Federal Reserve (18BC27)
Site History
The part of Baltimore that is home to the Federal Reserve site
was settled in the late eighteenth century and occupied as a
residential neighborhood until the early twentieth century.
Growth was slow during the early nineteenth century, but by
mid-century, both residential and business development had
increased dramatically. Many of the lots along Sharpe Street
north of Welcome Alley were residences of slave holding property
owners, suggesting this area may have been more upscale than
further south along the block. At the end of the century,
homes for individuals who worked in the neighborhood were
interspersed with saloons, general stores, stables, and a
sash weight factory and pickle plant. By the early twentieth
century, development south of Welcome Alley was all industrial
and included a lime and cement plant, a cooper and a blacksmith
shop. By the late 1920s, standing row houses were demolished
for the expansion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Camden
Yard terminal.
Archaeology
In 1980, Mid-Atlantic Archaeological Research, Inc. of Delaware
conducted archaeological investigations in Baltimore at the future
site of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The project encompassed
three city blocks in the Otterbein neighborhood west of the Inner
Harbor. The majority of the work occurred in a one block area
bounded by Barre Street to the north, Lee Street to the south,
Howard Street to the west, and Sharpe Street to the east. Welcome
Alley bisected the block east to west.
With bank construction beginning almost simultaneously as the
archaeological fieldwork, excavations were conducted in a rushed
fashion. Since only a few weeks were allotted for the fieldwork,
the project’s goal was to recover as many archaeological resources
as possible before construction forced archaeologists to discontinue
work. Most of the standing buildings had been demolished prior
to the archaeological work and earthmoving equipment had mixed
the soil, further complicating the process of interpretation and
excavation.
Most of the archaeological excavation focused on the backyards of
former residential properties that had once fronted on Sharpe Street
and backhoes were used to isolate the locations of features such as
building foundations, cellars, privies and wells. The excavations
resulted in the discovery of 52 features in the project area. Artifacts
recovered from the features were washed, but not catalogued as a
part of the original project. Artifacts and records associated
with the archaeological investigation were sent in 2006 to the
Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson
Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, Maryland for
curation.
References
Basalik, Kenneth
1994 Urban Development in the Eastern
United States: an Archaeological View of Baltimore, Maryland.
UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
McCarthy, John, and Ken Basalik
1980 Summary Report of Archaeological
Investigations, Federal Reserve Bank Site, Baltimore, Maryland MAAR
Associates, Inc., Newark, Delaware.
(Written by Patricia Samford)
Associated Artifacts
Astbury Type
Bone China
Bone China
Bone China
Bone China
Bone China
Bone China
Bone China
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Chinese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Creamware
Creamware
Creamware
Creamware
Creamware
Creamware
Decal Decorated
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Dipped Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
Edged Earthenware
European Hard-Paste Porcelain
European Hard-Paste Porcelain
European Hard-Paste Porcelain
Japanese Hard-Paste Porcelain
Luster Ware
Luster Ware
Luster Ware
Luster Ware
Luster Ware
Luster Ware
North American Stoneware
North American Stoneware
North American Stoneware
North American Stoneware
North American Stoneware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Painted Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Printed Earthenware
Relief Molded Stoneware Jugs
Rockingham Ware
Rockingham Ware
Rockingham Ware
Rockingham Ware
Rockingham Ware
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sponge Decorated
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
Sprig Molded Ware
White Felspathic Stoneware
White Felspathic Stoneware
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
White Granite
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Yellow Ware
Bottle Seals
Bottle Seals
Forks
Forks
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives
Knives