Gittings family

The Gittings family were once wealthy, powerful and prominent in Baltimore, Maryland from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. At one time in the late 19th century they were described as the largest real estate holders in the city, and the largest single taxpayer in the city. The Gittings, known as devout Christians and politically conservative bankers, were also elected politicians, heads of railroads, foreign diplomats, city commissioners, and in one case, an important gay rights activist. They were plantation slave owners during the first few generations, and John Sterett Gittings (1798–1879) was a southern cause sympathizer during the war. One of their farms in Baltimore City became the neighborhood of Ashburton, today the home of many prominent black professionals and politicians.