Famous Mount Vernon Residents
Edgar Allen Poe 1809—1849
poet, short story writer, critic
Poe lived in Baltimore in the 1830s, died here, and is buried on the corner of Greene and West Fayette Steet in Westminster Burying Ground. Poe's influence in Baltimore remains strong, even extending to the naming of our football team, the Baltimore Ravens.

Wallis Warfield Simpson, Duchess of Windsor 1896—1986
socialite
While her first marriage to Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr., a United States Navy pilot, took place on November 8, 1916, at Christ (Episcopal) Church to which Chase Court is the former parish house and where she was also confirmed, she is best know for her third marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII, who abdicated the British throne to marry her. Warfield grew up in a large and comfortable house at 9 West Chase Street and later moved to 212 East Biddle Street after the death of her mother's second husband. Given that Christ Church was Warfield's home parish, she undoubetdly spent a lot of time in the parish house.

F. Scott Fitzgerald 1896—1940
novelist
Fitzgerald lived at The Stafford Hotel, 718 Washington Place (now student housing for Peabody Institute) while he and his wife, Zelda, were writing about the underside of the glittery jazz age.

Emily Post 1873—1960
writer and columnist
Post was born in Baltimore and lived in the family home, which her architect-father designed, at 14 East Chase Street, next to what is now the Chase Street entrance to Chase Court. (Her father also designed Christ (Episcopal) Church, to which Chase Court is the former parish house.) She is, of course, forever associated with her writings on etiquette, beginning with Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage, published in 1922.

Henry James 1843—1916
novelist and playwright
James stayed at the Belvedere Hotel, One East Chase Street, in 1905. His The American Scene included observatiions of urban life in Baltimore.

Claribel and Etta Cone 1864–1929, 1870–1949
art collectors
Over a period of 50 years, Claribel and Etta Cone, two sisters who lived in adjoining apartments on Eutaw Street in Baltimore, acquired one of the most important modern art collections in the world. Their holdings included more than 500 works by Henri Matisse, along with paintings and sculpture by Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne and other masters of late 19th-century and early 20th-century French art. They began collecting, and supporting, several of these artists—most notably Matisse—well before they were widely recognized as masters.

The Cones became friends with writer Gertrude Stein and her family in the late 1890s, when Stein was in Baltimore attending Johns Hopkins University. Etta later credited Leo Stein, Gertrude's brother, with helping her develop an eye for modern art.

Etta Cone left most of the sisters' collection, along with $400,000 for a wing to exhibit it, to The Baltimore Museum of Art. In 1950, this treasure trove of great art—more than 3,000 works—left Eutaw Street for its permanent home.

Upton Sinclair 1878—1968
novelist and playwright
Sinclair was born in a boardinghouse at 417 North Charles Street. He's best known for his novel, The Jungle, describing Chicago's meatpacking industry and which inspired President Franklin Roosevelt to create the food and Drug Administration.

Gertrude Stein 1874—1946
novelist, playwright and essayist
Stein lived at 212 East Biddle Street, three blocks from what is now Chase Court, while she was attending Johns Hopkins Medical School.

The Mount Vernon Cultural District
With a backdrop of stunning 19th century architecture and inviting parks, Baltimore's Mount Vernon is a cultural urban village that boasts museums, music, theater, international dining cuisine, boutiques, festivals, and a thriving nightlife. The neighborhood's historic centerpiece, built in 1815, is the Washington Monument. The nation's first monument to George Washington soars 176 feet above four picturesque parks. Mount Vernon is a special place, rich in history and vibrant in the present, a neighborhood that beckons residents and visitors to take their time and enrich their lives.

From its inception in the early 19th century, Baltimore's Mount Vernon has been an impressive address. Mount Vernon still has the rarified air of old money, despite the modern mix of businesses and residences. The country's first monument to George Washington stands here. John Eager Howard donated the highest point in Baltimore for the site of the Washington Monument, which could once be seen by ships entering the harbor. The site of the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon Square is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful urban sites in the world.

Soon after the monument's completion in 1829, graceful townhomes sprung up around Mount Vernon Place and Washington Place, which flank the monument that rise from the middle of Charles Street.

But there's a lot more to this National Register Historic District than beautiful homes. In fact, though Mount Vernon still has plenty of residential areas which feature single family rowhouses, carriage houses, condominiums, apartments in row homes and high-rise buildings, it is now best known for its cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, theaters and nightlife.

Between 1800 and 1900 Mount Vernon was at the center of Baltimore's transformation from an insignificant harbor city to a place of prominence and wealth. This was the time when fortunes were made and great philanthropies bestowed. During the neighborhood's early history, wealthy residents included Henry and William Walters, Robert Garrett, A.S. Abell, and Theodore Marburg. They commissioned well-known architects such as Niernsee & Neilson, Stanford White, John Russell Pope, and Robert Mills to build the grand buildings and monuments that still grace the neighborhood.

In addition to serving as home to wealthy Baltimoreans, Mount Vernon was chosen as the site for major cultural institutions. The legacies of influential people such as George Peabody, Henry and William Walters, and Enoch Pratt continue on as the Peabody Conservatory, the Walters Art Gallery, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Most of the original Mount Vernon buildings remain today. The rejuvenation of the many historic and architecturally significant buildings has enabled Mount Vernon to remain not only a diverse residential neighborhood, but also a cultural center and restaurant district.

Now, after 125 years, Chase Court finds itself in the heart of one of Baltimore's best neighborhoods, historic Mount Vernon.

Everything you could want to know about Mount Vernon! Especially useful if you're considering moving to our neighborhood.

One hundred things to do in Mount Vernon!

Getting here:
Easily accessed from I-95 and I-83, Chase Court is just a mile from I-95 and just a few short blocks from I-83.

Here's the history of Chase Court!