Baltimore Industry Tours

Cotton Mills of the Jones Falls

Number 4

Pump House at Cross Keys

(built 1860) 5100 Falls Road

Photo of the pump house at Cross Keys, originally pumped water from Lake Roland Dam to Hampden Reservoir.

Pump house at Cross Keys in 2013. Originally it pumped water from Lake Roland Dam to Hampden Reservoir.

This pump house originally pumped water from Lake Roland Dam to Hampden Reservoir, part of the reservoir system that provided water for drinking and fire protection to the homes and mills of Hampden and Woodberry. Its value came to an end in 1916, when Lake Roland became contaminated and the entire system was abandoned, replaced by Loch Raven Reservoir. The pump house is not easily visible from Falls Road; pull into the entrance to The Village at Cross Keys and turn to your right (Rasmussen).

Cross Keys was originally the location of a well-known local tavern, the Cross Keys Inn, and one of the turnpike gates for Falls Turnpike.