The Mount Royal Improvement Association exists in a Baltimore City area bounded by Druid Hill Park, Eutaw Place, Dolphin Street and Mount Royal Avenue. It was organized and incorporated in 1928 by residents to keep the neighborhood from declining in value. The stated objectives of the MRIA were to maintain and improve the appearance and values of neighborhood properties.

The bulk of the MRIA collection pertains to the involvement of the MRIA with the projects and policies of the Baltimore Urban Renewal and Housing Agency (BURHA), a city agency. During the 1960s, BURHA had included the Mount Royal District within the designated Mount Royal-Fremont Urban Renewal Area. The MRIA became concerned BURHA projects dor the area, including the development of a shopping area, apartment projects, expressway construction, park development, urban beautification, housing inspection, and zoning.

The MRIA also became involved with locally established institutions, including the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Lyric Theatre, and area churches. More recently, the MRIA has restricted the scope of its activities to a subset of the Mount Royal District, Bolton Hill, which is a national historical preservation area.