Lexington Market is one of the longest-running public markets in the nation, having been around since 1782. The land for the original market was donated by
General John Eager Howard, a famous
Continental Army commander of the Maryland Line regiment. The land came from his estate "Belvedere" (also known as "Howard's Woods) west and north of what was then Baltimore Town. The market originally operated without sheds and stalls. Farmers from Towson and Reisterstown would load up their horse-drawn wagons with ham, butter, eggs and produce, while watermen would bring their catches from the Chesapeake Bay. Originally, the market was open on Tuesdays, Friday, and Saturday from 2 a.m. until noon. A bell would ring to start and end the market day. In 1871, a shed was built for the market. After the shed was destroyed in a 1949 fire, the city built the "East Market" building at
Paca and
Lexington Streets. A project to build a new market shed building began in 2020 and was completed in late 2022, when the East Market building was closed and slated for future development. The history of
slavery at Lexington Market includes both enslaved people as market workers and the sale of enslaved people at the market. In 2022, a sculpture was unveiled at Lexington Market called
Robert and Rosetta, depicting an enslaved market worker named Robert and an enslaved girl named Rosetta who was auctioned off at the market. Robert was enslaved by former Maryland Governor
George Howard and forced to sell butter, but later escaped to freedom. An advertisement for the sale of Rosetta was featured in the
Baltimore Sun in March, 1838. ==Food==