Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Druid Hill Park

Park Beginnings

Photographed by Mark P Brock-Cancellieri, April 21, 2025

1. Druid Hill Park: Park Beginnings Marker

Inscription. Through his public career was filled with scandal and controversy, Mayor Thomas Swann is the acknowledged "Father of Baltimore Parks." In 1858, while the gang known as the Plug Uglies terrorized Baltimore's voters, and Governor Ligon's orders to impose marshal law was ignored, Thomas Swann was elected to a second term as Mayor of Baltimore.

Under Swann's administration, the highly lucrative franchise for a hose-drawn railway in Baltimore was award with the stipulation that one penny of every nickel fare would be paid to the city to carry out improvements to the public open space. These funds made possible the purchase of the private estate of Druid Hill in 1860 and, in the decades that followed, the development of the city's park system.

The nation Parks Movement had begun with Mayor Swann in the vanguard.

[photo captions]
Thomas Swann, Lithograph by E. Sasche & Co., no date.

Horse-drawn Street Car of the Baltimore City Passenger Railway, about 1885-1890

Erected by Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas •

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Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.

Location. 39° 19.213′ N, 76° 38.068′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in Druid Hill Park. It is on East Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3001 East Dr, Baltimore MD 21217, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

in the Chesapeake Bay Region,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Druid Hill Park (here, next to this marker); In Memory of Harvey J. Burns, Jr. (within shouting distance of this marker); Mill No. 1 (approx. 0.3 miles away); "…And Oh, We Had Fun" (approx. 0.3 miles away); American Tennis Association, Inc. (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Sense of Sanctuary (approx.

Druid Hill Park Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark P Brock-Cancellieri, April 21, 2025

2. Druid Hill Park Marker

0.3 miles away); Mill No. 3 (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Esplanade (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2025, by Mark P. Brock-Cancellieri of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 103 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 24, 2025, by Mark P. Brock-Cancellieri of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.