Page 30 - Port of Baltimore Magazine - July/August 2013
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T
he area in south Baltimore known as Locust Point
has perhaps the richest maritime history of any
neighborhood in the city. The Point was visited by
Capt. John Smith, and George Washington slept
here for several weeks, camping at what was known as Fort
Whetstone during the American Revolution. Later, the name of
the fort was changed to McHenry, for the head of Washington’s
War Department, and became a pivotal position in the defense
of Baltimore during the War of 1812.
The piers in the foreground of this 1967 photo comprise the
terminals of North Locust Point. Today, the giant grain pier is gone,
but the other piers handle all manner of general cargo. In the early
20th century, passengers crossed these piers in droves looking to
STORY BY KATHY BERGREN SMITH
The Piers of North Locust Point
start a new life in America. Some 48,000 people used Locust Point
as their point of entry each year leading up to World War I. Many
took advantage of the B&O Railroad’s unique ticket offer, which
let a family buy a ticket in Germany direct to the Midwest via the
German passenger liners connecting with rail right at the pier, as
is shown here. Many also stayed in the neighborhood, working on
the piers, creating a vibrant community that still endures.
Today, the passenger hub is on the south side of Locust Point, at
the Cruise Maryland Terminal, shown here before the construction
of Interstate 95 and the entrance to the Fort McHenry tunnel. In
this photo, that side of the Point was dominated by construction
yards and ship scrapping.
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The Port of Baltimore
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July/August 2013
