Five Minute Histories: Charles Village's Painted Ladies

Charles Village’s painted ladies literally brighten our lives. But what exactly are Baltimore’s painted ladies, you ask? They are a large cluster of colorfully and complexly decorated rowhouses inspired by the similarly-painted Victorian homes in San Francisco. The tradition here took hold over 25 years ago! And this weekend at the Charles Village Festival, among other wonderful activities, you can take a painted ladies walking tour! Learn more here: www.charlesvillagefestival.net/
This is our series called "Five Minute Histories." We record short videos about different historic places all over Baltimore and post them on our Facebook page, UA-cam channel, and website. For more information or to become a member of Baltimore Heritage, check out: baltimoreheritage.org/support/

[@Slideyslide]

Love Charles Village. The homes there are so striking. I also like the brewery and always get a kick out of the hipsters walking around the neighborhood.

[@LisaSimeone1]

Thanks, Johns! We're so proud of our Painted Ladies and look forward to sharing them with even more people this weekend at the Charles Village Festival.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thanks for all you do, Lisa!

[@ericjohnson4792]

Another gem. Thank you for showing our city in a very positive light. Keep up the good work.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thanks for watching!

[@jacquelinecapel5282]

Now I understand the paint colors in that area! Great story!

[@michelehumphrey852]

This reminds me of the Victorian houses in Cape May, New Jersey. So charming. 😊

[@michaelbrand8279]

Thanks for another informative video about Baltimore!

[@crazyjaniecad]

Yes, indeed, we do have some great Victorian homes here in NJ in Cape May.

[@CarolD-mi2gp]

I remember visiting the Dam in the 60s, but stopped going after seeing a terrible accident there. We were picnicking on the lawn watching the brave souls go out on the zipline that allowed swimmers to jump into the deeper parts of the quarry when the line broke and splinters from the line went through the divers body. I never heard whether he survived or not, although I doubt it because the injuries were so severe, but have not been able to visit the site again and the memory of the accident remains vivid in my mind even today.