A Legacy of Community and Culture – Our History, Our Heritage

By Jessica French, National Register Administrator

In the heart of Baltimore’s Upper Fells Point neighborhood stands the Baltimore American Indian Center and Heritage Museum, a symbol of perseverance, cultural pride, and community for generations of Indigenous people. Located at 113 South Broadway, this mid-19th-century rowhouse, once a typical example of Greek Revival architecture, now also embodies a living history of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and other Indigenous communities who made Baltimore home.

On September 23, 2025, the American Indian Communities in Baltimore City, 1885 to Present Multiple Property Submission was officially accepted by the National Register of Historic Places. As part of that submission, the Baltimore American Indian Center was officially listed in the National Register. This work was funded by FY20 and FY22 National Park Service Underrepresented Communities grants.

Founded in 1968 as the American Indian Study Center, the organization emerged from the growing Lumbee population in Baltimore after World War II. Lumbee families migrated from Robeson County, North Carolina, seeking work and opportunity in northern cities while maintaining deep cultural and family ties. By 1972, the group had purchased its permanent home on South Broadway, transforming the former Catholic Community House into a welcoming space where Native people could gather, celebrate their heritage, and access vital social services.

The Center’s enduring influence is rooted in the leadership of its three Lumbee co-founders: Elizabeth Locklear (1928–2019), Rosie Hunt (1941–2007), and Herbert Hoover Locklear (1932–2000). Their vision shaped a vibrant intertribal community, ensuring that Indigenous Baltimoreans could celebrate their identities while building new connections far from home.

Over time, the Center became a cornerstone for Baltimore’s Indigenous community — a place for pow wows, youth programs, language classes, and cultural workshops, as well as a crucial support network for those adjusting to city life. In 2011, the establishment of the Heritage Museum within the Center expanded its mission to include public education, preservation, and storytelling about Native experiences in Baltimore. Under its founders’ guidance, the Center evolved from a local gathering place into a cultural anchor that continues to support education, health initiatives, and the preservation of Lumbee and intertribal traditions today.

Originally constructed around 1843, the Center’s building is a Greek Revival rowhouse with distinctive features that now reflect Indigenous design and symbolism. The stained-glass fanlight above the main entrance incorporates the four sacred colors — yellow, white, black, and red — representing the cardinal directions in many Indigenous cultures. Inside, a mosaic of the Pinecone Patchwork, inspired by a traditional Lumbee quilt pattern, welcomes visitors at the entryway.

A vibrant mural on the south façade, first painted in 1980 by Daniel Nicholas (Munsee-Delaware) and retouched in 2015 by Dean Tonto Cox, Sr. (Lumbee), continues to express community identity and artistic pride. The building’s later addition (a multipurpose hall completed in 2008 with support from a Maryland State Bond Bill) created a gathering space for pow wow drumming, youth basketball, and cultural celebrations.

The Baltimore American Indian Center and Heritage Museum National Register listing recognizes the Center’s importance in Ethnic Heritage (Native American) and Social History, as well as its deep connections to Baltimore’s broader patterns of migration and community formation.

While Upper Fells Point has long been known for its immigrant roots, this designation expands that story by honoring the Indigenous families who helped shape the city’s cultural landscape and ensuring their contributions are preserved for future generations.

Today, the Baltimore American Indian Center remains a living space where the past and present meet through a museum, meeting hall, and cultural home. With exhibitions, community gatherings, and partnerships, it continues to share Indigenous voices and histories that might otherwise be overlooked.