Mission

The mission of the YRP is to promote the vitality of Baltimore City’s York Road community as a desirable urban environment in which to live, shop, work and worship.

History of the York Road Partnership

In the summer of 1995 the York Road Partnership formed. Concerned residents, businesses, organizations, and institutions worked to create what we now call “YRP.” Our founders created three Action Groups— Residential, York Road, and Economic Development—as well as a list of short and long-term goals with time frames. Residential issues brought up to be targeted included traffic, crime, drugs, and neighborhood deterioration. Trash, street cleaning, loitering, liquor license violations, and open air markets were among the York Road concerns. Topics under Economic Development were support for local businesses and a proposed study of the York Road Corridor.

Today, these Action Groups have developed into 5 Committees:

• Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization
• Business Engagement
• Public Safety
• Youth Development
• Public Space & Greening

Now, more than 20 years later, we are continuing work and making steady progress towards these many goals. We strive each day to make this York Road community a better one in which to live, work, and play.

History of the Community

This area of the city is known locally as Govans.  Wikipedia does a great job of highlighting major historical information from the mid-1700s to today.

• Govans includes several historically and culturally significant places of interest including:
  • Dewees Park and Recreation Center,
  • Chinquapin Park, the
  • The Senator Theater,
  • Epiphany House,
  • Gallagher Mansion,
  • McCabe Mansion,
  • Homeland and Belvedere Square Shopping Centers,
  • Loyola University Maryland,
  • Notre Dame of Maryland University
  • Wilson Park a historically African American neighborhood

• York Road: Our History, Our Story is an audio storytelling and tour of our community from the residents and people who work here.  Completed in collaboration with Loyola University in summer 2016.
• “Govans Village and Suburb: A Picture History of North Baltimore” by John Brain
• “A Brief History of Woodbourne McCabe” from local non-profit Rebuilding Together Baltimore

Govans in the News:

• Current Events
• “Older now, and still a beauty Govans remains a quiet charmer off York Road” (Baltimore Sun, 1997)