Johns Hopkins

Five Minutes of Baltimore History

History EN ↓ 33 episodes

Five Minutes of Baltimore History hosted by Johns Hopkins is a storytelling series that reveals the lives and legacies behind Baltimore’s neighborhoods, landmarks, and leaders. Episodes run as short, compelling vignettes that invite listeners to discover how Baltimore’s heritage and historic places have shaped our city and our nation.

Author

Johns Hopkins

Category

History

Podcast website

www.wypr.org

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Merriweather Post Pavilion 08.07.2026

Since 1967, Merriweather Post Pavilion has featured a wide variety of musical performances, from Led Zeppelin and The Who to Harry Belafonte and Taylor Swift.

Eastern Avenue Pumping Station 25.06.2026

Completed in 1912, the Eastern Avenue Sewage Pumping Station opened as a critical engine of Baltimore’s then brand-new sewer system.

The Montgomery Ward Building 03.06.2026

Did you know that the Montgomery Ward building, next to Carroll Park, is the largest office building in Baltimore? And a train used to run right through it!

Friends Burial Ground 01.06.2026

Contained on a little less than three acres across from Clifton Park in northeast Baltimore, the Friends Burial Ground tells the stories of generations Baltimore's Quaker families across their 300 years of rich history in our city.

Chromium Pioneer Isaac Tyson Jr. 22.05.2026

Quaker merchant Isaac Tyson Jr. established the company that became Allied Chemical in 1828, mining chromium ore and supplying chrome pigment.

The National Road 13.05.2026

If you have ever walked along Lombard Street near Eutaw Street, you have walked along the National Road!

Oyster Wars 28.04.2026

For about 100 years, from the 1860s to 1959, the Chesapeake Bay was like the Wild West in what was called the Oyster Wars.

Snowballs! 21.04.2026

Finally, we get to the bottom of this classic Baltimore summertime treat, one tasty bite as a time.

The Maryland Line Monument 15.04.2026

Why Baltimore’s Revolutionary War monument called the “Maryland Line Monument,” why it is dedicated to the “Bayonets of the Continental Army"?

Painted Ladies 08.04.2026

Charles Village’s painted ladies literally brighten our lives. But what exactly are Baltimore’s painted ladies?

Mondawmin 31.03.2026

"Mondawmin" is a word the Ojibwe people used for corn. So how did a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore end up with that name?

Hansa House 24.03.2026

A WWI German spy ring in downtown Baltimore?

Corner Bars 19.03.2026

Sometimes, you want to go where everybody knows your name

Phoenix Shot Tower 12.03.2026

The Shot Tower, when it was built in 1828, was the tallest structure in the United States until 1846. But what was it designed to do?

Phoenix Shot Tower 12.03.2026

The Shot Tower, when it was built in 1828, was the tallest structure in the United States until 1846. But what was it really designed to do?

Lake Trout 05.03.2026

The history of Lake Trout, a quintessential Baltimore food that's deep fried, delicious, and definitely not trout!

St Frances Academy 24.02.2026

Started in 1828, St. Frances Academy is the oldest predominantly African American Catholic high school in the country.

Underground Railroad and the B&O Railroad 20.02.2026

The stories of enslaved people used the B&O Railroad as part of the Underground Railroad, making their way to freedom in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Baltimore Album Quilts 13.02.2026

Baltimore album quilts were created to be showcased on walls and often featured iconic Baltimore scenes like the Battle Monument, Clipper ships, as well as symbols from everyday life.

Painted Screens 10.02.2026

Painted window screens are a unique folk art tradition in Baltimore, started in 1913 by a grocer to display produce without putting it outdoors.

Mrs. Watson's Tourist Home 03.02.2026

During Jim Crow segregation and racism, the Green Books helped African American motorists find hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other safe places to patronize, including Mrs. Watson's Tourist Home in Baltimore.

Cecil Calvery Statue 23.01.2026

Who is that handsome man in front of the Mitchell Courthouse?

The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel 13.01.2026

The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is a 1.4-mile, four-lane tunnel opened in November 1957. At the time, the tunnel was considered an engineering marvel.

Shake N Bake Family Fun Center 08.01.2026

Shake & Bake Family Fun Center is a fabulous neighborhood recreation center and gathering place in Upton. Let's go skating!

Memorable Memoirs of 2025 07.01.2026

The cream of the crop from a very good year for new memoirs.

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