Lithuanian Hall

{{Short description|Home of the Lithuanian Hall Association}}

{{for|the hall in Philadelphia|Lithuanian Music Hall}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Lithuanian Hall (Lietuvių Namai)

| image = Lithuanian Hall Baltimore - 1.jpg

| image_caption =

| nickname = Lith Hall

| location = 851 Hollins Street
Baltimore, Maryland,
{{USA}}

| coordinates = {{Coord|39.2877|-76.63045|type:landmark_region:US-MD|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| type = Dance venue

| genre =

| broke_ground =

| built =

| opened = 1917

| renovated =

| expanded =

| owner =

| former_names = Lietuvių Namai (1917–1968)

| seating_type =

| seating_capacity =

| website = https://www.lithuanianhall.com/ Lithuanian Hall official webpage

}}

The Lithuanian Hall ({{langx|lt|Lietuvių Namai}}), also known as Lith Hall, is the home of the Lithuanian Hall Association. It is a private club located on Hollins Street in the Hollins Market neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland and serves as a recreation center and meeting house for social events, including dance nights, musical events, community suppers and cultural events. The hall was founded to serve the needs of the Lithuanian community in Baltimore, Maryland. The hall is popular with artists and hipsters.{{cite web|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/midnight_sun/blog/2010/04/john_waters_50s_jams_and_cutti.html |title=John Waters, '50s jams and cutting a rug at Lithuanian Hall |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=2011-11-28}}

History

The hall was established in 1921, and was only referred to by the Lithuanian name Lietuvių Namai until 1968.{{cite web |url=http://www.baltimorelac.org/history-of-establishment/?lang=en |title=History of Lithuanian Hall |publisher=Baltimore Lithuanian-American Community |access-date=2011-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426005628/http://www.baltimorelac.org/history-of-establishment/?lang=en |archive-date=2012-04-26 |url-status=dead }}

During the 1920s the hall was provided as a venue for speeches by prominent members of the Communist Party USA, such as William Z. Foster and Juliet Stuart Poyntz. On October 13, 1929, a Jewish branch of the CPUSA hosted a speech by Sol Hurwitz, the editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, and the speech was interrupted by a mob of anti-Communists. The Communists defended themselves with chairs until the police arrived to disperse the mob.Vernon L. Pedersen The Communist Party in Maryland, 1919-1957 (2001) p 45

References

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