Nestled away in the far Southwest corner of Baltimore County, right off of Washington Boulevard are several streets that make up the historic African American community called Halethorpe. The entire area was once owned by the B&O Railroad. Around 1890 land was sold to African Americans, first to use as farm land, then eventually used to build homes on. African Americans have been residing in the area since the slavery era, but it was not until the early 1900s that their community began to take shape. In the early 1920s, the second school for African American children was built on Northeast Avenue. Because of the community's closeness to Elkridge, and because there was always transportation to and from Baltimore, there was never a need for a church in the area. One of the significant African Americans to come out of Halethorpe was Brenda Brown Schoonover who was the ambassador to Togo in West Africa.
One room school house for African American children in the Halethorpe area.
The school was located on Washington Boulevard and Selma Road, and
served the children from the 1800s until around 1922 when a new school was
build on Northeast Avenue in Halethorpe. Photograph was taken in the early
1900s.
Children attending the Halethorpe African-American school on Northeast
Avenue for children in the area. Photograph was taken in the 1920s.
Left to right is Amy Brooks, Sarah Martin and Evelyn Brooks, all from
the historic African American community in Halethorpe. The photograph was
taken in 1928. Amy Brooks (Mrs. Amy Brooks Hawkins) still resides in
Halethorpe, and is ninety-five years of age.
Brenda Brown Schoonover, who was born in Elkridge, but spent most of her
life in Halethorpe. She was the Ambassador to Togo, West Africa, and as of
the posting of this web page (2002) is the Ambassador in Resident at North
Carolina University. She has since been appointed to Belgium where she will
be the Number two person in the embassy there. This is her official Ambass-
adorial photograph when she was the Ambassador to Togo, West Africa.