Harford Road. Other businesses supporting the horse and carriage market as well as local farmers were opened along Harford Road and Tames Lane. In the late 19th century, a retired sea captain named Hamilton Caughey donated land for Baltimore County to extend Tames Lane west of Harford Road. In exchange, Tames Lane was renamed Hamilton Lane and later Hamilton Avenue in his honor. When the United States Postal Service established a new post office at the intersection of Harford Road and Hamilton Lane, Baltimore Postmaster S. Davies Warfield renamed North Lauraville "Hamilton" to distinguish the village as a separate community. In 1898, electric rail service for passengers was extended north on Harford Road from downtown Baltimore and into Hamilton. The streetcar system allowed Hamilton residents to travel farther from home and to work in the city. As a result, suburban development in the area would explode over the next few decades. 20th century From village to neighborhood After 1900, real estate developers bought many of Hamilton's old estates and farms to subdivide for new housing. In 1905, Evergreen Lawn became Hamilton's first subdivision on Evergreen Avenue. Between 1900 and 1919, a total of ten subdivisions were built in Hamilton and marketed toward middle-class families. Many of the area's present-day streets were named for its earliest residents or for historic properties. As more residents moved to Hamilton during the early 20th century, they expanded the area's economic and communal activities. Retailers in various trades, from drug stores to dressmaking, opened along Harford Road and Hamilton Avenue. The two-story Hamilton Hall building was constructed at the southeast corner of Harford Road and Hamilton Avenue to serve as a prominent gathering place. Between 1900 and 1930, a dozen Christian churches were founded on or near Harford Road, and six held their first meetings in Hamilton Hall. Two neighborhood associations, the Hamilton Improvement Association and the Hamilton Women's Club, were formed to advocate for social and structural improvements in the area. In 1918, Baltimore City annexed land including Hamilton and what is today Northeast Baltimore from Baltimore County. The city granted substantial property tax breaks for residents and developers in its newly annexed communities. The city also extended its water, sewer, and other infrastructure systems to Hamilton in the years following annexation. After annexation, Baltimore City began connecting its eastern and western halves with several lateral roads. Northern Parkway was the first; it was