The First Presbyterian Church was originally founded in 1761 by dissenting Presbyterians fleeing the French and Indian War on the Pennsylvania frontier. The church's first Minister, the Rev. Dr. Patrick Allison, was a personal friend of George Washington, and the church supported the Revolutionary cause when the colonies broke from Great Britain. The church moved uptown to its new building in 1859. To support the weight of the huge central spire (completed in 1874), the architects designed massive stone piers with cast-iron columnns at their centers. These columnns were a "marvel of engineering," as one historian wrote. A contemporary observer described them as "the most massive and scientifically arranged cast iron framework ever done in this country or in any other." Adjoining the church is a building known as the Manse or the Backus House; it was the residence of the Rev. John C. Backus, who organized the relocation of the church. In 1861, Backus was instrumental in the passage of the controversial Gardiner Spring Resolutions, which, in the patriotic fervor surrounding the opening of the Civil War, required pastors to swear allegiance to the federal government.

The spire of the First & Franklin Presbyterian Church

The Gothic Revival church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

The addition of the central spire required additional support inside the church.

Home page for the First & Franklin Presbyterian Church.

More Info

The spire of the First & Franklin Presbyterian Church, the tallest in Baltimore, towers over the northern part of the city. The church itself (on neither First nor Franklin streets) was renamed after the historic First Presbyterian merged with the nearby Franklin Presbyterian in 1973. The church building, begun in 1854 (the spire was finished in 1874), is one of several notable Gothic Revival churches in north-central Baltimore. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

First & Franklin Presbyterian Church

This short walking tour starts at the Maryland Historical Society and includes several of downtown Baltimore's most famous monuments. The tour also offers stops at numerous historic buildings and landmarks including the Baltimore Battle Monument and Baltimore's Washington Monument. 

Washington Monument to the Baltimore Battle Monument

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Founded in 1844, the Maryland Historical Society is the state's oldest operating cultural institution. It is located in the former mansion owned by philanthropist Enoch Pratt built in 1847. It features a museum and library and offers various educational programs and public events. The museum contains 350,000 objects, 2,000 paintings, the largest collection of works of art created by the Peale family (for 125 years, members of this family, beginning with Charles Peale, painted Philadelphia's leading citizens; in 1814, Rembrandt Peale founded the Baltimore Museum of Fine Arts), maritime artifacts, painted and inlaid furniture, costumes, ceramics, dolls and other toys, and quilts. As for the library holds 60,000 books, 800,000 photographs, 5 million manuscripts, 6,500 prints and broadsides, and 1 million ephemera. The Society moved into the Pratt mansion in 1919 and has renovated and built additions to it since then.

Maryland Historical Society

Congress first began advocating for a significant monument to George Washington as early as 1799, however, the monument in Washington, D.C. did not start construction until 1848. Instead, citizens of Baltimore under the Board of Managers planned and built a monument in Baltimore. The monument consists of a large column with a statue of Washington at the top. It was constructed by local contractors Towson and Stuart with local stone, however, the statue of Washington was sculpted by Italian Enrico Causici. Excavation for the foundation began in spring of 1815, and the first load of stone was delivered in June. The cornerstone was laid on July 4th, with as many as 30,000 people attending, and featured a 39-gun salute. The statue at the top was chosen through a contest held in 1828, and was complete by 1829. Most work was finished in 1829, however, Robert Mills and the Board of Managers did not consider it officially complete until 1840.

This 178-foot doric column was built between 1815 and 1829. It is the first monument built to honor the first President of the United States and remains the distinguishing feature of the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. The design was chosen in a competition, won by Robert Mills, who went on to later construct the more famous Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. There is a small museum within the base of the monument and guests who can handle the 227 steps within the tower can enjoy one of the best views of the city of Baltimore. The monument was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. 



Washington Monument (Baltimore)

In the post-World War fervor-"Lafayette, we are here!"-it is no surprise that Baltimoreans backed an effort to raise a statue to the memory of the Marquis de Lafayette in the shadow of his friend and mentor, George Washington, especially since it was the centennial of Lafayette's feting as he traveled across America in 1824-1825. What was a surprise was the controversy that exploded around the statue. The controversy arose around its placement, just south of the Washington Monument. Some Baltimoreans feared it would detract from the latter, going as far as to argue that it would obscure the Washington Monument from view when looking from the south. Henry Walters, whose eponymous art gallery had just opened across the street, called in an "artistic crime," and H.L. Mencken, Baltimore's resident wit, said it resembled "Washington's spittoon." The statue, on its massive plinth, was erected anyway and the controversy died down. Today, it is difficult to imagine Mount Vernon place without the Lafayette Monument. An inscription on one side of the plinth (a quote from Woodrow Wilson) succinctly states the eighteenth-century republican virtues that, to many Americans then and since, Lafayette embodied: "LA FAYETTE IMMORTAL BECAUSE A SELF-FORGETFUL SERVANT OF JUSTICE AND HUMANITY BELOVED BY ALL AMERICANS BECAUSE HE ACKNOWLEDGED NO DUTY MORE SACRED THAN TO FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOM OF HIS FELLOW-MEN."

The statue of Lafayette, dedicated in 1924, looms over the south end of Mount Vernon Place, just across from Baltimore's Washington Monument on its southern side and facing toward the Inner Harbor. The juxtaposition of the two monuments is no surprise, since the French nobleman and supporter of the American Revolution became one of George Washington's closest allies and friends during the Revolution. The massive bronze equestrian statue, sculpted by Andrew O'Connor, was dedicated in 1924, a century after the aging Lafayette drew massive crowds on an American tour in remembrance of the Revolution.

Marquis de Lafayette Monument

Following mid-nineteenth century dictates about the importance of comprehensive education to the "moral and intellectual culture" of America's urban centers, George Peabody followed a then-unique blueprint in creating his eponymous institute in Baltimore. The Conservatory would, according to its founder and original directors, encompass every aspect of a student's education. It originally comprised a non-circulating library, a music conservatory, a lecture series, an art gallery, and a series of prizes for student achievement, funded by money set aside by Peabody himself. In its early years, the Institute's most popular events were its lecture series, which attracted luminaries like Ralph Waldo Emerson to Baltimore. By the late nineteenth century, the Peabody Library became the center of the institution; however, with the opening of the nearby Enoch Pratt Free Library, a circulating library, the Peabody Library lost some of its visibility. In the twentieth century, the Institute focused on its niche as a prestigious music conservatory, and that remains its primary focus today.&nbsp; However, Peabody's original mission as a broadly-conceived educational institution can still be glimpsed today in its highly-visible architecture on Mount Vernon Place. The Peabody Library is a Baltimore landmark and retains its original collection; it also hosts many public events and private celebration like weddings. Finally, pieces from the original Peabody art gallery remain in various spots around campus.

Founded in 1857 by financier George Peabody, a central figure in modern philanthropy, the Peabody Institute was America's first music conservatory and remains one of the leading music schools in the country. In 1977, Peabody became a division of the Johns Hopkins University. The building is located on historic Mount Vernon Place in north Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood, and the structure is notable for its original Grecian-Italianate facade and the 1878 addition that contains the Peabody Library. Peabody's many student ensembles perform across the city, including in the Institute's Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall, which seats more than 600 concertgoers. At almost 150 years old, Friedberg Hall is one of America's oldest venues.  

Friedberg Hall and the Peabody Institute

The Peabody Library's collection consists of about 300,000 books, largely focused on nineteenth-century publications. Although it still functions partly as a non-circulating research library, the Library could more properly be thought of as a museum of books, having made an effort to conserve a historical collection in situ. It also presents rotating exhibits from its collection in its foyer. The Library is in the same physical structure as the Peabody Conservatory, but functions as a different unit of Johns Hopkins. It hosts a variety of public and private events in addition to its function as a library. George Peabody rose from poverty to become one of the leading merchants and financiers in the United States. He worked to secure and maintain lines of credit for several states during the financial crisis of 1837 and it is likely that Peabody's actions kept Maryland and other states from defaulting on their loans. Peabody gave away half of his fortune while still alive, funding numerous libraries and museums and working to alleviate the condition of working class families in the United States and Britain.&nbsp;

The Peabody Library was founded in 1857 as part of the Peabody Institute, financier George Peabody's bequest to the city of Baltimore (his hometown) that was conceived as a comprehensive educational institute and source of civic virtue. The physical library was not completed until 1878, but it immediately became one of the most distinctive spaces in the city and a Baltimore landmark: a "cathedral of books." An unusual cast-iron frame building, the library functioned as a non-circulating research library in its early decades. In 1967, it joined the Enoch Pratt Free Library system, and in 1982 became part of the Johns Hopkins University and its special collections department.

George Peabody Institute Library

The
Walters Art Museum was founded because of&nbsp;William Thompson Walters' and his son, Henry's love of art.&nbsp; William was born and raised&nbsp;in
Pennsylvania with his seven siblings. When he reached the age of 21, Walters&nbsp;decided to move to Baltimore in search of success, and he became something&nbsp;of a jack of all trades. His business ventures included, grain merchant,&nbsp;successful investor, banker, and&nbsp;wholesale
liquor distributor. His prosperity allowed him to pursue his love of art, and some of his first purchases were&nbsp;nineteenth century American regional artists' works. During this time,&nbsp;he married Ellen Harper, and they had three children
together. His second, born in 1848, was named Henry. 

&nbsp;At the start of the second half of the seventeenth century,&nbsp;William
and his family moved away from downtown Baltimore and into 65 Mount Vernon Place.&nbsp;However, at the start of the Civil War, William
decided it was best for his family to move to&nbsp;Europe--most likely because of his divided loyalties. It was at
this time that William began collecting his first pieces of European art. The
Walters collected works&nbsp;from all over Europe by way of dealers, artists,
and exhibitions.&nbsp;Tragically, however, Ellen became ill while traveling to London&nbsp;and died in 1862. Still, William continued to obtain pieces for his collection&nbsp;the entirety of his stay. His original taste for American art had shifted while in England. He became fond of French pieces that were more exotic and devastating than American art at the time. It was said that he had "acquired the finest things by the best French artists,'' and that his acquisitions were envied by major museums worldwide.1Following the end of the Civil War, in 1865, William and his family returned to Baltimore. During the late
nineteenth century, William built a bridge connecting his home and a converted stable where he created a gallery&nbsp;to showcase his vast collection.&nbsp;William and Henry held openings every&nbsp;Wednesday in
April and May, and the people of Baltimore were huge fans of Walters' galleries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;William
died in 1894, leaving&nbsp;his grand collection to his son, Henry, and an admirable legacy behind. Henry, comparable to his father, was&nbsp;a prosperous business man and had a passion for art. However,&nbsp;Henry's&nbsp;vision for the&nbsp;collection far surpassed Williams' in scale and objective.&nbsp;He began purchasing pieces that had at one time passed through royal collections. In 1900, Henry purchased a number of houses next to the Mount Vernon property that&nbsp;he had&nbsp;inherited from his father with plans to convert it into a gallery one day.&nbsp;Then, in&nbsp;1902, Henry paid $1,000,000 for the contents (over 1,700 pieces)&nbsp;of the Palazzo&nbsp;Accoramboni in Rome-one of the most significant purchases in American collecting history. The following year, he served on the executive committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, becoming the vice present a decade later. Henry continued to procure art during this time, but by this point the majority of&nbsp;Walters' contributions to the collection had been made. In 1909, Henry&nbsp;converted the houses he had purchased in Mount Vernon to one&nbsp;“palazzo-like building” that opened as a gallery&nbsp;that same year.
After his death in 1931 the building and collections were left to the
Baltimore’s mayor and city council to continue its operation; therefore, it opened as a public institution in 1934.

That same year, the first of the building's renovations began with upgrading its interior.&nbsp;By the second half of the twentieth century, the collections had grown so large that expansion was necessary. Additions&nbsp;in 1974, and again ten years later had&nbsp;only sufficed until the early 1990s. Subsequently, in 1998, the most recent reconstruction began and required the Gallery to close for 3 years as 39 new gallery rooms, a&nbsp;new entryway,&nbsp;and public areas were added. When the institution opened back up in 2001, the name was changed to the Walters Art Museum.Today, the Museum has completely transformed from the original that opened in 1909.&nbsp;&nbsp;William and Henry's wildly impressive&nbsp;founding collection numbered some 22,000 pieces.&nbsp;Today, the collections have&nbsp;expanded further, now&nbsp;reaching over 35,000 works. The
wide variety of pieces range from Far Eastern ceramics&nbsp;to art deco. Walters Art Museum
showcases their works as they would have been when they were created. This allows visitors&nbsp;to connect with the history and culture of each piece, further elevating their experience. The Museum's mission reflects the idea that served as the foundation&nbsp;of the founding collection: a love of art in all forms&nbsp;and it's ability to connect all people.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The Museum’s mission statement reads:

“The
Walters Art Museum brings art and people together for enjoyment, discovery, and
learning. We strive to create a place where people of every background can be
touched by art. We are committed to exhibitions and programs that will
strengthen and sustain our community.”2&nbsp;

The Walters Art Museum is the successful product of merging two art enthusiasts' life long collections. Over the years, the museum's current collections have grown immensely, and the institution is distinguished for its diverse pieces from all over the world and, most notably, from across an extraordinary timespan, ranging from roughly 3000 B.C. to works as recent as the early 20th century. The museum's themed galleries and exhibits showcase a variety of cultural artifacts, and allows the visitor to connect with their historical and cultural significance.

The Walters Art Museum 

Standard Oil was formed by John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler in 1870. The company grew by acquiring a majority share of other oil and gas companies, a strategy that allowed Standard Oil to grow across state lines and control the oil industry and grew to control over 90% of the nations refineries. However, due to its immense size, the Standard Oil company became the focus of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was dedicated to "trust-busting." In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil of New Jersey (the name of the holding company) to divest control of 16 out of the 20 largest affiliates of Standard Oil, thus breaking up Standard Oil. However, Standard Oil of New Jersey remained the strongest of the newly formed companies, and as part of continued strengthening, a second office was built in Baltimore, after the first in Newark. The Baltimore office oversaw distribution in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Washington, D.C, and also oversaw the operation of the Baltimore refinery.

The Standard Oil building is a 15 story Beaux-Arts steel frame office building that was once occupied by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. The building is clad in limestone and is built in a U shape. It was built between 1919 and 1922 and was estimated to cost around 1.5 million dollars.  The building was designed by Clyde N Friz, who was also responsible for the construction of the main branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. In 2000, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2002, the building was completely renovated and redeveloped into a luxury apartment complex, known as The Standard. 

Standard Oil Building

Soon after the church's foundation, Rev. Dr. William Ellery Channing delivered his famous "Baltimore Sermon," which laid out the tenets of American Unitarianism, affirming belief in the Unity of God (as opposed to the Trinity), and stressing the importance of living a moral life, rather than simply professing piety. For example, he preached:&nbsp; Whilst we earnestly inculcate the love of God, we believe that great care is necessary to distinguish it from counterfeits. We think that much which is called piety is worthless. Many have fallen into the error, that there can be no excess in feelings which have God for their object; and, distrusting as coldness that self-possession, without which virtue and devotion lose all their dignity, they have abandoned themselves to extravagances, which have brought contempt on piety. Most certainly, if the love of God be that which often bears its name, the less we have of it the better. If religion be the shipwreck of understanding, we cannot keep too far from it. On this subject, we always speak plainly. We cannot sacrifice our reason to the reputation of zeal. We owe it to truth and religion to maintain, that fanaticism, partial insanity, sudden impressions, and ungovernable transports, are anything rather than piety.&nbsp;(see below for a link to a longer sermon excerpt) The First Unitarian Church has maintained a commitment to activism during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with members participating in the Civil Rights movement, the movement for same-sex marriage, and anti-war activism.

The First Unitarian Church in Baltimore, Maryland was the first building erected for Unitarians in the United States. Completed in 1818, the church is a domed cube with a stucco exterior. The church, originally called the "First Independent Church of Baltimore," is the oldest building continuously used by a Unitarian congregation.

First Unitarian Church

When choosing an architectural style for this basilica, Bishop Carroll rejected Gothic Revival, which hearkens back to Europe's medieval past, in favor of Neoclassical, which echoes the buildings in nearby Washington. Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who had come to the U.S. from England in the late eighteenth century, took on the job of designing it. President Thomas Jefferson had previously hired Latrobe as Surveyor of Public Buildings, and in this role he contributed to&nbsp;the design of the U.S. Capitol. His work on the Capitol, as well as his visit to the Pantheon in Rome, influenced his design for the Baltimore Basilica.&nbsp; Latrobe donated his designs for the basilica, but his involvement with it was at times turbulent. As Architecture professor Mary Woods explains, "his pro bono work for the cathedral proved very costly, in terms of Latrobe's time and peace of mind," in part because the builders were apt to tweak his designs. After a lengthy process, and seven revisions to the design, the Baltimore Basilica was at last completed in 1821.&nbsp;

The historic Baltimore Basilica, known informally as "America's First Cathedral," was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe and built from 1806-1821. It was the first great metropolitan cathedral constructed in the United States after the adoption of the Constitution. The Basilica is open for free public tours and its museum displays numerous artifacts dating back to its 17th century origin. Items in the museum include the tabernacle once kept by the family of John Carroll, Cardinal Gibbons’ vestments, letters between American Presidents and Catholic leaders, and altar vessels used during the Basilica’s earliest days.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

<div>St. Paul's Parish was established at Patapsco Neck but moved to Baltimore Town in 1731. The first church on this property was built in the 1730s, replaced in 1817 by a second church designed by Robert Cary Long. Although this church burned down in 1854, the exterior walls survived, along with&nbsp;several decorative pieces:&nbsp;the bishop's chair, the baptismal font, and two stone friezes, carved by Antonio Capellano, which you can see on the church exterior above the three-arched portico. One panel depicts Moses holding the Ten Commandments, while the other depicts Christ. From 1854-56, Richard Upjohn designed a new church using the&nbsp;old foundation and brick&nbsp;walls. This church&nbsp;still stands today. Upjohn is most famous as an architect of Gothic Revival churches (such as Trinity Church in New York City), and Gothic style was growing more popular in Baltimore at the time. Old St. Pauls, however, does not look even remotely Gothic. Rather, Updike seems to have based St. Paul's on early Christian basilicas such as San Paolo fuori la mura (St. Paul's Outside the Walls), built in Italy in 384. Architectural historian Laurie Ossman has pointed out the striking parallels between St. Paul's in Baltimore and San Paolo in Rome. First, both churches have burned down and been rebuilt--San Paolo caught fire in 1823 and required extensive reconstruction. Second, San Paolo is one of the oldest surviving (if heavily restored)&nbsp;Christian basilicas, while St. Paul's is the oldest parish in Baltimore. Finally, San Paolo is the oldest basilica dedicated to St. Paul, upon whose burial site it stands. The two churches thus share a namesake. Upjohn is known to have traveled in Italy and was likely familiar with San Paolo. Inside Old St. Paul's, visitors can see the altar window, designed by Maitland Armstrong and installed in 1902. Underneath this window is a stone screen (reredos) with peacocks symbolizing the Resurrection. The church also contains several windows designed by Tiffany Studios, portraying figures such as St. Anne, St. Augustine, and St. Luke. </div>

St. Paul's Parish, established in 1692, is the oldest in Baltimore. Since the 1730 survey of Baltimore, this property has hosted multiple church buildings while retaining the same ownership over the centuries. It is the only property to have done so in the city. Architect Richard Upjohn designed the current church building, which dates to 1856. The basilica-style church resembles early Christian basilicas in Italy.

Old St. Paul's Church

The history of the Freemasons in Baltimore has been long and prosperous. Near the end of the eighteenth century, as Baltimore itself began to flourish, so did the Freemasons. In 1793, the Freemasons of Maryland oversaw the laying of the cornerstone for the Capitol in Washington, DC. Later that year, the Fells Point Lodge in Baltimore was granted a charter, after which it was renamed the Washington Lodge No. 3. Baltimore’s growth was impeded in the early nineteenth century due to the War of 1812. Many Freemasons were involved in the war, including General Samuel Smith, who was in charge of defense for Baltimore, and Grand Master Levin Winder, who served as the Governor of Maryland from 1812-1814. Baltimore was the second largest city in the nation by the time the war ended in 1815. In 1822, the Maryland Grand Lodge stood on the corner of St. Paul Street and Lexington Avenue. This building became a Federal Courthouse during the Civil War, and it continued to be used in courthouse affairs afterward. The Freemasons built a new Lodge for themselves&nbsp;on Charles St. in 1866. The building has survived a number of fires and been through multiple cycles of restoration and renovation.&nbsp;The building was nearly demolished by the order of City of Baltimore officials to build a parking structure. However, while this plan was being made, Tremont Suites purchased the property and made plans to restore it. The owners of the hotel company worked with the city. They agreed to build a parking structure behind the Grand and were allowed to carry out their restoration plan. Meanwhile, the Freemasons have moved to the suburbs. For decades, they had been purchasing property outside of Baltimore city--and they&nbsp;weren't the only ones interested in the suburbs.&nbsp;Starting in the nineteenth century, Baltimore and its surrounding suburban villages were becoming increasingly interconnected, first by horsecar railway lines, then by electric streetcar. More than 100 suburban communities encircled Baltimore by 1900. Suburbanization increased during the twentieth century, driven in part by federal subsidies, in part by demolition of housing within the city, and in part by&nbsp;growing numbers of families who wanted to leave urban life behind. Shopping centers, businesses, and industry also emerged in suburban areas. The Maryland Freemasons began work on their new Grand Lodge in Cockeysville in 1993 and sold the Baltimore Grand Lodge in 1998.

The Grand, now an event venue, was built in 1866 as a Freemason lodge. Its architectural and decorative style, a mix of 2nd Empire and Italian Renaissance influences, mark it as a typical showpiece building of affluent late-19th-century north-central Baltimore. The building served as the Grand Lodge of Maryland Masonic Temple for over 130 years. The Grand features ten distinctive meeting rooms, including Edinburgh Hall, a room in the Tudor style modeled after the Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. Another room features aspects of an Egyptian temple. The headquarters for the Maryland Freemasons remained in this building until 1994, when the lodge moved to the suburbs. Today, the Maryland Freemasons Lodge is in Cockeysville, Maryland.

The Grand

The Baltimore City Courthouse, as it was formally known, was Baltimore's last architectural undertaking in the 19th century. This neoclassical structure was officially opened on January 8, 1900,&nbsp;and still stands today as a beacon of justice in the heart of the city. Six beautifully-painted murals were added in the decade following its opening. They stand as just a few of the notable fixtures within the courthouse walls and illustrate a number of scenes that feature prominent figures in Maryland‘s history. The murals include The British Surrender at Yorktown, Calvert’s Treaty with the Indians, Washington Surrenders His Commission, The Burning of the Peggy Stewart, and&nbsp;Religious Toleration and The Ancient Lawgivers. Another notable fixture is the artglass skylights that depict the goddesses of courage, justice, literature, logic, mercy, peace, religion and truth. These are located above the stairways on either side of Kaplan Court. Furthermore, many of these striking works of art are available for viewing on the Maryland State Archives website.1 Along with Courthouse East, The Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse houses the 33 judges of the Circuit Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. Furthermore, the courthouse contains the Baltimore Bar Library, which is one of the most complete and comprehensive law&nbsp;libraries in the nation. It also contains the&nbsp;Old Criminal Court (Room 215), where large portraits of Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. and his wife, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, adorn the walls. On March 8,&nbsp;1985, the Baltimore City Courthouse was renamed the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse. That day would have marked the civil rights leader’s 74th birthday. The rededication took place less than a year after he passed away, and the courthouse stands as a symbol of equality and impartiality under the law. For more information on&nbsp;Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.'s storied career and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, the nearby&nbsp;Thurgood Marshall Law Library at the University of Maryland houses an impressive collection of his papers and historical documents.2&nbsp;

The Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse is one of two buildings that make up the Baltimore City Circuit Courthouses. It was renamed in 1985 in honor of Baltimore native Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader and chief lobbyist for the NAACP from 1950 to 1978. Construction began in 1895 and lasted for five years before the courthouse was dedicated and opened to the public in 1900. The courthouse occupies a full city block in downtown Baltimore and is also home to the Museum of Baltimore Legal History. Most of its original beauty has been preserved, including its granite foundation and marble facades, but perhaps most notable is the presence of numerous works of art housed within its walls, including the bronze statue of Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore and First Proprietor of the Province of Maryland.

Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse

The Battle of Baltimore occurred during the War of 1812,
after the attack on Washington D.C. in 1814.&nbsp; While the attack on D.C. was happening, Baltimore prepared for
the pending British attack on their harbor and city. Citizens&nbsp;erected&nbsp;a&nbsp;mile of barricades to defend the city and also worked to block the&nbsp;Inner Harbor. In addition to these preparations, federal troops were assisted by local citizens in preparing&nbsp;Fort McHenry for the attack by the British Navy.&nbsp;

Most remember the famous naval battle that inspired the lyrics to a poem that became America's national anthem, Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner." &nbsp;On September 12, British warships&nbsp;traveled&nbsp;up the Patapsco River to attack Fort McHenry and other defensive fortifications. Lyrics such as "and the rockets red glare! The bombs bursting in air!" describe&nbsp;the British attack. Meanwhile, troops also attempted to take the city by land.&nbsp;Nearly 4500 British troops&nbsp;arrived at North Point, an area&nbsp;close
to the opening of the Patapsco River, and began an&nbsp;11-mile journey to Baltimore. Baltimore was in danger of falling to the British.The ships attacked Fort McHenry for 25 hours, but the fort’s commander, Major George Armistead, refused to surrender. Meanwhile, British troops faced American defenders in the Battle of
North Point. The British suffered many
losses in that battle, but were still able to reach&nbsp;Baltimore’s protective barricades. When they discovered the&nbsp;British loss at Fort
McHenry, however, they chose to abandon their campaign.&nbsp;The architecture of the monument blends Egyptian and Classical features. The
bottom is mainly in the Egyptian design, its&nbsp;two Black doors resembling a “cenotaph” or a sarcophagus. The columnn adopts the Classical Roman style of a fasces (bundle of rods), which&nbsp;stands
for unity. In 1827, President John Quincy Adams praised Baltimore as “the
Monumental City,” thanks to this monument and the Washington Monument.

The Baltimore Battle Monument was dedicated on September 12, 1822 to honor the 39 Baltimore citizens who lost their lives protecting Baltimore during a pivotal moment in the War of 1812. In 1814, Baltimore citizens, militiamen, and federal troops protected Baltimore from the land and sea invasion that inspired the lyrics to the National Anthem. This monument honors those who died in defense of the city, and the thousands who manned defensive fortifications around the city and bay area throughout the war. It soon became part of the official symbol of Baltimore city, featuring on the city's official seal since 1827. 

Washington Monument to the Baltimore Battle Monument

First & Franklin Presbyterian Church

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information