Historic Reservoir Hill
Garden & Home Tour

June 7, 1975 marks the beginning of a lifelong love story between Paul and Glenda Gentner and the Reservoir Hill community. On that day — now fifty-one years ago — the couple purchased a stately three-story, 19th-century row home, a decision that helped define a legacy of neighborhood pride, preservation, and community engagement that endures to this day.

In the mid-1990s, Glenda gathered with neighbors and proposed a creative way to raise funds for the community while sharing its hidden beauty with the wider world. What began as the "Secret Garden Tour" — a modest walk through private garden spaces — has grown into a beloved Baltimore tradition.

"I still have all the flyers, from 1999 until now."— Paul Gentner

Over thirty years, the Tour has been carried forward by something larger than any single organization — sustained by rotating hosts, block associations, neighborhood volunteers, civic partners, and the countless residents who have opened their homes and gardens season after season.

The Reservoir Hill Association has had the honor of stewarding the event since 2022, but the Tour's legacy belongs to all of Reservoir Hill.

"It gave me a chance to meet a lot of the neighbors because I was new to the neighborhood. I felt comfortable. I just wanted to be a part of this great thing."— Randy Howell-Bey, Reservoir Hill resident

Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary — June 6 & 7, 2026

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and protected by Baltimore City's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), Reservoir Hill's approximately 32-block streetscape represents one of the largest intact collections of Victorian and Edwardian row house architecture on the East Coast.

"Driving through the neighborhood's grid of streets, it is hard to imagine how so stately homes located directly south of Druid Hill Park — minutes from all of Baltimore's main commercial and cultural centers — would ever become an undesirable place to live."

— Victorian Magazine, on Reservoir Hill's resilience

Notable Reservoir Hill Figures

Illustration

Matt Verdell

A Baltimore-area visual artist known for his work under the Black Lotus Art brand, Matt's illustrations fuse comic culture, anime, and skate energy into a wholly original visual language.

Illustration & Character Design

Darren Soto

A DC/Maryland-area comic book artist and collaborator with Artway Alliance, a nonprofit using comics and animation to inspire the next generation of artists.

Lithograph & Print

Jamal Love

Washington, DC-based founder of The Art of Love Gallery, Jamal champions Black artists and fine art prints — making exceptional work visible and accessible.

Pottery & Plants

Lai Gong

A local ceramist and beloved Reservoir Hill community member. All proceeds from the sale of her handcrafted pottery go directly to our charity of choice.

Supporting Our Community

Mixed Media

Maria-Theresa Fernandes

One of Baltimore's most internationally celebrated artists. Recipient of the Mayor's Individual Artist Award, the Andy Warhol Art Foundation Grit Fund, and the Pollock-Krasner Award. Exhibited across the USA, UK, Japan, Kenya, and beyond.

Handcrafted Purses & Handbags

Kema's Kreations LLC

Founded by Karen "Kema" Maxwell — handmade wood purses and bags celebrating African and African-American themes. Showcased at New York Fashion Week, Harlem Fashion Week, and on national television.

shopkema.com

Painting · Linden Avenue

Kacie Moon

A Baltimore-based graphic designer and proud Reservoir Hill resident, Kacie brings the neighborhood's landmarks to life on canvas — displaying original paintings of local streets at her home on Linden Avenue.

✦ In Memoriam · Legacy Exhibition

Robert A. Ware Jr.

A Baltimore native and MICA-trained artist, Robert A. Ware Jr. created stylized human figures in acrylics, watercolors, pen and ink, and bronze sculpture — capturing the attention of collectors including Sammy Davis Jr. and Wynton Marsalis. His portrait of then-Governor Spiro T. Agnew was the first completed after Agnew became Vice President. Robert passed in 1992, but his legacy endures. His work will be exhibited at the home of his dear friend, Randy Howell-Bey — a fitting tribute on a tour that celebrates the art and soul of Reservoir Hill.

Legacy Exhibition · Hosted by Randy Howell-Bey

Art in Service of Community

Ceramist Lai Gong has generously donated her handcrafted pottery to this year's Art Crawl. Every dollar raised from the sale of her work goes directly to our charity of choice — a reminder that in Reservoir Hill, creativity and community have always gone hand in hand.