A Brief History of Italians in Baltimore

Historically, coastal cities in the United States have been a haven for immigrants around the world. During waves of massive immigration, many Italians left their homes and sojourned across the Atlantic to New York City. While the northeast of the US is well known for its large immigration population, many Italian immigrants traveled further south and found their new home in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Italian Identity

Italians began immigrating to Baltimore in the late 1800s at President’s Street Station. The earliest Italian immigrants came over from Genoa, arriving in the 1840s and 1850s. Later, an influx of Italians from Naples, Abruzzo, Cefalù, and Palermo began to settle in Baltimore. The new immigrant experience was riddled with discrimination and poor treatment yet as a new ethnic group Italians found resilience as a community. New immigrants who landed in Ellis Island began traveling to Baltimore by train. These immigrants settled several blocks east of the station and formed what ultimately became Baltimore’s Little Italy.

The Neighborhood

Baltimore’s Little Italy, known as “the neighborhood”, is made up of six blocks with Pratt Street to the north and the Inner Harbor to the south. The neighborhood is known for its strong Italian-American heritage and identity and is mostly populated by the descendants of Italian-American immigrants. While Italians mainly settled in this area you could also find Italians spread throughout Lexington, Belair-Edison, and Cross Street, as well as along Lombard Street, which got its name from the Italian town, Guardia Lombardi. The Italian community quickly made this area their own. With a predominantly Roman Catholic population, St. Leo’s Church and Our Lady of Pompeii were established. By 1940, nearly 8,000 Italians settled in Baltimore. In total, roughly 18,000 people were either Italian-born or were of Italian descent in the Baltimore area. As of 2013, the national census estimates that Baltimore is home to 16,581 Italian Americans, making up 2.7% of the population.

The Legacy of Little Italy

Baltimore's Little Italy is a tight-knit community. The centuries-old row houses have been passed down from generation to generation and you’ll still find many family-run restaurants, bocce ball courts, and so much more. During the summer, the neighborhood hosts an outdoor film festival at the intersection of High and Stiles Street where the community can come together. At Our Lady of Pompeii church, you can join in on the annual Highlandtown Wine Festival which celebrates Italian American culture and benefits the Highlandtown community association. You can visit Christopher Columbus Piazza where the Carrara Marble Company erected a statue of Christopher Columbus with historical plaques dedicated by Ronald Regan in 1984. The piazza is proudly encompassed with Italian flags. In honor of Columbus Day, each October there is a wreath-laying ceremony organized by local Italian communities followed by the Columbus Day parade.