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About Hampden
HCC Calendar
Zoning & Land Use Committee Important Links and Phone Numbers
Notice: Ôø‡ 2008 All content contained on hampdenhappenings.org is the sole property of the Hampden Community Council or its partners and can not be copied, used or distributed and is protected under federal copy write laws. |
All About Hampden 
38th Steet in Hampden looking east with JHU in the background. Location
Hampden is located in the geographic center of Baltimore City, nesteled between the Jones Falls, Druid Hill park and Johns Hopkins University.The physical boundaries of Hampden are 40th & 41st Street to the north, Wyman Park Drive to the south, The Jones Falls to the west, and Keswick Road to the east.
Hampden's small town feel, neighborly atmosphere and proximity to downtown make it one of the most popular neighborhoods in Baltimore. Hampden is great place to live, work and play. It is also a fun place to visit with lots of stores, restaurants and bars. Hampden also plays host to some of the most well know events in Baltimore including The Mayors Christmas Parade, The "Miracle on 34th Street", Hon Fest, the Hampden Fall fest, Art in the Park and more. History Hampden first came into being in 1802 as a cluster of houses built for workers who manned the newly erected flour and cotton mills along the Jones Falls Valley. James Hughes was the first of a number of cotton mill owners who harnessed the water of the Jones Falls to power the flour and later, the cotton mills. Hampden was a part of a number of grain milling operations located along the many streams in the counties surrounding Baltimore City. The creation of these mills in turn spurred the growth of the port of Baltimore, which exported the milled grains around the world. In 1810, the first cotton mill was opened on the Jones Falls by Washington Manufacturing Company in what is now Mount Washington. By the 1830's, after the invention of the cotton gin, most of Hampden and Woodberry's flourmills were converted to cotton mills. In the 1870's the mill workforce increased from 616 to 2,931 people. The expansion of the Woodberry Mill and the building of the Meadow Mill, Mt. Vernon Mill and Druid Mill propelled this growth. Cotton duck, used to make sails for ships of all kinds, was in huge demand. By the 1890's, Hampden and Woodberry produced almost 80% of the world's cotton duck and was one of the biggest mill sites in the country. Most of the original residents of Hampden were immigrants from England, Germany and Poland. As the industrial revolution grew, people left farming communities from the adjacent counties and as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia to work in the mills. 
Mt Vernon Mill at the base of what is today Chestnut Avenue. cira 1950 Hampden derived its name from a developer, Henry Mankin, who named the town after John Hampden, a key figure in the English revolution of the 17th century. Hampden, a Member of Parliament, took issue with a tax levied to pay for the royal navy. Hampden maintained that the tax was a form of taxation without representation. 
Others rallied around the cause that sparked a revolution in 1637. John Hampden, a member of a growing capitalist class, was viewed as a hero and champion of the people.
Hampden's economic power grew throughout the 19th century fueled by the cotton mills. At the turn of the 20th century, the workers of Hampden and Woodberry made up one of the largest workforces in the nation. During the first decade of the century several labor strikes resulted in improved wages and working conditions. During World War I, the demand for cotton duck kept the mills operation at full capacity. In the 1920's more labor strikes took place for pay increases and better working hours. This time, the strikes were not only unsuccessful but the mill owners began to move operations to the rural South in search of lower labor costs. The mills in Hampden-Woodberry were able to weather this setback and production at the mills increased to fuel the war effort during World War II. But the 1960's and 1970's saw the demise of the mills as demand of their products dried up. |
The History Of The Hampden Community Council Many people in the area are farmiliar with the HCC, they may even know about our Mission. The mission of the Hampden Community Council (HCC) is to provide community leadership, engage in educational, informational, and charitable activities, and to promote the living standard and overall welfare of the Hampden community in order to improve Hampden's stability, vitality, and sustainability. The HCC acts as a community advocate, mobilizing our members, volunteers, and partners to ensure that the community's voice is heard on legislative, development, and other issues affecting our neighborhood. Few people however know our history. After all it has been 36 years since it all started. | ||