BNHA Waverly Town Hall

Built around 1873, the Waverly Town Hall has served as a significant focal point for the Waverly community. Its two floors have been used as a meeting space for political and civic organizations, offices for dentists, a post office, several restaurants, two drug stores, and even a cigar factory.

When construction began on the building in the late 1800s, the Waverly neighborhood was still part of Baltimore County. The town hall was at the crux of a major transportation corridor. The town hall sat a block north of the tollhouse of the Baltimore and Yorktown Turnpike, a horse-and-wagon road leading to York, Pennsylvania. A streetcar line also ran in front of the town hall along Greenmount Avenue (then called York Road). In 1888, Waverly became part of the city through annexation.

Given its size and location, the Waverly Town Hall became a favored venue for political, civic, and community events. From the 1880s through the 1910s, both Republic and Democratic parties held conventions and meetings at the hall, drawing large crowds and well-known politicians. The neighborhood improvement association met here to discuss better sidewalks and streets after annexation in 1888; the hall also hosted fraternal organizations and a VFW post.

While the top floor was used as meeting space until late 1920s, the first floor was primarily a commercial space. Over the years a post office, two drug stores, and a number of restaurants operated from this location. From 1900 to 1907, the Charles G. Leight and Brothers Company operated a cigar factory, employing ten men rolling cigars by hand. The cigars, sold under the Waverly brand, were available at local stores and restaurants.

A number of additions have been made to the building over its history, concealing its original Classical Revival design. Even with these changes, the building’s history reflects its importance to the political, civic, commercial, and social landscape of the Waverly community and the City of Baltimore.