Abell

The History of The Abell Community

The Abell Community was part of the original “Huntington” tract, laid out for Tobias Stanboro in 1688. The Abell neighborhood, like Abell Avenue, derives its name from the Abell family, longtime owners of The Baltimore Sun newspaper. The Abells owned a large summer estate, known as Roseland, located a short distance north of today’s Abell Community. Early in its development, during the teens and 1920s, Abell was known for its well-constructed row houses. These homes had such plumbing amenities as running water and indoor sanitary provisions. Daylight houses, which allowed light into all rooms, were built Edward J. Strock in the northern blocks. Areas to the south wee developed with row homes having bay windows and porch fronts. Today, the Abell Community enjoys close proximity to the Waverly Farmers’ Market.

An important landmark, originally part of the Waverly Community, still exists in Abell. The Huntingdon Baptist Church, at the northeast corner of 31st Street and Barclay Avenue, was founded in 1836, as a small Sabbath school for convalescent soldiers. Throughout the early 1800s, men from Fort McHenry were moved to the higher and healthier atmosphere of the Abell area landowner, erected a small chapel, which he called the Huntingdon Baptist Church. The congregation grew steadily until it required a new building in 1873. Modeled after Talmage’s Tabernacle in Brooklyn, this building was covered in corrugated iron plates. In service for fifty years, the old tabernacle landmark was replaced in 1922 with the present church.