BNHA Lexington Market
Affiliations
Authentic Baltimore
Interpretive Framework
Shaping a Monumental City: The City’s Growth in the 20th Century
Resource Type
Points of Interest
400 W Lexington St
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Baltimore’s best-known public market was founded in 1782 on land leased by Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard. Lexington Market is the city’s oldest and most iconic public market. The first structure was built on this hilltop site in 1803, and was expanded in subsequent years to consist of three rectangular, one-story, block-long sheds. A fire destroyed these structures in 1949 but the market was quickly rebuilt. Today the market is a popular “foodie” destination to experience iconic Baltimore foods, including crab cakes, coddies, and Berger’s cookies.
For more information on the city’s public market system (the oldest in the nation), read a short article and check out the heritage area’s virtual tour of seven of the market structures.