History of Poles in Baltimore

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Poles began settling in Baltimore in the late 1800s, mainly in Fell’s Point, Canton, Locust Point, and Highlandtown. They soon became the city’s largest Slavic group and one of its biggest European communities.

Immigration and work
- The first steady Polish arrivals came to Fell’s Point in 1868. A larger wave followed after 1870, with many fleeing hardship in parts of Poland and coming as unskilled workers.
- Many Poles found work as dockworkers, in canneries, or in seafood processing during winter months in other states.
- As U.S. immigration laws changed, more Central and Eastern Europeans, including Poles, came to Maryland to fill labor needs.

Religion and culture
- Most Polish immigrants were Roman Catholic. The first Polish-Catholic parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka, formed in 1880, followed by Holy Rosary in 1887. Some Polish Jews helped found B’nai Israel Synagogue in 1873.
- The first Polish-language newspaper in Baltimore, Polonia, began in 1891. By the 1890s, Polish residents were a key part of Baltimore’s working-class community.

Community growth and influence
- By 1893, about 23,000 Polish-Americans lived in Baltimore, with many arriving annually. The Polish community built its own churches, clubs, newspapers, and savings and loan societies.
- Eastern Avenue became known as the “Polish Wall Street” for its many Polish businesses and institutions.
- Baltimore’s Polish population became a sizable force in city life. In 1923, Edward I. Novak was elected to the Baltimore City Council, giving Poles political representation. The Polish Home Hall in Curtis Bay opened in 1925 as a community hub.

Mid-20th century and beyond
- In 1960, Polish-Americans made up a noticeable portion of Baltimore’s population. By the 1960s and onward, communities spread more widely, though numbers began to decline.
- Cultural landmarks included Ze Mean Bean Café (opened in 1995 in Fell’s Point) and the National Katyń Memorial, funded by Baltimore’s Polish community and dedicated in 2000 at Inner Harbor East.
- The Polish community helped establish the National Slavic Museum (opened in 2012) to celebrate Slavic history in Baltimore, including Polish history. The Lemko House on South Ann Street, opened in 1983, provided housing for Eastern European immigrants.

Today
- The Polish presence in Baltimore is smaller than in its peak years but remains active. The city still hosts Polish delis and restaurants, such as Krakus Deli and Ze Mean Bean Café, and the Polish National Alliance maintains archives here.
- Southeast Baltimore is sometimes called Little Poland, reflecting the area’s historic Polish influence.
- Some Polish-American characters were notable in Baltimore culture, including in the TV series The Wire.

Baltimore’s Polish heritage lives on in its churches, schools, festivals, and cultural institutions, even as the community has changed over time.