Pratt Street Power Plant - Baltimore, MD
N 39° 17.197 W 076° 36.436
18S E 361383 N 4349814
Very cool place with lots of shops in a renovated and converted building from the early 20th century. There is a regular frieze following a right angled geometric pattern about 10 feet from the roof, around the front and two sides.
Waymark Code: WM96W1
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 07/06/2010
Views: 20
The red stone frieze also has some relief work under it. There is also relief work and frieze art surrounding some of the windows, especially on the sides. This early 20th century building and its frieze art is fairly typical of the architecture around these parts.
One of the main features of this place was the ESPN zone which recently closed (as of last month). This is one of the jewels of the revitalized Inner Harbor and a must to see for any visit. There is a books tore, a night club and all sorts of interesting places to visit.
Pratt Street Power Plant, also known as the Pier Four Power Plant, The Power Plant, or Pratt Street Station, is a historic power plant located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Pratt Street Power Plant was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. After the electric plant was retired from service, the building was vacant for a time. The building had been the site of many failed development endeavors, most notably an indoor Six Flags theme park (1985-1989) and a short-lived dance club called P.T. Flagg's (1989-1990).
From the website listed below: All of the structures are brick with terra cotta trim and steel frame construction. The northern building features rustication at the street level, vertical bands of windows set into quoined terra cotta surrounds, a heavy cornice with oversized triglyphs, and a slate mansard roof with wall dormers. The central boiler house is characterized by a stepped gable roof capped by a monitor, irregular window arrangement, colossal pilasters, corbeled brick work, a blank arcade, and four immense smoke stacks rising above the roofline. The southern engine house has arched windows, brick pilasters, a stepped roofline culminating in a pediment, and a new metal and glass entrance canopy and ticket kiosk. The interior of the complex retains significant open spaces and industrial artifacts, while adding fanciful new architectural elements in keeping with its new use. The southern engine room has been turned into a grand entrance hall with curving central stair leading to mezzanine level shops and café. The boiler house features spiral stairways encircling two of the smokestacks and a variety of attractions including an arcade gallery, special effects features, and vendors on various levels set within original steel trusses and girders. The northern building houses large theatre spaces, a cafeteria, and offices. Also on the property is a small ticket kiosk which does not contribute to the significance of the resource.
It is a 132 by 326 ft (40 by 99 m) complex of three structures located at Pratt Street and Pier 4 at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The structures are brick with terra cotta trim and steel frame construction. It was built between 1900 and 1909 and is a massive industrial structure with Neo-Classical detailing designed by the noted architectural firm of Baldwin & Pennington. It served as the main source of power for the United Railways and Electric Company, a consolidation of smaller street railway systems, that influenced the provision of city-wide transportation and opened up suburban areas of Baltimore to power its electric street railway in the city. It later served as a central steam plant for the Consolidated Gas, Electric Light and Power Company, a predecessor of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for $4 million. The plant, with obsolescent equipment, was used sparingly until it was returned to service to meet the World War II production demand for electricity. (From Wikipedia)