port
VIEW
T
he Recreation Pier at the foot of Broadway on
Baltimore’s historic Fells Point waterfront has been
many things to many people. In 1914, the 500-foot
pier served both commercial and public interests
as a cargo pier below and a municipal dance hall above.
When this photo was taken in 1973, the pier was the
headquarters of the Maritime Exchange, whose radio towers
can be seen on the roof. The east side of the pier was the
homeport of the Baker Whitely fleet of tugboats, which was
acquired by McAllister Towing. The west side was home to
Curtis Bay Towing, which became Moran Towing and was
the last tenant to leave the pier in 2010. Also in the shot to
the east are the red freight boats of Marine Launch, a.k.a.
Broadway Meats. These boats shuttled ships’ stores and
lube oil to vessels. Marine Launch was acquired by Vane
Brothers, which still owns the
Carlyn
,
the first boat in the
photo.
The grand old Rec Pier, as it is known, hit its low point in
2010
when the organization Preserve Maryland named it one
of the most endangered historic sites in the state. The Moran
tugs have moved to Clinton Street. However, a new chapter
may be begininning for the building. The city sold the pier for
$2 million in 2010 to Aloft Hotels, which has plans for a 135-
room property at the site.
STORY BY KATHY BERGREN SMITH
The above photograph is provided courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Industry and is part of the museum’s BGE
collection. Visit the Baltimore Museum of Industry at 1415 Key Highway on the south side of the Inner Harbor; check out
their website at
www.thebmi.org
; or call 410-727-4808. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
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The Port of Baltimore
■
September/October 2012
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