than generally found in the inner city. A few single dwellings near the Walbrook neighborhood reflect their origins as summer homes built in the early 20th century. History The area was estate countryside in the 19th century, characterized by large homes built by prominent city residents on the hilly countryside several hundred feet above the Inner Harbor area. Mondawmin takes its name from the estate owned by Dr. Patrick Macaulay (1795–1849), physician, city councilman, B&O Railroad director and patron of the arts. Tradition relates that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow visited Dr. Macaulay, who asked him what to name his home, then surrounded by corn fields. The poet allegedly looked around and replied, "Why not Mondamin, after the Indian corn god?" (Mapmakers later added a "w" to the name, and it stuck.) The area known as Southern Mondawmin prides itself on a long history of stable homeownership. Many residents moved into the community in the late forties and early fifties as the area developed as the cultural and education center for African Americans. Robert W. Coleman, one of the community's renowned residents, established the first school for the blind for African Americans, at a time when public facilities and schools were segregated. Because of those early pioneers and the stability of the community, Southern Mondawmin was never designated as an urban renewal area. While the community has changed over the past 15 years, residents, churches, businesses, and community associations are diligently working to return the area to its early luster. Recently, Southern Mondawmin was chosen by Baltimore city's government as one of six Healthy Neighborhoods. Parts of the community are included as part of the empowerment zone. Mondawmin still has many blighted areas. Schools Coppin State University Baltimore City Community College Frederick Douglass High School William H. Lemmel Middle School Gwynns Falls Elementary Robert W. Coleman Elementary William S. Baer Elementary Mathew Henson Elementary School Carver High School Walbrook High School George G. Kelson Elementary/Middle School Westside Elementary School Students living in Mondawmin can also attend Baltimore City's elite public high schools, such as the nearby Western High School and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Library Branch Enoch Pratt Free Library - Penn North External links Healthy Neighborhoods: Mondawmin Mondawmin Mall Coppin State University Baltimore City Community College Neighborhoods in Baltimore