Waterfront Hotel

They’d tell you about when this building was built as a private residence in 1771, and the location of the loose brick behind which owner Thomas Long hid cigars from his disapproving wife…Or when the building was converted to a hotel in 1781 by Irishman Cumberland Dugan, who originated the tradition of leaving an open clam on the pillow of each guest.Or the dark and stormy night E. A. Poe stopped in for a root beer float…And the breaking dawn in 1863 that found visiting Civil War troops singing “Maryland, My Maryland” and shooting stale biscuits over the harbor.And the day in 1921 Pinkerton Detective and future Maltese Falcon author Dashiell Hammett ordered a hard-boiled egg.Most certainly they would tell you about the time legendary beauty Wallis Simpson taught King Edward VIII how to dance the Cincinnati Two Step.Or the day the Colts offensive line came in, discovered we were out of our world famous crab dip and began to play catch with the prep cook.And the night a traveling fiddle salesman taught the entire bar how to play “Sweet Georgia Brown” on 26 used violins, thus launching the Waterfront’s long tradition of rousing live entertainment every night of the week.Or the time a would be hold up man walked into a filming of “Homicide, Life on the Street” and immediately gave himself up.Yes, tradition runs deep here and today the Waterfront remains a Fells Point staple; a lively den of mermaid tales, salty jokes, delicious grub and cold pints – all for a reasonable pocket of coin.