Rosemont

Rosemont is a sad example of the history of so many of Baltimore’s historic communities. First, it began as a middle class neighborhood made up of hard working blue collar workers and professionals during the latter half of the 19th century. It remained a growing, vibrant area for about a century before succumbing to a number of factors that combined to create a “perfect storm” of social and economic disaster.
First, there was the flight to the suburbs, during which many of the communities more stable families left the neighborhood for larger homes in areas farther from the center of town. Next, those who remained suffered economic setbacks as the American economy tanked following World War II. Many who had mortgages were unable to make the payments and faced foreclosure. Because the neighborhood was by this time in such a decline, there were not enough people interested in purchasing homes to keep them full. This led to boarded up homes which made the area look even worse.
Finally, the racial riots that spread through Baltimore after the death of Martin Luther King proved to be the final nail in the community’s coffin. Today, the neighborhood is a center of crime and despair where drug dealers and pimps ply their trades.