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Lauraville: Progress and Passion in the City-Suburb

Nestled in the north east corner of Baltimore city lays a lush grid of neighborhoods set off from the buzz and hum of the big city. These six neighborhoods Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Historic Lauraville, Moravia-Walther, Morgan Park, and Waltherson come together to make up The Greater Lauraville Neighborhoods- a collection of unique and diverse communities which bring a sense of suburbia to Baltimore.

Historic Lauraville is at the center of these neighborhoods. The territory dates back to the late 18th century, however the neighborhood itself was built primarily between 1910-1930. The town was established by estate owner John Henry Keene Sr., whose estate had grown rapidly in size during the first decade of the 20th century. At this time, the townspeople decided that it should be considered its own town. In the first town meeting he proposed to name the village after his daughter, Laura, everyone agreed, and Lauraville was born.

Lauraville was fresh to the Baltimore area because it provided more for the city agriculturally, unlike other mill-driven neighborhoods in Baltimore. The land was primarily farms with scattered and sparse settlements. With the decades preceding the civil war Lauraville began to become a village which included the Read Mill on Herring Run Avenue and the Greene Family Cotton Mill located near Lake Montebello. After the Civil War Lauraville obtained a post office which helped to solidify the territory as a village.

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