Eutaw Chapel (Baltimore, Maryland)

 chapel, ruins, place with historical importance, abandoned / shut down, graffiti, dangerous place / area

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A little-known and long-forgotten historical landmark of Northeast Baltimore, Eutaw Chapel is located in what was once Hall's Springs, in Herring Run Park. The chapel is built upon “Broad’s Choice”, one of the oldest estates in Baltimore City. It was constructed sometime in 1861, thanks to a donation of land by Horatio Whitridge, Esq., owner of a nearby cotton mill. At the time of its construction, it stood 3 miles outside of Baltimore city limits.

The name "Eutaw" stems from Eutaw Farm, a property owned by Josias Hall and Janet Smith that was formerly at this site. A Revolutionary War veteran, Josias Hall named the farm after the Battle of Eutaw Hill. Josias' grandson, William Carvel Hall, inherited the property. During the Civil War, William fought for the Confederacy, but spent most of the war as a POW. The farm burnt down on October 25th, 1865, during a return party for William, and was not rebuilt.

The chapel consists of a single room, and is constructed of gneiss from the Baltimore Gneiss, a Precambrian formation of metamorphic rock containing quartz, feldspar, and granite. The strength of the rock has prevented the building from collapsing, despite its terrible condition after nearly a century of abandonment.

During its usage, it was lit by kerosene lamps and heated by two coal stoves. It had no parish house and was instead served by various preachers and reverends from the Baltimore area, most of whom served rural county churches. Its services included Sunday school, Sunday morning and evening services, mid-week prayer services, and autumn revival meetings.

In the 1970s, the chapel served as a hangout and popular party venue for delinquent teenagers. Their graffiti still covers the walls today, and the floor is littered with broken beer bottles and decades-old cigarette butts.

In the early 2010s, the local neighborhood committees outlined plans to restore the chapel and use it as a public park pavilion, to no fruition.

As of 2018, the windows and doors are entirely blocked by wrought-iron bars, presumably due to the hazardous environment and poor condition of the building. As of the date of writing (8/18/2023) the building is still standing. There is a path up to the chapel, but it is overgrown and unmarked.