The Little Montgomery Street Historic District [†] is located in South Baltimore, Maryland, covering the 100 block of West Montgomery Street and the northwestern portion of the 800 block of Leadenhall Street. The district spans approximately two acres and features a collection of about fifteen 19th-century brick houses. It is the last intact remnant of the historic Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood, an area with a rich history of working-class residents, including German and Irish immigrants and freed southern Blacks.
This district is significant as the earliest and only coherent remnant of the Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhood, which was once a thriving, diverse, working-class community. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was home to Baltimore’s native poor, immigrants, and freed Blacks, all of whom lived and worked together, primarily in railroad and port-related jobs. Much of the original neighborhood was lost to urban renewal and highway construction, leaving this district isolated from the remaining Sharp-Leadenhall area.
The district contains approximately fifteen brick houses, some double, many of which are “half houses” that are only one room deep with a single-pitch roof. The oldest, 117 West Montgomery Street, dates to around 1820 and retains much of its original interior. The north side of Montgomery Street features four pairs of semi-detached half houses, built around 1835 for freed Blacks from the Otterbein area. Most of these houses retain their original dormers and exteriors. The dwellings on Leadenhall Street were built individually (except for 802-804, which is a double house) and mostly constructed between 1845 and 1861, reflecting the influence of German immigrants. Some buildings, like 113 and 109 West Montgomery Street, served as both stores and residences.
The district was threatened by demolition in the 1970s, but preservation efforts saved these buildings. Residents and preservationists halted highway plans, and city auctions in the late 1970s led to private ownership with restoration covenants. Strict guidelines require restoration of building exteriors to their historic appearance, overseen by a city design review committee.
The district is surrounded by vacant land, industrial, and commercial properties, which visually and physically separate it from other historic districts. The street layout is unique, with Montgomery Street being narrower and skewed compared to the city grid, enhancing the district’s distinct character.
The area was originally part of “Howard’s Timber Neck” (patented in 1667), later Ridgely’s Delight, and then subdivided by John McDonough before 1800. The street pattern was established in the early 19th century, with “Little Montgomery Street” distinguished from the wider “Great Montgomery Street” to the east.
Industrial development began to encroach on the area by the late 19th century, and the neighborhood once included churches, schools, and manufactories, reflecting its role as a self-sufficient working-class community.
The Little Montgomery Street Historic District is a rare surviving example of early-to-mid 19th-century working-class urban Baltimore. Its architecture, community history, and preservation efforts make it a significant historic asset, reflecting the city’s social and architectural evolution.
†Adapted from: Robert Mitchell Quilter, >em>Little Montgomery Street Historic District, 1981, National Register of Historic Places, Washhington, D.C., accessed July, 2025.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Leadenhall Street • Montgomery Street West