About the Initiative
In 2020 and early 2021, the Peale participated in the Lexington Market Public History Initiative in an effort to collect stories and memories about the world-famous Lexington Market. Unfortunately, the pandemic prohibited on-site field collection, but the Peale quickly pivoted its approach to online interviews and digital story capture. In total, the Peale gathered roughly 30 stories from the public about everything from crab cakes and hot peanuts to family gatherings and live music. All stories will eventually be archived in the Peale’s “Baltimore Stories” collection for sharing on the Peale’s website and SoundCloud channel. Stories will also be shared with our project partners for potential use and display in the new Lexington Market. It’s never too late to share a story. If you’d like to contribute an anecdote about your experiences or memories of Lexington Market, please do so! Call 1-833-TEL-STRY or record a story on our website.
Currently, construction on a new Market building is under way with expected completion in early 2022. Stories gathered in this project pay homage to the Market’s long history while also paving the way for its next chapter.
As part of the initiative, Dean Krimmel (public historian and Peale board member) documented the history of Lexington Market and located source material that will become part of a community archives for use by anyone interested in learning more about the market. The initiative’s core partners are Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Lexington Market, Inc., Market Center Community Development Corporation, Seawall, and the Peale, and the work is partially enabled by a Pathways Grant from the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
> Contact Dean Krimmel if you would like to learn more about Lexington Market history.
Watch the Community Storytelling Event
This Project has been financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s Thomas V. “Mike” Miller History Fund. However, Project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Center for History and Culture.