Abell

Abell is a neighborhood located in the north-central area of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is considered to be part of Charles Village, Baltimore. Abell is a predominantly residential community that structurally conforms to a grid street pattern established in the area during the first quarter of the 20th century. However, remnants of earlier diagonal roads still exist in the neighborhood—today's Merryman Lane, and the truncated Vineyard Lane, both of which are in the northeast section of the area. The Abell neighborhood, like Abell Avenue, derives its name from the Abell family, longtime owners of the Baltimore Sun newspapers. The Abell family owned a large summer estate known as Guilford, which was located a short distance north of today's Abell community. The majority of residential structures in Abell are row houses of medium-to-large size. East of Barclay Street in the northern portion is a number of interesting late-19th-century individual frame structures which remain from the former Victorian-era village of Waverly. Scattered throughout the community are a number of small apartment buildings. Mixed residential and commercial uses are prevalent along Green mount Avenue. Since the 1950s, portions of the community's southeast section have been dedicated to light industrial and educational use. Early in its development, during the 'Teens and 1920's, Abell was known for its well-constructed row houses and such plumbing amenities as running water and indoor sanitary provisions. Daylight houses, which allowed light into all rooms, were built mostly by Edward J.Storck in the northern blocks. Areas to the south were developed with bay window, porch-front row houses. These new blocks were advertised as being in the Guilford area, thereby capitalizing on their proximity to that wealthier neighborhood to the north.