Archive for February, 2009
John Mifflin Hood Statue in Preston Gardens
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Saratoga Street and St. Paul Street in Preston Gardens (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 32.95″ N 76° 36′ 49.24″ W
History
Depicts John Mifflin Hood, Confederate general and early president of the Western Maryland Railroad. Under Hood’s guidance the railroad was able to regain market share, becoming very profitable. Baltimore City owned considerable stock in the company, resulting in massive profit. After the Great Fire of 1904 the city used six million dollars of railroad earnings to pay for reconstruction. In appreciation, a monument was erected, one block from the origin of the fire, in Mifflin Hood’s honor. It was later moved to it’s current location in Preston Gardens. Dedicated May 11, 1911. Artist: Richard E. Brooks.
Notes
Hood’s monument is tucked away in a park known as Preston Gardens which lies in between St. Paul Street’s north and south-bound lanes. The monument is flanked on either side by a fountain and winding staircases connect the upper and lower sections of St. Paul. Curving sidewalks flow throughout this surprisingly placid location.
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Links
Cecilius Calvert Statue at the Courthouse
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E Lexington Street and Saint Paul Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 26.83″ N 76° 36′ 49.87″ W
History
Depicts Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore (August 8, 1605 – November 30, 1675). The son of the 1st Lord Baltimore, George Calvert, Cecilius was granted the proprietorship of Maryland shortly after his father’s death in 1632. Due to political pressures he never visited his colony, sending his two younger brothers, Leonard and George, to rule the settlement. Dedicated on November 2, 1908, the statue stands outside the Clarence Mitchell Jr. Courthouse on St. Paul Street downtown. Artist: Albert Weinert.
Notes
The impressive statue stands against the arched entryways of the courthouse. The monument faces a fountain and courtyard across the street. Traffic from the north flows by this bustling location on down to the Inner Harbor.
Nearby
Links
- Celebrating Lord Baltimore’s City
- On Panoramio [2] & Flickr [2]
Baltimore’s Battle Monument
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Calvert Street, between Fayette & Lexington Streets (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 26.29″ N 76° 36′ 44.59″ W
History
Commemorates the Battle of North Point, a turning point in the War of 1812, and those who died during the month of September 1814. The monument is the first built in America specifically for the common soldier. Placed on the site of Baltimore’s original courthouse, the location was chosen to preserve the land from further urban development. On the base of the structure is two relief sculptures that depict the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the Battle of North Point. The names of the soldiers that died in the historic conflict are spelled out on bands that wrap the towering column. Lady Baltimore holds a victory wreath at the apex of the fifty-two foot memorial. Designed by architect Maximilian Godefroy and built from 1815-1825. Sculpture by Antonio Capellano.
Notes
Situated in an old and high-energy location downtown, the Battle Monument is famously depicted on the flag and seal of Baltimore City. The area has a great deal of foot traffic, with people pausing to sit, look and eat lunch in the pleasant median splitting motor traffic. The United States Court House and Post Office building stand on the east side of the monument, the Post Office serving as the second courthouse today. Many interesting historical plaques adorn the grounds of the monument, including one of the city’s Heritage Walk markers. The female figure atop the pedestal is Lady Baltimore, an embodiment of the spirit of the city.
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Baltimore’s Thurgood Marshall Statue
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Hopkins Place and West Pratt Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 11.61″ N 76° 37′ 3.03″ W
History
Depicts Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993), the great-grandson of a slave and Baltimore native who rose to become the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court. He was nominated in 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson. Stands outside the Garmatz Federal Courthouse, Pratt Street entrance. Artist: Reuben Kramer. Dedicated on May 16, 1980. BWI Airport was also dedicated to Marshall in October of 2005.
Notes
This monument is just off the path from the shops and bustle of the Inner Harbor proper. Across Pratt street is the Baltimore Convention Center and the old Bromo-Seltzer Tower stares down from above. Arrayed behind the monument are many concrete pyramids, presumably to prevent cars from driving up too close to the courthouse.
Nearby
Links
- On Panoramio [2] & Flickr
- Smithsonian entry
- Bio at Monumentally Speaking
- Thurgood Marshall Memorial in Annapolis