Historic Canton
Through the efforts of the Canton Improvement Association this old and densely populated ethnic neighborhood was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The two-story red brick row houses are especially noteworthy for their hand painted screens, white marble steps and occasional movable wooden steps. The U.S. Frigate Constellation, now in the Inner Harbor was launched in 1797 at Major Stodder’s shipyard on Harris Creek. The Canton Ironworks rolled the armor plates for the U.S.S. Monitor in the 1860’s. The Canton Company was involved in the building of the first American locomotive, The Tom Thumb. The first Whig Convention was held at the Canton Race Track on May 4 1840 when Henry Clay and Daniel Webster spoke and William Henry Harrison was nominated for president.
Marker is at the intersection of O’Donnell Street and Potomac Street, in the median on O’Donnell Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
