Find the Best Things to Do in Canton
About Canton
The Canton area of Baltimore has been active since its development in 1828, but it has only recently been rediscovered. Present day Canton is located on land originally owned by Colonel John O'Donnell, the first trader to bring goods from China to Baltimore. The move from pastoral Canton to industrial Canton was overseen by the Canton Company, a real estate development firm that is known for building "Copper Row" where the factory workers lived. Canton is the location of the Navy Yard that produced the USS Constellation in 1794-1797. The B&O Railroad's first steam engine, Tom Thumb, was also built in this region of the city. Today visitors can still enjoy the historic, working class flavor of the area thanks to the brick row houses, warehouses, and frame and stone churches that have survived. Canton is now undergoing gentrification; the old factories are being renovated into condos and the O'Donnell Square area has become a hot spot for hip, new restaurants.