An Early Harbor Vision - Baltimore Evening Sun ∙ Friday, July 5, 1985 ∙ Other Voices

An Early Harbor Vision

By Fred B. Shoken

Baltimore Evening Sun ∙ Friday, July 5, 1985 ∙ Other Voices

                Although most people attribute the first planning efforts for the Inner Harbor to Mayor Theodore R. McKeldin in the early 1960s, the first Inner Harbor plan is actually much older.  According to an Evening Sun article of February 20, 1946, the first Inner Harbor plan was envisioned in 1904.
 

                Shortly after the Baltimore Fire of that year, Paul E. Burkhard presented in a small brochure his idea for the redevelopment of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  Instead of making minor improvements to the “burnt district,” such as widening streets  or creating small parks, Burkhard suggested that all improvements be concentrated on one point, the harbor, “with a view to  make Baltimore one of the most beautiful cities of the beautiful cities of the world.”
 

                Like the present Inner Harbor improvements, Burkhard envisioned Baltimore’s waterfront to be a major public place.  He proposed the removal of Piers 1, 2 and 3 to create a more expansive vista at the harbor.  He also called for some infilling,  using the wreckage of the fire to widen Pratt and  Lights streets with rows of shade  trees planted  along  the water’s edge to create a pedestrian promenade.  His Inner Harbor would be a grand entrance to Baltimore.  The waterfront would be used exclusively for pleasure and sporting crafts.
 

                Acutely aware of the potential for a dramatic skyline, he planned for the type of building that would surround the Inner Harbor.  The buildings that would front on the harbor would be reserved for public use and would be a maximum of four to six stories high.  These long low buildings would create an unbroken backdrop for Baltimore’s grand entranceway.  Skyscrapers would be allowed behind these buildings creating a terraced skyline.
 

                The Burkhard plan showed a great deal of insight towards the urban design of downtown Baltimore.  Unlike the present Inner Harbor improvements, his plan called for a strong connection to Charles Street, Baltimore’s most prestigious street, by way of a public park diagonal to his redeveloped waterfront.  The lack of this vital connection to Charles Street in the present Inner Harbor design has been criticized by some of today’s architects and planners.
 

                The first Inner Harbor plan was illustrated with a view from Federal Hill showing a skyline that rivaled the best of early city beautiful plans.  The drawing is reminiscent of views of the 1893 Chicago Columbia Exposition.   If his plan had been accomplished, Baltimore’s harbor would have featured the Beaux Arts grandeur of ornate buildings and monumental statues, as well as the waterfront atmosphere of today’s Inner Harbor.  The early plan would have truly made Baltimore one of the most beautiful cities of the world, but it was not to be.
 

                This vision of the future was rejected by Baltimore leaders of the day who were in a hurry to rebuild their businesses destroyed by the Baltimore Fire.  The Inner Harbor was an active area for maritime trade in the early 20^th century.  Instead of a marvelous entranceway to the city, industries and warehouses were rebuilt along Baltimore’s waterfront.  Over a half century later these same buildings were torn down for the present Inner Harbor improvements.  Finally, much of Burkhard’s dream has been realized, but little is known about the fate of this early city planner.
 

                In fact, except for the 1946 Evening Sun article, there is no other record that Paul E. Burkhard ever existed.  There is no evidence that Burkhard lived in Baltimore around 1904, since he is not listed in Baltimore City Directories of that era nor is he mentioned in any local history books.  He is called an architect in the newspaper article, but neither the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects nor the national headquarters has any information on him.  There is no record of him at the Maryland Historical Society, Pratt Library, Peale Museum, Baltimore City Archives or Peabody Institute Library.  There is also no known copy of his original brochure suggesting his Inner Harbor plan.
 

                Mayor McKeldin’s efforts in the Inner Harbor have been recently recognized with the construction of a new fountain in his honor at the harbor.  The modern day Inner Harbor planners have been lauded in both the local press and national professional magazines, but the first Inner Harbor planner is all but forgotten.

                Fred B. Shoken is a research analyst for the city’s Commission for Historical & Architectural Preservation.