Baltimore’s First Inner Harbor Plan

In Search of the architect of Baltimore’s first Inner Harbor Plan

               Thirty years ago I wrote my first op-ed newspaper commentary.  Published in the Baltimore Evening Sun on July 5, 1985, the commentary was about a plan that was put forward after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 to rebuild the Inner Harbor as a major public space, instead of merely replacing destroyed wharves and piers for shipping and industry (The commentary can be found in this blog under the title “An early harbor vision”). 

In my early search of unbuilt Baltimore projects, I found a 1946 newspaper article in the Vertical Files of the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Maryland Room that described and illustrated the 1904 plan for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (The 1946 article can be found in this blog under the title “A Beautiful Baltimore – A Dream of 42 Years Ago).  The article mentioned a small brochure describing the plan and attributed it to an architect named, Paul E. Burkhard.  However, there was no information provided about Mr. Burkhard.

So, I searched city directories, local history books, information from the American Institute of Architects, and the files of local libraries and historical societies for any information about Paul Burkhard, but came up with nothing.  I was unable to find a copy of the brochure described in the newspaper article, as well.  I hoped that someone would read my commentary and would reply that he or she was Paul Burkhard’s long lost relative or that somebody would have a copy of Burkhard’s original brochure.  Although I received positive feedback on my commentary, no additional information about Burkhard and his plan was forthcoming.

Sometime in the 1990s, I found out that Baltimore Sun columnist and local history author, Jacques Kelly, had acquired three issues of an old local publication, the Architects and Builders Journal.  In the May 1904 issue of the journal there was an article about Burkhard’s plan with a more detailed description and illustration (This contemporary account of his plan can also be found in this blog under the title “New Baltimore – Paul Burkhard”).  The 1904 article stated that Paul Burkhard was an architect with offices at 20 East Franklin Street.  With this additional information on Burkhard, I tried again to find something more about him, but came up with nothing.

Within the past ten years, the historical Baltimore Sun has been indexed on Pro Quest.  Now it is possible to search early newspaper editions of the Sun from 1839 through 1986.  Surely this new resource would provide something, anything on Paul Burkhard.  About ten years ago, I returned to my search for Paul Burkhard.  Utilizing Pro Quest, I searched for many variations on the spelling of his name, but once again came up with nothing.

I don’t want anyone to think that my search for Burkhard these past thirty years is comparable to Javert’s obsessive hunt for Jean Valjean in Les Miserable.  I have not been constantly preoccupied with this quest.  Yet, I find myself returning to this unresolved mystery from time to time while engaged in other research projects.

I am fascinated by Burkhard’s plan since many of the concepts he put forward more than one hundred years ago have finally come to fruition.  Baltimore’s working waterfront has become the centerpiece of the city with a public promenade, museums, historic ships, shops, and park space.  I have an affinity with Burkhard’s dreams of a better Baltimore.  As far back as 1977, I have put forward my own plans for Baltimore parks, neighborhoods, commercial areas, and individual buildings – my own personal “unbuilt” Baltimore.  Surely, there must be more to Paul E. Burkhard than one obscure plan that never came to fruition. 

While recently engaged in another local history research project, this time about Babe Ruth’s early life in Baltimore (see http://baberuth100.blogwspot.com), I have honed my skills in researching historic newspaper articles on Pro Quest, conducting internet searches, as well as using genealogical resources.  The number of internet resources has grown exponentially.  With an estimated 1.2 zettabytes of information now available on the internet (that is 1.3 trillion gigabytes), I felt there must be something on Paul E. Burkhard.

Now, thirty years after my original article on his plan, I have returned to search for Baltimore’s first Inner Harbor planner using all the new internet resources at my disposal.  And this time, I found him!

Before revealing my discovery, I must ask your patience for a necessary detour to Zion City, Illinois – a new city founded by religious zealot, John Alexander Dowie, at the turn of the Twentieth Century.