HEALTH + COMMUNITY CENTER

Founded in 2000, Native American Lifelines (NAL) has served Baltimore’s urban indigenous population for over two decades, providing critical health services from facilities that were never designed to support their holistic approach to wellbeing.

Now, with support from a competitive Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) Historic Revitalization Tax Credit award, NAL is embarking on a transformative preservation project: the adaptive reuse of a circa-1890 Greek Revival townhome in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Historic District. The historic Chase Street building, which originally served as a single-family residence with a doctor’s office and later as an Odd Fellows lodge headquarters, will be carefully rehabilitated into a purpose-built facility integrating healthcare services with spaces for cultural practices, community gatherings, and intergenerational learning.

NAL leadership and Twopoint Studio’s design centers around celebrating Indigenous cultural heritage while honoring the building’s historic character. The program supports health services (dental care, counseling, case management, and a medicine garden), community spaces (teaching kitchen, rooftop garden, gathering and ceremony rooms, fitness areas, and an outdoor courtyard), and Indigenous artwork throughout.