Baltimore's historic Federal Hill district thrives as one of the city's
most active and resilient communities. In 1789, city residents gathered
at Federal Hill Park to celebrate the ratification of the US
Constitution. Later, the park would be occupied by Union soldiers during
the Civil War. For decades, bustling shipyards ringed the harbor around
Federal Hill. But in the 1960s, parts of the neighborhood, including the
park itself, were targeted for destruction to make way for an interstate
highway. Fortunately that plan was abandoned, and today, the National
Historic Districts of Federal Hill, Federal Hill South, and Sharp
Leadenhall--plus the adjoining neighborhood of Otterbein--are home to
museums, restaurants, and breathtaking views of the Inner Harbor and
skyline. Its quaint streets are lined with iconic Baltimore row houses
from the 19th and early 20th centuries.