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Named for English politician John Hampden, Hampden was originally settled as a residential community for workers at the mills that had sprung up along the Jones Falls; its first residents were in place well before the area was annexed to Baltimore City in 1889. Many of its residents migrated to the area from the Appalachian hill country of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania, due to the abundance of jobs the mills provided. This influx cemented the image of the neighborhood for the decades that followed as both primarily white and working-class. Before, during, and after World War II many Appalachian migrants settled in Baltimore, including Hampden. Appalachian people who migrated to Hampden were largely economic migrants who came looking for work.

In the early 60’s into the 80’s Hampden was viewed as a safe place to raise a family. Most of its residents knew each other through the local schools, namely Hampden Elementary #55 and Robert Poole Middle School #56. In addition to the local schools, there were local grocery stores; such as the A&P located on Falls Road and Ezee Market located where the current Wine Source is located on Chestnut Avenue. Athletic programs were orchestrated via the Roosevelt Recreation Center for children of all ages. These included the football Hampden Rangers, baseball and indoor basketball. The “Rec”, as known by the locals included a “Big Pool” which is still in use today and offered a summer fireworks celebration on the 4th of July. Restaurants were plentiful serving up the taste of home cooked meals courtesy of Ye Eat Shoppe, Roland Restaurant and Reynolds on The Avenue. Also on The Avenue were the showcasing the latest movies. This family atmosphere lasted into the late 80’s ultimately giving way to gentrification and a real estate surge that allowed its long time residents to relocate.

Beginning in the early 1990s, the neighborhood (conveniently located vis-a-vis Johns Hopkins and downtown) was discovered by artists and others, who began reclaiming the neighborhood. Many new residents were attracted by the creation of an artist studio and office space known as the Mill Centre, located in the southernmost region of Hampden between Falls Road and Mill Road. Over the past decade, housing prices in Hampden have skyrocketed and the area’s commercial center on a four-block stretch of West 36th Street, known as The Avenue, has seen trendy boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, a yoga studio, an upscale winebar, and assorted specialty shops occupy storefronts that had been either vacant or in a state of disrepair. The community of Wyman Park, as well as the actual park, are located to the east. The Woodberry station on the Baltimore Light Rail system is just on the other side of the Jones Falls Expressway and is within walking distance of much of the neighborhood. A new, high-end mixed-use development at Clipper Mill, directly in front of the Woodberry Light Rail station, has spurred additional economic activity in the area.