Five Minutes of Baltimore History

Mrs. Watson's Tourist Home

By Johns Hopkins,

Published February 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM EST

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A copy of the Green Book 1963-64 edition, similar to the one in which travelers could find Mrs Watson's West Baltimore Tourist Home.

During Jim Crow segregation and racism, the Green Books helped African American motorists find hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other safe places to patronize across the United States. Among Maryland locations in The Green Book is the first-floor apartment of Mrs. Etta Watson that was first listed in 1947. The home was located in the Bellevieu-Madison Apartments at the corner of Bloom Street and Madison Avenue in Madison Park.

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Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins has been the director of Baltimore Heritage since 2003, working to preserve historic places and revitalize historic neighborhood in Baltimore.

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Lisa Morgan

Lisa Morgan covered the local arts community as co-creator and host of WYPR’s award-winning program The Signal from 2004 to 2015. She has created and produced many programs for WYPR, including news stories, features, commentaries, and audio documentaries. She taught audio production at Goucher College and has done voice-over work for a variety of clients. The Weekly Reader is her latest project.

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