The Canton neighborhood got its name in 1785 when Irish merchant John O’Donnell settled in the area and began trading with other merchants in the Chinese port of Guangzhou, then called Canton by English speaking traders. He subsequently purchased land and named his plantation Canton. This historic waterfront neighborhood features the Canton Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Long considered one of Baltimore’s trendiest neighborhoods, the center of the neighborhood is O’Donnell Square, a small park surrounded by many restaurants, bars, shops and residences. Canton is also directly adjacent to Patterson Park and the Canton Dog Park, which was Baltimore’s first off-leash dog park when it opened in 2002.
