Federal Era Architecture in Fell's Point
A Baltimore Historical Site Preserves American Colonial Style
Apr 9, 2009
An important maritime community, Fell’s Point’s rise in the mid-eighteenth century paralleled that of the fledgling American government. Within a decade of the town’s creation in 1763, with its natural deepwater harbor, Fell’s Point had become a major shipbuilding center in the colonies. Indeed, it was its shipbuilding prowess that contributed greatly to America’s success against the British. Here the very first Navy cruisers were outfitted, manned and armed by the local merchants and shipbuilders.
Today, arriving by water taxi from various points along the harbor, visitors disembark in Market Square, a wind swept space that once had its finger on the pulse of the nation. The well-maintained cobblestones conjure up a time when the racket of wheels and horse hooves vied with the shouts of dockworkers, merchants, and sailors, and when the bustle of the maritime trade filled the air with smells of tar and water, fish and spices.
Federal Era Row Houses Display Distinctive Architectural Details
Market Square is flanked on three sides by streets surprisingly broad for the time. Tidy federal-era row houses line these streets looking shipshape and prim with their white marble stoops and wrought iron railings. Their steep roofs, cedar shingles, attic dormers, chimneys and coal cellars boast of the then new and distinctive style. They also speak eloquently of the refined taste and robust energy of the sea captains and leaders of industry who built them.
Oldest Surviving Residence Reveals Unique Interior Design Elements
Baltimore’s oldest surviving urban residence is the Robert Long House on S. Ann Street. Built in 1765, it has been lovingly restored by the Society for the Preservation of Federal Hill and Fell’s Point, and is noteworthy for its pent roof, glazed brick headers and Flemish bond brickwork. A tour reveals the small dimensions of the time and interior design elements then in vogue such as central fireplaces, mantels, paneling, baseboards, interior trim and molding.
A Colonial Streetscape of Harmony and Grace
While all the houses in Fell’s Point display unique eighteenth and nineteenth century features, many share in common their construction from the local salmon-red brick. It is this choice of building material coupled with a uniformity of scale and discreet architectural decoration that creates an overall streetscape of harmony and grace. There are no high rises here or incongruously modern buildings to mar the colonial style. Modern signage is kept to a minimum.
Fell’s Point has not been disfigured by time. Nor has it been turned into a theme park. Each step reveals details of historical interest. Just as its charming houses hint at the domestic tastes of a bygone age, its well-preserved taverns, canneries, warehouses, brothels and public buildings stand vivid testament to the industry and aesthetics of the early community.
The Ghosts of Sea Captains and Sailors Beckon
Strolling down streets with names like Thames, Lancaster, Shakespeare and Fleet, it takes only a small stretch of the imagination to people these blocks with the residents of old – sea captains and sailors; immigrants, slaves and free blacks; merchants, goodwives and prostitutes. To take a walk through Fell’s Point is to journey back in time and participate in an historical and architectural heritage that belongs to all Americans.
 |
 |
 |
