The History of Fells Prospect
Prior to 1729, the town of Fells Point consisted of three homes, several tobacco houses, an orchard, and a mill. In 1797 Fells Point was incorporated into Baltimore town as the Debtor Hundred, a parcel of land that included all the Fell family holdings, both the Point and the higher ground to the north then known as Fells Prospect. Today, the area is called Upper Fells Point.
Fells Point was largely responsible for shaping the ethnic character of Upper Fells as it exists today. The first wave of immigrants were the Irish, establishing the second Catholic Church in Baltimore, St. Patrick's, in 1792. A few years later, this was the site of the first free school in Baltimore. It was academically rigorous and admitted poor children of all races and religions. The Irish and African-Americans lived side by side with the newer German immigrants.
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By 1860, one quarter of the population of Baltimore was German. By the 1880's East Baltimore canneries and clothing sweatshops were providing employment to hordes of newcomers. Bohemians, Scandinavians, Italians, Poles and Czechs found work and lodging in Upper Fells Point. These groups were joined by the Lithuanians and Greeks in the early 1900's. The Depression caused many of the larger homes in the area to be divided into multi-family dwellings. Adding to our ethnic diversity is a Hispanic population.
Fells Point, as it exists today, is the recipient of a rich ethnic background, with a history of diversity and tolerance.
Our Association's Geography
What's in a Name?
Fell's Point is the oldest section of Baltimore and one of the country's oldest ports. The English settlement of this area began in 1726. Baltimore Town was established in 1729, as a separate entity to the west. In 1730 an English Quaker, William Fell, bought land on a marshy hook that jutted into the Patapsco River. He called his tract of land "Fell's Prospect," sensing the Point's possibilities for shipping and shipbuilding. The river offered a deep-water anchorage, which enabled seagoing vessels to send smaller boats back and forth from shore with cargo. Within a few years, ships would anchor off Fell's Point. In 1763, William's son, Edward Fell, laid out streets and lots. Edward's wife, Ann Bond Fell, sold parcels of land to newcomers eager to take advantage of the economic boom fomented by the American Revolution and its aftermath. In 1773, after a generation of political independence, Fell's Point was annexed by Baltimore Town. In 1797, Fell's Point was incorporated as Baltimore City along with Jonestown to the west and Baltimore Town, situated around the inner basin.
Source: Point of Entry: Baltimore, the Other Ellis Island
by William Connery