Thanks to G. Krug and Son Ironworks for sharing this neat shot from the ongoing restoration of the Washington Monument. Tons of brick and marble make up this 178-foot tall icon—all supported by the stone and brick arches down in the “basement.”
This week’s Baltimore 1814 stories include much more than just news about the “cloudy morning” of January 15, 1814:
Read on for a few items from one of our newest themes: Baltimore At Sea – featuring the stories of seamen, shipbuilders, privateers and the United States Navy. Thanks to volunteer Dennis Lilly for his help in launching this new series!
Missed last week? Check out last week’s update or go read the story of Jean Pierre Morel de Guiramand, a refugee from the Haitian Revolution, received a patent a new “power loom” on January 7, 1814.
Brrr! Weathering the “polar vortex” this week certainly encouraged our interest in Captain Henry Thompson’s daily journal entries on Baltimore’s weather. On January 7, 1814, Thompson recorded:
“7th – Fine day, and having Frozen for a week past, commenc’d filling my Ice House, haul’d 21 loads today with two Carts from Herring Run Went to Town return’d to Dinner”
Over the past week of 1814, Baltimore has been hauling ice and more:
If you missed last week’s update, go back and check out the New Year’s Day reflections of Baltimore newspapermen William Pechin and Hezekiah Niles. Find more background on the history of the city in the early 1800s and our Baltimore 1814 project.
Knowles Light Fancy Power-Loom, ca. 1787
Happy holidays! We hope to see you on one of our great heritage tours in the early new year. Don’t forget to take a look at our end-of-year video. It is our way of saying thank you to the hundreds of volunteers and supporters who make all of what we do possible.
Join us next month for a lunchtime Behind the Scenes tour of Baltimore City Hall! All of Baltimore’s political, civic and business leaders came together for the dedication of the new City Hall in October 1875. Architect George Frederick was only 21 when he won the design competition with this handsome French Second Empire civic building. Our tour guide, City Hall curator Jeannie Davis, will lead us on a tour covering both architectural history and the history of city government in Baltimore. In addition to the rotunda, we’ll venture into the building’s ceremonial room, the original mayor’s office, and the council chambers.
As we head into the holiday season, reflecting back on the past year and looking to the year ahead, we put together a short holiday video to say thank you for participating, volunteering, and supporting all of our work. We are not holding our breath for a call from Ken Burns, but please check it out and let me know what you think.
Thank you again for all of your interest and support as we continue expanding our work to preserve Baltimore’s historic buildings and revitalize our neighborhoods. Have a happy holiday, and we’ll see you in 2014!
P.S. Membership with Baltimore Heritage makes a great holiday gift! Share Baltimore’s history and architecture with your family and friends today.