
Hampden homes were built at the turn of the 19th century to support the increasing population of workers at the flour and cotton mills. With the help of Hampden, Baltimore’s port became one of the leading exporters of milled grains in the United States. With the invention of the cotton gin almost all of Hampden’s mills converted to cotton production. Hampden continued to flourish as work was plentiful in the mills. By the late 1800s Hampden had seen nearly a 500% increase in its population. Modest row homes were built to support the population and a commercial district began to flourish along 36th Street or "The Avenue".
Hampden continued to grow and prosper throughout the industrial revolution. It was not until the 1960s and 1970s that production in the mills slowed to a screeching halt.
Today Hampden offers its residents a convenient location to downtown Baltimore and Interstate 83. Hampden is home to a number of eclectic shops, pubs and restaurants who are heavily concentrated along Hampden’s main street, “The Avenue”. The vacated mills have given way to renovated studios, businesses, retail and commercial space. Hampden is nestled among Wyman Park to the east, Jones Falls River to the west, 41st Street to the north and Clipper Mills to the south.