387A Mt. Vernon Mills, 3000 Chestnut Avenue, ca. 1930. Neighborhood: Hampden.

Known as the Laurel Flouring Mill when it was first built in 1845, Mt. Vernon Mill No. 1 was converted to cotton production in 1847 by David Carroll and Horatio N. Gambrill. For nearly 130 years, demand for cotton duck—a type of canvas used to make sailcloth, tents, knapsacks, and military uniforms—kept the mill humming and helped transform Baltimore into the world’s largest provider of this sturdy fabric. By the time textile production ceased in 1972, the Mt. Vernon Mills complex included a number of buildings along the east bank of the Jones Falls, including the structure pictured here.

(Take photo from Darby St. at Chestnut Ave., with Falls Road behind you.)