In 2020 and early 2021, the Peale participated in the Lexington Market Public History Initiative in an effort to collect stories and memories about the world-famous Lexington Market as the market itself prepared for a redesign and reopening. The initiative’s core partners were Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, Lexington Market, Inc., Market Center Community Development Corporation, Seawall, and the Peale, and the work was partially enabled by a Pathways Grant from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. The Lexington Market Public History Initiative was financed in part by the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s Thomas V. “Mike” Miller History Fund. This story was recorded by Adam Droneburg, Dan Goodrich, Nicole King and others of the Baltimore Sound Society for an earlier project.

Minus (00:05): I'm Minus [Hovalwas 00:00:06], owner of the stall of the Berger's Cookies in Lexington Market. I came from Greece in 1974; in 1975, my cousin have the place and I take over and from since then I'm here. Berger's is a long time around Baltimore in Maryland. And I have 40 years here in America. There been a lot of changes, but if I have the job and work in that way so many years, I'm not going to change. I'm going to work in the same way and serve in the same way. The products and the cookies still the same taste and the same production. I used to have another stall on Belvedere Market now is different people there. But like I say, I used to be, I have my brother-in-law running and he finish the school, and he get a good job, not working like us, hard and he decide to close, [inaudible 00:01:16] keep it only here, because the Lexington Market is like a museum, there's not any other place.

Minus: Is something you go to see, they have a history for so many years. They have, still now, I have 40 years here at the market that you can see people so long stay and working here. And we work on many part of the countries just to take a look or to taste the food and everything. All the people have to feel free to come, just to visit, just to taste. And if they like it, people continue to come and come and come. But I think they have a lot of the good places, a lot of good food and different... You can see different, from different countries, so you can taste from Europe, from South America, everywhere. We have something you can see.

Speaker 2 (02:15): Our next stop on the tour is Faidley's Seafood. If you're facing Berger's Bakery from the way you came, Faidley's is on the far wall of the market by Paca street. Take the path up between Berger's and the Pure Shea Store and it will dead end at Faidley's, you can't miss it.

Asset ID: 9153

Photo of Lexington Market, ca. 1903, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print