When the working class, long-time residents within the Bentalou/Smallwood neighborhood began to notice the erosion of their close-knit community, they met to determine what could be done to stem the tide. The residents initially met in 1988 at ABC Park, then briefly at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, and finally moved to the Samuel F. B. Morse Recreation Center where they continue to meet today.

The first priorities of the early meetings were to maintain the stability of the community and focus on education. Houses were not being properly maintained, there was an increase in the careless disposal of refuse by residents. Provision of City services appeared to be inadequate. An influx of transient tenants and the “crack” cocaine explosion within Baltimore City occurred during this time. Residents were alarmed by the devastating effect of the narcotic, witnessed only a few blocks away within the Boyd Booth community and its spread below Pratt Street.

The Carrollton Ridge Community Association was incorporated April 27, 1989. Its elected officers were: Michael (Mike) L. Keeney (President), Erwin Rubin (Vice President and Treasurer), and Margaret Proctor (Secretary).

Despite the association's determined efforts to unite the community, that year a severe racial incident involving an African American female resident in the 2000 block of Ashton Street sparked a much needed response from City officials. At that time, there were probably no more than 4 or 5 African Americans living within the community. Pete Pakas, assistant to Mayor Kurt Schmoke visited with members of the Association and toured the community. A commitment was made to work with the Association to address the many needs of the community. Department heads from several City agencies, including Mayor Schmoke, attended an association meeting of 150 residents. Several community cleanups were scheduled, pitch-in dumpsters, free passes to the dump and supplies were provided. There was a noted increase in police presence targeting nuisance crimes, to include unruly under-aged teenaged drinkers on corners.

Association President Mike Keeney saw the necessity of working in partnership with surrounding community groups and businesses to battle the common enemies that threatened the viability of the community. Keeney joined the board of Communities Organized to Improve Life (COIL) as a representative of the Carrollton Ridge Community Association. This involvement with COIL lead to alliances that included Bon Secours Hospital's community outreach, the Boyd Booth Improvement Association, Fayette Street Outreach, New Southwest Community Association and others.

Through COIL, Keeney was approached by the late Adell Redden, president of the besieged Boyd Booth Community, about the troubles her neighborhood was experiencing. Boyd Booth was faced with armed drug dealers infiltrating their association meetings and threatening neighbors about access to their own community streets. Carrollton Ridge committed to joining her organized neighborhood marches to take back the corners.

Keeney also developed an important friendship with George Kleb (Bon Secours Hospital), and Carrollton Ridge was offered the ability to work along with other community groups to plan and strategize to mutual benefit. When Bon Secours built their new Dialysis Unit, community-recommended workers were hired. As Bon Secours' community task force evolved, more community groups became involved and exercised leadership roles. This conglomerate of associations and Bon Secours eventually became OROSW (Operation Reachout Southwest).

The second association president was Cynthia Tensley. Other elected officers included: Constance Fowler (Vice President), Naomi Morris (Secretary), and Bill Englund (Treasurer). In her second year as president, Tensley resigned from her full time job and took part time night employment to free up her time to continue the fight to build resources within the community. A community office building was established on the first floor of 341 South Payson Street. This was made possible through the generousity of Baltimore American Savings Bank President, Richard Krause (Baltimore Annapolis Road branch), who provided the faciltiy rent free. Shortly thereafter, a community policing sub-station was established at the location for both the Southwestern and Southern Police Districts with the support of Commanders Gary Lembach and Kathleen Patek respectively.

The Association developed close ties with the Community Law Center and CPHA (Citizens Planning and Housing Association), which provided essential training and support, as well as continued its active involvement with OROSW and City government. Residents volunteered to paticipate in their community Citizens on Patrol program, and members of the Housing and Sanitation committees, led by Vice President Connie Fowler, toured the neighborhood to identify and warn neighbors of housing and sanitation violations. City Housing Inspectors and Sanitation Enforcement officers worked closely with members of the community to address the problems.

The Carrollton Ridge Communicator was developed to inform and educate residents on resources, criminal activity, accomplishments etc. A court watch program was established to monitor and impact proceedings involving drug related activity within the community. Court Watch committee members drafted Community Impact statements with assistance from the Community Law Center and C.P.H.A., Inc. and then presented them to the judges and attorneys at trial. Slum landlords were targeted and their tenant-victims idenified and supported in rent court by members of the Association and C.P.H.A., Inc.

Inspired by an initiative of former Police Commissioner, Thomas Frasier, a community-based recreation for youth program was developed. Carrollton Ridge instituted a summer weekly street skate on the grounds of the recreation center, providing free usage of skates and music for resident youth, an outdoor movie night, and a free bi-monthly tent camping experience at Patapsco State Park. A children's garden was established on a vacant lot in the 1900 block of Ramsay Street and maintained by resident youth involved in the Kids Grow program through the Samuel F. B. Morse Recreation Center under the direction of Cookie Wright. Several grants were written to underwrite expense.

Spearheaded by the Association, a brief coaltion of several of the community churches was formed that met on a regular basis to plan joint ministries within the community. Architectural plans for a housing development project were drafted and presented to the City's Housing Commissioner Daniel P. Henson III. Unfortunately, those plans have not yet come to fruition. The idea to initiate a change to Wilkens Avenue came almost by "accident". While Cynthia Tensley was picking up donated windows to be used for the building a plant "hot box", an elderly female resident mentioned the former beauty of Wilkens Avenue with its statues and flowers. After a converstation with City Planner Chris Ryer about making changes (there had already been several pedestrian deaths on Wilkens), he suggested that Anne Ames, President of New Southwest Community Association, be contacted. She was in the midst of making plans centered around the World War I Memorial in her community. The suggestion was made to develop a plan with New Southwest and Mill Hill for Wilkens Avenue. The three community association presidents met to begin a strategy with the new planner, Zachery Holl.

Longtime resident Constance Fowler became the third elected president. Members of her first cabinet included: Cookie Wright (Vice President), Robin Engle (Treasurer), and Naoma Kipp (Secretary). Her first major order of business concerned the elementary school within the neighorhood. At the time, children in the community were split between Samuel F. B. Morse Elementary and Bentalou Elementary schools. Children from the communities surrounding both schools were integrated into the two schools to insure desegregation. Since Carrollton Ridge was now a thoroughly integrated community, this was no longer necessary. Through the combined efforts of Ms. Fowler and concerned parents, Samuel F. B. Morse Elementary once again became a community school.

Ms. Fowler, along with the Anne Ames (New Southwest Association) and Carol Rimkivicius (Mill Hill Improvement Association) saw the design of the revitalization of Wikens Avenue to fruition. The first leg of the renovation began at the Gilmor and Wilkens/Ramsay intersection and extended to Fulton Avenue. The next leg was to have begun in 2004 from Fulton through the boundaries of Carrollton Ridge. Lack of city funding brought the project to a temporary halt. In yet another collaborative effort with the Mill Hill Improvement Association, Baltimore City Parks and Recreation and the Community Design Center, the field house at the ABC Park was repainted (the design was dedicated to a child that was murdered by a stray bullet on Bentalou Street), landscaping and new playground equipment were added.

Under the leadership of Constance (Connie) Fowler, Carrollton Ridge obtained its 501C3 tax-exept status. Several grants were written to support the work of the community association, including a grant from the Baltimore City Police Department for the design and installation of the "Welcome To Carrollton Ridge" sign located on the community adopted lot at South Bentalou and West Pratt Streets. Another grant provided for the boarding up of 20 abandoned houses and the installation of a gate in the 2200 block of Christian Street to discourage drug dealing and trash dumping in the alley.

Her active involvement with OROSW has led to her becoming its current president. One major accomplishment through involvement with OROSW has been the establishment of a check cashing/credit union partnership at Westside Shopping Center to replace the void left by the departure of Signature Bank.

Closely working with Baltimore City Housing Inspections has resulted in citations to negligent property owners and renters as well as the demolition of several vacant houses. Many of the vacant lots that resulted from the demolitions were landscaped with trees and grass. Ms. Connie has scheduled monthly "pitchin" dumpsters through the Department of Public Works and has particated in the Mayor's Super Spring Sweeps since its inception.

Carrollton Ridge saw a marked decrease in crime during its participation in the Governor's Hot Spot program. Her continued involvement with the Southern and Southwestern Police Departments plays a large part in helping to maintain the community. Ms. Fowler was honored by Mayor Martin O'Malley in 2004 for her volunteer efforts in the community.