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Dundalk spreads across the Patapsco Neck peninsula southeast of Baltimore, a waterfront community of roughly 67,000 people in Baltimore County. It takes its name from Dundalk in Ireland, the hometown of bell founder Henry McShane, and grew up in the early twentieth century as a planned home for workers at the Bethlehem Steel mill and shipyard at nearby Sparrows Point.
History runs deep here. On September 12, 1814, Maryland militia met British troops at the Battle of North Point and slowed their march on Baltimore; Battle Acre and the Todd family farmhouse still recall that day. The Dundalk Historic District keeps the Garden City-style streets and Tudor Revival storefronts built around World War I, and a volunteer museum recalls the steel and shipyard years.
Water shapes the rest of a visit. North Point State Park and the Black Marsh wildland face the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Howard Park holds old gun batteries at the tip of the peninsula, and July brings a big Independence Day parade. Crab houses steam blue crabs by the dozen, and Baltimore's Inner Harbor is about 20 minutes away.
A small fenced plot on Old North Point Road marks the ground where the Battle of North Point was fought on September 12, 1814, when Maryland militia delayed the British advance on Baltimore. A stone monument and plaques stand on the acre. It takes ten minutes, so pair it with Todd's Inheritance nearby.
This brick farmhouse on North Point Road belonged to the Todd family, whose land watched the British fleet arrive in 1814. The original house was burned by British troops and rebuilt afterward. The grounds and house are open mainly for special events and reenactments, so check the schedule before driving out.
A National Register district of homes, shops and churches built between about 1910 and 1940, including housing put up for shipyard workers during World War I using Garden City ideas. Stroll the curving streets around the village center to see Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival buildings, many by architect Edward L. Palmer Jr.
Run by local volunteers in the old village center, this small museum gathers photographs, documents and objects from the Bethlehem Steel and shipyard era, the Battle of North Point and everyday life on the peninsula. Opening hours are limited, so call or check online first, and ask the volunteers about family stories.
A Chesapeake Bay state park on the site of Bay Shore Park, a trolley-era amusement park that drew crowds in the early 1900s. The restored trolley station and fountain remain, along with a fishing pier, wading beach, picnic areas and bike trails. Bring bug spray in summer and arrive early on hot weekends.
At the very tip of the North Point peninsula, this Baltimore County park holds the concrete gun batteries of Fort Howard, built around 1900 to guard the approach to Baltimore. Climb the old emplacements, fish from the shore and look out over the Patapsco mouth and the bay. Bring a flashlight for the dark passages.
Half of North Point State Park is Black Marsh, a 667-acre protected wildland of tidal marsh, forest and bay shoreline. Quiet trails lead past ponds where herons, egrets, ospreys and bald eagles hunt. Visit at dawn or in autumn for the best birding, wear sturdy shoes, and expect mosquitoes in midsummer.
Every Independence Day morning, crowds set up lawn chairs along the route through town for one of the largest hometown parades in Maryland, with marching bands, fire engines, floats and local groups. Curbside spots fill up fast, so come early, bring water and find parking on side streets.
Held each summer around the Fourth of July, the Heritage Fair fills a local park with live bands, food stands, crafts, rides and booths from community groups. It is the town's big get-together and a good way to taste local crab cakes and pit beef. Check the dates and the evening music lineup before going.
A long-running crab house on North Point Boulevard, known around Baltimore for heavily seasoned steamed blue crabs served on paper-covered tables with mallets. The menu also covers crab cakes, shrimp and sides. Crabs are priced by size and supply, so call ahead to reserve them, especially on summer weekends.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Baltimore County, Maryland, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Baltimore County, Maryland, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: David Robert Crews, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
