Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower
| Emerson Tower | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Former names | Bromo-Seltzer Tower Baltimore Arts Tower |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Location | 312 West Lombard Street Baltimore, Maryland |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Construction started | 1907 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 88 m (289 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 15 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Evans Sperry |
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Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower
|
|
| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Joseph Evans Sperry |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP Reference # | 73002184[1] |
| Added to NRHP | 1973 |
| References | |
| [2][3][4] | |
Emerson Tower often referenced as Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower is a 15-story, 88 m (289 ft) skyscraper erected in 1911 at the corner of Eutaw and Lombard Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, designed by Joseph Evans Sperry for Bromo-Seltzer inventor "Captain" Isaac E. Emerson.[5]
It was the tallest building in Baltimore from 1911 until 1923.[6] The design of the tower along with the original factory building at its base was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, which was seen by Emerson during a tour of Europe in 1900.[7] Systems engineering for the building's original design was completed by Henry Adams. The factory was demolished in 1969 and replaced with a firehouse.[6]
The building features four clock faces adorning the tower's 15th floor on the North, South, East and West sides. Installed by the Seth Thomas Clock Company at an original cost of US$3,965, they are made of translucent white glass and feature the letters B-R-O-M-O S-E-L-T-Z-E-R, with the Roman numerals being less prominent. The dials, which are illuminated at night with mercury-vapor lamps, are 24 feet (7.3 metres) in diameter, and the minute and hour hands approximately 12 and 10 feet (3.7 and 3.0 metres) in length respectively. Originally driven by weights, the moving parts are now electrically powered.[6] The word BROMO reads clockwise, and SELTZER counterclockwise, which results in the letters being located in the following positions:
- B-10
- R-11
- O-12
- M-1
- O-2
- S-9
- E-8
- L-7
- T-6
- Z-5
- E-4
- R-3
The tower originally had a 51 ft (16 m) Bromo-Seltzer bottle,[8][9] glowing blue and rotating. Weighing 20 tons (18.1 tonnes), it was lined with 314 incandescent light bulbs and topped with a crown on a clear night it could be seen from 20 miles away.[6][10] The bottle was removed in 1936 because of structural concerns.
The tower was virtually abandoned in 2002, but in early 2007 the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts began renovations to transform the building into 33 artists' studios. The Baltimore Fire Department's John F. Steadman Fire Station, which opened in 1973 and is situated at the tower's base, houses BCFD Hazmat 1, Airflex 1, Medic1, Medic 23, MAC23, Engine 23, Rescue 1, and formerly Truck 2.[9][11]
The Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1] It is included within the Baltimore National Heritage Area.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower at Emporis
- ↑ Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower at SkyscraperPage
- ↑ Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower at StructuraeLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- ↑ Baltimore: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Kelly, Jacques. "Bromo Seltzer Tower celebrates 100 years," The Baltimore Sun, Friday, June 3, 2011.
- ↑ Dorsey, John & Dilts, James D., A Guide to Baltimore Architecture (1997) p. 172. Tidewater Publishers, Centreville, Maryland ISBN 0-87033-477-8
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/person/poesbalto_popup_bromo.asp
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower
- Baltimore, Maryland, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
- Bromo Seltzer Tower on Google Street View
- Explore Baltimore Heritage - Bromo Seltzer Tower
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- Commercial buildings completed in 1911
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- Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore, Maryland
- Clock towers in the United States
- Downtown Baltimore
- Visitor attractions in Baltimore, Maryland
- Joseph Evans Sperry buildings
- Baltimore National Heritage Area
- 1911 establishments in Maryland
