Ephraim Francis Baldwin

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Baldwin's Mt Clare Roundhouse
Baldwin's Mt Clare Roundhouse

Ephraim Francis Baldwin (October 4, 1837–January 20, 1916) was an American architect best known for his work for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and for the Catholic Church.

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Although born in Troy, New York, Baldwin lived most of his life in Baltimore, Maryland. After his father, a civil engineer, died, his mother moved to her hometown of Baltimore, where Baldwin would be educated and raised. He attended Loyola High School from 1850 to 1852. He attended Mt. Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland briefly, from 1854-1855.

Little else is known about Baldwin's personal life. He married Ellen Douglas Jamison in 1873; they had seven sons and two daughters, and his eldest son, Francis J. Baldwin, became an architect and joined his father's firm. He was known as a devout Catholic and was a member of various Catholic societies. In 1870 he was elected a director of the newly organized Maryland Academy of Arts.

Baldwin died at his home in 1916. He is buried in New Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore.

[edit] Professional Life

Baldwin developed a love and talent for architecture as a draftsman and apprentice in the offices of Niernsee & Neilson. His first work of any consequence was Mt. Hope Retreat (later the Seton Institute, now demolished) in Baltimore. He left Niernsee & Neilson in 1867 and practiced on his own for two years. In 1869, Baldwin entered into a partnership with Bruce Price, whom he had met as a trainee at Niernsee & Neilson. The partnership of Baldwin & Price was short-lived: in 1873, Price moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. During the next ten years, Baldwin practiced alone. In 1883, he entered in a long and fruitful partnership with Josias Pennington, who had been a draftsman at Baldwin & Price.

Baldwin and Price were elected to membership in the Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in December 1870. Baldwin served as a Secretary of the Chapter until his resignation in 1888 over a disagreement between himself and a competitor, George A. Frederick.

[edit] Career Highlights

Over the course of his 50-year career, Baldwin designed some 500 churches, banks, office buildings, warehouses, railroad stations, municipal and public buildings, hospitals, schools, clubs, and residences. His work can be found from New York to Ohio, and from Pennsylvania to Georgia, though eighty percent of his work can be found in Maryland. About 150 of those buildings still stand.

[edit] B&O Railroad Structures

B&O Station at Point of Rocks
B&O Station at Point of Rocks

In 1872, Baldwin was appointed the head architect for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a position previously held by John Rudolph Niernsee, his mentor. Over the next 25 years he designed stations and other structures for the railroad, including many of its most famous buildings. Perhaps the best known are the passenger car shop in Baltimore that is now the central roundhouse at the B&O Railroad Museum, and the passenger station at Point of Rocks, Maryland. Other surviving Baldwin stations in Maryland can be found in:

Baldwin's station in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia was shorn of its control tower and moved from its original location. It was restored in 2007 and the tower was rebuilt. It was officially dedicated on Saturday, April 28, 2007. The Germantown station is a reconstruction; the original was destroyed by arson in 1978.

Baldwin's stations are a favorite with photographers because of their picturesque appearance. Built of brick or wood in the Queen Anne Style, the most famous are festooned with decorative gables, spires, and brickwork.

[edit] Catholic Churches and Institutions

The Catholic Church was also a major part of his life and work. Baldwin took a special interest in ecclesiastical work, undoubtedly motivated by his own religious beliefs and dedication. His work on churches, seminaries, schools, and health care facilities spanned his entire career. He was awarded a gold medal, "Bene Merenti," by Pope Leo XII for his work on the buildings at The Catholic University of America.

Among his many other churches and Catholic buildings are the following:

  • The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Mt.Washington (He was a parishioner here)
  • St. Ann's Church in Baltimore
  • Church of St. John the Evangelist in Forest Glen, Maryland
  • Theresa Hall at the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore
  • Buildings at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. E. (Ephraim) Francis Baldwin. The Baltimore Architecture Foundation. Retrieved on May 27, 2006.
  2. Ephraim Francis Baldwin (1837-1916) information at Structurae. Retrieved on May 27, 2006.
  3. Ephraim Francis Baldwin. ZhurnalWiki. Retrieved on May 27, 2006.
  4. HAER No. WV-86, Historical Background Report, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Harpers Ferry Station, Andrew S. Lee. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, 2003.