Mill Hill Deck of Cards

The 2600 block of Wilkens Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, is known locally as the “Deck of Cards.” It consists of 54 nearly identical attached houses stretching more than 1,800 feet, making it possibly one of the longest continuous rows of connected houses in the United States.  That is especially notable in Baltimore, a city known for an abundance of rowhouses. 

Traditional Baltimore rowhouses are attached homes built in a similar style by a single builder.  This approach helped shape 20th-century American neighborhood development and foreshadowed planned housing communities.  In the early 1900s, rowhouses formed entire neighborhoods and made homeownership more attainable for working-class families.  As a result, more than 70% of Baltimore residents owned their homes.

Designed in the Italianate style, the Deck of Cards homes are built of orange-red brick and feature two second-floor windows, a continuous roofline with a finial between each house, and Baltimore’s ubiquitous three-step marble stoops.  Local white marble also trims the windows and doorframes, which feature stained-glass transoms.  A wide sidewalk runs along the front of the row.  There are so many houses on the block that the addresses required the incorporation of half-numbers.

Modern for their time, the houses included amenities such as electrical wiring, full basements, and indoor plumbing.  The adjoining houses insulated two sides, making them fuel-efficient.  The original price for a home on Wilkens Avenue was $1,250 (USD). 

Walter L. Westphaul built the homes for practical rather than charitable reasons.  He owned the nearby Wilkins Curled Hair Factory, which processed animal hair for upholstery and mattresses.  By locating housing close to the factory, he reduced the time workers spent away from their jobs.  And the factory whistle was easily heard from Wilkens Avenue.