Marylanders looking to get their caffeine fix, you’re in luck! We’ve put together this list of coffee shops in historic buildings throughout the state. Each of these stores artfully integrates the character of their historic buildings into their cafes, offering examples of some of the many ways buildings can be repurposed, adapted, and reused.
ARTIFACT COFFEE
HAMPDEN, BALTIMORE CITY
Druid Mill in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore City was once the largest producer of cotton duck in the world! That fabric was used for everything from tents and sails, and later sneakers. And after 50 years in fabrics and a name change to Union Mill, the complex was converted into a sustainable mix of residences and offices – and located in what was the boiler room, Artifact Coffee. The restoration and renovation maintained the industrial atmosphere of the mill, and the coffee shop interior features exposed stone walls, wood beams, and a concrete slab counter.
RISE UP COFFEE
EASTON, TALBOT COUNTY
Founded in 2005, Rise Up Coffee is a Maryland favorite with five locations across the Eastern Shore. Their Easton location is housed in a repurposed 1920s Amoco gas station on Dover Road and evokes the history of locally owned and operated oil companies with a roadside feel and a patio under the porte-cochère. This Easton location serves as the roastery for their other shops and their distributed and mail-order products. Rise Up has several cool locations across Maryland, check out their website for a spot near you.
FREDERICK COFFEE COMPANY
FREDERICK, FREDERICK COUNTY
Before hosting the Frederick Coffee Company for over 25 years, this corner building at the corner in downtown Frederick had an array of past lives. Originally built in the 1950s as a Sinclair gas station, it was also Frederick’s very first video rental store. The terracotta tile that embellishes the front is a holdout from when the building was a southwestern furniture store, and it was even a biker hang out for a short period of time.
VIGILANTE COFFEE COMPANY
HYATTSVILLE, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
Vigilante Coffee Company opened its doors three years ago, in the heart of Hyattsville in what used to be the City’s first Ford Model T showroom. Using available incentives, like the Commercial Facade Improvement program, the company maintained and enhanced the historic features of the exterior. The open showroom plan provides for a large interior space perfect for a coffee shop. Vigilante has a variety of events and is located nearby the Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center and the Maryland Milestones Heritage Center.
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This post was written by Maggie Pelta-Pauls, a Waxter Intern with Preservation Maryland. A graduate of The College of William and Mary, Maggie is primed to research and write about Maryland history – especially culinary history. Learn more about Maggie and our The Waxter Memorial Internship program here: presmd.org/waxter.