A Piece of Fells Point History

As some if you may have noticed, our little shop sports the Art Deco remnants of the store that came before us, Buck Appliance Co. The cream colored ceramic tiles call back to a time in the city’s history that has since fallen to the wayside, and today we thought to put a spotlight on the stores original owner, Milton Buck, and his impact on the Fells Point community.
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Around 1940, Milton Buck, born and raised in Highlandtown and a ‘solid friend’ of the then growing Polish community in the area, opened his appliance shop and immediately used his position to help those in need. Fluent in both English and Polish, Milton for decades “quietly gave families fresh from Poland their first break and helped guide them through the maze of bureaucracy to become citizens” (Baltimore Sun, 2001). From giving new immigrants furniture on credit and telling them “pay me when you get a job”, to helping start the radio show “Echoes of Poland” to sponsoring the “Evening Polka Show” from 1969-1978, Buck had become a staple of the community.

“In most stores, you can go in and out in a short time, but when you walked in his store…you would leave two hours later,” said Frank Bittner, a longtime friend of Mr.Buck, “he was a philosopher, a kind and wise man who could talk about everything” (Baltimore Sun, 2001).

Additionally, and our favorite fact, Milton was an avid gardener, growing fruit trees and a garden at his home in the county.

Today we hope to honor Milton’s legacy in the Fells Point community, and work with our neighbors to lift up and grow together. As we work with the city in restoring the sign to its original glory, come stop in for a few minutes or a few hours and soak in the history we are working to restore.