Source: Maryland Center for History and Culture

The Southeastern Baltimore neighborhood of Fells Point was, until recent years, a rough and tumble sort of place – a sharp contrast to what is today an upscale and historically charming part of the city. Sailors, arriving from all corners of the world, crowded into rowdy saloons and bawdy boarding houses while awaiting the next ship out of dodge. Newly arrived immigrants packed into tiny row houses and fueled the waterfront industries that made up the Point’s economy. Crime, drunkenness, and immorality ruled the streets.

The Port Mission, founded in 1881, located in the heart of Fells Point on Broadway, the center of the rabble-rousing, grew out of this squalor and chaos. The Gospel Hall stood as a place for sailors to seek refuge from the temptations of drinking, gambling, and whoring that Fells Point so readily provided, and eventually became a neighborhood landmark which catered to all Point residents.

Read full article at: Maryland Center for History and Culture