Image by Image from the State of Maryland.

In 1912 Baltimore’s city leaders hoped to annex a large chunk of Baltimore County. Had that happened, the city limits would have extended from near downtown Towson to just shy of Ellicott City.

Baltimore annexed big chunks of land in three successive waves: One in 1817 that took the city as far as North Avenue, a second in 1888 up to about 40th Street, and a third in the early years of the 20th Century.

Like other US cities, Baltimore was expanding rapidly in the early 20th Century amidst a wave of streetcar-induced sprawl. Suburban areas lacked city services like sewers, parks, and police, so central cities often annexed surrounding land.

By about 1910, Baltimore was ready for another round of annexation. Exactly how much land the city should annex became a major hot-button issue of the day, with proposals ranging from no expansion to the aggressive, far-ranging one pictured above.

In 1918 a compromise plan eventually won out, settling Baltimore’s boundaries at their current extents.

By the time America’s post-World War II suburbanization boom happened, the national mood had shifted against central cities. A 1948 amendment to Maryland’s state constitution outlawed any further expansion of Baltimore City, and thus the borders haven’t changed since.

This article was first published on March 3, 2016. It’s interesting to look back at the region’s history, so we are sharing it again.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.