Lost Baltimore: A Portfolio of Vanished Buildings(Maryland Paperback Bookshelf)

They fell victim to fire and time, to road builders and city planners, to the schemes of short-sighted developers, and to their owners' neglect. From the red brick shops and taverns of colonial times to the monumental banks and theatres of the early 20th century, the lost buildings of old Baltimore represent an irreplaceable part of the city's heritage. Now, in this revised and redesigned edition of Carleton Jones's popular retrospective, the vanished structures of Baltimore's past are made accessible to a new generation of readers. Here is the Fountain Inn, where George Washington slept and-judging from the "incredible bar tabs" run up at receptions in his honor-drank as well. Here also, the Hofliday Street Theater, from whose roof-excited crowds watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Not far to the north, at Battle Monument Square on Calvert Street, stood Guy's Monument House, where Charles Dickens shared an "enchantedjulep" with Washington Irving. Beyond the city line at Loch Raven was Robert Gilmor's Glen Ellen, a Gothic castle modeled on Walfer Scott's Abbottsford in Scodand. A.S. Abell's 52-room mansion, Guilford, was the largest private home in the state until 1914, when it was torn down to develop the neighborhood that bears its name. And on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Royal Theater was a major stop on the jazz and big band circuit, hosting such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. Each of the more than 100 entries includes a photograph, the building's exact location, the years it was built and razed, and a paragraph describing its architectural and historical significance. Also included are essays giving an overview of Baltimore's Colonial, Federal, antebellum, Victorian, and "golden city" periods of architecture along with churches and saloons, temples and courthouses, public buildings, theatres, town houses, office buildings, and country mansions.

About the Author :
Carleton Jones has written extensively for the 'Baltimore Sun' and has a special interest in Baltimore history. He is the author of 'Maryland: A Picture History', 'Baltimore: A Picture History', and 'Streetwise Baltimore'.

Review :
"'Lost Baltimore' should be required reading for architects and city planners. Much tragic destruction could be avoided by a careful study of its illustrations and text, and by noting that buildings are least appreciated when they are about seventy years old. For Baltimoreans in general, this work will not only increase the growing realization of the importance of architectural preservation but will at the same time provide reading matter of great interest and nostalgic charm."--'Maryland Historical Magazine'