History

During the years before 2003 1816 Brentwood Avenue (the site of Brentwood Commons) was a dilapidated garage. However, the structure did not begin as a garage. It was built in the late 1800's and appropriately enough was a livery stable.

During the 20th century as horse transportation was replaced with trolley cars and then privately owned vehicles the stable transitioned into a garage which eventually was abandoned. Most of the immediately surrounding houses were also abandoned. 

In 2000 the non-profit organization People's Homesteading Group (PHG) acquired an abandoned house in the 400 block of E. North Avenue. It was the first of five houses in the block they eventually purchased and rehabbed into affordable homes for those with limited income. PHG also worked with the City to demolish the abandoned garage in 2003. 

However, once the building was demolished the space became a trash-strewn, open-air drug market. When new neighbors moved in they banded together and decided trees and grass were better than drugs and trash. In 2005 the slow process of transforming the space into an ornamental garden began with a community cleanup.

The image carousels below show the transformation from 2000 to the present. The first two carousels show early spring colors and the recent status of Brentwood Commons. The remaining carousels are in chronological order beginning in 2003.

(2008) Garden Maintenance by Neighbors

(2013) Purchase of Brentwood Commons by Baltimore Green Space

Baltimore Green Space (BGS) is Baltimore’s environmental land trust. When a community has cared for abandoned land and
created a viable community garden, BGS can work with Baltimore's Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
to ensure that the land stays an open green space. 

In the case of Brentwood Commons the land was privately owned and had over $130,000 in fines, citations
and assessments against it. Rather than pay the amount due, the private owner signed over the title of the land to
DHCD. Once DHCD owned the land it then sold it to BGS for $1.00. Our community has committed to BGS to maintain
the land in perpetuity as green space.

Pictured below is Mariam Avins, the founder and then Executive Director of Baltimore Green Space, signing the contract in
the offices of the Department of Housing & Community Development to purchase the land. Looking on is Lowell Larsson,
the steward of Brentwood Commons.