Hunting Houses

In Baltimore, one of the most prolific architects in the early 1900’s was a firm called Palmer & Lamdin, who produced several hundred of the most beautiful and unique houses in the city. Over the summer, I decided to try and find as many as I could. My friend, Walter Schamu, principal at the architecture firm SM+P, is hoping to write a book about this firm, but for right now, he’s the leading authority on these houses. He says that one of the most distinctive features is the roofline on these houses: “Look at that flare at the edge that little kick at the end of the slate. It’s an easing of the roofline before it hits the gutter.”

He continues, “There’s a lot of texture to P&L houses, the facades both project and recede, your eye dances along the rooflines. Flourishes such as dovecotes, turrets, round windows mixed with rectangular ones and the aptly named “eyebrow dormers” peek out.” Another common P&L feature is a corner entry with a copper roofed turret. “Trademark Palmer and Lamdin features also include unusual brick chimneys— known as Jacobean or diamond-stack chimneys— that appear to twist as they rise.  And their houses are built with a combination of different types of masonry.”

As I drove around Dumbarton, one of the several neighbourhoods where most of these houses are located, I could easily pick out which were Palmer & Lamdin houses. I thought I’d show you a few examples, along with the distinctive features.

Corner entry, turret, round window

Flared roofline, mixed masonry

Turret, dovecote, Jacobean chimney and detailing.

Here’s a closer view.

You can just barely see the eyebrow windows.

Jacobean mixed brickwork, Tudor detailing, mixed masonry.

Flared roofline, just right of the front door.

Window and architectural detail

Varied roofline, detailed window

Varied roofline, flared root, eyebrow dormer.

I am fairly sure this is a Palmer & Lamdin, but so much has been done to disguise that fact. It really ticks all of the marks: You can see the mixed masonry which has now been painted, the turret, which was probably originally copper and is now cheap roofing, the Jacobean chimney, the dovecote, the turret, the Tudor timbering, the angled front door and all of the other beautiful detailing. So sad.

Flared roof, mixed masonry, and architectural detailing.

This house is currently for sale. Here are some interior images. Oh, no images of the kitchen, which is the kiss of death!

There was another house in the neighbourhood which I liked, although it’s probably not a P&L house.

I took the liberty of photoshopping it to a better colour… a more subdued grey.

I will be collecting more images of Palmer & Lamdin houses in other areas of Baltimore. Stay tuned.