There’s an App for That!

As you might have figured out by now, I am interested in the “built environment” meaning buildings of all sorts, whether they be historical mansions or small cozy sheds. And I am always interested to learn about buildings that I see every day as I zoom by in my car.

In cooperation with the Baltimore Architecture Foundation where I serve on the Board, and some other local preservation groups, Baltimore Heritage has just launched a smart phone app called Explore Baltimore Heritage. Dozens of historic buildings around the city are pinned on this application, with a history of the building, some historic photographs, and perhaps a short narration featuring the stentorian tones of historian, Charlie Duff.

I’ve already downloaded and used the application to find out about a sweet little chapel I noticed perched on the edge of a public golf course. It was originally a Quaker meeting house, which didn’t surprise me, that was built in the 1700’s. The chapel was built on a tract of land called “The Ridge” where William Penn and Lord Baltimore first met to resolve their dispute over the boundary line between the colonies.

Another building that I see regularly is the old Marlborough Apartments. This was one of the first apartment buildings in Baltimore where all of the units were wired for electricity. The building also featured a roof-top garden and the view must have been spectacular, as the building is perched on the top of Druid Hill with sweeping 360* views. It was home to the Cone Sisters whose amazing collection of 3,000 paintings by their contemporaries, Matisse and Picasso, are housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and are worth an estimated $1 billion.

To download the Explore Baltimore Heritage app for your iphone or droid, click here.