Agora was founded in 1979 and made its first home in Baltimore at 824 East Baltimore Street. Bill Bonner purchased the building there in cooperation with Baltimore’s active revitalization effort for the areas around the Inner Harbor.

In 1994, Agora made the move to historic Mount Vernon at 14 West Mount Vernon Place. Adding to the “campus” nearly every year since, Agora’s companies now occupy 7 buildings in the Mount Vernon area and is always on the lookout for a new gem.

It is no accident that Agora’s companies are housed in a collection of stately 19th century Baltimore mansions. These buildings represent, in architecture, what Agora's companies try to achieve in publishing — applying more than 2,000 years of evolved wisdom to the current situation. Wealthy Baltimore entrepreneurs of the last century roamed the world in search of architectural opportunity. What they brought back with them were the best architectural designs of the day...those that had their roots in ancient Greece and had been improved and elaborated over many centuries. Naturally, they wanted these designs in their own homes.

Agora’s companies are pleased to be able to help maintain these treasures and keep this neighborhood vigorous and full of young people, new ideas and lively commerce.

Agora has also adopted the “Boy on the Turtle’ fountain on the square in front of 14 W. Mt. Vernon Place as part of a national effort to preserve outdoor statuary. Agora’s companies are active with the Mt. Vernon Belvedere Association and take every opportunity to champion the cause of historic preservation in Baltimore.

Throughout the years, Bill Bonner and Agora have received many preservation awards. The most recent in 2006 for the restoration of the Winans Mansion at 1217 St. Paul Street.