/items/browse/hsbakery.com/about-us/page/11?output=atom <![CDATA[Explore 91Ƶ]]> 2025-03-15T22:03:54-04:00 Omeka /items/show/343 <![CDATA[Astor Theater]]> 2019-06-06T10:10:51-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

Astor Theater

Subject

Entertainment

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

Designed by prolific theater architect Frederick E. Beall, the Astor Theatre originally began in 1913 as the Astor Theater. The fast-growing around Poplar Grove Street evidently packed the 200-seat theater and, by December 1921, the owners decided to expand the building. After a major renovation converting the building to a Spanish design by architect J.F. Dusman, the theater reopened as the Astor Theater on November 14, 1927.

The movie house was equipped with a Kimball organ and, in 1929, the owners added Vitaphone & Movietone sound systems. Plans in 1930 to enlarge the theater to a grand 2,000 seats never moved forward. Unfortunately, the years after World War II proved difficult for many small Baltimore movie theaters. The Astor Theatre closed in the fall of 1953 just a few months after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education sparked a rapid transition in the formerly segregated white neighborhoods surrounding the establishment. In April 1954, the theater reopened under new management seeking to cater to Black audiences but closed the next year.

The former theater was eventually converted to a market. Today, only a careful observer can still find clues showing the building's origins. On Poplar Grove Street, where the original theater entrance is bricked in, there is a small white stone where the word "Astor" is still engraved. On the back is a faded sign with an even older name—Poplar Theatre—reminding today's shoppers of the theater-goers from a century in the past.

Related Resources

Street Address

613 Poplar Grove Street, Baltimore, MD 21216
]]>
/items/show/333 <![CDATA[Hotel Brexton]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Hotel Brexton

Subject

Architecture

Creator

Johns Hopkins

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The Hotel Brexton was built in 1881 for Samuel Wyman, a wealthy Baltimore merchant. The six-story Brexton was built as a residential hotel in the Queen Anne Style, with Baltimore pressed brick and Scotch sandstone. Noted architect Charles Cassell designed the building. Cassell was a founding member of the Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the designer of the Stafford Hotel on Mount Vernon Place, Stewart's Department Store on Howard Street, and the First Church of Christ Scientist on University Parkway.

This beautiful building sat vacant for over two decades before RWN Development (and local architect Donald Kann) completed a top-to-bottom restoration in 2010. The work included replacement of over two hundred windows that had rotted or disappeared and the restoration of the original spiral stair.

The Hotel now has twenty-nine rooms (including a "Wallis Warfield Simpson" suite, named after the hotel's most famous occupant) and is part of the Historic Hotels of America network.

Official Website

Street Address

868 Park Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/332 <![CDATA[Druid Hill Park Superintendent's House]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Druid Hill Park Superintendent's House

Subject

Parks and Landscapes

Creator

Johns Hopkins

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The Superintendent’s House in Druid Hill Park dates to 1872 and was designed by architect George Frederick (who also designed City Hall). It was built using local “Butler Stone” from Baltimore County and has wonderful Gothic decorations including decorative quoins and steep gables.

When the Parks and People Foundation acquired the building in 1995, it was in ruins. Multiple fires had destroyed the roof and almost all of the interior. Trees were even growing through the windows. The first step in the restoration process was to bring in a team of goats to chew through the Amazon-like vegetation so that human beings could actually get to the building.

The restoration was challenged by the decrepit state of the structure and lack of historic plans or records. Nonetheless, the project team did a remarkable job. They replaced stones; created a new roof and supporting structure; and, added back gutters, downspouts, chimneys, and the front porch. They even gave it an historically compatible set of paint colors.

The restored building is part of a new campus for Parks and People. It is helping revive the surrounding Auchentoroly Terrace neighborhood and tie this part of West Baltimore to Druid Hill Park.

Related Resources

Official Website

Street Address

2100 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217
]]>
/items/show/331 <![CDATA[Arch Social Club]]> 2020-10-16T11:32:58-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

Arch Social Club

Creator

Johns Hopkins

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The Arch Social Club at Pennsylvania and North Avenues started its life as Schanze's Theater, a movie house constructed in 1912. After serving time as a Wilson's Restaurant from the 1930s through the 1960s (when the lower facade was covered over), the club bought the building in 1972. Originally located on Arch Street, the club was part of the Victorian-era Reformist Movement that promoted working class men to better themselves through lectures and cerebral recreational pursuits. In 1912, a group of African American Baltimore men founded the Arch Social Club to promote charity, friendship and brotherly love. As many reformist Clubs did, the Arch Social Club grew and evolved into a public house and event hall, uses that continue to this day. In 2013, the club brought back the building's historic façade. The newly restored facade more than sparkles at this key intersection in West Baltimore and stands as a bright reminder of the area’s great heritage and promising future.

Watch our on this site!

Official Website

Street Address

2426 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217
]]>
/items/show/330 <![CDATA[Monumental Life Building]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Monumental Life Building

Subject

Healthcare
Architecture

Creator

Johns Hopkins

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

Beginning in 1928 when it was built and for 84 years afterwards, the Monumental Life Insurance Company occupied what was ubiquitously known as the Monumental Life Building. In 2012, however, Monumental Life consolidated offices downtown and moved out of Mt. Vernon. The current owner, Chase Brexton Health Services, bought the building and in short order launched an extensive rehab project.

The 6-story building at Charles and Chase Streets had undergone numerous renovations to suit evolving needs, with major additions built in 1938, 1957, and 1968. Chase Brexton worked within the historic building envelope to create a health center for patients and staff.

The work included repairing the limestone exterior, even keeping and repairing the signature gold lettering spelling out “MONUMENTAL LIFE.” The ground floor, where the most extensive historic fabric remained, included marble walls and floors, which were restored, and imitation gold leaf ceiling, which was refinished using the original methods. An original wood-paneled 1928 Board Room was fully restored after having been subdivided into offices. The upper floors had been used as utilitarian office spaces and these were retained and transformed to meet the demands of serving as space for a health clinic. Within a short year, the iconic Mount Vernon Building had not only found a new owner, but also found a new life and promises to serve as a great asset for years to come.

Official Website

Street Address

1111 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/329 <![CDATA[Gunther Brewery]]>
The work, which earned state and federal historic tax credits, included restoring the facade of the Romanesque Revival-style brewhouse with its decorative arches, pilasters and an elaborate corbelled cornice. The 1949 Stock House and another smaller brewhouse dating to 1950 were also restored. The complex now encompasses five buildings with 162 apartments and retail space.]]>
2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Gunther Brewery

Subject

Industry
Food & Drink

Description

From brewery to apartments, the reuse of the Gunther brewery complex is remarkable for its scope and quality. The building is in what’s now called, aptly, the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood east of Canton. This area started to populate with German brewers in the early 19th century and by the Civil War, it was awash with beer. After a brief respite during Prohibition, brewing was back and the original Gunther building, built around 1900, was in full swing. But breweries gradually closed in Baltimore and the Gunther was shuttered and left abandoned for many years.

The work, which earned state and federal historic tax credits, included restoring the facade of the Romanesque Revival-style brewhouse with its decorative arches, pilasters and an elaborate corbelled cornice. The 1949 Stock House and another smaller brewhouse dating to 1950 were also restored. The complex now encompasses five buildings with 162 apartments and retail space.

Creator

Johns Hopkins

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

From brewery to apartments, the reuse of the Gunther brewery complex is remarkable for its scope and quality. The building is in what’s now called, aptly, the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood east of Canton. This area started to populate with German brewers in the early nineteenth century and by the Civil War, it was awash with beer. After a brief respite during Prohibition, brewing was back and the original Gunther building, built around 1900, was in full swing. But breweries gradually closed in Baltimore and the Gunther was shuttered and left abandoned for many years.

The work, which earned state and federal historic tax credits, included restoring the facade of the Romanesque Revival-style brewhouse with its decorative arches, pilasters and an elaborate corbelled cornice. The 1949 Stock House and another smaller brewhouse dating to 1950 were also restored. The complex now encompasses five buildings with 162 apartments and retail space.

Official Website

Street Address

1211 S. Conkling Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
]]>
/items/show/327 <![CDATA[Area 405]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Area 405

Subject

Industry
Arts

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

405 East Oliver Street has served as a brewery, a factory, and an upholstery shop. Today, the former factory is home to AREA 405—an arts organization dedicated to showcasing and strengthening the vitality of Baltimore's arts community. This 66,000 square feet warehouse offers unique studio and exhibition space for over 30 artists.

German immigrant Frederick Ludwig established the Albion Brewery in 1848 near Greenmount Avenue—advertised in German as "Albion Brauerei... Belvidere Avenue, nahe Greenmount Avenue, an der alten Belvidere Bruecke." The business sold several times and closed heavily in debt in 1877. Brewer Bernhart Berger picked up the mortgage in 1878 and reopened the business with Frank Molz as brewmaster and modern refrigeration equipment.

In 1904, the C.M. Kemp Company purchased the property adding a four-story brick addition right on top of the original stone brewery. The C.M. Kemp Manufacturing Company made compressed air dryers and shared their space with a wide variety of small businesses. In the 1950s, the building was occupied by Tom-Len—an upholstery and furniture manufacturing firm. In 1970, the Crown Shade Company purchased the building manufacturing thousands of window shades and venetian blinds up until 1989.

In 1989, the Crown Shade Company moved to Rosedale and sold the building to Henry's Shade Company which sold off old stock after Henry's death in 1998. When the group of artists behind Area 405 first toured the building in January 2001, they found it full from floor-to-ceiling with "...defunct machinery, debris, rolls of vinyl, old stock and detritus. Henry's telephones were still ominously blinking with messages, and even with the behemoth stockpile and the chill of vacancy, we knew we had found our home."

In March 2002, 3 Square Feet, LLC purchased the building and has undertaken a monumental renovation project to convert the building into studios. Between 2002 and 2009, they removed 133 industrial-sized dumpsters of debris along with countless tons of cardboard and wood for recycling. Two tractor-trailer loads of vinyl were sent to India to be recycled into roofing material (or possibly super hero figurines—Area 405 is not sure which!) AREA 405 officially opened their doors in February 2003 and has now been a hub of arts activity in Station North for over a decade.

Related Resources

Official Website

Street Address

405 E. Oliver Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
]]>
/items/show/326 <![CDATA[Engine House No. 36]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Engine House No. 36

Subject

Architecture

Description

Built in 1910 of brick with stone trim in Tudor style, Fire Engine House No. 36 celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010. Designed by architects Ellicott & Emmart and built by the Fidelity Construction Co., Engine House No. 36 reflected Baltimore's investment in modern fire-fighting facilities and technology in the aftermath of the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904.

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Charles R. Thomas Fire Station on Edmondson Avenue

Story

Built in 1910 of brick with stone trim in Tudor style, Fire Engine House No. 36 celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010. Designed by architects Ellicott & Emmart and built by the Fidelity Construction Co., Engine House No. 36 reflected Baltimore's investment in modern fire-fighting facilities and technology in the aftermath of the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Ellicott & Emmart worked on a number of public buildings around this same period including Primary School No. 37 (located at E. Biddle St. and N. Patterson Park Ave.) and the Forest Park Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library (1912).

Official Website

, Baltimore City Fire Department

Street Address

2249 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223
]]>
/items/show/324 <![CDATA[Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards

Subject

Sports
Industry

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The iconic Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards is an icon of Baltimore's industrial heritage and a unique example of creativity in historic preservation and adaptive reuse. Construction on the warehouse started in 1899. Architect E. Francis Baldwin likely served as the architect having designed warehouses for the B&O at Locust Point in 1879-80 and at Henderson's Wharf in Fell's Point in 1898. When a five-story addition was completed next to Camden Station in 1905, the narrow fifty-one-foot wide warehouse squeezed into the busy railyard by stretching four full blocks along South Eutaw Street. The company boasted that the facility could hold one thousand carloads of freight at once.

The warehouse remained in use through the 1960s but was largely abandoned by the 1970s, in favor of new single-story facilities. By the 1980s, the structure was threatened with demolition to make way for a new stadium. 91Ƶ and Maryland State Senator Jack Lapides led an effort to fight for the preservation of the warehouse and the rehabilitation of Camden Station. Leadership from the Maryland Stadium Authority responded and, with support from the Baltimore Orioles, architects Helmuth, Obata & Kassabaum and RTKL Associates transformed the vacant warehouse into the star attraction of the new stadium complex.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992 and the ballpark has remained a much-loved landmark ever since. The warehouse is now home to team offices and a private club for the Orioles. In 1993, the building even caught a long ball—a 445-foot shot by Ken Griffey, Jr. on July 12, 1993 during the 1993 All Star Game Home Run Derby—marked with a small bronze plaque matched by those on Eutaw Street for the occasions when a player has hit a ball out of the park.

Factoid

Play ball! Did you know Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992?

Official Website

Street Address

333 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/323 <![CDATA[14 West Hamilton Street Club]]> 2020-05-20T12:21:00-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

14 West Hamilton Street Club

Creator

Robert J. Brugger

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The 14 West Hamilton Street Club, a group of Baltimoreans who enjoy good company, lively conversation, and decent meals, formed in 1925. Young Princeton graduates in the city, eager to continue the traditions of the campus eating club, and several additional members of the venerable Baltimore Club who enjoyed special events with speakers joined forces that year and obtained quarters on this narrow old thoroughfare, which runs for just a few blocks east and west, above Franklin Street and south of Centre, a short distance from Mount Vernon Place. The club grew slowly but confidently. It kept few records and still prides itself on having no officers and as few rules as possible. First occupying a carriage house at 9 West Hamilton Street, then a townhouse at no. 16, the club in 1936 purchased no. 14—the center building of a set of five designed and built by Robert Cary Long, Sr., probably before 1820—and has been there ever since.

The club continues, as originally it did, to draw members from journalism, architecture, medicine, the law, the arts, and scholarship. Founding and early members included, as examples, a juvenile court judge and head of Baltimore social services, Thomas J. S. Waxter; Dr. I. Ridgeway Trimble, a Baltimore native and Johns Hopkins Medical School graduate; the Haverford College star athlete and Harvard-trained member of the Baltimore bar, James Carey III; D. K. Este Fisher, a prominent Baltimore architect; former judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals William L. Henderson; a Cornell University graduate and physician, William F. Rienhoff Jr.; Hamilton Owens, editor of the Evening Sun; the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Sun cartoonist Edmund Duffy and other newspaper editors and writers, among them John W. Owens, Gerald W. Johnson, Frederic C. Nelson, Louis Azrael, William Manchester, and Robin Harriss; the Johns Hopkins research scientist and amateur musician Raymond Pearl; a Peabody concert pianist, Frank Bibb; George Boas, a distinguished Johns Hopkins University philosopher; Sidney Painter, renowned Johns Hopkins medievalist; a University of Maryland Law School dean, Robert H. Freeman; the writer/historian Hulbert Footner; Wilbur H. Hunter, director of the Peale Museum; John Dos Passos and Ogden Nash; and a succession of heads of the Johns Hopkins Medical School—Lewis Weed, Alan M. Chesney, Thomas B. Turner (who celebrated his one-hundredth birthday at the club in 2002), and Philip Bard. Gilbert Chinard, a student of French history and culture at Johns Hopkins, expounded on the delights of French cooking before taking a faculty position at Princeton. The editorial page editor and food critic at the Sunpapers, Philip M. Wagner, established Boordy Vineyards, the first successful vineyard in modern-day Maryland. William W. Woollcott, a free spirit and wit who worked for the family chemical company, once observed, "Here I am, the only businessman in the club, surrounded by parasites." In all, members have shared intellectual curiosity, irreverence, and a devotion to those fine things that deans of liberal arts colleges remind us to cherish—truth, justice, and beauty.

At mid-twentieth century, a Sunpapers columnist and early club member, Francis F. Beirne, published a volume entitled The Amiable Baltimoreans, in which he sketched a portrait of the club. Early in World War II, he reported, a member had explained to a guest that, at Hamilton Street, anyone was entitled to say anything he wanted and talk for as long as he wished, although no one had to listen. The visitor, Lord Lothian, announced that he knew of such a place at home—the House of Lords.

H. H. Walker Lewis, lawyer and anointed club scribe, wrote a delightful history of the club on its fiftieth anniversary in 1975. Not long afterward the club departed long practice and admitted women. To capture the story of that decision and the searching it inspired, Bradford McE. Jacobs, an Evening Sun editorial page editor, contributed a mock-heroic codicil to Walker’s history entitled "A Chronicle of a Certain Episode Which Occurred at Fourteen West Hamilton Street."

Official Website

Street Address

14 W. Hamilton Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/322 <![CDATA[Roosevelt Park and the FRP]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Roosevelt Park and the FRP

Subject

Parks and Landscapes

Creator

Allen Hicks

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

Today, Roosevelt Park is a quiet, green space with mature trees, playing fields, gardens, a recreation center, and a community skate park. The park dates back to the late nineteenth century when it was known as West Park. In 1920, a year after it was incorporated into the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks system, the site was rededicated as Roosevelt Park.

A large part of the park was for many years completely under water and served as an important reservoir for North Baltimore. When the Jones Falls Expressway was built during the 1960s and 1970s, the extra dirt was used to fill in the reservoir. Initially the city planned to turn the filled in reservoir into a department of Aviation heliport, but public outcry forced them to retract the project.

In 1997, it was rumored that Mayor Kurt Schmoke planned to sell the eighteen acre Roosevelt Park to developers to build luxury condominiums and turn the recreation center—an important community meeting space for residents since 1911—into a PAL (Police Athletic League). The mayor himself would not comment on the plan, but many Hampden residents were nevertheless worried about the future of the park and its aging recreation center.

In response, Hampden resident Allen Hicks founded a community action group called the Friends of Roosevelt Park (FRP). During a media event in 2001, more than 500 Hampden residents held hands in a giant circle around the park, protesting the city’s intentions. Additionally, the FRP gathered 1,000 signatures for a petition and reached out to the 42nd Maryland District representatives for assistance in the campaign. Additionally, the Knott Foundation provided the initial funding for a monthly newsletter.

Over the next several years the Friends of Roosevelt Park held many public meetings to determine what the people liked and did not like about Roosevelt Park. They also met with city officials, budget experts, outside consultants and the Baltimore Development Corporations (through its participation in the Baltimore Main Street program). These meetings led to the creation of a master plan for Roosevelt Park in 2003, including expanded public gardens, new playing fields, a skate park, a $700,000 renovation of the Roosevelt Park recreation center, a $2 million swimming pool complex, $100,000 for a new children’s playground, and a $500,000 bond issue on the election ballot.

Official Website

Street Address

1221 W. 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
]]>
/items/show/321 <![CDATA[Hampden Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library]]> 2019-05-09T21:29:16-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

Hampden Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library

Subject

Libraries

Creator

Nathan Dennies

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Robert Poole's Gift to Hampden Readers

Lede

Enoch Pratt Free Library Branch No. 7 opened its doors on July 2, 1900, 17 years after industrialist Robert Poole and fellow businessmen established Woodberry’s first community library. In 1899, Poole donated the land, the books from the old library, and $25,000 towards erecting the new branch of Enoch Pratt Free Library on Falls Road.

Story

The doors at Branch No. 7 of the Enoch Pratt Free Library opened to patrons on July 2, 1900, seventeen years after industrialist Robert Poole and fellow businessmen established Woodberry’s first community library. In 1899, Poole donated land across the street from his Maple Hill estate, the books from the old library, and $25,000 towards the construction of the new building on Falls Road.

The library’s architect Joseph Evans Sperry designed a number of significant buildings along with partner John Wyatt. The firm’s work including the Bromo Seltzer Tower and the Mercantile Trust and Deposit Building. The neoclassical design of the library was a departure from the Romanesque style of the original six library branches, designed by Sperry's former boss, architect Charles Carson. Poole's foundry located down the hill in Woodberry provided the ionic columns for the library. More famously, in the 1850s, the foundry cast the columns of the peristyle of the U.S. Capitol Building dome.

In order to increase circulation in the busy mill town, the library advertised the new branch with slips placed in workers' pay envelopes. The library also carried reference books on textile manufacturing as requested by residents. When the mills were at their busiest, the library had to find new ways to attract visitors. The library also faced competition from new sources of entertainment to Hampden such as a bowling alley, pool room, and movie theater. Up until 1915, the library shared the building with Provident Savings Bank. When the bank moved to 36th Street, the library tore down the wall that had separated the the reading room from the bank to create a new auditorium for lectures.

One of the more elaborate ways the library attracted visitors was the 1917 Garden Exhibit and Harvest Exhibition. During the Garden Exhibit in the spring, librarians handed out packets of seeds to patrons and nurtured a garden of their own behind the library. In an annual report, the branch manager noted that the staff found gardening surprisingly interesting. They were taken in by the excitement of coming to work and seeing plants that had grown as much as an inch taller overnight. The Harvest Exhibition took place in the fall, offering residents a miniature county fair with lectures on canning and gardening and contests for the best crops.

In 1936, Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds were used to double the size of the Hampden Library. Today, the library remains both an architectural landmark and community resource for area residents.

Official Website

Street Address

3641 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD 21211
]]>
/items/show/320 <![CDATA[Mayor's Christmas Parade]]>
Kerr hoped the parade would bring positive attention to Hampden. Mt. Vernon Mill Company closed its last remaining mill in Hampden-Woodberry that year, marking the end of the textile industry in the area. The first parade was far more modest than the department store extravagance of the Toytown parade, and Kerr was only able to secure a single Santa Claus float and six marching bands. Nonetheless, the parade drew a large crowd and was considered a success. As of 2013, Kerr has been organizing the event for forty-one years.

Every year the parade elects a Grand Marshall. Past prominent figures to hold the title include baseball legend Brooks Robinson in 1978, and more recently, John Astin, famous for his role as Gomez in The Addams Family. Schaeffer made a number of appearances as mayor and came back as Grand Marshall after becoming governor. In 1980, spectators were baffled to see his yellow Cadillac moving toward Thirty-sixth Street without him. The convertible left while he was giving a speech and he quickly darted across the street, ran through an alley, and ducked under a police barrier to cut off the ride for his own parade.

Today, the two-and-a-half mile long parade attracts nearly 25,000 spectators, 160 marching units, and a variety of eclectic floats. Although the parade has grown, it continues to be a community effort. Ninety-five percent of Hampden businesses donate money to the parade. Kerr, who is locally known as the unofficial mayor of Hampden, has recently expressed interest in stepping down from his position, but doubts he will ever be completely detached from the parade.
]]>
2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Mayor's Christmas Parade

Subject

Neighborhood Traditions

Description

William Donald Schaeffer approached Tom Kerr, head of the old Hampden Business Association, in 1972 to organize the Mayor's Christmas Parade. The parade would be Schaeffer's answer to the Hochschild-Kohn Toytown Parade which drew thousands of spectators for thirty years on Thanksgiving Day, but stopped running in 1966. Schaeffer wanted the parade to be held downtown but Kerr insisted on having it in Hampden.

Kerr hoped the parade would bring positive attention to Hampden. Mt. Vernon Mill Company closed its last remaining mill in Hampden-Woodberry that year, marking the end of the textile industry in the area. The first parade was far more modest than the department store extravagance of the Toytown parade, and Kerr was only able to secure a single Santa Claus float and six marching bands. Nonetheless, the parade drew a large crowd and was considered a success. As of 2013, Kerr has been organizing the event for forty-one years.

Every year the parade elects a Grand Marshall. Past prominent figures to hold the title include baseball legend Brooks Robinson in 1978, and more recently, John Astin, famous for his role as Gomez in The Addams Family. Schaeffer made a number of appearances as mayor and came back as Grand Marshall after becoming governor. In 1980, spectators were baffled to see his yellow Cadillac moving toward Thirty-sixth Street without him. The convertible left while he was giving a speech and he quickly darted across the street, ran through an alley, and ducked under a police barrier to cut off the ride for his own parade.

Today, the two-and-a-half mile long parade attracts nearly 25,000 spectators, 160 marching units, and a variety of eclectic floats. Although the parade has grown, it continues to be a community effort. Ninety-five percent of Hampden businesses donate money to the parade. Kerr, who is locally known as the unofficial mayor of Hampden, has recently expressed interest in stepping down from his position, but doubts he will ever be completely detached from the parade.

Creator

Nathan Dennies

Relation

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

William Donald Schaeffer approached Tom Kerr, head of the old Hampden Business Association, in 1972 to organize the Mayor's Christmas Parade. The parade would be Schaeffer's answer to the Hochschild-Kohn Toytown Parade which drew thousands of spectators for thirty years on Thanksgiving Day, but stopped running in 1966. Schaeffer wanted the parade to be held downtown but Kerr insisted on having it in Hampden.

Kerr hoped the parade would bring positive attention to Hampden. Mt. Vernon Mill Company closed its last remaining mill in Hampden-Woodberry that year, marking the end of the textile industry in the area. The first parade was far more modest than the department store extravagance of the Toytown parade, and Kerr was only able to secure a single Santa Claus float and six marching bands. Nonetheless, the parade drew a large crowd and was considered a success. As of 2013, Kerr has been organizing the event for forty-one years.

Every year the parade elects a Grand Marshall. Past prominent figures to hold the title include baseball legend Brooks Robinson in 1978, and more recently, John Astin, famous for his role as Gomez in The Addams Family. Schaeffer made a number of appearances as mayor and came back as Grand Marshall after becoming governor. In 1980, spectators were baffled to see his yellow Cadillac moving toward Thirty-sixth Street without him. The convertible left while he was giving a speech and he quickly darted across the street, ran through an alley, and ducked under a police barrier to cut off the ride for his own parade.

Today, the two-and-a-half mile long parade attracts nearly 25,000 spectators, 160 marching units, and a variety of eclectic floats. Although the parade has grown, it continues to be a community effort. Ninety-five percent of Hampden businesses donate money to the parade. Kerr, who is locally known as the unofficial mayor of Hampden, has recently expressed interest in stepping down from his position, but doubts he will ever be completely detached from the parade.

Official Website

Street Address

W. 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
]]>
/items/show/319 <![CDATA[The Rotunda]]>
The Maryland Casualty Company purchased the Dulin Estate in 1919 and established on the twenty-five acres an extensive business campus that included a number of impressive amenities, including a clubhouse with a dining room, an auditorium that could seat 1,500 guests, a landscaped park, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. The idea was to provide workers with an idyllic business campus removed from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. What is now known as the Rotunda was the company's administration building. The H-shaped building features a distinct bell tower and clock that exists today as a landmark of the Hampden community.

The Rotunda was nearly demolished in 1969 after the Maryland Casualty Company outgrew the four-story building. They considered erecting a larger office building in its place, but developer Bernard Manekin convinced the company to turn it into a retail and office space. The result was one of Baltimore's first adaptive reuse projects and grew to include a shopping mall, movie theater, office spaces, and a grocery store.

In 2005, the shopping center had already fallen into decline and New Jersey based developer Hakemian and Company bought the property. They began planning a mixed-use redevelopment project on the site that would transform the historic location into an upscale residential/commercial campus. The project stayed in the planning phase for eight years due to a national recession and community concerns. A coalition of neighborhood councils formed the Mill Valley Community Council to push back against the new development. Amongst a number of concerns, community leaders felt that the new Rotunda was not being designed to serve neighborhood residents and that new retail stores would take business away from the local establishments on Hampden’s "Avenue."

In September 2013, Hakemian and Co. broke ground on the site. The construction will bring new retail and living spaces to the Rotunda, as well as parking garages. Supporters argue that the development will breathe new life into the Rotunda and revitalize the struggling shopping mall inside, and according to the project’s website, "will mark the return of a Baltimore landmark."]]>
2021-08-05T09:52:25-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

The Rotunda

Subject

Architecture

Description

The construction of the Rotunda in 1921 marked a radical change in the design of business campuses in the twentieth century. Traditionally, businesses in the banking industry were located in dense downtown financial districts. The Maryland Casualty Company changed this notion after outgrowing its Tower Building at 222 E. Baltimore Street and moving to the more residential Hampden neighborhood. It set the example for future suburban business campuses and helped rein in an era of pastoral capitalism.

The Maryland Casualty Company purchased the Dulin Estate in 1919 and established on the twenty-five acres an extensive business campus that included a number of impressive amenities, including a clubhouse with a dining room, an auditorium that could seat 1,500 guests, a landscaped park, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. The idea was to provide workers with an idyllic business campus removed from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. What is now known as the Rotunda was the company's administration building. The H-shaped building features a distinct bell tower and clock that exists today as a landmark of the Hampden community.

The Rotunda was nearly demolished in 1969 after the Maryland Casualty Company outgrew the four-story building. They considered erecting a larger office building in its place, but developer Bernard Manekin convinced the company to turn it into a retail and office space. The result was one of Baltimore's first adaptive reuse projects and grew to include a shopping mall, movie theater, office spaces, and a grocery store.

In 2005, the shopping center had already fallen into decline and New Jersey based developer Hakemian and Company bought the property. They began planning a mixed-use redevelopment project on the site that would transform the historic location into an upscale residential/commercial campus. The project stayed in the planning phase for eight years due to a national recession and community concerns. A coalition of neighborhood councils formed the Mill Valley Community Council to push back against the new development. Amongst a number of concerns, community leaders felt that the new Rotunda was not being designed to serve neighborhood residents and that new retail stores would take business away from the local establishments on Hampden’s "Avenue."

In September 2013, Hakemian and Co. broke ground on the site. The construction will bring new retail and living spaces to the Rotunda, as well as parking garages. Supporters argue that the development will breathe new life into the Rotunda and revitalize the struggling shopping mall inside, and according to the project’s website, "will mark the return of a Baltimore landmark."

Creator

Nathan Dennies

Source

Lauren Schiszik, CHAP Staff. "Baltimore City Exterior Landmark Eligibility Summary: Maryland Casualty Company Buildings."

Contributor

Nathan Dennies

Relation

Lauren Schiszik, CHAP Staff. "Baltimore City Exterior Landmark Eligibility Summary: Maryland Casualty Company Buildings."

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

The construction of the Rotunda in 1921, designed by architects Simonson & Pietsch in the neo-Georgian style, marked a radical change in the design of business campuses in the twentieth century. Traditionally, businesses in the banking industry were located in dense downtown financial districts. The Maryland Casualty Company changed this notion after outgrowing its Tower Building at 222 E. Baltimore Street and moving to the more residential Hampden neighborhood. It set the example for future suburban business campuses and helped rein in an era of pastoral capitalism.

The Maryland Casualty Company purchased the Dulin Estate in 1919 and established on the twenty-five acres an extensive business campus that included a number of impressive amenities, including a clubhouse with a dining room, an auditorium that could seat 1,500 guests, a landscaped park, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond. The idea was to provide workers with an idyllic business campus removed from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area. What is now known as the Rotunda was the company's administration building. The H-shaped building features a distinct bell tower and clock that exists today as a landmark of the Hampden community.

The Rotunda was nearly demolished in 1969 after the Maryland Casualty Company outgrew the four-story building. They considered erecting a larger office building in its place, but developer Bernard Manekin convinced the company to turn it into a retail and office space. The result was one of Baltimore's first adaptive reuse projects and grew to include a shopping mall, movie theater, office spaces, and a grocery store.

In 2005, the shopping center had already fallen into decline and New Jersey based developer Hekemian and Company bought the property. They began planning a mixed-use redevelopment project on the site that would transform the historic location into an upscale residential/commercial campus. The project stayed in the planning phase for eight years due to a national recession and community concerns. A coalition of neighborhood councils formed the Mill Valley Community Council to push back against the new development. Amongst a number of concerns, community leaders felt that the new Rotunda was not being designed to serve neighborhood residents and that new retail stores would take business away from the local establishments on Hampden’s "Avenue."

In September 2013, Hekemian and Co. broke ground on the site. The construction will bring new retail and living spaces to the Rotunda, as well as parking garages. Supporters argue that the development will breathe new life into the Rotunda and revitalize the struggling shopping mall inside, and according to the project’s website, "will mark the return of a Baltimore landmark."

Related Resources

Lauren Schiszik, CHAP Staff. "Baltimore City Exterior Landmark Eligibility Summary: Maryland Casualty Company Buildings."

Official Website

Street Address

711 W. 40th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
]]>
/items/show/313 <![CDATA[Lockerman-Bundy Elementary School]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Lockerman-Bundy Elementary School

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Lede

Despite its modern building, the history of Lockerman-Bundy Elementary School dates back to the 1890s.

Story

The school is named for Joseph Harrison Lockerman (1864-1923), a graduate of the Centenary Biblical Institute (now Morgan State University) who in 1911 became Vice Principal of the new Colored High and Training School for African American teachers (now Coppin State University). Two years later, the training school moved into the upper floors of the new Public School 100 located at 229 North Mount Street.

When the school relocated to Pulaski Street in 1976, the name expanded to honor Mrs. Walter A. Bundy (1904-1965). A graduate of Coppin State in 1918, Mrs. Bundy’s teaching career in Baltimore’s black schools spanned over four decades.

Official Website

Street Address

301 N. Pulaski Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
]]>
/items/show/312 <![CDATA[The Bridge Theater]]> 2019-05-10T22:45:25-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

The Bridge Theater

Subject

Entertainment

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

One of the area’s earliest movie theaters, "The Bridge" opened in May 1915, seating seven hundred patrons and featuring Paramount Pictures films. Under the management of Edmondson Amusement Company president, Louis Schilchter, the Bridge Theater offered more than just movies. Schilchter hosted everything from song and dance shows to a community gathering to honor soldiers returning from WWI. After an explosion in 1930 damaged the side of the building, the theater rebuilt and continued to operate until 1968.

Since 1970, the building has been used as a church and is presently home to the Life Celebration Center.

Street Address

2100 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223
]]>
/items/show/311 <![CDATA[Uplands]]> 2019-01-25T23:07:32-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Uplands

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

This neglected forty-two-room Victorian mansion started as the summer home of Mary Frick Garrett Jacobs, a famed Baltimore socialite and philanthropist. The property formerly belong to General John Swan, Mary Jacobs' great-grandfather, as a part of his larger Hunting Ridge estate. Mary Frick and her husband Robert Garrett stayed at their house on Mount Vernon Place between November and Easter then returned to Uplands every spring. In 1885, they hired E. Francis Baldwin, architect for the B&O Railroad, to renovate the property. Mary continued to use the property as a resident up until her death in 1936 when she left the building to the Episcopal Church.

From 1952 to 1986, the estate served as the Uplands Home for Church Women. In the early 1990s, New Psalmist Baptist Church acquired the property and incorporated the historic building into a new church. The church has been demolished but the house still stands at the center of the recently developed Uplands community.

Street Address

4501 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore, MD 21229
]]>
/items/show/307 <![CDATA[Old Mount Washington Library]]> 2018-12-13T16:10:47-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Old Mount Washington Library

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Long-time home to Baltimore Clayworks

Story

Baltimore Clayworks occupies the former Mount Washington Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library that opened at Smith and Greeley Avenues on January 5, 1921. Originally known as Branch 21, the building was designed by by local architect Edward H. Glidden on a lot located across from the Mount Washington public school.

Funding for the new branch library came from a 1906 gift from Andrew Carnegie, industrialist and philanthropist, specifically designated to build branch libraries. The gift came with a condition, similar to the requirements for all new Carnegie Libraries, that "the city was to acquire the lots and equip and maintain the buildings yearly with a sum which was to be not less than 10 per cent of the amount expended in construction."

By March 1919, the Mount Washington Improvement Association organized to support the library’s construction and, according to the Sun, received a lot “given by the family of the late John M. Carter in his memory.” In 1951, after three years of contentious debate (The Sun noted “Hell hath no fury like a Mount Washingtonian battling for his library.”), the library closed and the building was turned over to the city schools. After thirty years of access to their own neighborhood library, residents of Mount Washington were now offered the services of a book mobile.

In 1980, Deborah Bedwell, along with four sculptors and four potters, opened Baltimore Clayworks in the former Pratt Library branch. Born in West Virginia, Bedwell moved to Maryland and took a job as an art teacher at Malcolm Middle School in Waldorf in the late 1960s. According to 2010 profile by Karen Nitkin in Baltimore Magazine, in 1969, she signed up for a ceramics class at University of Maryland, College Park but on her first attempt using the potter’s wheel the centrifugal force threw her to the floor. She left the room on a stretcher but didn’t give up on ceramics. In 1978, Bedwell was a graduate student at Towson University and, along with eight friends in the ceramics department, she had the idea of organizing a studio.

The first few years were a struggle. The group had purchased the building for less than $60,000 but renovations cost nearly three times as much. In 2012, Bedell recalled, “The first 10 years were focused on bringing in students and potential purchasers of pottery and sculpture. We pedaled very fast to keep it afloat.” Their hard work paid off and, by 1999, Clayworks was able to expand into an additional structure, an 1898 stone building formerly used as convent for the Sisters of Mercy, St. Paul.

Unfortunately, financial trouble returned by the end of 2016 the nonprofit was over a million dollars in debt. In July 2017, the board of Baltimore Clayworks announced their decision close the organization and file for bankruptcy. Fortunately, a new board changed course, hired a new executive director, refinanced their mortgage, and, by October 2018, paid back their debt—ensuring a future for the historic library and a beloved community arts institution.

Related Resources

Suzy Kopf, BmoreArt, November 12, 2018.

Official Website

Street Address

5707 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209
]]>
/items/show/306 <![CDATA[New Cathedral Cemetery]]>
Among the scores of well known locals buried on the grounds are Clarence H. 'Du' Burns, Baltimore's first black Mayor, Sister. Mary Antonio of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, and four former Orioles players (all in the Baseball Hall of Fame).]]>
2019-06-25T22:21:59-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

New Cathedral Cemetery

Description

The Archdiocese of Baltimore established New Cathedral Cemetery on forty acres of the old "Bonnie Brae" country estate in 1869. The church spent seventeen years moving bodies and headstones from the 1816 Cathedral Cemetery at Riggs and Fremont Avenues and, in 1936, moved hundreds more from St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Orleans Street.

Among the scores of well known locals buried on the grounds are Clarence H. 'Du' Burns, Baltimore's first black Mayor, Sister. Mary Antonio of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, and four former Orioles players (all in the Baseball Hall of Fame).

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Burial Ground at Old "Bonnie Brae"

Story

The Archdiocese of Baltimore established New Cathedral Cemetery on forty acres of the old "Bonnie Brae" country estate in 1869. The church spent seventeen years moving bodies and headstones from the 1816 Cathedral Cemetery at Riggs and Fremont Avenues and, in 1936, moved hundreds more from St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Orleans Street.

Among the scores of well known locals buried on the grounds are Clarence H. 'Du' Burns, Baltimore's first black Mayor, Sister. Mary Antonio of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, and four former Orioles players (all in the Baseball Hall of Fame).

Official Website

Street Address

4300 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore, MD 21229
]]>
/items/show/304 <![CDATA[Edmondson Avenue Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Edmondson Avenue Branch, Enoch Pratt Free Library

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Colonial Revival Architecture and a Community Institution

Story

Since 1951, the Edmondson Village Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library at the corner of Edmondson Avenue and Woodridge Road has served as a treasured community institution for nearby residents and readers. The building's Colonial Revival architecture reflects the design of the adjacent Edmondson Village Shopping Center whose developers, Jacob and Joseph Meyerhoff, originally donated the space for the library.

The first proposal to build a library in the area came a different developer, James E. Keelty, who erected thousands of the rowhouses in the area between the 1920s and the 1940s. In 1927, James Keelty offered to donate the lot at the northwest corner of Edmondson Avenue and Edgewood Street to build a new branch library. He even planned to "erect a library building on the lot and give the city its own time in which to pay for the structure." His generosity won support from the area's City Council member, Thomas M.L. Musgrave, who remarked:

People living in the Ten Hills, Rognel Heights and Hunting Ridge sections have been trying to get a branch of the Pratt Library for some time, and it now looks like all they need is the cooperation of the city and the library trustees to supply it immediately.

But the gift came with one big condition. Keelty also wanted the city's permission to put up a new building at the southwest corner for "moving pictures, stores and bowling alleys" at a time when residents in Baltimore's segregated white residential neighborhoods fiercely opposed most commercial development. Likely responding to this opposition, Mayor Broening vetoed the proposal in July 1928 and the library was never built.

Fortunately, local residents, led by members of the Edmondson suburban group of the Women’s Civic League, stepped up to the challenge of creating a library for their community. In 1943, local residents from Ten Hills and Edmondson Village came together to start a lending library they called the Neighborhood Library Group. The effort grew quickly and the organizers asked the developers of Edmondson Village Shopping Center to donate a space for the community. The Enoch Pratt Free Library took charge of the small “library station” and, with strong support from neighborhood residents, opened a small Colonial Revival branch library in 1951. Renovated between 2008 and 2010, the library remains a beloved and vital destination for readers and other library users today.

Official Website

Street Address

4330 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21229
]]>
/items/show/300 <![CDATA[Hilton Parkway]]> 2019-11-12T14:15:31-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Hilton Parkway

Subject

Infrastructure

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

More than just a road, Hilton Parkway was inspired by the advice of renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and is a testament to the transformative investment of the New Deal in Baltimore.

In the 1930s, the Gwynns Falls blocked traffic between the northwestern suburbs and the growing rowhouse neighborhoods along Edmondson Avenue. In his influential 1904 report on the city's park system, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. i recommended the development of Hilton Parkway as a scenic path across the landscape.

Support from the New Deal-era Public Works Administration enabled the construction of the parkway in 1938. It included two bridges, the largest of which spanned 390 feet with arches up to 90 feet.

Street Address

Hilton Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21229
]]>
/items/show/297 <![CDATA[Western Cemetery]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Western Cemetery

Subject

Cemeteries

Description

“This is a new and finely located ‘place for the dead,’” The Iris wrote in 1846. Not affiliated with any one church or religion, Western Cemetery sold lots at affordable rates and, like Green Mount Cemetery, tried to create a park-like open space for visitors to stroll. In the 20th century, the cemetery, along with nearby Leakin Park, took center stage in West Baltimore’s highway fights. Relatives of the interred joined forces with environmental activists and local residents in opposing the extension of a proposed highway through Leakin Park and into the city.

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

A "finely located place for the dead" on Edmondson Avenue

Story

“This is a new and finely located ‘place for the dead,’” The Iris reported in 1846. Early plans included a chapel and a residence for a cemetery superintendent. Lots were priced at the “extremely moderate” cost of $5 for an 8’ by 10’ area.

Just three years later, in December 1849, the Maryland Assembly passed "An Act to Establish the Western Cemetery" allowing the Trustees of the Fayette Street Methodist Episcopal Church to open a "public" or nondenominational 55-acre cemetery west of the city in Baltimore County. Like Green Mount Cemetery, Western tried to create a park-like open space for visitors to stroll as well as greive.

Early burials at the cemetery included both city and county residents from a range of backgrounds. In 1858, the Sun reported on the burial of William Fairbank, a Baltimore County resident who worked as a conductor on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between 1830 and 1850 and as the keeper of the bridge on the Baltimore and Washington Turnpike. In the fall of 1861, a number of Union soldiers stationed in Baltimore, likely including soldiers recovering from injuries taken at the Battle of Bull Run (or First Manassas) in July 1861, died from typhoid fever and were interred at the Western Cemetery.

In 1915, Baltimore City acquired a portion of the cemetery property for the construction of Ellicott Driveway. This required the closure of the “the railroad crossing at the Cemetery lane entrance to Western Cemetery” and an agreement between Baltimore City, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and the officers of the cemetery company.

The cemetery continued to serve as a popular place of internment for military veterans and police officers during the 20th century. In July 1926, the Sun reported on a huge crowd of “several thousand persons” who attended the burial of Patrolman Webster E. Schumann, noting, “A full firing squad of eight men from Camp Meade fired three volleys into the air and a bugler sounded ‘taps’ as the services for the war veteran ended.”

After World War II, the cemetery, along with nearby Leakin Park, took center stage in West Baltimore’s highway fights. Relatives of the interred joined forces with environmental activists and local residents in opposing the extension of a proposed highway through Leakin Park and into the city. Fortunately, Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro responded to this effort and, in 1969, encouraged state highway designers to consider a new route for the Rosemont section of the East-West Expressway to bypass Western Cemetery.

Related Resources

Street Address

3001 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223

Access Information

The cemetery is open to the public during daylight hours.
]]>
/items/show/295 <![CDATA[Helen Mackall Park]]> 2019-01-25T22:14:18-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Helen Mackall Park

Subject

Parks and Landscapes

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

Helen Mackall Park was dedicated by the Rosemont Community on Saturday, December 4, 1971 to honor Mrs. Helen Mackall—a crossing guard for James Mosher Elementary School who lost her leg while saving the life of a 6-year old Bonita Lynn Lineberger at the corner of Lafayette and Wheeler Avenues.

Established in the 1930s, the park was originally dedicated as the Nichols Playground in honor of George L. Nichols, a superintendent with the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks who retired in 1945.

Street Address

Helen Mackall Park, 600 Bradish Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21216
]]>
/items/show/294 <![CDATA[St. Edward Roman Catholic Church]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

St. Edward Roman Catholic Church

Subject

Religion

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

St. Edward's organized in 1878 as a mission of St. Peter the Apostle, which was led by Fr. Owen B. Carrigan. Carrigan supervised the construction of the first church in 1880 for a congregation that likely included Catholic workers from factories scattered across the Gwynns Falls Valley.

In 1923, the church expanded with a new school, convent, and rectory. A growing congregation of 5,000 people forced the church to hold nine masses every Sunday. In 1938, the congregation started a campaign for a larger building and dedicated the present church on March 9, 1941.

Official Website

Street Address

901 Poplar Grove Street, Baltimore, MD 21216
]]>
/items/show/292 <![CDATA[Ward Baking Company Building]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Ward Baking Company Building

Subject

Industry

Description

Built in 1925 over the loud protests of local residents who opposed a new factory in their residential neighborhood, the Ward Baking Company is a handsome brick box, designed by C.B. Comstock, a New York-based refrigeration architect and engineer. Based in Pittsburgh, the Ward Baking Company, then known as the Ward Bread Company, also had factories in the Bronx, Buffalo, and East Orange, New Jersey. Long retired as a factory, the building has more recently been used as a church.

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

Built in 1925 over the loud protests of local residents who opposed a new factory in their residential neighborhood, the Ward Baking Company is a handsome brick box, designed by C.B. Comstock, a New York-based refrigeration architect and engineer. Based in Pittsburgh, the Ward Baking Company, then known as the Ward Bread Company, also had factories in the Bronx, Buffalo, and East Orange, New Jersey. Long retired as a factory, the building has more recently been used as a church.

Street Address

2140 Edmondson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21229
]]>
/items/show/290 <![CDATA[American Ice Company]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

American Ice Company

Subject

Industry

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

A Former Factory on Franklin Street

Story

Constructed in 1911, the American Ice Company is an enduring reminder of West Baltimore’s industrial development with a striking brick facade on W. Franklin Street and a powerhouse that backs up to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. At the time of the building’s construction, West Baltimore was quickly developing beyond the 1816 city line as small builders put up new rowhouses that soon extended west out to the Gwynns Falls.

The previous decade had also witnessed significant changes in the ice industry as the business of importing natural ice from rivers and lakes in the Northeast to Mid-Atlantic and Southern cities dwindled in the face of competition from new factories that enabled businesses to supply a more regular and consistent supply of “manufactured ice.”

The building was severely damaged in a 2004 fire. Fortunately, the current owner supported a recent nomination to the National Register of Historic Places and plans to redevelop the property while retaining the historic ice house structure.

Related Resources

Street Address

2100 W. Franklin Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
]]>
/items/show/289 <![CDATA[St. Luke's Church]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

St. Luke's Church

Subject

Religion

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

A true gem of Baltimore religious architecture, the handsome Gothic Revival tower of St. Luke’s Church is matched by its richly detailed sanctuary. While architect J.W. Priest oversaw the completion of the building in 1857, five other architects also played some part. Unlike many historic congregations that left the neighborhood, St. Luke’s opened its doors on July 10, 1853 and has kept them open for over 150 years.

Official Website

Street Address

217 N. Carey Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
]]>
/items/show/288 <![CDATA[Saint Peter the Apostle Church]]> 2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Saint Peter the Apostle Church

Subject

Architecture
Religion

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Story

St. Peter the Apostle Church served southwest Baltimore's large Irish Catholic community for over 160 years. From its dedication in September 1844 through its final service in January 2008, the church earned a reputation as "The Mother Church of West Baltimore" for its role in the growth of the Catholic church.

Built from 1843 to 1844, the handsome Greek Revival building was designed by prominent Baltimore architect Robert Cary Long, Jr. who modeled the church on the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, Greece. The building is now owned by nearby Carter Memorial Church.

Official Website

Street Address

13 S. Poppleton Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/287 <![CDATA[Poppleton Firehouse]]>
After the tragedy of Great Baltimore Fire destroyed much of the city's downtown in 1904, the Baltimore Fire Department grew quickly and built scores of new firehouses. A close look above the building's arched entrance reveals a small tribute to the bravery of the Fire Department’s mission with a stone carving of firemen racing to extinguish a fire.]]>
2018-11-27T10:33:53-05:00

Dublin Core

Title

Poppleton Firehouse

Subject

Architecture

Description

The handsome Tudor Revival turrets of the Poppleton Fire Station (Engine House #38) stand out next to the modern glass facades of the University of Maryland BioPark on Baltimore Street. Designed by local architects Benjamin Buck Owens and Spencer E. Sisco, the station opened in 1910 equipped with the most modern fire-fighting tools available.

After the tragedy of Great Baltimore Fire destroyed much of the city's downtown in 1904, the Baltimore Fire Department grew quickly and built scores of new firehouses. A close look above the building's arched entrance reveals a small tribute to the bravery of the Fire Department’s mission with a stone carving of firemen racing to extinguish a fire.

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Engine House No. 38 on Baltimore Street

Story

The handsome Tudor Revival turrets of the Poppleton Fire Station (Engine House #38) stand out next to the modern glass facades of the University of Maryland BioPark on Baltimore Street. Designed by local architects Benjamin Buck Owens and Spencer E. Sisco, the station opened in 1910 equipped with the most modern fire-fighting tools available.

After the tragedy of Great Baltimore Fire destroyed much of the city's downtown in 1904, the Baltimore Fire Department grew quickly and built scores of new firehouses. A close look above the building's arched entrance reveals a small tribute to the bravery of the Fire Department’s mission with a stone carving of firemen racing to extinguish a fire.

Street Address

756-760 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>
/items/show/286 <![CDATA[Lithuanian Hall]]>
The hall first opened in 1914 in three Barre Street rowhouses but a growing population of Lithuanian immigrants, including many who attended St. Alphonsus Church nearby on Saratoga Street, needed a larger hall for community gatherings. After raising funds from individuals, local businesses, and fraternal organizations, the handsome hall on Hollins Street, which is designed by architect Stanislaus Russell, opened to a full month of celebrations in February 1921.]]>
2020-10-16T14:41:04-04:00

Dublin Core

Title

Lithuanian Hall

Subject

Immigration

Description

Known for much of the last century as Lietuvių Namai, Lithuanian Hall is familiar to more than just Baltimore’s Lithuanian immigrant community as in recent years local bands and promoters have turned “Lith Hall” into a popular venue again.

The hall first opened in 1914 in three Barre Street rowhouses but a growing population of Lithuanian immigrants, including many who attended St. Alphonsus Church nearby on Saratoga Street, needed a larger hall for community gatherings. After raising funds from individuals, local businesses, and fraternal organizations, the handsome hall on Hollins Street, which is designed by architect Stanislaus Russell, opened to a full month of celebrations in February 1921.

Creator

Eli Pousson

Curatescape Story Item Type Metadata

Subtitle

Lietuvių Namai to Lith Hall

Lede

Known for much of the last century as Lietuvių Namai, Lithuanian Hall is familiar to more than just Baltimore’s Lithuanian immigrant community; in recent years local bands and promoters have turned “Lith Hall” into a popular venue for the city’s thriving music scene.

Story

Lietuvių Namai first opened in 1914 in three West Barre Street rowhouses. A growing population of Lithuanian immigrants, including many who attended St. Alphonsus Church nearby on Saratoga Street, soon needed a larger hall for community gatherings. After raising funds from individuals, local businesses, and fraternal organizations, the handsome hall on Hollins Street, designed by architect Stanislaus Russell, opened to a full month of celebrations in February 1921. The building is made of Indiana limestone and tapestry brick with a carving of the Lithuania coat of arms on the entryway pediment. After its opening, the Lithuanian Educational Association, National Lithuanian Library and Lithuanian Orchestra all found homes in the building. Today, the hall takes a different approach and engages a broader community of residents than its original base of Lithuanian immigrants. The hall has incorporated as a non-profit and, on the first Friday of every month, the venue hosts a “Save Your Soul” party playing vintage soul and R&B music.

Watch our on this building!

Official Website

Street Address

851-853 Hollins Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
]]>