Archive for the ‘Roland Park’ Category
Overhill Waiting Shelter in Roland Park
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The Overhill Waiting Shelter is one of the last remnants of the No. 29 Boulevard streetcar line which ran from Roland Park to downtown. In operation from 1908 to 1947, the line’s open air cars were a favorite of Baltimoreans during summer months, the commute offering a brief respite from the exhausting heat. The No. 29 was converted to bus service in June of 1947. The waiting station, situated along University Parkway in what is known as Centennial Park, is a lasting monument to the Baltimore trolley system. The Roland Water Tower stands at the top of the hill.
The Charlcote House in Guilford
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The Charlcote House, located in the north Baltimore neighborhood of Guilford, was designed by John Russell Pope, the acclaimed American architect. Pope also designed the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C., as well as the Baltimore Museum of Art. in 1914 construction began on the Charlcote House, the stately mansion created for James Swan Frick, the son of William Frederick Frick, an important lawyer for the B&O Railroad, the Consolidated Coal Company and the Consolidated Gas Company. The nearly 100 year-old Classical Revival style building is situated just west of the Guilford Reservoir and slightly north of Sherwood Gardens.
Sculptor Grace Turnbull
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Grace Turnbull was an artist of extraordinary perseverance, one of Baltimore’s treasures she lived until 95, producing a series of sculptures, paintings and writings throughout her life. Her former house, located at 223 Chancery Road was designed by her architect brother Bayard Turnbull and contains four large outer beams sculpted by Grace herself. Built in 1927, the house was once situated in rural Waverly. As the city expanded a community grew around the historic house, the estate forming the center of the north Baltimore neighborhood of Guilford.
Part of the realist generation of American artists, Turnbull (1880-1976) exemplified a fiery spirit, carving marble with a hammer and chisel until she was 90. Her Reese Monument sits on a grassy knoll in front of the old Eastern High School building on 33rd street. The massive marble sculpture is directly across from the former site of Memorial Stadium. Turnbull also created the Naiad Statue near the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon.
Roland Water Tower
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The Roland Water Tower is located in north Baltimore between Hampden, Roland Park and the Hoes Heights neighborhoods. It stands in a small park at the intersection of West University Parkway and Roland Avenue. The structure was built by John Stack & Sons following the design of local architect William J. Fizone. Completed in 1905, the tower only served its intended purpose for twenty-five years, but over one hundred years later it continues to draw attention.
In the past year a fence has been put up around the tower. Pieces of terra cotta have fallen from the 148-foot tall spire marking the area below as a hazard. The Roland Park community has initiated a plan to restore the water tower and surrounding park. Renovation is estimated to cost two million dollars.
Simon Bolivar Memorial Bust in Guilford
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Location
N Charles Street & St Paul Street & Bedford Place (Street View)
GPS: 39° 20′ 36.56″ N 76° 37′ 17.90″ W
History
Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) is frequently referred to as the “George Washington of South America.” This bust, by artist Felix de Weldon, was a gift from the government of Venezuela to the City of Baltimore and was dedicated on April 19, 1961. (Felix de Weldon is also the sculptor of the famous Marine Corp Memorial, which depicts a determined group of soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima) According to Baltimore’s City Paper, “Duplicate busts were given to the municipalities of Bolivar, W. Va., Bolivar, Mo., and New Orleans.” Known as a El Libertador – “The Liberator,” Bolivar was inspired by the American Revolution to throw off Spanish rule in South America. He fought in or organized revolutionary actions for close to two decades, resulting in the formation of the nation of Gran Colombia. It’s area encompassed present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama along with small parts of Peru, Brazil, and Guyana. Around the neck of the Bolivar bust is a medallion with a portrait of George Washington.
Notes
The location of this monument compared to most others in the city is a bit far-flung. Travel north until Charles Street and St. Paul Street merge into one in the neighborhood of Guilford. There is what might be considered a brother-statue to Bolivar down towards Fell’s Point of Jose Marti, a Cuban revolutionary hero. Bolivar’s influence on South American politics is felt even today, thanks to a political philosophy referred to in English as Bolivarianism, and the subsequent Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chavez. The movement is typified by a strong emphasis on Venezuelan sovereignty, self-sufficiency, equity and patriotic service.
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