• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Katie Allston, executive director of Marian House, and Jenny Hope, president of the Women's Industrial Exchange board, participate in a key exchange ceremony as Marian House takes over ownership of the Women's Industrial Exchange building on Charles Street in Baltimore. (Courtesy photo)

A Baltimore landmark, Women’s Industrial Exchange, will live on with Marian House

June 25, 2020
By Tim Swift
Filed Under: #IamCatholic, Local News, News, Urban Vicariate

For Jenny Hope, president of the Woman’s Industrial Exchange board, the decision to end the exchange, a fixture of downtown Baltimore for more than a century, was bittersweet. The volunteer organization of Baltimore women helping other women would be no more yet Hope takes solace in knowing its mission will continue in new hands.

This month, the Women’s Industrial Exchange transferred ownership of its historic headquarters building in the 300 block of North Charles Street to Marian House, an organization started by Catholic women religious and devoted to helping women who are struggling with a wide range of issues – including homelessness, addiction and abuse – get back on their feet and live independently.

In 1880, the Women’s Industrial Exchange was founded as an organization to help women earn income who were often shut out of the traditional workforce. For decades, the exchange operated a restaurant and ran a gift shop selling handmade crafts and other goods made by women.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Katie Allston, executive director of Marian House. “There’s so much synergy between us and the organization that was created two centuries ago for the purpose of helping women maintain themselves financially, be independent and support their families. It’s wonderful that if it was going to go away in the current iteration, that they choose an organization with a like-minded mission to take over the physical space.”

Allston said plans for the donated space are still developing. Marian House will hold virtual meetings with its new Mount Vernon neighbors to generate ideas on how to use the historic building. While Allston said there are no plans to use the building as a women’s shelter, the Women’s Industrial Exchange’s central downtown location would be a huge asset for the organization, which offers a number of critical services for struggling women and their children.

Marian House already operates two campuses in residential neighborhoods in Northeast Baltimore. More than 100 women and their children are currently being served by Marian House.

“They’ve been around for a long time,” Hope said of the organization founded in 1982 by the Sisters of Mercy and the School Sisters of Notre Dame. “They’re smart about growth and they’re well resourced. And they serve women. With the history of the Women’s Exchange serving women, it was a natural fit.”

Hope said the decision to bring the Exchange to a close started late last year. The Exchange once ran a popular tea room restaurant in the building, but in 1999 decided to lease the space to other operators. Yet none of them had the staying power of the original restaurant.

Known for its veteran waitress, chicken salad, deviled eggs and tomato aspic, the restaurant was a popular lunch spot for downtown office workers (including employees of the Catholic Center) and movers and shakers such as Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski for years. Actresses Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell even shared a scene there in the 1993 movie “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Hope said the rich history of the Women’s Industrial Exchange will live on with donations to the Maryland Historical Society and under Marian House’s stewardship. The building will now be called “Marian House at the Women’s Exchange.”

“They want to keep the mission safe,” Hope said. “They get it.”

Email Tim Swift at tswift@CatholicReview.org

 

Copyright ©2020 Catholic Review Media.

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Tim Swift

Tim Swift is a former social media coordinator for the Catholic Review and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Covering everything from pop culture to politics to religion to errant alligators, Tim has worked as a reporter and editor for The Baltimore Sun, BBC News and Local 10 News in South Florida. A native of Philadelphia, Tim grew up attending Catholic schools and got his start in journalism as the editor of The Prelate, Cardinal Dougherty High School's student newspaper. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State. After a few years away, Tim is glad to be back in his adopted hometown of Baltimore.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’
  • Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Farewell and thank you
  • Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

| Latest Local News |

Baltimore food support programs feel pinch after federal assistance benefits end

Oblate Sisters celebrate 10th anniversary of transfer of Mother Lange’s remains

RADIO INTERVIEW: The Vatican Code

| Latest World News |

Pope: Quick change of course necessary to beat climate change

Pope asks Catholics to welcome everyone, create communion

Act of reparation performed on altar of St. Peter’s Basilica

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Pope: Quick change of course necessary to beat climate change
  • Baltimore food support programs feel pinch after federal assistance benefits end
  • Oblate Sisters celebrate 10th anniversary of transfer of Mother Lange’s remains
  • Pope asks Catholics to welcome everyone, create communion
  • Act of reparation performed on altar of St. Peter’s Basilica
  • Pope prays for Indian train crash victims during Angelus
  • RADIO INTERVIEW: The Vatican Code
  • Ukrainian religious scholars provide advice to British experts collecting evidence of Russian crimes for trial in The Hague
  • Defending Henry VIII: Thomas More did it 500 years ago, against Martin Luther

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED