Historic Fells Point Trail: Billie Holiday Houses

Be Here Stories

This tour of Fells Point Historic Trail is created by The Baltimore National Heritage Area (BNHA), which promotes, preserves, and enhances Baltimore's historic and cultural legacy and natural resources for current and future generations. A walking tour of this and other destinations is available at www.explorebaltimore.org/tours. Located at 219 S. Durham Street  You've already seen how early Fells Point residents lived during the nation's earliest years. In the 1920s, Baltimore gave American culture many memorable artists who are still recognized today. Among them, jazz singer Billie Holiday, who lived in these very houses. Raised mostly here in Fells Point, Billie Holiday, or "Lady Day" as many called her, started singing in local churches and theaters when she was just 10 years old. She lived here at 219 South Durham with her mother, and later moved next door to 217. Although her singing talent was officially discovered in Harlem, Lady Day would regularly return to Baltimore to sing at the Royal Theater. You can see the Royal Theater site on the Pennsylvania Avenue GPS Ranger Tour. Even if you were born after Billie Holiday's time, you probably know some of her signature songs, "Lady Sings the Blues," "God Bless the Child," and "Strange Fruit."