Dear Overlea Neighbors,

Autumn is upon us, and with it comes an invitation: please join us for our Community Association Meeting on Tuesday, October 13th.

We’re pleased to welcome Johnathan Smeltzer of Baltimore County Workforce Development as our guest speaker. He’ll highlight programs supporting business loans, job training, and job search assistance — valuable resources for residents and local businesses alike.

We’re also delighted to recognize Carol Stover for her contributions to our community through Overlea ArtsFest. Thank you, Carol, for bringing creativity and neighbors together year after year.

The arts remain a renewed focus for our association and the county. Look for ongoing developments in our mural project, asphalt art, and neighborhood ID initiative — and ways you can get involved.

Finally, our Community Tree Lighting returns on December 12th, and volunteers make it happen. If you’d like to help, sign up at the October meeting.

Thank you for your continued support. I hope to see you on October 13th.

With gratitude,
Martin Nibali
President, Overlea Community Association

How it Started

In 1858, Margaret Fuller, a widow, brought her six children from Ohio and purchased 43 acres and a tract called Sophie’s Garden Regulated, adjacent to Taylor Avenue and Belair Road.* The Lassahn family, as well as other early families in Fullerton, played significant roles in the business and community development of the area. The first post office and general store opened in 1885. Fullerton School started in 1886 in a one room log house. In 1890, it was replaced with a frame school house built on land purchased from the Lassahn family.

Overlea was rural, made up mainly of farmland. Real estate men recognized that the high-lying farmland would make excellent home sites and persuaded the United Railways to extend the Belair Road carline. Belair Road was unpaved in 1902, and the single track carline only ran four times a day, ending at Kenwood Avenue.

The introduction of the trolley service created interest in the location and cottages started springing up. Lange’s Farm was the first name for the area, but the name was changed to Overlea which means “over the meadow.” Apparently from the elevation of the land along the 6800 and 6900 blocks of Belair Road some residents said they could see the bay from their attic windows on a clear day.

In 1910 Cherry Heights was the first housing development in the county intended for African American homeowners. Also that year, Overlea saw its first drug store open and the Overlea Methodist Church was founded when a group of forty people met at the mansion of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Everett to establish a Sunday School in Overlea. In 1910, a grocery store/Town Hall opened on the northwest corner of Belair Road and Overlea Avenue, which is currently the site of the Maryland Natural History Society.

In 1913, the Women’s Suffrage Movement stopped in Overlea during the march from New York to Washington, DC. They held a meeting at the Town Hall, but most residents were not sympathetic to their cause. The suffragettes stayed in the homes of local residents and the meeting won some supporters. Also that year, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church held its first service in the Town Hall.

In 1919, part of Overlea was annexed by the city. The bi-section of Overlea with the city-county line made it a community under two flags, governmentally speaking. The resulting city-county line bisects 29 parcels of land in the neighborhood, sometimes in curious ways.

The Overlea Improvement League worked to have Belair Road widened to eighty feet with streetcar tracks in the middle and to have a sewage system installed. By
1926, Overlea had all the city conveniences- electricity, gas and water.

* Excerpts from “A (very) Concise History of Overlea” by John Stewart. John grew up on Beech Avenue and passed in 2017.

Read more on the History page.

Overlea Roots

Many Overlea families have deep roots. I can think of at least six families that have been in Overlea for multiple generations. I represent one of those families.

Then and Now

My parents bought their home in Overlea back in 1991. They thought it would be their starter house, and 35 years later they still call it home. It is where my five siblings and I were raised and ran the streets. When we got married, my husband Jason and I started off in Parkville, and after 6 years, we had the opportunity to move back home to Overlea. And not just back to the neighborhood, but into the home right next door to my parents. In fact, we had a duplex with us on the one side and my family on the other. It is where we raised our five children – hopping back and forth over the dividing porch wall to get to and from their grandparents. We quickly recognized that as the kids got older and bigger, our 1,200 square foot, three bedroom, one bathroom house was not going to fit these growing kids much longer. We also knew that we did not want to leave my family, the Overlea Farmers Market, nor our neighbors who make up much of our “village”. So when a much larger house with a much larger yard went on the market last summer, we jumped at the opportunity to continue raising our family only a block and a half away from our previous home.

Village Activities

How does a family of seven fill their time in Overlea? Well, I homeschool our five kids alongside other families in our neighborhood and keep our house from falling down around us. In my spare time, I run the Overlea Farmers Market (3 years now!) and organize grants for the community association. Jason and the kids can often be found walking around our neighborhood collecting a group of friends like the pied piper. Our children run from yard to yard finding friends to play soccer or football with on the church field behind our house. Now that the older two appreciate spending money, they have found jobs caring for dogs and mowing lawns for our neighbors. On a market Saturday, you are sure to find all of us bopping around the market lot, some working and some visiting with vendors and carrying on with friends. Familiarity is what brought us back to Overlea 11+ years ago, but it is the people in the community that keep us here.

Maryland Museum of Natural Sciences

6908 Belair Road

On Sunday, November 29, the Maryland Museum of Natural Sciences becomes a one-day-only holiday marketplace filled with minerals, fossils, crystals, shark teeth, Beanie Babyland, and our beloved Big Book Sale packed with great used natural-history books.

This is budget-friendly holiday shopping that supports the museum, strengthens community programs, and delivers gifts that spark awe and wonder, including authentic dinosaur poop.

Hours: MMNS Members: 9am early access
General Public: 10am–3pm
Free admission | Free parking

Come shop with purpose, discover something extraordinary, and take home gifts you won’t find anywhere else. https://www.marylandnature.org

If I May Philosophize

Can you be passionate about something without ego getting in the way? As I enter my third year as president of the OCA, the bylaws dictate that it must be my last. There are vacancies on the Overlea Community board that need to be filled in the short term, but the long term health of the association, the farmer’s market, our pocket park and neighborhood improvement projects require a long term vision as well.

I have been involved in community volunteerism and leadership for some time. I get such a great feeling out of working with my neighbors. Getting to know each others’ families. Achieving a collective goal like the Woodland Gardens on Beech, or fighting against a 7-11 on the corner of Fullerton Ave feels great. One thing I admit to not being very good at is transition planning. When I was Scoutmaster for Troop 16 I struggled to understand how to find the next person up in an all volunteer organization.

The initial sense of impending doom, that the walls will fall down if I am not here to hold them, is exactly that ego part I’m philosophizing about at the top. Have you ever left a job and thought, “This place will collapse without me”? Well, it didn’t, did it?

It Takes a Community

The Overlea Community Association is larger than one person. In fact, the real power comes from a fleet of volunteers who show up to pull ivy, or set up tents, or make hot chocolate.

I have learned that the best way to find the next right person to lead is to ask. I’ve also learned from working alongside people in Overlea is that I can trust you. That is the voice I am listening to.

The Overlea Community Association persists as a testament to the power of volunteerism and collective spirit. As the current president (that’s me) prepares to pass the torch, the Association seeks nominations for Vice President and Secretary.

The OCA thrives on the dedication of volunteers who breathe life into the farmers market, community events, and cleaning and greening initiatives. These are not mere activities; they are the threads that weave the tapestry of our community together, fostering connections and nurturing growth.

Maintaining 501c (4) nonprofit status is vital, as it opens doors to grants that fund these initiatives. The roles of Vice President and Secretary are important in upholding the mission. This invitation is being extended to bring your unique expertise and community commitment to this collective cause.

Get in Touch

Interested individuals are encouraged to share availability and the areas where they wish to make an impact. Together, the goal is to continue cultivating an Overlea where every voice is heard, and every effort counts.

The Overlea Community Association should be a reflection of the people who live in our neighborhood. If you hear a little voice in your head energized by an opportunity for service like this, reach out. It’s not scary, I promise. Call me. 410-302-4342 or drop a message on the site.

Martin Nibali,
President

Big Renovations in Overlea

Haven Coworking, which launched its first location in Towson in early 2024, is proud to open its second location at 6809 Belair Road following a multi-year renovation. The new facility offers flexible shared office spaces, meeting room rentals, and premier event spaces. Most notably, the renovation breathes new life into a space neighbors will fondly remember as “The Overlea Event Center.” The revitalized ballroom can host up to 230 guests and features an adjacent outdoor patio for seamless indoor-outdoor events.

Who is Behind It

Founded by lifelong friends and Ellicott City natives Austin Carroll and Will Bowman, as well as business partner Ramin Ziaee. Haven Coworking chose Overlea for its exceptional accessibility, seamlessly bridging Baltimore City and County for residents across the Northeast metro area. The building itself was the catalyst for opening in Overlea. This multimillion-dollar investment in Overlea offers immense potential for fantastic workspaces throughout, including an abundance of light-filled, high-ceiling offices, a large event hall with a rear patio, and tons of free parking!

What Next

The Haven Coworking team is thrilled to join the Overlea community and to reimagine a building that has long been a pillar of the neighborhood. A grand opening and official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be announced soon.

They will be open mid July for members, with coworking memberships starting at $125 a month, and private month to month offices starting as low as $500 per month as well as multiple event spaces that can accommodate up to 250 people! They’re looking forward to being a hub of entrepreneurial spirit in Overlea!

Text/Call 410-339-8269 or email hello@havenspace.com for a free day pass or 10% off your first event rental! Visit havenspace.com for more information

It’s Official

The biggest news to come out of this year’s legislative session in Annapolis is right here in Overlea’s backyard. The Natural History Society of Maryland has been formally named and designated as the official Maryland Museum of Natural Sciences.

This designation allows the museum to operate on the same level as other state museums, provides the bona fides needed to accept additional artifacts and specimens, strengthens fundraising efforts, and elevates the institution’s identity statewide.This milestone has been nearly a century in the making—the goal since its founding in 1929.

With a new exterior and a new name, only one major hurdle remains: finishing the new exhibit. Staff and volunteers have been working overtime to build out The Making of Maryland: 1 Billion Years and Counting, which will be joined by the new Inside the Cage Shark Education Station and Maryland’s moon rocks, gifted by President Nixon.

Key Dates

• Opening Day — August 1
• Shark Fest — August 30
• Naming Designation — October 1

Public open hours at the museum starts – August 1st

Hours: Wednesday 12-6pm, Thursday thru Saturday 10-4pm

For me, moving to Overlea wasn’t just finding a new place to live—it was a true homecoming. My grandparents originally lived nearby in Arcadia, so returning to this area feels like coming full circle. Before settling down here, my journey took me quite far from home; I’ve had the wonderful fortune of living in and visiting 45 countries around the globe. But after years of exploring the world, there is nowhere I’d rather be raising my family than right here in Overlea. One of the most incredible things about living here is that we didn’t have to leave our love for global cultures behind. We quickly discovered a wonderfully diverse community right on our streets, surrounded by neighbors from all over the world. It’s a gift to live in a neighborhood where different backgrounds and stories blend together, making our community a vibrant, welcoming tapestry where everyone belongs.

As a busy mom of five girls—and in my day job as the Executive Director for Telehealth at Johns Hopkins Medicine—life is always moving fast. However, Overlea has provided us with the perfect spaces to slow down, connect, and thrive. Our street is incredibly tight-knit; we truly watch out for one another, share fresh produce from our gardens, and our kids play together in a big, happy pack. We’ve found our people and built deep roots through so many local corners of our community, whether we are getting our morning coffee at Zeke’s, grabbing a weekend treat at Diablo Donuts, or tapping into our creative side crafting at Aunt Hazel Whichcraft. And sunny days are spent making memories at the Hillcrest Swim Club. At home, the girls and I run Five Sisters Farm, where we produce local raw honey, elderberry syrup, and passion fruit, connecting us deeply to the local bee-keeping community and our fellow local farms. Getting involved with our community association board and running the children’s booth at the Overlea Farmers Market has shown us just how dedicated and passionate our neighbors are, and our family is incredibly grateful to call Overlea home.

Dear Neighbors,

As the last vestiges of winter grudgingly retreat, we find ourselves on the cusp of another vibrant season. The promise of warmer days isn’t just about shedding layers; it’s about rekindling connections and remembering that, despite our individual quirks, we’re all part of this vibrant Overlea community.

With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner, there’s a renewed energy in the air. We’re particularly excited for the return of our beloved Farmers Market, kicking off its season in June. Get ready for fresh produce, local crafts, and perhaps even a friendly chat or two.

Beyond the market, we’ll have various opportunities for those inclined to lend a hand. Whether it’s sprucing up our local park or helping with an event, your efforts genuinely make a difference. It’s a chance to contribute, connect, and maybe even enjoy the sunshine before it gets too hot.

Let’s embrace the season with a healthy dose of community spirit and a dash of good humor. Looking forward to seeing you around.

With gratitude,

Martin Nibali,
President, Overlea Community Association

Sherwin-Williams, located at 7927 Belair Rd, Baltimore, MD, 21236 (410-665-5222) will accept latex and oil-based house paint, stains and varnish in containers (maximum 5 gallons in size.) This site does not accept aerosols products, containers without original labels, or containers that are leaking. Call ahead for hours and to confirm your paint drop off.