Haussner's Restaurant

Haussner's Restaurant was opened by William Henry Haussner in 1926 and became one of Baltimore's most famous landmarks over the next 73 years. In addition to 'old-world' style food, including Baltimore's finest crab cakes, the restaurant housed a large collection of fine art, which decorated the walls and delighted customers.

The art had been acquired over the years by William Henry Haussner's wife, Frances Wilke Haussner, who bought their first painting in 1939, "Venetian Flower Vendor," by Eugene de Blaas (1843-1932). Over the next 73 years, the Haussners acquired over 100 pieces, including highly important works by 19th-century European and American masters.

The restaurant was closed in 1999, and the collection, which included pieces from the estates of J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Henry Walters, was auctioned by Sotheby's in New York City for $10 million. One of the most famous artifacts from the collection, an enormous ball of string (made from string that tied the laundered napkin bundles) which was moved to the American Dime Museum.

The site of the restaurant was purchased by the owner of the former Baltimore International College. In 2011 the sitewas purchased by Joseph Schultz, owner of Schultz Development LLC, a Baltimore home and rehab company. While there has been much speculation over the future of the site, the site has sat vacant since it closed. The restaurant officially served its last meal on Wednesday, October 6, 1999.

Haussner's Restaurant was located at 3244 Eastern Ave Baltimore, MD 21224-4012 (originally, 3313 Eastern Ave). More recently, a reproduction of Haussner's served as the setting in the television show, Mad Men (Series 3, Episode 27).

References

Baltimore, Wrapped In Mystery, K.C. Summers, The Washington Post
Mad Men script writers want to know about Haussner's, Elizabeth Large, The Baltimore Sun
The Haussner's Restaurant Collection: 19th Century European and American Paintings, Carter B. Horsley, The City Review http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-04-26/business/bs-re-haussners-building-in-highlandtown-going-to-auction-20130426_1_haussner-highlandtown-four-properties

Coordinates: 39°17′11.4″N 76°34′12.6″W / 39.286500°N 76.570167°W