Martick's Restaurant Francais

The rowhouse at 214 West Mulberry Street was built between the 1830s and 1850s. Converted to a storefront around the turn of the 20th century, Yiddish-speaking Polish Jewish immigrants Harry and Florence Martick purchased the building as a grocery store in 1917. During Prohibition, the Marticks ran a clandestine speakeasy out of the store. Their son, Morris Martick, would later report that they kept bootleg gin and whiskey under the floorboards of the bathroom. Harry was imprisoned for a year for violations of the Volstead Act. After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Marticks applied for and received a liquor license. They used this to convert the grocery into a corner bar, known to some patrons as the Mahogany Tavern. ==Martick's Lower Tyson Street Tavern==

In the late 1940s, taking ownership over from his parents, Morris Martick renamed the bar '''Martick's Tyson Street Tavern''' By the 1950s, Martick's was viewed as "Baltimore's intellectual meeting place" and one of "the roots of Baltimore bohemian culture." Leonard Bernstein, on visits to the city, was known to play the bar's piano. The bar was open to gays, at a time when this was still uncommon in the city (and country). As early as the 1950s, the bar was known as an important gathering place for "not only gay men and women but other members of what is now called the LGBTQ+ community, including bisexuals, crossdressers and people undergoing sex change operations by Johns Hopkins Hospital physician John Money." Martick's is also cited as "one of the first integrated bars in Baltimore," existing as such even while de jure segregation was still in effect in the city. In later years, Martick would state in interviews that the tavern had not in fact been integrated while Jim Crow was still on the books, Harley Brinsfield). Future film director John Waters frequented the area before he was of legal drinking age, loitering in the alley and depending on regulars to sneak him drinks. Waters, who visited with his friend, the future drag icon Divine, found Martick's a formative location for the group of artists that would eventually become known as the Dreamlanders. It was at Martick's that Waters met Pat Moran, with whom he would collaborate on all of his feature films. It was also where Waters first met actor and projectionist George Figgs. Maelcum Soul, yet another early Waters collaborator, was a Martick's bartender, and also the subject of an art show there in 1965, featuring 25 portraits of her in the nude. Meanwhile, the neighborhood around Martick's continued to evolve: originally part of a block of rowhouses, by 1950 the building at 214 West Mulberry Street was the last building of this type left on the block. Despite the Tavern's prestige among the arts community, Martick would reflect back on it in a 1981 interview as merely "a crummy bar... I mean a crummy one." ==Martick's Restaurant Francais==

Following the closure of the bar, Morris Martick traveled to the Normandy region of France to seek training in French cuisine. Opening July 9, 1970, after two years of renovation, Taking on the bohemian character of the bar which had previously inhabited it, as well as the proprietor, Martick's restaurant was noted for its eclectic decor - snakeskin wallpaper, stained glass, hubcaps, bowling balls and plastic baby dolls hanging from wires. Over the years Martick and his restaurant became famous for a few dishes, particularly the pâté, profiteroles, bouillabaisse. ==Closure and legacy==

Martick closed the restaurant in August or September 2008. At the time, he was receiving citations from Baltimore Housing inspections regarding flaking paint and lack of zoning permits. Martick continued to live in the building until his death on December 16, 2011. The building then passed into the hands of his family. and one of its "traditional destinations." and "utterly unlike anywhere else." ==Failed revivals==

In December 2012, it was reported that the property was to be redeveloped as an imitation speakeasy-style bar, following a popular trend at the time. The plan for the new establishment, to be called '''Martick's''', was partially spearheaded by Alex Martick, Morris Martick's brother. Initially predicted to open in February 2013, later this was pushed to August. Plans for the revival evidently were abandoned by December 2013 though, as the owners of the license transferred it to another club in nearby Harlem Park. In 2014, revival again seemed imminent, as the city's liquor board approved a new liquor license, to feature live entertainment. Despite the buzz of the previous year, the building was subject to a Vacant Building Notice as of 2015. In that case, the building was not part of their RFP submission since, unlike the rest of the block, the city did not own it. In April 2018, the building was sold to developer Jabber Five who announced yet another plan to revive it as an "eclectic, artsy eatery." The developers had initially planned to demolish the building, but changed their mind after being informed of the building's historic heritage. Jabber Five's new plan was to have a restaurant downstairs, with an artist live-work space above. These plans too fell through, and the building was sold in December 2018 to Park Avenue Partners. ==Planned redevelopment and demolition==

In December 2018, Park Avenue Partners, LLC proposed to build a six-story mixed-use apartment and retail building with 115 units at the site of the former Martick's. The developers framed their plan as part of a rejuvenation of the historic Baltimore Chinatown, with a stated intention of encouraging Asian restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to occupy the space. The developer claims they attempted to integrate the historic building into the development plan, but ultimately requested approval to demolish it. The adjacent 1950s-era parking deck was approved for demolition and had already been removed in 2018. At the February 12, 2019 hearing of CHAP, the developer again applied for demolition, arguing "retaining and rehabilitating the historic building will create a financial hardship." The developer submitted six scenarios to CHAP, from full rehabilitation of the structure to its complete razing, and attempted to make the case that retention of the building would not be economically feasible. They argued a restoration of the building would cost 1.1 million dollars. The proposal touched off what the Baltimore Sun described as a "spontaneous revolt" among attendees to the hearing. Community activists, as well as the director of Baltimore Heritage argued for a postponement of approval at a minimum, citing questions about how the financial feasibility had been calculated by the developer. The Baltimore Development Corporation, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and the Market Center Merchants Association submitted written support for the demolition. The demolition also has the support of the president of the Baltimore City Council. Despite these endorsements, CHAP staff recommended a finding that the developer did not adequately demonstrate that retaining all or some portion of the building would be a significant financial hardship, and recommended disapproval of the request for the full demolition of the building. The CHAP committee postponed a final decision for a later hearing a month later. The Park Avenue Partners development group returned in early March with a proposal to restore and retain the front third of the Martick's building, in exchange for permission to tear down the remainder. The revised proposal followed consultation with CHAP representatives and others who favored preservation. At the March 12, 2019 meeting of CHAP, the committee voted 9–0 to approve this compromise plan, which retains the older portion of the structure, while tearing down the later (although still 19th century) construction in rear. The developer stated that carrying out this modified plan would be contingent on raising approximately $300,000 in additional funds, which they planned to explore raising with a non-profit partner. While the consent from the committee was unanimous, it was opposed by the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association and members of the community, who presented a petition asking the entire building to be retained. Johns Hopkins, head of Baltimore Heritage, supported the arrangement, seeing the retained portion as the "core" of the former restaurant and "the best shot we have at saving Martick’s." ==References==