On December 22, 1788 the Maryland General Assembly ratified the United States Constitution.  A great celebration followed and a famous naval hero of the revolution, Joshua Barney, paraded through the streets with a 15' miniature full rigged ship that he had built for the occasion.  The small ship was named Federalist and following the parade was launched into Baltimore Harbor on the southwest side.  Since that day the location has been known as Federal Hill.

In April of 1797 a tall Flagstaff and observatory were erected on the site to take advantage of the prime location for observing and signaling incoming ships.  During the Civil War Federal Hill became a strategic military location for the defense of Baltimore by the Union army and a Fort was constructed on it, known as Fort Federal Hill, which surrounded the observatory.  The Fort was removed around 1885 when the property was condemned by the City of Baltimore for the construction of a public park.  Many other changes were made, however, the signal station remained active for over 100 years until the telephone came into use around 1899.  It remained a landmark of Federal Hill until 1902 when it was destroyed by a severe storm.

The Pride of Baltimore was constructed in 1977 and was a common sight for eight years in both the Chesapeake bay and in other ports of the United States which she often visited.  On May 14, 1986, while returning from a European tour, the Pride of Baltimore sank during a severe squall in 12,000 feet of water 300 miles north of Puerto Rico.

The 136' Pride of Baltimore was an authentic representation of the original Baltimore Clippers that were made famous by American privateers, such as Thomas Boyle and his famous Chasseur, during the early part of the 1800's and the war of 1812.  As a true replica, her construction followed shipbuilding practice of the period and shipbuilding design in the early 1800s and did not incorporate the modern design and safety innovations required today by the United States Coast Guard for certification to carry passengers.  These include watertight bulkheads, which the Pride of Baltimore did not have since her interior structure also replicated the shipbuilding customs of the early 1800s.  It was the absence of these bulkheads that was considered one of the contributing factors in the her sinking.