History
What’s in a name?
The neighborhood of Pigtown gained its name from the routine running of pigs from the B & O railroad station on Pratt street to the slaughterhouses of south Baltimore that is now called Federal Hill. The area was known as “Cattle Quarter” because of the livestock that was herded, but around 1900, swine dominated the roads and the name Pigtown became know throughout the city.
In the 1970’s, there was a large attempt to rejuvenate the neighborhood by changing its name to Washington Village. This did not stick as many residents of the city kept the name in an almost mythological fashion. In 2006, the name was reverted back to Pigtown, to the joy of residents and the chagrin of real estate agents.
References:
“Pamplona, with pork, in Pigtown” - Michael Anft, Baltimore Sun http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/visitor/bal-vg-pigtownside,1,3867130.story?coll=bal-visitor-storyutil&ctrack=1&cset=true
