Gracious Guilford – a Baltimore Neighborhood

Guilford is one of those neighborhoods that seems to have grown up among its gardens and gracious ways. Originally comprised of patents granted to British citizens from the mid-1600s through the 1700s, the area was valued for its "gentle swells, which afford many beautiful views of the city and bay." The entire area sold in 1780 as confiscated property to a Revolutionary War General who gave Guilford its name. The area then passed through other hands until it was sold to the Guilford Park Company. Planning of the landscape design began in 1911 under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted, and active development of Guilford began in 1913.

This residential area of almost 700 homes has everything from modest townhomes to stately, historic mansions, most of which were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. Built in what was once the country, Guilford retains a spacious feeling even as it is surrounded by the city that long ago grew up around it. The neighborhood reaches out to its surrounding communities, and benefits from being near the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University and Union Memorial Hospital.

Spring is an especially good time for a stroll through the area to enjoy the lush landscaping that makes this area a visual treat. It's not surprising that homeowners go all out for their trees and flowers, since a favorite section of Guilford is the massive Sherwood Gardens. The Gardens are a center of community activity, especially in the spring when a spectacular display of tulips brings thousands of visitors to the more than six-acre park.

Begun in 1927 by a local petroleum pioneer and conservationist, John Sherwood, the gardens started as his hobby and grew into a treasured enclave in Baltimore city. When Sherwood died in 1965, he bequeathed enough money to maintain the gardens for a year. The Guilford Association then purchased the gardens and some additional lots from the estate, and has continued to care for them ever since.

The best part of Sherwood Gardens? There are no fences or gates, and the public is welcome to stroll leisurely through the grounds and enjoy the 80,000+ tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, azaleas, dogwoods, and magnolias. Right now – from late April through early May – is the prime time for a walk in the gardens. Many visitors will return at the end of May, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, when the tulip bulbs are dug up and sold for 25 cents each. With this contribution from Sherwood Gardens, is it any wonder that Guilford is known for its gardens?

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