USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 129
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Circular panels ornamented with bro- settes and decreasing as they approach the vertex, terminate at the opening in the cen- tre, seventy-two feet in circumference. Above this is the external dome, and the flood of light is introduced is such a manner that the means of its introduction are not seen from below. Between each of the sup- ports of the principal dome springs an ellip- tical arch, the arch at the head of the cross forming the outer line of a smaller dome, which, supported by six Ionic pillars, covers the grand altar.
The organ gallery rests on an Ionic col- onnade, which contains an organ that is said to be the largest, or was up to a very re-
cent period, in the United States. It has 600 pipes and thirty-six stops.
The side aisles are terminated by two pictures, that on the right is the descent from the cross, painted by Pauline Guerin, a present from Louis XVIII to the Arch- bishop, and that on the left, St. Louis burying his officers and soldiers slain before Acre. This very valuable painting is the work of the celebrated Steuben, and was presented by King Charles X, of France.
The beautiful building was designed by the distinguished architect and civil en- gineer, B. H. Latrobe, and built under his personal superintendence.
Passing down Mulberry to Charles we have one of the beautiful glimpses of "Old Town," which one gets in passing Charles street as you cross Saratoga, Mulberry, Franklin and Monument streets and look east.
The hill on which we now stand is about one hundred feet above tide, the singular topography of the city making it possible to obtain panoramic views from the various hills, while from the many bridges may be had views of the sky line of the city; these varying views have a tendency to make the stranger remember Baltimore when the re- collection of other places has vanished.
The spacious mansion in the rear of the Cathedral fronting on Charles street is the home of the Cardinal Archbishop of Balti- more and was built more for comfort than for display. It contains many valuable pictures and some mosaics. Many distin- guished men and women have passed within its gates.
Continuing our walk we reach Franklin street, noted for the beautiful old homes of the merchants, doctors and lawyers of the
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last generation and in some instances of their descendants. A notable example stands in front of us on the northeast corner, the mansion of Dr. William Howard, the splendid portico of which is an exact copy of the temple of Minerva Polias. It is now the home of the Athenaeum Club.
On the northwest corner is the Old Uni- tarian Church, designed and built under the superintendence of the great architect Max- imilian Godefroy, and dedicated on the 18th of October, 1818. The whole length of the office, including the portico, is 108 feet and its breadth is seventy-eight feet. The per- istyle is formed by a colonnade of the Tus- can order. Four columns and two pilasters, forming three arcades of about twelve feet opening, support the grand Tuscan cornice which runs around the exterior of the pedi- ment. In the centre there is a colossal fig- ure of the Angel of Truth, surrounded by rays and holding a scroll, on which is in- scribed in Greek characters: "To the only God."
Five doors of equal size open from the portico and are copied from those of the Vatican in Rome. The nave of the church is a square formed by four equal arches, full semi-circles of thirty-three feet, six inches diameter, which support a dome of fifty- five feet, four inches diameter. The sum- mit of the cupola is eighty feet high, termin- ating with a glass star. The dome is a copy of the Pantheon at Rome.
The pulpit stands upon a double square base, the first of which is the verde antique marble from Connecticut, the second is of white Carrara marble. The pulpit rests on the second sock, and is constructed of bird's eye maple. The organ is the most curious in this country, as it is constructed in the
form of an ancient lyre, the strings of which are represented by pipes. We have devoted some space to this old chiurch be- cause it is a most interesting one to archi- tects and builders.
We shall move west on Franklin street pausing for a moment to glance at the old colonial building at the northeast corner of Cathedral street, formerly the home of the Hoffman family, and for many years of the celebrated "Maryland Club." Through the liberality of Mr. Enoch Pratt the building was purchased and presented to the Acad- emy of Sciences. This whole neighbor- hood is filled with these comfortable old homes on Franklin, Cathedral, Charles and Monument streets.
Turning north for three squares we come all at once into the presence of one of the grandest monuments of the world, dedicated to that great patriot and soldier, George Washington.
The erection of this monument was con- ceived in the year 1809, when Messrs. John Comegys, James A. Buchanan and Daniel Winchester obtained from the Legislature of the State permission to raise $100,000 for the purpose. Mr. Robert Mills fur- nished the design and on July 4, 1815, the corner-stone was laid. The monument is a Doric column upon a square base sur- mounted by a pedestal, upon which is placed a colossal statue of Washington. The base is fifty feet square and elevated twenty feet. The column to the foot of the statue is 160 feet, and the statue is thirteen feet in height; it is the work of Causici, and represents Washington as he appeared the moment that he resigned his commission at Annap- olis.
The squares running north and south are
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called Washington Place, and those run- ning east and west Mount Vernon Place. The square due west has been most beauti- fully embellished by that late William T. Walters, by the placing of the Barye bronzes representing War, Peace, Force and Order, and Military Courage by Du- bois. At the east end of this square and fac- ing the monument sits the great Lion, also by Barye.
Mr. Walters has also presented the city with the seated statue of the late Chief Jus- tice Taney, which has been placed in the square north of the monument. In the east square has been placed a seated statue of George Peabody, the great philanthropist.
On the southeast corner of Monument and Charles streets stands the imposing marble building of the Peabody Institute, which consists of a great reference library, and Academy of Music, to which has lately been added a gallery of art. The building fronts 170 feet on Mount Vernon Place and is 150 feet deep. The library room is sev- enty by eighty feet, and fifty-five feet high, accommodating 300,000 volumes. There are seven alcoves on each side, six floors high and beautifully finished. On the left of the entrance is the reading room, seventy- two by thirty-six feet. The basement con- tains three fine lecture rooms.
Before leaving this charming locality we must pause for a moment to look at the graceful outline of the Mount Vernon M. E. Church opposite the Peabody Institute. The peculiar color of the stone used in the construction (a pale green) adds very much to the beauty of the style of architecture, which is pointed Gothic.
Every one who has had the pleasure of visiting the locality we are contemplating
will freely acknowledge the subtle charm of these beautiful squares surrounded on every side by refined and immaculately clean man- sions, not a speck of dust being allowed on the marble steps or the snowy lace curtains. However this constant washing of the win- dows and steps of houses is common to all Baltimore housekeepers; the enormous quantity of the city water supply no doubt having something to do with its very gen- erous diffusion, our 500,000 people now using between fifty and sixty millions of gallons per day.
We have now before us the tower-like Hotel Stafford on the west side of Washing- ton Place near Madison street.
No description of this locality would be complete without a word in regard to the William T. Walters Art Galleries located in his private mansion Mount Vernon Place. The collection of paintings is of the finest and most valuable in this country, and the Oriental Gallery is the most valuable in the world.
At the northwest corner of Madison street and Park avenue stands one of the most graceful church buildings in the country, The First Presbyterian. The style is pointed Gothic, and the material used is brownstone from the New Brunswick quar- ries. The perfect grace and symmetry of the numerous spires have always been a source of much pleasure to men of refined tastes. The height of the three principal spires is 78, 128 and 268 feet. The princi- pal spire contains a large colony of pigeons.
Walking west on Madison to Dolphin street, we turn to the right and in a moment we are in Eutaw Place. We do not realize the full beauty of this mile of garden until we reach the apex of the hill at Lanvale
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HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
street. The place is 125 feet wide, giving ample room for the central Almeda, which, adorned with flowers and fountains, con- tinues to North avenue. The Altamont Hotel stands on the southeast corner, and on the other the beautiful white marble synagogue "Oheb Shalom," oriental in its style, attracts at once our attention, the blending of marble, copper and glittering yellow tiles carries the beholder back to the mythical east. Close by on the same side of the street stands the new Phoenix Club, a monument to our Hebrew citizens.
Continuing our walk we find charming residences on either hand and on reaching Wilson street we get a view of the great Har Sinai Temple, on the corner of Bolton street, of Romanesque design built of Port Deposit granite and tile roof. The portico, with its Doric columns, is very imposing. Still going west we have a most attractive view of the last of the new Hebrew temples, the Byzantine Temple of the Baltimore He- brew Congregation on the corner of Madi- son and Roberts streets. Its stately dome and towers together with its general appear- ance of grandeur make it one of the attract- ive buildings in the city. On our way out this noble avenue and very near the park, we pass the splendid Italian villa of G. W. Gail, and a few hundred feet further the an- cient mansion of the "Brooks" family with its grand old portico.
We have now reached the Eutaw Place entrance to Druid Hill Park. While not so imposing as the other entrances, still it is admitted that the view of lake and forest, and the embellishments of driveways and monuments are nowhere seen to better ad- vantage. A noble park surely, and in natu- ral beauty not surpassed byany in the world.
It is filled with springs of pure water, some of which are medicinal, and everything has been done to make it the people's pleasure ground. The grounds, walks, driveways and bridle-paths have been laid out by dis- tinguished engineers and are all that could be desired. Passing down to the lake drive and going around the head of the lake, we are confronted by the colossal statue of Wallace, erected by our fellow-citizen, Wm. W. Spence. It is modeled after the one which crowns the Abby Craig, near Ster- ling, Scotland.
The pedestal is of Woodstock granite and measures thirteen feet high, ten feet square at the base, and six feet, four inches at the top, and bears this inscription:
Wallace, Patriot and Martyr for Scottish Liberty. 1305.
The statue is thirteen feet, six inches from the feet to the top of the helmet, seventeen to the top of uplifted sword, and is the work of the great Scottish sculptor, D. W. Stev- enson, R. S. A.
At the intersection of two roads almost in the rear of the Wallace Monument is Bartholomew's Washington, donated by the Walker family, a beautiful full-length statue, standing in a niche. Within a few hundred feet of these and on the lake drive, the Italians of Baltimore have placed a cost- ly and graceful pedestal surmounted by a life-size figure of Christopher Columbus, a replica of the one at Genoa by Achille Can- essa.
Passing out of the park by the great gate- way, which is the largest in the world, (133 feet, 10 inches) at the head of Mount Royal
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HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
entrance, we soon reach the outer gateway, itself a work of art, the marble columns at either side being single blocks and weigh- ing twenty-one tons each. Within a stone's throw of this entrance, through which we pass out on West North avenue, we cross the new and splendid marble bridge span- ning Jones' Falls, with one exception the widest bridge in the world, the largest of the twenty-one bridges that cross that stream. The material used was Beaver- dam marble, the entire cost will be about half a million dollars. A fine view of the St. Paul and Calvert streets and Guilford av- enue bridges can be had from this bridge, the three former cross the yard and gardens of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
On East North avenue near St. Paul street is a marble building of generous pro- portions, the Maryland Institute for the In- struction of the Blind, incorporated in 1853. The location is most beautiful and the ex- tensive grounds are always in perfect order.
Almost due north of the Blind Asylum stands in detached masses the gray building of the Woman's College, looking at the dis- tance of a quarter of a mile like bold strokes of some water-color artist who had exhaust- ed every shade of gray known to the palette for the walls and not content with that had laid on every tint from brown umber to claret in treating the Spanish looking tiling of the roofs. We shall let Professor Butler describe this gigantic mosaic. He says: "They (the buildings) are throughout in the Romanesque style, of the Lombard variety, with adaptations from that to which Vitru- vius gave the name Tuscan. They are built of dark, undressed granite and are sur- mounted by conspicuous roofs of Roman red tiles. Architecturally a member of the
group is the First Methodist Episcopal Church standing farthest south, the tower of which is the most conspicuous object in the northern part of the city. This tower is almost an exact reproduction of a campanile to be seen just outside the ancient city of Ravenna. The church itself owes some of the most distinctive features of its architec- ture to suggestions taken from the cele- brated San Vitale in Ravenna, the church which, built in 526 A. D., upon the general plan of St. Sophia in Constantinople, be- came the model for Charlemagne's Cathe- dral at Aix-la-chapelle. The beautiful win- dows of the frieze, which serve to light the interior from above, are copied from mosaics in San Nazarioe Celso, the mausoleum of Galla Placidia the daughter of Theodosius the Great."
The main college building, Goucher Hall, is built in the same general style of architec- ture, the Lombard. It is continued in Ben- nett Hall, the Latin School, and will be re- tained in the buildings to be added for music and art, a biographical laboratory, and an astronomical observatory, thus finishing the central group of buildings.
One of the most beautiful adjuncts of the Woman's College are the dormitories. They stand some squares apart at present, and are being added to as occasion requires. They are elegant structures of brick; no expense has been spared in their interior arrange- ments to make the girl student feel at home. All are in charge of ladies of the highest character and attainments.
President Goucher is the directing and ruling spirit which has brought to pass all that we see and admire in this beautiful group of buildings : and better, the origina- tor of the enlightened and cultured course
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of studies pursued within the walls; to every young woman a protector and friend, to the orphans a father and counsellor; to all the Christian gentleman, sans peur et sans reproche.
Looking westward we see the great city of the dead, "Greenmount," and are next attracted by the beauty of the situation and grounds of the "Samuel Ready Orphan Asylum," under the charge of ladies who devote all their time to the little ones. It is at once a home and a playground. A very remarkable object stands within this en- closure, the first monument to Christopher Columbus, erected by the Chevalier D'Amor, French Consul General, October 12, 1792, the three hundredth anniversary of his landing. It is fifty feet in height and quadrangular in form. Thirty years after- wards his native city, Genoa, erected its first monument to him.
Changing our general direction from east to south, we proceed down the model city street, Broadway, and catch a glimpse of the new park "Clifton," lying northeast of us, its hundreds of acres containing some of the most valuable trees in the country. The city is to be congratulated on securing this beautiful addition to her diadem of parks. It was the former home of the great citizen and philanthropist, Johns Hopkins, whose hospital we are now approaching by way of Broadway's endless gardens. On the east side of the street, and opposite Jef- ferson street, which it closes, stands the greatest hospital in the world to-day. The grandeur of the situation overlooking the city and bay is in perfect accord with the noble purposes of its founder. The main front of the hospital and the principal en- trance is on Broadway facing to the west.
The buildings upon the main front and es- pecially the administration, with the two pay wards, may be said to embody the archi- tectural features of the hospital. All the other buildings have comparatively plain exteriors. The buildings having special re- lation to the educational features of the in- stitution-namely, the amphitheatre, dis- pensary and pathological laboratory, are lo- cated on the northeast in proximity to grounds owned by the Johns Hopkins Uni- versity, on the northeast corner of Monu- ment and Wolfe streets, upon which grounds the buildings of the medical de- partment of the university are to be erected. All the buildings except the gate lodge, the pathological laboratory, the laundry and the stables are connected by a covered corridor. The floor of the corridor is at the uniform . level of 114 feet above mean tide. The top of this corridor is nearly flat, forming an open terrace walk at the level of 124 feet above mean-tide, being the level of the ward floors. It is not possible to pass to or from the octagon or either of the common wards without going into free external air, so that there can be no communication between the air of different wards. The general con- struction of the buildings may be described as follows: They are constructed of brick with trimmings of Cheat river stone, and of moulded terra cotta. The Cheat river stone is a very fine grained compact sandstone of a.bluish gray color, which harmonizes with the red brick. The buildings on the main or west front are constructed of the best quality of pressed brick. The foundations of the principal buildings consist of a solid concrete base. For the others broad flags of Port Deposit granite are used. All foundations and interior walls are of hard
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brick, laid in Cumberland cement below the ground level, at which point they are cov- ered by a layer of heavy slate. Lines of drain tile are laid around the foundations.
All pitched roofs are covered with care- fully selected Peach Bottom slate laid on English Asphalt felt and secured with cop- per nails. The entire cost was $2,250,000.
This is all the space that can be devoted to this subject; five hundred pages would be required to do it justice. The full intent in the founder's mind may be gathered from this oft repeated injunction that "in all your arrangements in relation to this hospital, you will bear constantly in mind that it is my wish and purpose that the institution shall ultimately form a part of the medical school of the University."
With much reluctance we take our de- parture and again walk south through the almost endless gardens of Broadway until we reach the monument of Thomas Wildey, founder of the Order of Odd Fellows of America, dedicated on April 26, 1865. The base is surmounted by a Grecian Doric col- umn fifty-two feet in height, on which stands a figure of Charity.
On the west side of the street facing the monument is the Episcopal Church Home in which the gifted poet Edgar Allen Poe, author of the "Raven" died, October, 1849.
Turning down East Baltimore street we soon reach Patterson Park, another emer- ald in the diadem of the city. It is most beautifully adorned, has a very fine observa- tory tower from which extensive views of the city harbor and the Chesapeake Bay can be obtained. A fine Casino has lately been added to the many attractions, and the Park Board has very wisely retained the old en-
trenchments thrown up by the American Army during the War of 1812.
Before leaving East Baltimore we must visit the elegant marble monument erected to the memory of the two apprentice boys, Daniel Wells and Henry McComas, killed at the battle of North Point, both members of Captain Aisquith's company of sharp- shooters, and the same age, 18; friends and members of the same trade, both fell at the first fire of the English. Their deaths were so touching, and their conduct so gallant, that a grateful community erected this monument to them with every mark of re- spect. The bodies of the boys rest under it. It stands at the intersection of Aisquith, Gay and Monument streets-Ashland Square.
Soon reaching Baltimore street by way of Aisquith, we pass the McKim Free School, an exact copy of the temple of Theseus at Athens. The portico consists of six fluted columns, the four central ones being three feet three-quarter inches in diameter, and what is most singular the two external col- umns are made thicker than the others- because the best Greek architects claimed that this must be done to correct an imper- fection of the sight in judging of the magni- tude of objects in similar situations.
A short distance west of the McKim Free School and on the south side of Baltimore street is the Maryland Institute for the pro- motion of Mechanic Arts. It contains a school of art and design, museum of art and design, library and commercial school. Over one thousand scholars attend the vari- ous classes, day and night. In this building John C. Breckenridge was nominated for President, April 23, 1860.
A block or two further west brings us to the center of the city, and the locality where
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the great daily newspapers and the banks, safe deposit companies, offices of steam ship lines, the Corn and Flour Exchange, are situated.
Among the newspapers, in point of age, the American stands first, although it began under the title of the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, August 20, 1773. Pre- vious to that time we had to depend on the Annapolis papers for our local news.
The Sun was founded by Mr. A. S. Abell, May 17, 1837. It was the first penny paper, and proved to be a success from the first issue, gaining a wonderful reputation for untiring energy in procuring the news of the day, which was much extended by the establishment of the Pony Express at the commencement of the Mexican War, through which it gave to the world the earliest intelligence from the seat of hos- tilities. The tendency to exaggerate the most common place events which has be- come so popular with many of our Ameri- can journals has not affected the Sun, as the news that it presents is always in a concise and attractive form. It is a noteworthy fact that its building, "The Sun Iron Building," as it is called, was so designated because of the fact that it was the first metal building erected in America.
Three years after the founding of the Sun, in 1840, Col. Frederick Raine launched the German Correspondent, which is the leading German paper of our city. Originally a weekly it became a daily in a few years. Noted for the strong common sense of its public utterances it has the respect and con- fidence of all classes, not only in our State and city, but all over the country.
The Morning Herald, a young, bright journal is making rapid progress, is very
popular and has now the finest newspaper building in the city, on the northwest cor- ner of Fayette and St. Paul streets.
While in this central part of the city a look at the banking institutions and trust companies seems not out of place. First in importance is the Merchants' National Bank, their building lately erected being on a scale of magnificence seldom surpassed. The building occupies fifty-two feet on South street and one hundred and forty- four feet on Water street. Modern Renais- sance is the style of architecture, and as the building has three fronts it is very effective. All work and material used were the best that could be procured. The character of the foundations will be of interest to build- ers, and are the first of the kind used in this city, being formed of four layers of beams giving a width of twenty-two feet all bedded in Portland cement, laid on solid gravel be- low the tide level. The entrance proper is through an archway ten feet wide protected by an elaborate wrought transom grille and solid bronze doors. The interior wood work is all mahogany, and the book-keepers and clerks are all enclosed by a richly designed screen made of Jane Lamertene marble and bronze.
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