Robert Baker Park

The history of the Robert Baker Park extends to the period of Baltimore's history when much of South Baltimore's housing stock lay in a severe state of dilapidation, and pressures mounted to cut major roadways directly through the neighborhoods. Interstate Highway plans overlaid the historic district; leading to a period of controversy and litigation between highway planners and preservationists.^[1] At the time, "14 lanes of traffic were to tunnel under Federal Hill Park."^[1] Much of the subsequent process was captured in a 1975 document, Mitigating Adverse Environmental Effects of Highway Construction (1975) by the Transportation Research Board National Research Council.^[1]

As the property fell within its then new status on the National Register of Historic Places, a Section 106 Review was invoked requiring the federal agency (i.e., the Department of Transportation) to assess the effect of its actions on historic resources:^[1]

A compromise was suggested by the mayor; the Federal Hill community was to be actively involved in developing a highway plan that would reflect its concern for the preservation of the historic area. Community meetings were organized to help people to understand the many problems that had resulted from years of mistrust and indecision. A survey of the area was then conducted. This survey proved useful in clarifying the goals of historic preservation so that plans could be developed for an alignment that would meet those goals.^[1]

Detailed studies, drawings and models followed extensive community meetings, with the Section 106 Review defining what would become the park:

Another major problem was the minimization of the visual and acoustical impacts of the roadway on the historic district. The suggested solution involves the creation of an open-space buffer by means of brick walls and landscape earth berms along the entire edge of the boulevard adjacent to Federal Hill.^[1]

Key activists in the process were prominent Federal Hill residents Robert Lewis Baker, officer of the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fells Point, and Dr. George A. Klein — at the time, President of the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association and history Professor with the University of Maryland.^[8]

Federal Hill-Montgomery Street residents made several suggestions, including developing a garden or promenade park that would replace the vandalized row houses along Hughes Street. (It was questionable whether the Hughes Street houses could be restored.) The design and detail of a plan for the garden will accentuate the historic quality and beauty of nearby residential structures. In an earlier plan for the boulevard, an attractive neighborhood fire station was to be taken. The community insisted that the station be saved along with the historic homes to the west of it. This resulted in the decision to have all these structures remain in their present location and the homes restored.^[1]

The buffer park was thus proposed and well under development by 1974: a "Williamsburg-type" walled and elevated park. Preliminarily designed by Roger E. Holtman, a Baltimore-based landscape architect-planner, the buffer park would include a fountain and plantings — and run from Light Street to Williams Street, providing an elevated view to the Inner Harbor.^[9] A portion of Hughes Street would become a four lane (rather than fourteen lane) section of the Key Highway, crossing in front of Federal Hill.^[10]

Opposition by the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association was ameliorated by the park.^[11] Abandoned homes and properties on what was then Hughes Street, were condemned to make room for the proposed buffer park.^[10] In 1976 the corner property at Williams Street and Hughes street was purchased out of condemnation — preventing the proposed buffer park from stretching the entire block^[10]

Important aspects of the community design process stood out, in retrospect:

"Several important factors emerge as having been decisive in reconciling the various viewpoints involved in the Federal Hill project and in developing plans satisfactory to groups whose interests differ so greatly. Those factors, which figured in achieving the compromise between residents of the historic district and the Interstate Division for Baltimore City, are:

1. Direct and open communication,

2. Concern for more issues than merely moving traffic volumes, and

3. Serious interest in minimizing harmful highway impacts.

The mayor of Baltimore and his staff established direct communication with the community organization. Opposing views thus could be aired, and the problems faced by each side were more readily appreciated. The design consultants found that their greatest effort lay in communication. Their initial task was to understand the goals of the community and its assessment of the highway. The design consultants came to appreciate the concern about the derelict and decaying structures on Hughes Street and the image that the residents wanted their district to project. The consultants felt it essential to substantiate the reasons for various aspects of the proposal with proper technical information. The scale model and detailed drawings prepared for the residents of Federal Hill helped in achieving that goal."^[10]

Robert (Bob) Lewis Baker^[12] was born in Baltimore^[4] and grew up in Baltimore's Bolton Hill area. Having graduated from Baltimore City College^[13] and Swarthmore College, Baker received his MS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Maryland.^[13][14][4] He ultimately became a widely recognized assistant professor of horticulture and associate professor of botany with the University of Maryland,^[14] and an internationally recognized plantsman.^[12] Considered an expert on urban gardens, Baker published numerous horticultural articles;^[15] the book Pruning Ornamental Trees & Shrubs;^[16] and the small booklet, A Small City Garden: A Beginners Guide. In addition to traveling to Europe and Asia,^[17] including Japan in 1974 to study Japanese gardening principles,^[12] he lectured widely in the Baltimore area, on topics ranging from Federal Hill architecture — to plant selection for year-round interest.^[12] Baker died on October 31, 1979, at Johns Hopkins Hospital after a two year turn with hepatitis,^[18] at age 42.^[13]