Draft 2 of community

Here is the draft 2

The neighboring communities of Brooklyn, Curtis Bay and Brooklyn Park in Maryland are closely linked together but are separated by county lines. Brooklyn and Curtis Bay are located at southernmost tip of Baltimore City. Brooklyn Park is located in Anne Arundel County. They have been closely connected through out their history having been once all part of Anne Arundel County until March 29, 1918 when legislature was passed on the Act of Annexation. This is done because there was much pressure on Baltimore to increase its size in competition to other states and cities. The Act of Annexation legally put Brooklyn and Curtis Bay part of Baltimore City. This is signed and backed up by Governor Emerson C. Harrington. Even though Brooklyn Park is located in Anne Arundel County it has always had a sense of place in Baltimore City.


These towns consisted of farmland and piers that ran right up to the Patapsco River in its earliest years. By 1853 the Patapsco Land Company formed Brooklyn and its surrounding areas. A generous amount of land was sold for $100.00 and many started to migrate to these areas. Many of the people were European and came to America looking for work and money. The very first settlers are Germans who resided in the Brooklyn section. In Curtis Bay people from Poland, Bohemia and Czechoslovakia resided here. Many of the younger generations tried to break away from their customs and traditions. In Curtis Bay there were many facilities built to help honor the different customs and traditions such as the “Russian hall, Polish Hall, Czechoslovakian hall, and the Polish Democratic club” . Churches for the Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists become established early on. Polish weddings became a custom and a happy time for congregation usually lasting two days. The polish loved to party in cellars while drinking from kegs of beer and dancing to an accordion playing folk dance music. The diversity in these communities produced tensions between the different groups.

Brooklyn received a huge break in its development in 1856 when the Light Street Bridge is built “in south Baltimore to Actons’s Park” . This bridge helps tremendously to the development as it allowed farmers to sell their produce in city markets. A toll was in place at this bridge charging “5 cents to walk across, twenty five cents for a one horse team and fifty cents for a two horse team” . This is made free in 1878. The Baltimore Car Wheel Company was the first business to run out of Curtis Bay and much of its workers lived in Brooklyn. There is a Curtis Bay station of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that is built in 1882. The completion of the electric car line occurs in 1892 which allowed more movement in and out of these communities to the cities. A sugar refinery opened employing 1,000 people until burning down in 1896. Forty homes are established in 1866 and by 1906 “more than 25,000 people” are located in these areas. During the early 20th century these communities have “grown into important residential and industries centers” that many chose to call home. Many believed during WWI that many would leave these communities but the population increased. By WWII there is even more development in the communities which continues to increase the population, businesses and buildings.
There were many organizations and clubs that were being established during the 20th century that have defined who these communities are. In 1907 the “first organized recreational program in thus area was started” by the Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. The Community Service Club provided “entertainment for the service men if World War I” and acted as a “war camp community service” to Curtis Bay. They were founded in 1919. Girl Scouts was started in 1939 and the Brooklyn Lions Club in 1946.
Churches have played an extreme role in these communities as they vary by religion. In 1868/1869 the Brooklyn Methodist Church is founded. In 1887 the Crisp Memorial Presbyterian Church is founded and in 1890 the Curtis Bay Methodist Church is as well. By the 20th century churches such as St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and The Gospel Assembly Inc. have been part of these communities. Church was regularly attended and still is an important aspect to the lives in the community According to the Brooklyn & Curtis Bay Coalition, during the 1980’s “many factories began to close or relocate off shore and some of the local stores closed when the malls began to open” . Today the community consists of working class families who take pride in their community. Brooklyn Park has a total population of 10,938 residents while the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay/Hawkins Points areas have a population of 13,342 in their communities. Many have come and gone but all keep a special place in their hearts for these communities.