Hawthorne Trail Project
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The Hawthorne community in eastern Baltimore County is one of many "peninsula" neighborhoods along the Chesapeake Bay - bordered by water on two sides (the Middle River, Cow Pens Creek, and Dark Head Creek) and and by Eastern Boulevard on a third.

In 2002 the Neighborhood Design Center was asked by the Baltimore County Office of Community Conservation to help develop a master plan for the neighborhood.  NDC staff and volunteers worked with residents in a series of charrettes (below) over a two year period to identify challenges and opportunities in the neighborhood and develop a series of revitalization goals, including: 1) create a community identity, 2) improve traffic patterns at the neighborhood school, and 3) revitalize two of the waterfront parks.

Recommendations for enhancing the community’s identity included linking what is known as Old Hawthorne with New Hawthorne by using various gateway treatments, such as landscaping, signage, and banners along Eastern Boulevard.  Second, changes to the parking and traffic patterns in front of Hawthorne Elementary School were recommended to reduce the current vehicular / pedestrian conflicts.  Finally, the residents recognized that they have an incredible asset surrounding their community - shoreline and water access.   This master plan recommended that these assets be enhanced by focusing efforts on Midthorne and Dark Head Creek Park, as well as creating a common trail system to connect these parks and other points within the neighborhood.  Residents and County officials chose to start with the trail system as the first phase of the master plan.

  Original Trail Concept Plan                                                  Trail Plan as built

After years of design development and fundraising, the Hawthorne Trail was officially dedicated on June 24, 2009.  Funded by Program Open Space and Baltimore County, the 3.5 mile trail includes both dedicated paths as well as utilizes the neighborhood streets.


  Left photo - Jim Smith (Baltimore County Executive, at the podium) dedicates the trail
  Right photo - Community members, Jim Smith, and NDC volunteer Toby Johnson (3rd from left)

  Midthorne Park with new trail

  Trail Map                                                                                      Trail sign on neighborhood streets

Project Completion: February 2004, Trail dedicated June 2009
Project Location: Hawthorne neighborhood, Baltimore County, MD
Volunteers: Tom Woolfolk, Gerald Neilly, Toby Johnson, Lisa Passeri, and Julie Deibel