Garrett-Jacobs Mansion: Historic Home from Baltimore's Golden Age
Lining Mt. Vernon’s streets are some of old Baltimore’s most esteemed addresses, where many famous writers and socialites of Baltimore’s Golden Age entertained each other in their lavish homes. While many have been turned into apartments or torn down, the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, now the site of the Engineering Society of Baltimore, remains one of the neighborhood’s most sumptuous mansions around.
Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, the ornate former home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Garrett, was purchased by Mr. Garrett’s father, the former B&O Railroad president, during the American Civil War. It was originally built by Samuel George for John Eager Howard. Mrs. Garrett married Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs after her first husband’s death, and began a succession of expansions and remodeling to the house. The effort involved taking over three neighboring houses and took 32 years to complete.
The finished house features 40 rooms, more than 100 windows and 16 fireplaces. It also houses a conservatory, a formal supper room with a musician’s balcony, a theater, ballroom, art gallery and an elevator. John Russell Pope was hired to manage the renovations, which also included a library and Caen stone hall. The house is sumptuous, lined with rich dark woods, tiles and stone, with moldings and carvings not seen in any ordinary Baltimore townhouse.
The house passed through several owners and was slated to be destroyed by the city to make room for a Walters Art Gallery expansion, but the Engineering Society purchased it and strived to preserve it. Several preservation changes were made, including the covering of the courtyard in 2005 to allow year-round gatherings with an outdoorsy feel.
Today, the house is popular with private events, weddings and cultural events. Baltimore’s elite continue to flock there for gatherings. Concerts are held in the theater, which is lavishly decorated with ceiling frescos and a small stage in front. The Baltimore City Opera now holds its new stylized operas (sans costumes, orchestra and set), and other performances are held there, along with brunch.
HelloBaltimore Tip: The Engineering Society also continues to meet at the mansion and hold its events for members as well, but aims to keep this historic address open for the Baltimore public to enjoy.
Posted on Jan 21, 2011 by Rin-rin Yu
