National Register of Historic Places- 12/24/2008

Description

The Bellona-Gittings Historic District is located in a compact and internally consistent area approximately onethird of which is located in southern Baltimore County and two-thirds of which lies in northeastern Baltimore City. Although the district straddles two jurisdictions, it is represented by a single community organization, the Bellona-Gittings Association. The district, although slightly rectangular, is irregular in shape due to its complex pattern of streets and roadways. During the period of significance, which extends from 1853 to 1958, the architecture of all contributing resources includes the following styles and types: Federal Revival, Dutch Colonial, Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival, Cape Cod Revival, Colonial Revival, Split-Level, and Ranch. Although the architectural styles in the district are varied, the style that is most predominant is Federal Revival. The resources of the district total 449, which includes 374 residences, associated garages, and one commercial property which is a one story brick store building used for a neighborhood pharmacy and wine store. The architecture of this building harmonizes with the surrounding buildings. Of these resources, 395 are contributing and are characterized by a high level of architectural integrity. Most of the 54 noncontributing resources were constructed later than the period of significance.

Significance 

The Bellona-Gittings Historic District is significant under Criterion A for its association with the suburbanization of the Baltimore area in the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries. It derives additional significance under Criterion C for the character of its architecture; it comprises a cohesive collection of welldesigned buildings representing various period revival styles within a suburban setting characterized by treelined, curvilinear streets. The Bellona-Gittings Historic District is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of suburban development in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. The first house in Bellona-Gittings was constructed within the decade after the horse-drawn street railway was introduced to Baltimore. That type of railway became established on York Road in 1863, and was subsequently converted into a rail system that operated on electricity. This district spans several important stages in the suburban development of Baltimore, including the pre-industrial, the urban-industrial, and the metropolitan. The district owes a great deal to its access to convenient transportation - first York Road and its railway and "Tater a paved roadway for the automobile such as Charles Street Avenue extended. The growth of Baltimore along the York Road corridor to Govans and beyond was facilitated not only by transportation but also by its accessibility to water from springs and ponds. Nearby Lake Roland was the domestic water source for the City at this time.