the new urbanism of dundalk, maryland

7/27/2019 The New Urbanism of Dundalk, Maryland

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The New Urbanism of Dundalk, Maryland

Jason M BootheA29626628

UP 353 Fall 00


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November 1, 2000

In 1893, Baltimore bell foundry owner Henry McShane decides to relocate to a

wilderness area off the eastern shore of the Pataspsco River after his original foundry was

damaged by fire. In 1895 when a rail line followed the foundry to the area, rail officials

told the McShanes that they needed to choose a name for the rail stop. So William James

McShane, the son of Henry McShane, and the vice-president of the foundry, tacked a

piece of paper to a post with the word Dundalk on it, the name of the town of his fathers

birth in Ireland. Thus in the year of 1895 the town of Dundalk was born, claiming the

foundry and a few farming families as its residents.

By 1916 Dundalk boasted 62 homes, a church and two stores, but all this would

change shortly, mainly with Bethlehem Steel Corporation purchasing the Sparrows Point

Plant, south of Dundalk, from the Maryland Steel Company, as well as the worlds thrust

into the First World War. The steel giant would go on to form the Dundalk Company, a

community development company, which would purchase approximately 1000 acres of

land near the McShane foundry. The company would then go on to hire E.H. Bouton, the

designer of the Baltimore neighborhood of Roland Park, to create the the workingmans

Roland Park. The communities location was chosen so that it would be still close enough

and easy enough for workers to commute but far enough that the workers would not have

to deal with the noise, pollution, and other hazards that would be associated with living

closer to the plant. As a point of reference Roland Park is one of the most upscale

communities in the City of Baltimore, at the time it was designed it was still in the

county. It location is in north Baltimore, off the Charles street corridor, just north of the

Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus, the main educational campus of the

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university. The Dundalk Companys plan was a town in the new residential style

excluding businesses except at specific spots and leaving land for developing schools,

playing fields, and parks.1

With the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, there was an

immediate housing need for Bethlehem Steels defense workers and shipbuilders. The

government took over the Dundalk Companys project and sold houses to workers as

much as 50 percent below construction costs. One report said the houses 531 in

Dundalk and 284 in St. Helena, a small community bordering directly to the west of

Dundalk, were raised as quickly as one every three hours. Bethlehem Steel offered

assistance to its employees by providing the cash needed for down payments on the

stucco homes, which are prevalent in the now historic area of the town.

Over the past century the town has increased its size immensely, both in

population and land. The population of Dundalk has gone from 62 homes in 1916 to

about 80,000 in 1960 and now to its current approximant population of 64,000.2 At one

time Dundalk was the largest suburb of Baltimore, and had it been incorporated would

have been the second largest city in the state of Maryland. The land size of the area has

increased from that first 1,000 acres of land to nearly 5 square miles, nearly

encompassing the whole North Point Peninsula, the body of land the community sits on.

So what does all of this have to do with New Urbanism? Well the lay out of the

town, by the Dundalk Company in some ways matches some of the ideals of New

Urbanism that is in used today, considering that age of the development, well on its way

1Mause, Terri Narrell. Dundalks Timeline (1999)http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/extras/history/timeline.cfm(October 25,

2000)

2Mause, Terri Narrell. Dundalks Timeline (1999)http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/extras/history/timeline.cfm(October 25,

2000)

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in hitting the century mark, its had to believe that a new urbanism type town could exist.

Now this new Urbanism ideal only applies to the original development made in 1916.

The borders of this development are on the north and the east Liberty Parkway, on the

south Belclare, and on the west Dundalk Ave, the main thoroughfare to the city. The

boundaries could be extended to include the neighborhood of St Helena, as mentioned

before on the western border of the Dundalk development. The problem with St Helena is

that it is and older development, being built up around the turn of the century in 1900. St.

Helena also does not conform to the plan laid out by the Dundalk Corporation. As a side

note, it was and still is considered part of the historic district of Dundalk, but has

recreantly been trying to identify its self as its own district, it has placed signs on its

borders claiming it as the oldest neighborhood in Dundalk.

The land use in the development is a mix of both commercial and residential

areas. The residential areas are a combination of both single family attached, and single

family detached areas. Where as the commercial is also mixed use in that the commercial

area would include a variety of different types of uses. This commercial district would

see a variety of different tenants serving the community, everything from retail (Grocery,

general merchandise, and others), to professional services (law, accounting, medical, and

others).

Greater Dundalks residential area was planed out four districts, three of which

are the Dundalk development, and the other one being that of the smaller St. Helena

district. Only two of the three main residential districts of the Dundalk development were

originally built, these two areas being the two shaded areas in figure 1. The other district

on the outer ring of Liberty parkway was not developed till after the First World War.

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Figure 1 (Dundalk Company Plans 1928)

The first of these two residential districts is that of the Ship district, so named

because the streets in the district had the word Ship in them, this is represented by the

area shaded in blue, primarily on the right (north) side of figure 1, this is also where one

will find signature Dundalk stucco row homes are found. The Ship district has clearly

defined boundaries with Dundalk Avenue being the western boundary, the northern and

eastern boundary being liberty parkway, and southern boundary being that of Shipway.

Also close to the center in plot 32, which can be found on figure 1, this is a central garden

area. The ship district has also has an arterial street running threw the center of it as well,

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Admiral Boulevard, that would connect the future development on the outer side of

Liberty Parkway to the core commercial district in the center of town.

The second district is that of the Dun, so named because the streets in the

district have the word Dun (in reference to Dundalk) in their name, district the section of

town shaded in yellow, primarily on the left side (south), is where we find mostly single

family homes. There is no pattern to the type of homes in this area other then that they

are all mainly single-family detached housing. The boundaries for the Dun district

would include Dunmanway on the north, Liberty Parkway on the east, Dunhill on the

south, and Dundalk avenue on the west. It also like the Ship district the Dun district

includes a central park are, plot 12 on figure 1, as well as a connecting central arterial

street in Dunglow Road also serving as a link for the yet to be developed areas around the

edge of the initial phase of the development.

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Figure 2 (Dundalk Village Center)

The commercial area as seen in figure 2, though the picture is in modern times it

is of the same buildings as the one on the cover page built around 1917, serves as the

center focal point of the town, with in its confines we find a mix of different commercial

uses. The commercial area is bounded by Shipway on the north, Liberty Parkway on the

east, and Dunmanway on the south, and Dundalk Avenue on the west. The Dundalk

Corporation set aside in this commercial area banks, company stores, law practice,

medial service, and other businesses that the workers at Sparrows Point could use to their

advantage. The central area also includes a large green space park as well as a central

area for education and recreation. Eventually with the advent of the Baltimore Trolley

system, tie would also serve the area as the transit hub, transporting workers south on

Dundalk Avenue to mill, or north on Dundalk Avenue to Baltimore City. Most

importantly thought the central commercial are of Dundalk serves as a connection and as

a focal point for the town linking the three Dundalk districts, the Dun, Ship, and the

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yet developed Liberty Parkway Corridor, along with the St. Helena district on the west

side of Dundalk Avenue.

So how does all of this apply to make Dundalk a new urbanism town, well first

off look at how the two major districts are designed. First off both have distinct

boundaries that are boulevard like in their design. Secondly, both have a central meeting

place, on has the community garden area while the other has a small part. Thirdly they

share adjacent business districts as well as community resources such as schools and

other civic buildings and places. Finally the over all radius of the 2 areas is almost that of

a quarter of a mile in diameter giving short walking distances to the central area in each

district as well as short walking distances to the connections with the other bordering

districts.

But as much as it seems to be a new urbanism town there are parts of it that are

not. First off each of the districts dont have their own transit center, granted they

probably had smaller drop off pick up points, but the main transit center sits in the middle

of the middle of the town and is shared by the 4 major residential districts. This point is

debatable though as it could be compared to a city like West Sacramento, California

which has one major transit depot. Secondly, the Liberty Parkway and the St Helena area

are both not of a kind of quadrangle shape, the Liberty Parkway Corridor decidedly has a

shape that cannot be defined at all. Now the reason because of this is from the land

acquisition, as well as terrain, some of the area was densely wooded still and included a

number of wetlands and swamp areas. Also the further development of the area, during

and after the time of the Second World War, in which most of the developing Dundalk

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are would come to be as it is today, virtually all but eliminated the full us for the entire

town as a whole being a new urbanists town.

Today Dundalk is a town in decline. Its mostly blue-collar working class town

that has seen a number of its jobs leave the area. Companies have either left, like Western

Electric, Eastern Stainless Steel, US Can, and soon to be General Motors. Or have

drastically downsized, like Unilever, Baltimore Marine Industries, and the Bethlehem

Steel Sparrow Point Mill, which at one time employed 30,000 + workers and is

responsible for the development of Dundalk today now only employs about 4,500

workers. So the number of households in the Dundalk area has declined. But dont think

that the county has totally given up on the Dundalk community, because it hasnt. The

original section of Dundalk has been designated a historic district, and figures well into

the counties plan for historic preservation. Also the countys Planning department,

assuming that it will get the approval of voters in the coming election, has been given the

task to redevelop some areas of the Dundalk community, so of which are along the

Yorkway corridor. It has plans to add new green space, new single family homes, and to

improve landscaping in the community as a whole, making it a more livable and overall

nicer community to be in.

Also because of this decline the core commercial district has fallen on hard times.

Local stores, such as Highs Dairy Market (convenient store), Saintonies (grocery), The

Strand (movie Theater), and Kresiges / McCroys (general goods), have closed up shop

due to competition from bigger super marts and big box stores in the counties power

areas, like White Marsh, Timonium, Hunt Valley, and Owings Mills. Also the Dundalk

Central Post Office will be moving to a bigger facility within the next 12 months. But

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several developers are eyeing up the property for redevelopment, to give it a more main

street kind of feel. Some retailers such as Barnes and Nobel, Borders, and Old Navy,

have been proposed for this area. Weather any of these retailers will take up shop is left

to be seen, as well as the attempts by developers to get these big name retailers to move

to this part of the county as well.

In conclusion, being that Dundalk is my home community, I am always interested

in the going ones that would and has effected my community. And as a planner I would

do several things to improve the new urbanism in the Dundalk area as well as enhance

other areas so that they could be come new urbanism. One of the first things I would do is

to increase the amount of mass transit in Dundalk. As of right now their are only 3 bus

lines, 4, 10,and 20 whose information you can get from www.mtamaryland.com, that

serve the community and those 3 only serve a small portion of the community as a whole.

I know that it would take great strides to get the Dundalk area connected in with the

proposed East West Light rail corridor, which would stretch from Woodlawn in the

west to White Marsh in the east, but I do believe that greater bus service to the area

would greatly benefit the residents Dundalk.

Secondly, I would keep the historical significances of the central Dundalk are by

making improvements to the area. Such improvements would be to eliminate some of the

misuse of property, such as the use of single family homes for multifamily units, as well I

would look into increasing the historical significances in the area by eliminated some of

the overbuild, to increase the amount of green space through the whole Dundalk

community, thus creating better links the out the area.

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And finally I would have to redevelop the business core of Dundalk. I would say I

like the idea from developers to bring in high-end retail to the area, though I am

concerned about its general viability. The town is a middle class town and is not epically

know for high-income levels. One would have to find a way to boost income leaves of

the area, but without alienating the blue collar feel of the community as a whole. If that

can happen is a matter for debate, and its something that should not be expected to

happen overnight.

There are other things that could be done to enhance new urbanism in Dundalk,

but my concern would be the ramifications on the community. The community has a lot

of historical significance and is deeply rooted in traditions. So the effects of new

urbanism could possibly damage a community forever, destroying the traditional blue-

collar sense that it has. But I believe that it has been in partially because of the design and

practice of E.H. Bouton, that a quasi new urbanism town was created in 1916, and that

new urbanism help create the kind of town that blue collar town that I can proudly say I

am from, Dundalk, Maryland.

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Figure 3 (Modern Day Dundalk)

Note: On the above figure the boxed in area is the Historic district of Dundalk, also the

point on the map marked as Dundalk is the approximate location of the train depotestablished by the McShane foundry.

Figure 4 (Greater Dundalk)

Note: The Blue encircled are is considered the greater Dundalk area. The Black boxed

area is the Dundalk Historic District, the area of the original development.

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Bibliography

Baltimore County Office of Economic Development. Yorkway Revitizalation. (2000)

http://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/economicdev/revital/Dundalk.cfm

(October 30, 2000)

Baltimore County Office of Planning.A Citizens Guide to Zoning in Baltimore County.

(2000)http://www.co.ba.md.us/pdf_docs/zoningguide.pdf(October 30, 2000)

Baltimore County Office of Planning. Proposed Master Plan 2010 Baltimore County,

Maryland (January 3, 2000)http://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/planning/mptable.cfm (October 30, 2000)

Congress for the New Urbanism. Charter of the New Urbanism. Leccese, Michael &

McCormick, Kathleen. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 194p

Dundalk Associations of Businesses. Dundalk, MD - History. (2000).http://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_history.htm(27 Oct, 2000)

Dundalk Associations of Businesses. Dundalk, MD Maps. (2000).

http://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_maps.htm(27 Oct, 2000)

Ford, Delarita C. Committee to Campbell Whats the Plan? (October 25, 2000).

http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/detail.cfm?AID=260 (October 25, 2000)

Ford, Delarita C. Committee discusses possibility of new owners for shopping center.

(September 27, 2000) http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/Detail.Cfm?

AID=245 (October 15, 2000)

Mause, Terri Narrell. Dundalks Timeline (1999)

http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/extras/history/timeline.cfm (October 25,2000)

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http://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/economicdev/revital/Dundalk.cfmhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/pdf_docs/zoningguide.pdfhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/pdf_docs/zoningguide.pdfhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/planning/mptable.cfmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_history.htmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_history.htmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_maps.htmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_maps.htmhttp://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/detail.cfm?AID=260http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/Detail.Cfm?AID=245http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/Detail.Cfm?AID=245http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/extras/history/timeline.cfmhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/economicdev/revital/Dundalk.cfmhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/pdf_docs/zoningguide.pdfhttp://www.co.ba.md.us/p.cfm/agencies/planning/mptable.cfmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_history.htmhttp://www.dundalkmd.com/dundalk/dundalk_maps.htmhttp://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/detail.cfm?AID=260http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/Detail.Cfm?AID=245http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/Detail.Cfm?AID=245http://www.dundalkeagle.com/features/extras/history/timeline.cfm

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