Flag House Courts

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Flag House Courts or Flaghouse Homes was a segregated public housing project built in 1955 in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising three 12-story buildings and multiple low-rise units. It had recreational facilities with bingo and dances, a swimming pool, and a basketball court. However, the complex had problems from its opening. Elevators often broke down, trapping riders for hours. Residents were forced to run fans, even in winter, because a faulty heating system made the buildings unbearably hot. There were also the problems of crime and drug dealing. [1] By the late 1960s, gunshots at the complex were common, and elevators and stairwells reeked of urine. Residents often threw objects out of windows, including Christmas trees. Vacant apartments were turned into drug hangouts, and stairwells became violent crime areas.

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In 1993, the projects were renovated slightly, but problems continued. They closed in 1998 and 1999 and were imploded on February 10, 2001. [2]

Background

The Flag House homes were located in the Jonestown section of Southeast Baltimore North of Little Italy and East of downtown bounded by Pratt Street on the South, Baltimore Street on the North, Central Avenue on the East and President Street on the West. At the time of their construction, the area housed a diverse mix of people living in rowhouses. [3] City officials declared the area blighted and opened the Flag House Courts in 1955. The project included three large high-rise apartment buildings and 15 low-rise buildings. [3] The property initially opened with a mixed population of residents. Six years later, a majority of the population residing there was black. [4]

References

  1. Anft, Michael (December 22, 1999). "Half Staff: Facing the End at Flag House Courts, The City's Last High-Rise Project". Baltimore City Paper. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  2. Willis, Laurie (February 11, 2001). "Goodbye to a place that many called home". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Jewish Museum of Maryland. "Flag House Courts and Albemarle Square". Explore Baltimore Heritage. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  4. Williams, Rhonda Y. (September 9, 2004). The Politics of Public Housing: Black Women's Struggles against Urban Inequality. Oxford University Press. p. 113. ISBN   978-0-19-988276-2.

Bibliography

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