2010 Preservation Awards: John Manley House

John Manley House before and after, Image courtesy hord | coplan | macht

This week’s entry in our series of 2010 Baltimore Heritage Preservation Awards is the John Manley House. Formerly St. Dominic’s Parish School, the John Manley House at 5304 Harford Road involved taking two school building dating to the early twentieth century and converting them into low-income housing for seniors. Preserving features like the clay tile roof, terrazzo floors, and trim-work were priorities. Even the chalkboards were preserved and reused as message boards for the residents. The result is a fantastic new residence for thirty lucky seniors and a well preserved set of historic buildings. The Adaptive Reuse and Compatible Design Award was awarded to architect  Hord Coplan Macht and contractor Southway Builders.

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September CHAP Hearing Update: Mount Vernon Place Restoration Master Plan

This post is the first is a monthly series discussing the hearing agenda for the Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation.

Washington Monument, Detroit Publishing Company/LOC 1906

On September 13 at 1:45 PM, the Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation will hold a public hearing on the Mount Vernon Place Draft Restoration Master Plan. The plan was commissioned by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, a nonprofit established in 2008 to establish a public-private partnership with the City of Baltimore to restore and maintain Mount Vernon Place. Following a competitive process in 2009, MVPC selected Philadelphia landscape architecture firm OLIN to create the Mount Vernon Place Restoration and Revitalization Master Plan. The Master Plan is designed to serve as “the guiding document informing the fundraising and restoration of Mount Vernon Place to be completed before its bicentennial in July 2015.” The plan addresses a wide range of issues including the restoration of existing historic fabric, pedestrian access & safety, landscaping, lighting and infrastructure. You can download a PDF copy of the summary of the Mount Vernon Place Restoration and Revitalization Master Plan here.

Additional items on the agenda for September 13 include concept design reviews in the Fells Point Historic District and a hardship appeal proposing the installation of vinyl windows in the Mount Royal Terrace Historic District. The full agenda appears below.
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Baltimore Building of the Week: Greenaway Cottages

This week’s edition of the Baltimore Building of the Week takes us to North Baltimore at the edge of Roland Park to appreciate an autumn photo of the Greenaway Cottages designed by architect Charles E. Cassell (ca 1838-1916) in 1874.

Image courtesy Jack Breihan

These three cottages along 40th Street epitomize the Victorian Gothic style: polychrome stone and tile, steeply gabled roofs, deliberately asymmetric plan. Originally identical, the three cottages have each been altered over the years in different ways. They were built in 1874 as summer retreats for various branches of the wealthy Greenaway family – who made their way north when they wished to flee from the heat of their mansion on Mount Vernon Place. The cottages are currently owned and well maintained by Roland Park Place.

Baltimore’s Hebrew Orphan Asylum Matters: Last week to vote!

This Place Matters: Baltimore's Hebrew Orphan Asylum

Over the last week, we have partnered with the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Coppin Heights CDC, Coppin State University, with additional support from Preservation Maryland, the Association of Rosemont Community Organizations, and Temple Oheb Shalom to share the story of Baltimore’s Hebrew Orphan Asylum and get out the vote for the “This Place Matters Community Challenge.” A small group of the over 800 people who have voted to support the Hebrew Orphan Asylum gathered this morning to declare that this place matters. As the oldest Jewish orphanage in the United States and a tremendous potential asset to the communities of West Baltimore, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum is an important building for many people throughout the region. In order to win, however, we have to get the word out, tell the story of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, and let people know this place matters. Please vote to help us win $25,000 for the preservation of this rare Baltimore building then share the story with all of your friends and neighbors. Thank you for your generous support!

This Place Matters: Baltimore's Hebrew Orphan Asylum

2010 Preservation Awards: Hotel Brexton

Following on our recent feature on the American Brewery in East Baltimore, we are excited to share the second entry in our series on the 2010 Baltimore Heritage Preservation Award Winners: Mount Vernon’s Hotel Brexton.

Hotel Brexton at night, image courtesy Daniel Truitt

Constructed in 1881, the seven story Hotel Brexton at 868 Park Avenue is elegantly squeezed onto a tiny triangular lot between Park Avenue and Tyson Street in Mount Vernon. Perhaps the most famous resident of this “residential hotel” was Bessie ‘Wallis’ Warfield, later the Duchess of Windsor. After years of vacancy and neglect, RWN Development acquired the building and finished a total renovation earlier this year. The building is now a hotel and is a worthy addition to the national Historic Hotels of America. The Adaptive Reuse and Compatible Design Award goes to owners and operators RWN Development, general contractor HOD LLC, and architects Kann Partners.
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