of the Park’s name:  Federal Hill.

The day’s festivities were totally financed by leading Baltimore business scions like William Goddard who was the editor-in-chief of the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, the State’s leading newspaper at the time.  The thousands of celebrants were treated to “untold quantities of grog, toddy, beef, ham, and cheese.  Seven-gun Salutes, bonfires and fireworks kept the sky over the Harbor ablaze with light until the wee hours.  The celebration culminated with the “small” ship (the Federalist) being launched for a sail down the Potomac River to Mount Vernon where it was presented as a gift to George Washington.  While the original Federalist was lost in a storm, a replica is on display today at the State House in Annapolis.

The View

Federal Hill’s spectacular views were first put to commercial use in 1795 when, in cooperation with the Maritime Exchange, Captain David Porter established a “marine observatory” and signal tower on the site. The tower provided a panorama that stretched a good 15 miles or more down the Patapsco. Spotting an incoming ship, the watchman would unfurl the observatory’s “house flag” to alert the merchants and ship owners at the Maritime Exchange of an imminent arrival.

Sometime around 1880, a relatively ornate Victorian era tower replaced the original structure. A fierce wind felled the tower in 1902 discontinuing signal service for good.

Federal Hill Observatory – c1865

The Battery

In 1814, having been promoted to Commodore, David Porter took command of a military battery that was established on Federal Hill in anticipation of an attack by sea from the British which never came.

However, on the morning of September 12, 1814, the British landed over 3,000 troops at North Point. They marched north and west to attack the city. That night, after the Battle of North Point, they reached Hampstead Hill where 10,000 Americans under the leadership of Major General Samuel Smith blocked the invading army’s path.  A statue commemorating this important victory adorns the north side of Federal Hill Park today.  More on Samuel Smith at the conclusion of our Walking Tour of Federal Hill.

At first light on September 13, British ships of war began firing bombs, rockets and cannon balls at Fort McHenry. Above the Star Fort flew our young flag, its 15 bright stars and broad stripes waving proud defiance. The British hoped the Americans would panic, evacuate the fort and leave Baltimore defenseless.  For 25 hours, as lightning flashed and rain fell, they bombarded the fort, firing between 1,500 and 1,800 rounds, causing but four deaths and 24 wounded. Major George Armistead and the 1,000 patriot defenders fired back with their cannons when the British ships sailed within range.  A Memorial to Armistead and his brave troops now occupies the northeast corner of Federal Hill Park, as it has since about 1885.

Realizing their attack on the City had failed, the following day, British sailed down river to North Point to pick up their retreating soldiers. The Battle of Baltimore was over.

Colored lithograph, probably by E. Sachse & Co., 1862

Federal Hill was once again converted to military use in 1861 as the 6th Massachusetts Regiment and elements of Cook’s Light Artillery occupied Federal Hill under the command of General Benjamin F. Butler. (Visit the house at 337 Hamburg Street that served as General Butler’s headquarters as the second stop our Walking Tour.)  

Fort Federal Hill – Maryland Historic Society

Federal Hill Neighborhood

The City purchased Federal Hill in 1880 and dedicated it as a public park. Ninety years later, the “Federal Hill District” was accepted for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The “District” includes Federal Hill Park and the immediate neighborhood south to West Street, west to Hanover Street, north to Hughes Street and east to Covington Street. It is in this vicinity that all of the historic places of interest that we will visit on our Walking Tour are located.

For years, stories aplenty have circulated concerning the existence of a network of tunnels, caves and storage rooms (rumored to have been used as cells from time to time) forming an underground passageway all the way to Fort McHenry. This latter tale is not true. However, beginning in about 1799, a series of excavations were begun near Henry Street beyond the southern perimeter of Federal Hill Park. The excavations continued non-stop for over half a century with workers mining the Hill for its red clay and fine white sand. The Hill was also a source of low-grade iron ore once used for ballast and sash-weights (many of which are still in place in the throughout the neighborhood). For years the cool tunnels and passageways that riddle the area stored wooden kegs of beer crafted by the many local brewers operating nearby. An unfortunate side effect of all this is that Federal Hill has become increasingly unstable and all of the traffic and development, particularly at the foot of the Hill along Key Highway and Covington Street has caused the Hill to collapse at least twice during the last 10 years, requiring the City to fund major reconstructive efforts to preserve Federal Hill Park.

At the corner of Warren Avenue and Henry Street, we will begin our Walking Tour of the Federal Hill Neighborhood.

Exit Federal Hill at the point where the walkway is wide enough to accommodate police and other emergency vehicles (the only vehicles permitted in the Park).  Stop here for a moment and reckon with the fact that through the mid-1800’s this entire area was virtually all fields and pastures.

Federal Hill Harbor View - c1830

Take the Walking Tour