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A MASTER PLAN FOR PAl I iRSQN PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

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Crn’ OF BALTMOE DEPAFMNT OF RCRATION AND PARKSCAPITAL PROJECTS AND PLANNING DivisioN

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JANUARY I 998

A MASTER PLAN FOR PAl I RSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

prepared in collaboration with:

City of BaltimoreDepartment of Recreation and Parks

Capital Projects and Planning Division

by:

Rhodeside and Harwell, IncorporatedDelon Hampton & Associates, CharteredA. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc.

Charles E. Beveridge, Historical Consultant

January 1998

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CItY Ol’ BALTIMORE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

October 10,1997

Dear Reader:

Baltimore has a rich legacy of open spaces and recreational facilities. For over 150 years,Patterson Park has served the diverse recreational needs of Southeast Baltimore and it remains theheart of its neighborhoods.

I congratulate each of you who volunteered your time to participate in this master plan-- animportant stage in mapping the park’s future. This plan is a symbol of the kind of partnershipbetween the City of Baltimore and its citizens which will protect our open space legacy for thefuture.

Sinerely,

4teILurt L. Schmoke

Mayor

KI 3K] I. SC] IMOKI:, Mayoi’250 City hailBaltirnora, Maryland 21202

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September 24, 1997 0C

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Dear Reader:

Patterson Park is Baltimore’s oldest and most intensively used green space. The residents of

Southeast Baltimore have demonstrated their desire and commitment to sustaining the park as

a centerpiece of their community through their active and vocal participation in the planning

process that formed the basis for this master plan.

The genius of Patterson Park lies in the successful marriage of a historically rich pastoral

landscape with contemporary recreational facilities. With this plan we can Continue this

tradition with sensitive renovation of historic elements and recreation facilities as well as

adaptations designed to help the park function better for today’s users. We thank all those

who worked with us to develop the visionary paii exprcssed in these pages and look forward

to continuing the partnership we have begun.

S iitcerely,

i---e\J_

Thomas OvertonActing Director

CITY OF BALTIMORE

KUWI L. SCJIMOKE, Mayor

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION

AND PARKS

THOMAS V. OVDRTON, ACTING DIRCCTOR

DR. RAIl’SI W Ii. J1)NDS, JR. 13U)lI)ING

3001 Rast hive — I)iiiid [liii I’aik. Ihilliiiti,ie, Maiylaitd 21217

June 1, 1998

Dear Reader,

This report is the culmination of a collaborative effort between community residents in southeastBaltimore and Baltimore City government representatives.

Throughout the process, people who love Patterson Park actively participated in public andcommunity meetings, discussing issues of facilities, park use, and marketing. Of special interestwas the renovation of the “Boat Lake.” At the conclusion of the process, community membersmade recommendations about what projects should take priority in Patterson Park’s renovation.

Interest in Patterson Park is so great that a new park advocacy group, the “Friends of PattersonPark,” has formed. We foresee our role as assisting and working together with Baltimore Cityagencies to make Patterson Park the best park in the city. We also envision raising funds tosupport special projects for the park.

We would like to thank the Abell Foundation for their generosity in funding the printing ofadditional copies of the master plan for use by the Friends of Patterson Park. We welcome theinterest and assistance of park advocates.

Sincerely,

Charter Committee

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK in BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

Project TeamCITY OF BALTIMORE PROJECT TEAM

Department of Recreation and Parks

Thomas Overton, Acting Director

Capital Projects & Planning Division

Gennady Schwartz, Chief

Myra Brosius, Project Manager

Department of Planning

Urban Design Division, Reproduction Management

CONSULTANT PLANNING TEAM

Landscape Architects and Planners

Rhodeside & Harwell, Incorporated

Elliot RhodesideFaye B. HarwellKirs ten HeasleyJustin DollardTom FeinJennifer SmithSteven SchukraftChappell Wescoat

Historian

Historic Preservation

Lampi Associates

Elizabeth Jo Lamp1

Engineering and Hydrology

Delon Hampton & Associates

Photogrammetric Mapping ServicesA. Morton Thomas & Associates

Photogrammetric Data Services

Charles E. Beveridge

A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

AcknowledgmentsA spirit of partnership was considered essential to the success of the Patterson Park Master Plan. We gratefully acknowledge all of the members of the

community who volunteered their lime as members of the Master Plan Advisory Committee during Phase II: Plan Synthesis.

Barbara Baynes George Holland Bob Murrow

Mr. & Mrs. Bob Best John Huppert John Phelps

Bonnie Brobst Alexis Johns Clint Roby

Dennis Burns John Johnson Maiy Roby

Joseph Citrano Florence Kulbicki Bard Stebbins

Virginia Fowble George Lambilotte Kitty Thompson

Toni Francfort Marshall J. Macks Dan Tracy

Carroll Hartke Jennifer Morgan Jackie Watts

Michael Hendrick Susan Murray Karen Weiss

Additional assistance was volunteered by members of the following committees during Phase I: Inventory and Analysis. Individuals serving on each of these

committees can be found in Appendix 1.0

Natural ResourcesRecreation and UsersPhysical FeaturesPromotion and Marketing

The staff of the University of Maryland Urban Studies and Planning Program under the skillful direction of Sidney Brower were partners in designing,

implementing, and analyzing the user observations and neighborhood telephone survey. Ed Strocko was the dedicated staff person and Sara Merriman directed

the production of the report. Patterson Park—How People Use It and Feel About It.

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The Master Planning Process1

Objectives for Preservation and Improvement of Patterson Park 2

CHAPTER 2: HISTORY OF THE PARK

The Public Walk3

Before the Public Walk3

The Public Walk as Part of Baltimore’s Open Space Tradition 4

The Park Begins to Grow5

The Civil War Era and the 1860s Park5

The Country Park6

The American Recreation Movement 7

The Modern Era8

Looking Forward9

CHAPTER 3: EXISTING CONDITIONS

Geology10

Soils10

Hydrology10

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLANDS

Topography11

Vegetation11

Bird Habitat12

Access and Circulation13

Drainage Infrastructure15

Building and Structures16

Site Furnishings17

Recreation Facilities18

User Profile19

CHAPTER 4: PARK PRESERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

Recommendations for the Whole Park24

Recommendations for Park Zones and Precincts30

CHAPTER 5: IMPLEMENTATION AND PHASING

Background40

Recommendations40

CHAPTER 6: COST ESTIMATE

Background41 5

The Whole Park41

aThe Park Perimeter

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The Nineteenth Century Park44

The Recreation ParkS

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

Table of Figures

1. Land Acquisition Diagram

2. View of Patterson Park Facing East Showing Rodgers’ Bastion at Center Left

3. 1881 Map of Patterson Park

4. Circa 1899 Map of Patterson Park

5. 1915 Plan of Patterson Park Prepared by Olmsted Brothers

6. 1928 View of the Music Pavilion

7. Circa 1960 Map of Patterson Park

8. The Trees of Patterson Park West of Linwood Avenue, 1887—1 995

9. Circa 1915 Tree Canopy

10. 1996 Tree Canopy

11. Taurus Fountain at Northern Terminus of Mall

12. Existing Site Furnishings

13. Park Use for Sunday, July 9,1995

14. The Master Plan for Patterson Park

15. Precincts and Zones

16. Proposed Flowering Trees


17. Proposed Evergreen Trees

18. Locations of Site Furnishings

19. Typical Site Furnishings

20. Typical Site Furnishings

21. The Heart of the Park

22. The Maintenance Complex and Community Gardens00

23. View of Rehabilitation of Stables Building and Taurus Fountain Sculpture from the Former Kiddie Pool

24. The Mall and Conservatory Site

25. Section Through Restored Mall, Looking North

26. Section Through Gough Street Gate, Looking East

27. City of Baltimore Topographic Survey

28. Lake in Patterson Park

29. Early Views of Patterson Park Lake

30. The Boat Lake

31. Section Through North End of Restored Boat Lake, Looking East

32. View of Restored Boat Lake and Pavilion, Looking Southwest

33. The Casino and Virginia Baker Recreation Center

34. Section Through Renovated Casino Site, Looking North

35. The Field House and Pool Complex


BIBILIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

1. Patterson Park Master Plan Phase 1: Inventory and Analysis Committee Members

2. Patterson Park Chronology

3. Patterson Park Bird Species

4. Results of the 1996 Water Sampling in Patterson Park Boat Lake

5. Recommended Trees Adapted from Historical Lists

6. Patterson Park Tree Inventory: 1887, 1915, 1995

7. Historical Trend of Trees in Patterson Park

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL]1MORE, MARYLAND

Executive Summary

Patterson Park is one of the oldest publicparks in the nation and has a rich history.William Patterson donated the first six acresfor a “public walk” in 1827-- a quarter centuryprior to the American Parks Movement.Significant historic activities occurred on thissite dating from the 18’ century when citizensoldiers deterred the British in the war of1812.

The 155-acre park is now Baltimore’s mostintensively used greenspace and plays a vitalrole in the lives of the people of southeastBaltimore and the region. The park hassuffered a long period of decline, similar tothe plight of parks in other northeast cities.Even so, Patterson Park remains a beautifulgreen oasis with a unique marriage of pastoralscenery and a diversity of well-used athleticfacilities.

The Baltimore City Department of Recreationand Parks with the citizens of SoutheastBaltimore developed a long-term vision forrehabilitating the park, as reflected in thismaster plan. While some funds are availableto begin, the full realization of the plan willrequire significantly more resources. Acreative partnership between Baltimore City

and those citizens and organizations that careabout the park will be necessary to fullyrehabilitate Patterson Park.

The plan includes history, inventory andanalysis of the existing conditions, followedby a chapter of park preservation andimprovement strategies. Recommendationsinclude sfrategies to be applied park-wide aswell as considerations for specific zones.

VISION

Park constituents crafted a vision to guide theplanning process:

Working together, we can sustain Patterson Parkas a beautiful natural environment, an importanthistoric monument and a first rate recreationalJiicilityforfiaure generations.

Through thoughlfid use of our precious resourcewe can enjoy an urban oasis where people use thepark sensitively and with mutual respect towardseach other.

By understanding the whole ofPatterson Park, wecan invest in and manage the site to better servethe community and ensure the park’s long-termintegrity.

OBJECTIVES

The plan supports four objectives:

• Preserve and enhance the historicintegrity of the park.

• Preserve and enhance the site’s naturalresources.

• Preserve and enhance present recreationalfunctions, modifying facilities andcirculation patterns to supportcontemporary recreation needs in a safe,pleasant and orderly environment.

• Restrict vehicular access to limited areasof the park, revise site features to conformto this objective and protect the park andits users from the impact of vehicles.


RECOMMENDATIONS: THE WHOLE PARK

Design Guidelines

Structures and buildings which contribute tothe historic integrity of the park should berehabilitated using standards found in USSecretary of the Interior (USSI) Guidelines for theTreatment of Historic Properties and IJSSIGuidelines for the Treatment of HistoricLandscapes. New construction and furnishingsshould be sensitive in scale, design, andmaterials to the historic context of the park.

Vegetation

Restore the tree canopy to the historicnumbers by planting nearly 1,000 trees park-wide. Establish flower and shrub beds in alimited fashion as shown in the plan, onlywhen adequate maintenance can be arranged.Improve vegetation management to assurelongevity and health of trees, shrubs, grass,and herbaceous plants.

Access and Circulation

Retain the major historic framework intact,rehabilitating existing pathways withmaterials appropriate to the historic period ofreference. Reorganize some pathways toenhance the function and order of the site.Limit vehicular access to service, emergency,

or permitted users and adapt entryway curbsand barriers to control access in anaesthetically appropriate manner.

Infrastructure and Drainage

Rehabilitate drainage infrastructure, giving

first priority to the lake watershed.

Buildings and Structures

Rehabilitate all historic buildings andstructures and develop a long-termmaintenance plan. Build a new concessionstand near the Pagoda, a new bathhouse,fishing pavilion, and rest room facility.

Site Furnishings

Remove existing low-intensity arc lampsthroughout the carriageways and replace withpedestrian-scale historic light standards inselected areas-- including the park perimeter.Provide significantly more benches and trashcans in locations convenient and comfortablefor park users. Repair or replace existingbenches where locations are appropriate.Provide a sensitively designed park signsystem including way finding, rules, andinterpretation. Rehabilitate drinkingfountains

Programming

Retain the present distribution of uses in thepark, with the exception of adding a beachvolleyball facility. Avoid introducingadditional uses, which give proprietary use of

sections of the park to a single user-group.

Maintenance and Management

Establish a Park Administrator position tooversee all aspects of park programming andmanagement. Establish a Park Manager tooversee a dedicated maintenance crew,housing only Patterson Park staff andequipment in the park. Improve standard

maintenance practices, especially vegetationmanagement and trash pick-up. Provide

visitor services and park rangers for theoversight and security of park and its users.

Partnering

Establish public/private partnerships to (1)allow public input in issues related to parksmaintenance and management; (2) increasevolunteerism; and (3) raise additionalrevenues for maintenance and programming.

RECOMMENDATIONS: PARK ZONES

The Perimeter

Rehabilitate each of the park entries by:restoring gateways and pathways, providingsensitively designed park name and rulessigns, adapting curb-cuts to conform withvehicular access plan, redesigning barriers tobe more aesthetically appealing, and adaptentries for accessibility to the physicallychallenged. Significantly increase the numberof benches and trash cans.

The Heart of the Park (i.e. the northwestquadrant)

Restore all the historic buildings, pathways,and structures. Re-establish shrub beds andremove fencing at the base of the Pagoda.Construct a small building across from thePagoda at the site of the extant little casino forfood concessions, catering, and rest rooms.Renovate the White House, continuing thetenancy of Banner Neighborhoods, and alsoaccommodate park- related programmingsuch as a police substation, offices for theFriends of Patterson Park or meeting and

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A MASTER PLAN roR PATTERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

exhibit space. Rehabilitate the fountain andadapt it to a recirculating system.

The Maintenance Complex and CommunityGardens

Designate the maintenance complex forhousing crews and equipment for a PattersonPark- dedicated staff only. Retainprogramming of the “stables” as a parkmaintenance office, demolish concrete blockshed and replace with a smaller structure, andintegrate the existing historic building frito thepark landscape. Enlarge the communitygardens and revise Ihe fencing.

The Mall

Restore the mall, replacing extant featuressuch as the large urns. Construct a pavilion atthe mall’s terminus reflective of the paviliononce located there. Provide a custom-designed play environment and rest rooms atthe present playground site.

The “Boat Lake”

Investigate management and designalternatives to improve the water quality andhabitat of the lake. Prepare and implement adesign and management plan which willimprove the water quality for fish habitat,maintain a balance between emergentwetland and open water habitat, and improvesafe access to the lake edge. Provide apavilion reflective of the extinct historicstructure. Install a fountain in the samelocation as the historic site.

The Casino and Virginia Baker RecreationCenter

Collaborate with the Commission on Agingduring the renovation of the Casino for adultday-care. Revise the vehicular access to theCasino, relocating parking to the rear andeliminating use of the brick diagonalpedestrian mall by vehicles. Encouragecommunity meetings to be located at theVirginia Baker Recreation center, instead ofthe Casino, to reduce use pressures caused byvehicles. Upgrade parking and pedestrianaccess to the Recreation Center.

The Recreation Park

Stabilize the Field House from furtherdeterioration and rehabilitate the building fora community use. Simplify and rehabilitatethe pedestrian pathways and fencing.Replace the existing pool and bathhousecomplex with a new facility sized toaccommodate present use levels andproviding the appropriate amenities for thecommunity. Upgrade and renovate allexisting recreation facilities. Provide a year-round shelter for the ice rink. Retain the majorpathway system in the eastern park annexand trees. Remove the concrete gutter at thebase of the slope.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

A description of the planning process

THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS

The Master Planning process for PattersonPark commenced in spring of 1995, under thedirection of the Department of Recreationand Parks (DRP) and the Division of CapitalProjects & Planning. The consultant joined inthe collaboration in the winter of 1996. Theplanning team established a five phaseprocedure for preparing the Master Plan.These phases and brief description of thetasks involved are described below:

Phase 1: Inventory

A. Organize citizen committees to assessthe condition of the park, includingphysical features; natural resources;recreation activities; and users.Establish a Friend’s Group.

B. Conduct a systematic observation ofusers and a telephone survey incollaboration with the University ofMaryland’s Urban Studies andPlanning Program.

C. Prepare surveys and base maps.

D. Collect and review data andinformation about the history andcurrent condition of the park.

E. Document (in plan and narrativeformats) existing conditions dataabout the park, including geology,topography, and hydrology;vegetation and wildlife; access andcirculation; infrastructure; buildingsand structures; site furnishings;recreation facilities; profile of users;and maintenance and management.

F. Develop programmatic needs list forinclusion with the Master Plan.

Phase 2: Analysis

A. Analyze the inventory to determineareas where change may beappropriate due to deterioration oruse.

B. Consolidate findings of the inventoryto establish an opportunities andconstraints analysis.

C. Form a Citizen Advisory Committeewith representation throughout thecommunity.

Phase 3: Alternatives

A. Prepare alternative concepts, basedupon programmatic needs andopportunities and constraints.

B. Receive feedback on alternatives andgenerate a preferred alternative siteplan.

Phase 4: Draft Master Plan

A. Prepare draft park development planillustrating areas and elements toconserve as well as new construction.

B. Revise draft based on input from theDRP and the public.

C. Prepare preliminary cost estimateand phasing plan.

Phase 5: FInal Master Plan

A. Finalize Master Plan, cost estimate,and phasing plan.

B. Adjust Plan and recommendationsbased on comments from the DRPand the public.

C. Prepare Master Plan report.

A MASTER PLAN Fop PA1TERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

Throughout the development of the MasterPlan, the DRP and consultant team has heldnumerous meetings in the park with theAdvisory Committee and public. The plans,

cost estimate, and planning strategies have allbeen modified and adjusted during theprocess to respond to concerns expressedduring these meetings. Fiiially, surveys havebeen conducted to identify programmaticconcerns as well as priorities forimplementation and phasing.

In summary, the Master Planning process hasbeen a collaborative effort made by the DRP,the planning team, the Advisory Committee,and the public.

OBJECTIVES FOR PRESERVATION AND

IMPROVEMENT OF PATTERSON PARK

At the outset of the project, the DRPestablished a number of objectives to serve asthe framework for the Patterson Park MasterPlan. The objectives reflect the needidentified by the DRP to preserve the historicquality of the park while, at the same time,provide a safe environment that supportsrecreational usage. The objectives for thePatterson Park Master Plan include:

• Establish a collaborative planningprocess between the Department ofRecreation and Parks, the AdvisoryCommittee, the public, and theplanning team;

• Formulate a baseline ofunderstanding of the history andsignificance of Patterson Park; and

• Identify areas of the park requiringvarious levels of protection or change(e.g., preservation, conservation,modification, new construction).

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BALTiMORE, MARYLAND

Chapter 2: History of the Park

A history of Patterson Park from 1827 to today

For over one and a half centuries, PattersonPark has served the urban recreation needs ofa population with varied cultural, ethnic, andeconomic backgrounds. Throughout thislong history of diverse uses, affected bydramatic changes in America’s political,social, and cultural conditions; the park hasretained its overall integrity and most areasof Patterson Park remain functionally andhistorically intact. The park retains acoherent identity and sense of place, and is astrong example of a designed landscape ofthe years 1827 to 1925. Larnpl Associates, ina summary of the historic significance ofPatterson Park, states:

Patterson Park is cultti rally significantwithin the context of ‘19th and 20thCentury Park Planti ing in Baltimore.’Patterson witnessed three major stages ofgrowth, each of which is integral to anunderstanding of A,nerican social histonand landscape architecture. From itsorigins as a formal ‘Public Walk’ in1827, to its romantic development as a‘country park’ between the 1860s and1900s, to its early 20th centuryconversion and expansion into the city’smost comprehensive athletic center,

Patterson Park is a unique reflection ofthe changing ideals of American leisureover the course of 100 years.. it is thefirst and only known ‘public walk’ in thecity, and.. .it is one of two parksoriginally established under authority ofOrdinance No. 227, approved June 4,1860, zuhich established the first ParkCommission. Patterson Park, along withDruid Hill Park, reveals Baltimore’sstature as one of the earliest cities in thecountry to embrace the new country parktradition spawned by Central Park in1857 (Lampl Associates, NRHPReport).

THE PUBUC WALK

A “public walk” for enjoyment by the citizensof Baltimore was first envisioned by WilliamPatterson, an Irish immigrant who came toAmerica in 1766, became successful in theshipping industry, and eventually helped tofound the B&O Railroad. In 1827, Pattersondonated to Baltimore Town six acres of landon a high knoll with dramatic viewsoverlooking the harbor. From this initialendowment of land, Patterson Park grewsteadily, augmented by four more major land

acquisitions until the last purchase was madein 1907 (Figure V. Now 155 acres in size, thepark reflects a legacy that probably exceededeven Patterson’s original expectations andthat has endeared his name to manygenerations of Baltimoreans.

The evolution of Patterson’s site from theoriginal six acres to the park as it exists todayis marked by three major stages ofdevelopment: the Public Walk, the CountryPark, and the Recreation Park. These stagesreflect both local and national trends and areinfluenced by social history as well as trendsin the approach to the design of the AmericanLandscape.

BEFORE THE PUBLIC WALK

In 1792, William Patterson purchased a 200acre estate on Harris Creek that included allof the presentday park west of LuzerneStreet (if Luzerne Street extended through thepark). Just east of where Luzerne Streetwould have extended were the banks ofHarris Creek (once navigable and nowunderground), marking the eastern boundaryof the estate. The Patapsco River, which atthat time lay just south of Fait Street, was the

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ILombard Street __4—

1827

Pratt Street — —

1860 1893

_______ _______________

c. 1910Gough Street —___________________

1873

LLEastern

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LAND AcQuismoN DIAGRAM

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southern boundary, and the tract extendednorthward almost to the present site of JohnsHopkins Medical Center. The location of thewestern boundary is not clear; however, a1783 survey of part of the estate implies thatthe property extended westward at least towhat is now known as Collington Street.Patterson purchased the estate as aninvestment for his heirs with money made asa shipping merchant and from arms sales forthe American Revolution. He never residedhere or developed the site.

At the time of purchase, all of the propertywithin the present-day park had already beensurveyed (at least on paper) and was laid outunder the direction of the “Commissioners ofBaltimore Town.” The street patternestablished is similar to the pattern ofrowhouse squares which can be seen todaysurrounding the park. The six acres donatedby Patterson thirty-five years latercorresponded to two city blocks laid out bysurvey and were delineated by PattersonPark Avenue (formerly Gist Street), and theextension of Lombard Street, Pratt Street, andMilton Avenue. With this layout, PattersonPark could easily have been consigned tostrict development, with rows of brick housescomplete with marble steps.

Patterson’s original purchase included a highknoll with views of the harbor, which to thisday is one of the park’s greatest assets. Thisunique land characteristic also resulted in thepark’s involvement in several significantactivities during the war of 1812. The citizensof Baltimore built Rodgers’ Bastion, part of a

system of fortifications called HampsteadHill, on this site to protect them from Britishinvasion. The battery was a significantdeterrent during the Battle of North Point.During the bombardment of Fort McHenry,the British had planned to conduct anoverland campaign around the northwestbranch of the harbor, but the venture wasdeterred by the fortifications at HampsteadHill. Though, unlike Fort McHenry,Patterson Park has not captured the attentionof the touring public, it played a critical rolein safeguarding Baltimore at that fateful time.A relic of the original outline of the earthenbattery and its curtain walls can still be seentoday at the base of the Pagoda.

THE PUBLIC WALK AS PART OFBALTIMORE’S OPEN SPACE TRADITION

Patterson’s six acre gift is also notable forbeing one of the earliest examples inBaltimore, and perhaps in the country, ofwhat are now known as public parks. Whenoffered to the city in 1827, no precedent hadbeen established for setting aside public landsfor purely recreational purposes. Going for astroll for fresh air, socializing, or exercise waslimited to city streets or private property.The term “park” at that time was associatedmost closely with the hunting preserves ofnobility in Europe; and so Patterson himselfcalled his gift to the city a “Public Walk.”

Lampi Associates asserts that, “despite itslack of recognition, Patterson’s 1827 Walkmay, in fact represent one of the earliest

‘public parks’ in this country” (LamplAssociates, NRI-IP Report).

Baltimore’s entrepreneurial spirit also createdan impetus toward providing open space forthe public before the widespread adoption ofthe public park concept. In the earlynineteenth century, for example, privatedevelopers created squares which were soldor donated to the City as speculativeventures in order to increase the value ofsurrounding properties. Contemporaryparks, such as Franklin Square (c. 1839) andUnion Square (c. 1847), owe their beginningsto this innovation; and there is somespeculation that Patterson’s donation mayhave had a similar intent, though it precededthese squares by more than a decade. Likethe later squares, the Public Walk fitted intothe proposed urban grid system. It isimportant to note that Patterson alsospecified in the deed that a strip of land 100feet wide be maintained, including streetfrontages to provide for a promenade on eachof the four sides of the donated land.

Although there are no images of the earliestdays of the Public Walk, written recordsindicate that after Patterson’s donation, therewere no major improvements to the site forseveral years. By the time of his death in1835, however, Patterson had seen to it thatover 200 trees were planted in straight rowson the six acres. In 1850, a wooden fence waserected around the park and references to thearea henceforth alternated between“Patterson’s Park” and “Patterson Park.”Three years later, the park was formally

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND S

presented to the public in a ceremonyattended by 20,000 citizens. The site includedtrees and benches, and the surroundingstreets on all four sides were graded andpaved. The earliest image available of thissection of the park is dated 1864 (‘Figure 2)

and Rodgers’ Bastion is the only feature fromthis time in the park’s history which is stillrecognizable today.

THE PARK BEGINS TO GROW

The significance of Patterson’s Public Walk as

it relates to the Park today is that it served toinspire future expansions. By 1860, Baltimorewas caught up in the American ParkMovement, which inspired the beginning ofthe park’s period of incremental growth. Thenation-wide movement was the result of thecontemporary European concept ofdeveloping public parks in the style of theprivate “picturesque garden” landscapes and“pastoral” hunting parks of eighteenthcentury England and France. Concentratedmainly in urban areas, the American Park

Movement sought to provide city dwellerswith large parks. The first of the privatehunting style parks opened to the public inthe United States, Central Park in New YorkCity, was designed by Frederick LawOlmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858 andstrongly influenced the development ofsimilar parks in other cities.

By the mid-nineteenth century, there were anumber of advocates for green space inBaltimore City. At the same time, there wasalso intense competition for a private

enterprise to be awarded a horse-drawnrailway franchise. Linking these tworequirements, John HB Latrobe and Mayor

Swann proposed a city ordinance which

mandated that the company awarded the

railway franchise contribute one-fifth of its

income to the purchase and maintenance of

public open space in the city. This ordinance

funded both the expansion of Patterson Park

and the purchase of Druid Hill Park.

In 1860, the Baltimore City Park Commission,

headed by Latrobe, was formed to locate and

purchase a large area of land to create a park

for the city of Baltimore. The Commissionpurchased the Lloyd Nicholas Rogers estate,

called Druid Hill. The citizens of East

Baltimore were angered that Baltimore’sgreat park was to be located north of the city

and they lobbied for the expansion ofPatterson Park. In response, the Commissionpurchased another 29 acres from WilliamPatterson’s heirs. The boundaries of the park

now became Baltimore Street, Cough Street,

Patterson Park Avenue and Luzerne Street.

THE CIVIL WAR ERA AND THE 1 860s

PARK

The Civil War slowed progress on the new

park as Union soldiers established an

encampment on site. This was a difficult

period for Baltimore, and the Unionoccupation was instituted to preventinsurrection by Confederate sympathizers.Once again, Hampstead Hill was a logicalplace for military activities, and Rodgers’

Bastion—with its dramatic views of the

harbor—was considered by the soldiers to be

one of the site’s greatest assets. Fourregiments occupied the site at different timesfrom 1861 to 1863; and from 1863 to 1865, itserved as the USA General Hospital atPatterson Park.

Amazingly, some park improvementsoccured in the midst of the occupation,including the development of “The Drive,”

the main serpentine carriage route throughthe park.

After the end of the Union occupation,improvements continued to the 35 acre park.Drainage improvements were madethroughout the site and a lake (smaller in sizethan the present-day lake) was createdinadvertently due to grading operations that

exposed shallow groundwater on the site.This feature proved very popular,particularly for ice skating. Severalstructures were also constructed, some ofwhich still exist today.

A number of the significant structures inPatterson Park were designed by GeorgeAloysius Frederick. Frederick, whosegreatest known work is Baltimore’s City Hall,

was hired by the Park Commission anddesigned many of the nineteenth centurystructures in Druid Hill Park as well asPatterson Park. He probably designed themarble fountain (the first architecturalelement in the park), which still stands today;and, shortly thereafter, the Gate House

(referred to by the present-day community as“The White House”). During this same

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A MASTER PL?%N FOR PATTERSON PARK /N BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

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period, Frederick designed the LombardStreet pillars and accompanying iron gates,completing the formal entry to the park andthe core of the present Nineteenth CenturyPark.

THE COUNTRY PARK

In 1873, the park was expanded to 56 acres inorder to create a grander park which wouldretain the vistas of the site. This propertywas acquired again through acquisition fromPatterson’s heirs, this time as a result ofcondemnation. The earliest map of PattersonPark (Figure 3) was surveyed and drawn in1876 by Augustus Faul, Engineer and GeneralSuperintendent of Parks.

The 1876 park plan shows that the basicframework for the western side of thepresent-day park was already in place at thistime. Developed in the fashionable traditionof Country Parks, it features a curvilinearcarriageway with interconnecting pedestrianpathways, a skating pond, (now called theBoat Lake) and a formal “mall.” When built,the Mall, a copy of a feature from CentralPark, included large, decorative urnscontaining floral displays as special focalelements. The high point at the “Battery of1814” was adorned with a small frameconcession building featuring gingerbreadeaves. As the park grew over the nextcentury, this western side would retain itsown integrity, existing functionally andaesthetically as a distinct area even as thepark expanded eastward.

Two important features of the 1870s park nolonger exist: the Conservatory and theTaurus Fountain. The Conservatory, anexquisite and fanciful Victorian glass pavilionwith a wooden frame, was the first of its kindin Baltimore’s parks. It was kept well-stocked with tropical plants favored at thetime by the park’s horticulturist. Over thenext 100 years, the high—maintenance facilitywould be rebuilt several times. Finally, in1984, the final version of the Conservatory,an iron structure in poor condition, wasremoved.

The Taurus Fountain was developed from anatural spring at Patterson Park in thetradition of springs in England. Before itsdevelopment as a park feature, the springhad long been a popular source for drinkingwater as well as a gathering place. Located atthe northern terminus of the Mall, the springwas impounded in a decorative marblestructure with a bull’s head, whose nostrilsspouted water into a marble basin. Thestructure was covered by an exotic shelter.The spring ultimately was retired and themarble bull’s head was eventually relocatedto a stone wall surrounding the ovalwalkway northeast of the Pagoda.

The Park Commission acquired an additional58 acres (again through condemnation fromWilliam Patterson’s heirs) in 1882, doublingthe size of the park to 114 acres. This newlyacquired land to the east was characterizedas “a wide, unsightly and marshy ravine”where Harris Creek and Harford Runconverged, flowing through the property.

The City developed plans to build anextensive sewer for Harford Run whichwould begin upstream from Patterson Parkand continue to the Harbor. The ParksCommission successfully lobbied to have thefirst section of the sewer built in PattersonPark. By 1894, the sewer extended fromNorth Avenue to the Harbor and to this day,the massive brick tunnel, seventeen feet wide

by nine feet tall, lies below Patterson Park,and extends through the park parallel toLakewood Avenue.

After the death of Augustus Faul in 1884,Charles H. Latrobe assumed the position of“General Superintendent and Engineer forPublic Parks.” His map (Figure 4), c. 1899,showcases the influences of the Country Parkera on Patterson Park and reflects the sixteenyears of park development which followedunder his direction. By the turn of thecentury, the stream valley and marshlands ofHarford Run and Harris Creek werereclaimed to form the park’s second lake.This water body was encircled by a series ofterraces and circumnavigated by acarriageway with adjoining pedestrianpathways.

In addition to the considerable grading anddrainage improvements that occurred at theeastern side of the park, Charles Latrobedesigned and implemented several importantarchitectural additions to the western parkduring the 1890s. The Observatory (Pagoda),two storm shelters, and the Casino allcontribute considerably to the character ofthe park to this day. These structures were

6

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placed strategically in the landscape tocomplement the views and vistas in thegrand ornamental tradition of the CountryPark.

Lampi Associates describes the character ofthe park at this time:

Bi the turn of the century.. .PaftersonPark had developed into a sizablepleasure ground for urban dwellers.‘Rural scenery’ was abundant in thetremendous variety offlora within.‘Passive’ recreation was available in theform of boating, skating, strolling, ordriving by carriage. Picturesque folliestie., traditional architectural landscapeornament of the day], such as theObservatory and the Bastion, allowedpeople to be transported to another placeor another time. Settees provided forrelaxation and concerts, enlightenment,all zvithin a pleasing, natural setting(Lampi Associates, NRF-IP Report).

While the park provided significant andpleasurable open space for southeastBaltimore, the acreage was considerablysmaller than the convention established forthe rural parks of the period. Now 114 acres,the park was less than one-fifth the size ofDruid Hill or New York’s Central Park orProspect Park, for example. This factor wasnoted by Olmsted Brothers, renownedlandscape architects from Brookline,Massachusetts, prompting them torecommend expansion in their reportDevelopment of Public Grounds, GreaterBaltimore (1904). While park expansion

would continue in the twentieth century, thesize never reached the extent of theirrecommendations, nor the wishes of manycivic leaders of Baltimore. Olmsted Brothershad envisioned the park extending toHighland Avenue to the east, and south toFait street at the eastern side of the park(development had already occurred on thesouthwest boundary). However, attitudeswere changing about the relative value ofpastoral open space versus active recreationfacilities as the country and Baltimore wereon the brink of the Recreation Movement.The Park Commission was faced withbalancing these two priorities as theyinvested in Baltimore City’s parks system.

THE AMERICAN RECREATION MOVEMENT

At the turn of the century, Baltimore, likeother American cities, developed a newattitude toward parks and recreation. At thistime, play and sports (versus simpleenjoyment of pastoral open space) werepromoted as a means to physical, mental,moral, and social health. With this shift cameintense pressure on the parks system toprovide active recreation facilities. Thesefacilities had very different site requirementsfrom the pastoral landscapes of thenineteenth century, specifically theintroduction of flat open areas, the absence oftrees, and fencing. As William Norris statedin 1927, “And so it was that Forestation gaveway to Recreation.” According to LamplAssociates,

it zvas not long after Latrobe’s plan wasfinally implemented, however, that it waseffectively undone as a romanticcomposition. Three years aftercompletion of the lake, and (zoo yearsafter the start of tree planting in thenorthern esplanade and surrounding thelake, the first of several ‘intrusions’occurred.. .in an unnamed section of theExtension, a baseball grounds zvas laidoff. Five years later.. .an entire athleticfield zvas laid out in zvhat would havebeen a substantially planted esplanade.The field contained ¼ mile cinder trackencircling a baseball and football field.The first athletic dressing house, a smalltemporary stnicture, was placed upon thegrounds near the fields. In 1902, theMunicipal Gaines were held in theathletic field and over 15,000 personsattended. In 1903, the children’splayground was moved from its StormShelter location to ía location nearpresent day Linzvood Avenue] in order toconsolidate recreational activities in thearea.

Figure 5 illustrates the dawn of the recreationera in Patterson Park. The plan is aninventory of on site conditions in 1915 asdrawn by Olmsted Brothers. Only part of theconditions shown reflect landscapearchitectural design work by OlmstedBrothers.

Between 1905 and 1915, Olmsted Brothersprovided consulting services for thedevelopment of the eastern side of the park.The final addition to the park, east of

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Linwood Avenue, was purchased in 1908;and improvements, including grading andwalkways similar to those existing today,were designed by Olmsted Brothers. Otherplans by the firm that were only partiallyimplemented were designed to integrateactive recreation facilities. These includedthe design of a field house that is stillstanding, a graded swimming beach on thenorth side of the lake, bath house facilities,and a playground. Olmsted Brotherssucceeded in providing an elegant design bywhich the Tudor Revival brick field houseserviced the ball fields and established anorth south axis between the fields and thelake. On the southern side of the field housewere wings which extended at a 45 degreeangle that enveloped the beach, and providedbath house facilities. Their design alsoincluded a baseball field and running track,open air gymnasium, and a little children’slawn.

Although Olmsted Brothers may havepreferred to treat parks primarily as rurallandscapes in the nineteenth century, LampiAssociates notes,

the Olmsteds recognized the role of activerecreation in urban environments, andwere responsive to the Conunission’spriorities to make Patterson Park apioneer in the active recreationinovenent (Lampl Associates, tJR1-IPReport).

The Olmsted design for the east side of thepark reflects the firm’s mixed approach todesign. As Lampi Associates states,

Today, the 1882-1883 portion of the parkdisplays little from Ltrobe’s plan, hutmuch of the Olmsted Brothers’ work.The landscape does not indicate,however, the desires of the OlmnstedBrothers that were tiever implemented.These include the screening arounddifferent park areas to shelter features‘from viezvs from other parts of the parkand to increase the effectiveness of theappearance of several features.’ !‘for doesit indicate thick plantings that weresupposed to surround the bath housewings of the field house. Finally, and tothe frustration of the firm, a coherentpath system to link athletic facilities wasnever implemented either (LampiAssociates, NRI-IP Report).

Patterson Park was recognized at this timefor its extensive recreation facilities whichdrew huge crowds of users and spectators.By 1925, Baltimore City’s athletic facilitiesoutnumbered those of any other city, andmany were located in Patterson Park.

At the same time that such a high level ofattention was being paid to athletic recreationfacilities, Patterson Park received its lastelement of striking architecture. In 1924, theMusic Pavilion (Figure 6) was installed nearBaltimore Street and Luzerne Avenue(presently the site of Virginia BakerRecreation Center). It is still fondlyremembered by many members of thecommunity. The wood, plaster, and steelstructure was a circular pavilion with anelevated stage and many glass windows.Popular dances and concerts broadcast by the

local Baltimore radio station WBAL occurredhere regularly until it burned down in 1972and was never replaced.

The memorable Pavilion replaced thefunction of the original music stage that waslocated northeast of the Pagoda, where anoval walkway currently exists. When theoriginal structure was removed, an ovalshaped kiddie pool surrounded by a rollerrink was established. The footprint of thisfacility has been reinterpreted as an ovalwalkway and seating area.

THE MODERN ERA

Athletic facilities continued to be the majorfocus of improvements for the remainder ofthe park’s history. Four events had a vitalimpact on the present day park. First, in1940, policy was established to eliminate allvehicular traffic from the park. Then, in the1950s, the lake was drained, filled andreplaced with an Olympic-sized pool in thesame configuration as the present day pool.Filling the lake made available additionallands for the development of athleticfacilities. At this time, Patterson Park was infull use as an urban playground, and theBureau of Recreation presided over a fullprogram of activities. The park included 15baseball and softball fields and 17 tenniscourts (Figure 7.).

Just as social conflict marked the 1960s and1970s nationwide, Patterson Park enteredinto a problematic era. In the 1970s, largescale vandalism and arson devastated the

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN BALTiMORE, MARYLAND

park. Sadly, according to Charles Walker,the perpetrators of this extensive propertydamage were young vandals and arsonistsfrom the park’s immediate neighborhoods.

Yet even as these unfortunate eventsoccurred, significant investments were beingmade. For example, the same month that UtzTwardowicz Field was dedicated, a fivealarm fire damaged the brick field house anddestroyed the adjoining bath house buildings.In response, the present concrete bath housewas built. In 1972, arsonists set fire to thecherished Music Pavilion, which was neverreplaced. Shortly thereafter, the VirginiaBaker Recreation Center was constructed atthe same site. The final major act of arsonburned the interior of the stone Casino,which would have been demolished withoutthe efforts of neighborhood activists. In theearly 98Os, the Casino was renovated,retaining the integrity of the stone walls, butsignificantly changing the character of thewindows, railings, and interior.

The final major expenditure of fundsoccurred in the park in the 1980s under theUrban Parks and Recreation Recovery Act.Under this federal grant program, a newplayground was provided and improvementswere made to the basic infrastructure of thepark. At this time, the children’s wadingpooi at the western end of the park wasconverted to the oval bed presently northeastof the Pagoda.

LOOKING FORWARD

The recent collapse of the skating pavilionroof, loss of tree canopy, and deterioration ofpavings and infrastructure demonstrate theneed to ensure that Patterson Park isregarded as one of Baltimore’s importantpublic resources. In accordance with theBaltimore Department of Recreation andParks’ Strategic Plan for Action, thecomprehensive plan developed for PattersonPark in this study marks a concerted effort bythe Department to base a plan not only on athorough understanding of the park’scultural, historic, and natural resources, buton a consensus of park users and communitygroups as well.

Patterson Park’s unique history ofdevelopment has resulted in a successfulblending of the Country Park with twentiethcentury athletic facilities. Some of thequalities which contribute to the beauty andfunction of the park today are a direct resultof the incremental development of the past.While designers would typically cautionagainst such a piece-meal approach to parkdevelopment, the fact that the western parkdeveloped its own integrity before thepurchase of the eastern park has allowed fora unique marriage of activities. Today,people of southeast Baltimore and the regioncan enjoy both the vistas and relaxed pace ofthe Country Park to the west as well as theathletic activities of the eastern park in auniquely beautiful setting. The park’s richhistory provides a strong, unifying structurefor future development to accommodate the

needs of citizens into the twenty-first century,while preserving and restoring one ofBaltimore’s significant historic and culturalresources.

9


Chapter 3: Existing Conditions

A discussion of the park’s current condition

GEOLOGY

The character, physical features, anddevelopment history of Patterson Park arestrongly influenced by the geology of the site.Part of the Coastal Plain PhysiographicRegion, the underlying rock was formedfrom the deposits of a historic floodplain andswamp that existed in a previous geologic erawhen the site was completely under water.The entire site is part of the Arundel GeologicFormation and most of the park is part of theclay facies which are predominantly claydeposits. However, the high point,historically known as Hampstead Hill, thenRoger’s Bastion, and currently the site of thePagoda, is underlain by a sand facies. Thisstructure has played a major role in thepark’s history and evolution.

The sand facies can be envisioned as a knollof sand deposits that overlies the clay facies.This sand formation was likely deposited asthe result of a major flood that transportedthe sand from uplands and deposited it in theswamp area. (The same type of sandformation is located beneath Highlandtown,another high point in the region.) These sanddeposits and resulting soils are more resistant

to erosion than the surrounding clay. Thus,the people of southeast Baltimore are gracedwith a compelling high point at the Pagoda,with a view that has attracted people to thesite since at least the eighteenth century. Thepopularity of this high point in the earlynineteenth century may indeed have spurredWilliam Patterson to consider donating hisfirst six acres to the City of Baltimore.

SOILS

The soils of Patterson Park reflect the park’sgeological characteristics. The highestelevations of the park in the northwestquadrant are delineated approximately by aline at the intersection of Patterson ParkAvenue and Bank Street to the northterminus of the Mall, following the broaddiagonal pathway to the entry at LuzerneAve. These soils are underlain by the sandfacies of the Arundel formation and as aresult have a fine sandy loam texture and arewell drained. Immediately to the southeast isa strip of land that crosses the park andincludes the Mall, the Boat Lake, the Casino,and the Virginia Baker Recreation Center;extending to the Lakewood Avenue entrance.These poorly drained soils have a loamy

texture at the surface with clay one footbelow the surface. The eastern section of themain park that extends to Linwood Avenue(previously a stream valley and marsh)consists entirely of fill land placed in thenineteenth century that contains ash, debris,and soil. Recently, engineers hired to assistin designing a new structure for the MimiDiPietro Ice Rink determined that the soils inthis area are not well-suited to bearing theload of a large building. The park annex tothe east of Linwood Avenue is a former claypit.

HYDROLOGY

The geology, soils, and development historyof Patterson Park have resulted in a complexhydrology in the park. Historical records ofthe central portion of the park (i.e., betweenthe Pagoda and the Boat Lake and includingthe Casino area) indicate that there hasalways been an active flow of water beneaththe surface soils in this area overlying aperched water table (a condition where waterfalling on the ground infiltrates until reachinga clay layer where it collects and flowsbeneath the surface. Where the clay layerintersects the surface, water will flow out

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BALTJMORE, MARYLAND

creating a spring.) During the park’sdevelopment in the nineteenth century,extensive grading was performed in this area,filling in ravines and providing subsurfacedrainage with oyster shells and clay pipes.The Taurus Fountain, once located at thenorthern terminus of the Mall, was createdfrom a prolific spring on site which pre-datesthe park. The Boat Lake, which wasinadvertently created in the nineteenthcentury during a grading operation, is stillfed by perched groundwater flows throughevery season of the year.

At the surface, the park east of Luzerne Streetdoes not provide many clues about itshydrologic history. Formerly the valley of anavigable stream, the stream was placed in aculvert in the late 1800s and the area filledwith ash, debris, and soil. The seventeen-foot-wide brick tunnel is still in place beneaththe park, and in the 1970s a major publicworks project augmented this channel withan additional sixteen-foot-wide culvert calledthe Lakewood Avenue Storm Drain. For fiftyyears beginning at the turn of the century, alake was located here; and today, the formerstream valley is no longer discernable.

TOPOGRAPHY

The topography of Patterson Park may be itssingle most character-defining feature. Thehighest elevations are located at the LombardStreet gateway and the Pagoda; and here, oneexperiences a sweeping view of the park withthe harbor at a distance, accompanied by agentle breeze. The western side of the park

gently slopes to the southeast, providing apicturesque setting for pathways,carriageways and the Lake. One hundredfeet below the elevation of the Pagoda are theplaying fields in the eastern park. Formerly astream valley, the eastern park is nowrelatively flat and well suited to the existingplaying fields. The bowl of the easternannex, a former clay pit, is located fifteen feetabove Linwood Avenue and is elegantlyenclosed by the slopes rising to EllwoodAvenue. Standing atop this slope lookingwestward, one is treated to a sweeping viewof the park.

VEGETATION

Trees have always been an important elementin Patterson Park. The earliest record of treeplanting dates back to 1835, when WilliamPatterson planted 200 trees on his six acres ofdonated land. Had he been able to see hiswishes carried out, the Public Walk wouldhave been densely canopied with 33 trees peracre or one tree every 13 feet (excludingpossible tree deaths). Since that time, thedensity of trees in the park has steadilydeclined.

A historic trend of the numbers and speciesof trees in the park was developed for themaster plan (Figure 8). Three data sourceswere used to establish trends: (1) aninventory conducted in 1887 and reported inthe annual Parks Commission report; (2) amap of the park dated 1915 whichdocumented tree locations and species; and(3) a survey performed in 1995 as part of the

current master plan. Since the park was onlysix acres in 1835, the major trends wereestablished beginning in 1887 when the parkwas 144 acres (i.e. west of Linwood Avenueonly). Presently, the park west of LinwoodAvenue has 808 trees, half the number thatwere in the park in 1887, and three quartersof the number found there in 1915.

The species composition of the trees withinthe park has changed considerably since thenineteenth century, not only in the diversity(i.e. numbers of different species present) butalso in the composition of the tree species. In1887, the most predominant species were anassortment of maples: silver, Norway, red,and box elder. The second most prominenttrees were lindens, both European andAmerican. In 1915, the dominant speciescontinued to be maples, and lindensincreased in prominence. The maple speciesin the 1915 inventory were unspecified,though it is known that sugar maples wereplanted between 1887 and 1915, adding to thenumber of maple species on the site. Speciesdiversity declined by more than half duringthis period from 45 species to 21.

Since 1915, species diversity has increased bynearly three times to 59 species. Lindens arenow dominant, representing nearly one outof three trees in the park and Oaks are muchmore prominent at a density of one out ofevery six trees. Maples, on the other hand,have declined from a previous dominance ofone out of three trees to now only one out often. Of the maples, the box elder hasdisappeared; the silver, Norway, and sugar

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1995

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maples have declined dramatically innumbers; but the red maples have increased.Appendix 6 includes the numbers andspecies of trees in the three years analyzed.Though Lindens and Oaks are the dominanttrees of the park, Patterson Park has aremarkable and eclectic assortment of speciesincluding some rather uncommon trees. Thelargest Amur Cork and the largest WeepingMulberry in the city reside here.

The spatial distribution of trees in 1915 can beseen in a 1996 topographic survey (‘Figure 9).The park at this time was characterized bygroves of trees delineating a sequence ofsmall open spaces. Most of the trees werelocated in the western half of the park andthe eastern side was left open for the spacerequirements of recreational fields andcourts. Currently, the tree density is sosparse that the definition of spaces is lessapparent ‘Figure 10.

Shrubs were utilized throughout PattersonPark during various periods in history.Extant plans by the Olmsted firm also showlarge masses of shrubs that are proposed tocreate the amenity of dense vegetation and tobuffer the interior of the park from the bustleof the city outside its perimeter. Althoughtoday most shrubs have been removed due toconcerns about visibility, park security, andlimited maintenance availability, modestshrub plantings remain near the foundationand in beds at the Superintendent’s I-louse;near the Casino and at its foundations;adjacent to the Virginia Baker RecreationCenter; at the Linwood Avenue/Baltimore

Avenue Gate; and around the base of thePagoda.

The dominant ground cover in PattersonPark is grass lawn, appropriately mown to aheight suitable for easy pedestrian accessthroughout the park. Drawings,photographs, and postcards of the park showthat this groundcover condition was typicalin Patterson Park (‘Figure 11). Althoughseveral areas exist at seeps and brokendrainage facilities where the grass is in poorcondition, and there are noticeable erodedareas around the Boat Lake, the ball fields,and adjacent to deteriorated pavement; mostof the lawn is in reasonably good conditionand provides the visitor with rolling greenvistas typical of the Country Park.

Flower beds exist today in a few places, suchas around the Superintendent’s house, wherethey are maintained by members of theneighborhood community, and within thecommunity gardens. Daffodil displayssurround the edges of the park. The level ofmaintenance, however, is not adequate fordisplays in a public park, and the beds oftenappear somewhat disheveled. Floral displaysexisted during the early twentieth century inlimited beds near the Pagoda. In addition,large urns with lavish floral displays were akey decorative feature of the Mall andflowers were displayed extensively near theformer Conservatory. Although thesedisplays were frequently shown in historicpostcards and photographs of the park, thelandscape was generally broad and open in

design, with a green, pastoral effect of lawnand trees predominating (Figure 8).

BIRD HABFrAT

For birds, Patterson Park is an oasis in themiddle of some of the densest residentialdevelopment in Baltimore. While less than 20different bird species are usually found inthis part of the city, local residents haveobserved 47 species of birds in the park, andone quarter of them breed there.

The two predominant habitats of these birdsare the mowed landscape with scattered trees(rarely forming a closed canopy), and thepond/emergent wetland complex. The lawnand trees attract many of the common “edge”species usually found in urban and suburbanareas (so-called because these species alsotend to be present in forest edges); however,the pond/wetland environment, rarely foundin urban areas, provides a habitat for somewater birds that are uncommon in the greaterBaltimore area. For this reason, the numberof different species that have been observedin the park is greater than the number ofdifferent species found in three-quarters ofthe city.

Most of the water birds observed in the parkpass through and do not breed in the pond;however, three species breed there annually.The red-wing black-bird enjoys breeding inthe cattails and its song is audible by thepond’s edge; the mallards are prolific, andpark visitors seem to enjoy watching them;but the most treasured members of the park

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VEGETATION

Tree Canopy nferpreted from March 1996Aerial Pholograph of Patferson Park

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community may be the elegant wood duckswho breed in cavities in the park trees eachyear and raise their families in the park.

While the cattail habitat provides cover forwater birds, their food value is limited. Adiverse community of wetland vegetationmay be more beneficial to a greater numberof water birds.

Of all of the birds in the park, songbirds havethe greatest population. These species wouldbenefit from a more highly structuredlayering of vegetation. In addition, the birdsdo not have access to the water because ofthe configuration of the edge. Enhancing thesongbirds’ access to the water would greatlyenhance their habitat.

ACCESS AND CIRCULATION

Much of the pathway system that existstoday in Patterson Park was well establishedby the turn of the century, and by 19Th themajor elements of the circulation patternwere in place. Five principles seemed to haveguided the design of the circulation system:separating carriages from pedestrian travel,providing access from the adjacent urbanstreet grid, connecting major amenities,providing a formal pedestrian mall andproviding a diversity of choices forpedestrians to travel through the landscape.Over time, many of these originalcharacteristics have been retained; and, witha few exceptions, the circulation within thepark is generally clear and coherent.

The Carriageways

“The drive” was an essential part ofBaltimore’s approach to designing openspaces in the nineteenth century and can beseen in both Druid Hill and Patterson Park.Twenty-five feet in width, the carriagewaysat Patterson Park would allow passage of twocarriages. The first carriageway wasdesigned to circumnavigate the western parkand later a second loop was designed aroundthe eastern addition, creating a “figure-eight”design. A traveler could engage in a leisurelycarriage ride along the curvilinear roads,traversing the topography without intrudingon the interior park. At the crossing of the“figure-eight” was an esplanade thatencircled a rain shelter. Here, carriages couldpark and enjoy the scenic view of the easternlake. The original layout of the carriagewaysexists today, with minor modifications.

The Mall

In addition to the curvilinear roads andpathways characteristic of the EnglishCountry Landscape style, the ParkCommission also favored the creation of astraight, broad pedestrian avenue, to becalled “the Mall.” In the 1860s, a promenadewas constructed in Druid Hill; and in the1870s, the Mall was built in Patterson Park.At the northern end of the Mall was theprominent and prolific Taurus fountain. By1915, the Mall was connected to thecarriageway by a broad diagonal pathwayleading from the Luzerne Street carriageentrance. The Mall and diagonal connection

‘3

remain today, though the Taurus fountain nolonger marks the northern terminus.

Pedestrian Pathways

The character of the pathways in the westernpark, eastern park, and annex differ; this isnot surprising given the park’s incrementaldevelopment. The complex system foundtoday in the western park is similar to thehistoric layout and is characterized bypathways linking entrance ways with themany park features. Walkers had anabundance of choices in selecting their paththrough the park, and pathways paralleledthe carriageway in only a few locations. Inaddition, the paths were set into the terrain insuch a way as to minimize their visualintrusion into the broad grassy vistas of thepark.

In contrast to the western park, the originalpathways in the eastern park were limited totwo walks which were situated parallel toeach side of the carriageway. Thecarriageway, pathways, lake, andsurrounding terraces were one organicunified whole. By 1915, however, OlmstedBrothers had introduced straight lines, axis,and symmetry to the composition as theyintroduced athletic facilities to this part of thepark. Still, there was simplicity and order tothe composition. Today, the athletic facilitiesand the fences that were added piecemeal tothe park have created a sense of disorder. Inaddition, the pathways originallyaccompanying the carriageways have longsince been removed. The eastern annex,

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN BAL]1MORE, MARYLAND

relatively unchanged since its original design,has an elegant simplicity as pathwaysconnect the entryways and gracefully encirclethe playing fields below.

Entrance ways

When it was first established as a six-acrePublic Walk, Patterson Park was surroundedby undeveloped land, access was limited toone entrance and the park was enclosed by afence. As development in the surroundingblocks occurred and the park grew, entranceways evolved to accommodate entry frommost of the surrounding streets. The varietyof design styles provides a charminglyeclectic personality to the edges of the park,though renovation is needed at many of thesites. The entry ways seem a fitting symbolto a park that is such an integral part of itscommunity (Table A).

Issues Related to Access and CirculationToday

Pathways in [he park today are an importantelement of the park experience. More thanany single facility, the pathways are used forrecreation by walkers, joggers, rollerbiaders,and cyclists. Issues and challenges includevehicular access, renovation needs, spatialorganization, and accommodating pedestriandesire lines.

Vehicular Access

Since the 1940s, no cars have been allowedaccess to Patterson Park without a permit. Inan effort to limit access, many of the park

entries have been equipped with utilitarianbarriers which degrade the former eleganceof the entryways. Traditionally, permits havebeen granted for special events and forequipment drop-off for athletic activities.Enforcement of this policy has beeninconsistent, however, and conflicts continuein the community,although the majority ofpeople favor restricting cars in the park.

Six park features act as destinations for cars:athletic fields, the maintenance yard, theVirginia Baker Recreation Center, the Casino,the White House and the Ice Rink. Thesedestinations create an attraction for people topark their cars nearby and have differentissues associated with them:

• Athletic patrons often want to parktheir cars near athletic events.Enforcement of the vehicular policyis the responsibility of the BaltimoreCity Police. In their effort to promotea positive experience in the park theyhave taken a rather gentle approachin enforcing the rules with athleticpatrons, resulting in significantabuses.

• In recent years the maintenance staffhave been instructed to park theircars outside of the park. Thispractice has placed a hardship onemployees since they arrive to workearly in the morning when thesurrounding streets are full of parkedcars from the neighboring residences,and many of the streets haverestricted parking for part of the day.

Long-term goals for reorganizationwithin the department includereducing the number of employeeswho report to the maintenance yardin Patterson Park.

The Virginia Baker Recreation Centeris a destination for daytime andevening activities. The facility has asmall parking lot which does notmeet the demand of patrons. Oftenpeople attending functions hereexpect to park in the park.

• The Casino now houses a day carefacility for the elderly. A shuttlebrings the clients to the facility andthe present layout of roads andpathways does not adequatelysupport this function. In addition,the staff parking needs are not met.The historic paving surrounding thebuilding has suffered significantdegradation from vehicular traffic.

• The White House contains offices forBanner Neighborhoods and othercommunity organizations. Staff andvisitors to this facility park in front ofthe marble fountain, intruding on thishistoric center of the park. Restrictedparking on Patterson Park Avenuemakes on-street parking a challengefor users of this building. Trafficstudies are needed on Patterson ParkAvenue to determine whetherparking restrictions can be lifted onat least one side of the street to

4


Table A: Entrances in Patterson Park .

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Patterson Park Ave.! Lombard St. 1869 (Designed by GeorgeFrederick and original gate to1860s park)

Entrance Date Built Material/Style Current Status

Marble; Renaissance Revival Iron gates missing; good condition; vehicular access should be restricted.

Gough St. / Patterson I’ark Ave. 1893 Rough granite pylons with carved Iron work missing; pyloos mark entry which originally was a carriageway but is

crosses, now grass with two adjoining pedestrian ways. Vehicular curb cut should be

replaced with at pedestrian scale.

Lakewood Ave. / Baltimore Street 1895 Granite pylons; Renaissance Originally carriageway now pedestrian. Bollards objectionable. Central pathway

Revival does not relate to street crossing. One bronze light fixture is missing; ironwork

missing; no signage; graffiti.

Eastern Ave./ Patterson I’ark Ave. Late nineteenth century Sandstone; Romanesque Revival Originally carriageway now pedestrian. Ironwork missing; good condition; needs

cleaning.

Luzerne Ave.! llaltimore Street Between 1894 & 1915 Small granite block; lacks Main vehicular access to park. Entrance does not have a positive sense of entry;

architectural character poor quality signage; gate needed.

Kenwood St. / Baltimore St. Between 1894 & 1915 Stone masonry; castellated mode Good condition.

reminiscent of Jacobean design.

Ortmann Field entrance Ca. 1910 Iron arch and grill work, brick Good condition; missing ornamental urn at crest of arch.

piers with limestone coping

Patterson l’ark Aye! Baltimore St. Ca. 1916 (Not the original gate Cast stone; one of three similar. Once a carriageway, now pedestrian, hut width allows for cars. Iron lamps missing;

at this location) good condition; aesthetic barrier needed.

Baltimore St. / Linwood Ave. 1916 Cast stone; one of three similar Lamp and sign incompatible (originally had iron lamps); condition good to fair due

(see above); this one with wing to spalling.

walls.

Eastern Ave.! Linwood Ave. 1921 Cast stone; one of three similar Poor signage, incompatible lamps (probably once had iron lamps); good condition.

(see above) Barrier needed to limit vehicle access.


accommodate the users of the WhiteHouse.

• The Mimi DiPietro Ice Rink is adaytime and evening destination.Some users, particularly in theevenings, attempt to park within thepark to gain close access to thisfacility. Some people do not feel safewalking on the residential streets toattend this facility.

Renovation Needs

Many of the pathways in Patterson Park ricedsignificant renovation. The park has had aneclectic assortment of paving materials formost of its history including: asphalt, asphaltblock (both hexagonal and rectangularpayers), brick, and concrete. Each of thesematerials can be found in various conditionsthroughout the park:

• Asphalt exists in both thecarriageways and pathways. Thecarriageways are in good condition,but severely degraded asphalt islocated on the western and southernedges of the park annex.

• Brick and asphalt payers are foundon the pathways throughout thewestern park. All of these pathwaysneed edging and weed removal, andmany of the paths need to be resetdue to settlement and drainageproblems.

• Concrete pathways are limited butmuch of the concrete needs repair,

including the historic east-west mallnorth of the old field house, and thepathways on the west and east sidesof the lake.

Twenty different concrete stairs arescattered around the edges andwithin the interior of the park. One-third of these are in very poorcondition and another fifth requiresome repair. None of the stairs havehand rails and, therefore, do not meetcurrent standards of the AmericansWith Disabilities Act.

Spatial Organization

Since the turn of the century, the eastern parkhas seen dramatic changes in theconfiguration of site features interior to thecarriageway. Once a lake surrounded bygrass terraces, this area is now densely filledwith an assortment of athletic facilities. Inthe early twentieth century the OlmstedBrothers provided an elegant design whichcreated an orderly setting for athleticfacilities around the northern side of the lake.Since that time, however, over a dozendiscrete projects have been implemented inthe area without a sensitive approachtowards a unified whole. The result has beena disjointed maze of facilities connected byawkward pathways, and a redundant andinhospitable array of fencing.

Accommodating Pedestrian Desire Lines

Given the diversity of options for movingthrough the park landscape, there are few

places where pedestrian movement is notwell provided for. One exception includes aneast-west movement from the LombardStreet gate and the Patterson ParkAvenue/Baltimore Street gate to the pool.This factor is not surprising considering thatthe pathway system for the western park wasestablished before the eastern park existed.Some provisions were made to accommodatethis movement in the twentieth century byproviding access from the rear of the Casino.The present tenant needs for this area of thepark make this alternative unworkable,however.

DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE

By the turn of the century, Patterson Parkwas laced with an intricate pattern of inletsand clay subsurface drainage pipes. Historicrecords show that active springs created aproblem for nineteenth century park plannerswho responded by installing oyster shelldrainage fields, inlets, and pipes. The majorframework for the drainage infrastructurewas created by the turn of the century andstill exists today.

Most of the drainage infrastructure of thewestern park drains to the Boat Lake. Whilea technical study is needed tocomprehensively diagnose the scope of theproblem, there are two areas within thissystem that are known to be failing:

• Standing water can be found year-round in an area between the Pagodaand Boat Lake. A test pit revealed a

‘5


six inch clay pipe in this areacompletely clogged with sediment.

• When turned on, the marble fountainis fed with city water and designed todischarge continually to aconveyance system which drains tothe Boat Lake. This system isclogged, making the fountain nonfunctional.

The Boat Lake

The lake’s 35 acre watershed is entirelywithin the park and the lake is fed througheight outlets which collect water throughoutthe watershed. The two and one-half acrelake is believed to be only four feet deep at itsgreatest depth. Presently, the lake ispopulated with a stand of cattails quicklyencroaching into the water surface area assediments settle from the watershed. Algalblooms are prolific in the summer monthsaccompanied by noxious odor and occasionalfish kills.

The Eastern Park

Part of the drainage infrastructure of theeastern park dates from the nineteenthcentury. A 17-foot wide brick tunnel extendsnorth-south through the park and transportswater from Harford Run which once

extended to the northern part of the city.Pipes transporting Harris Creek and drainpipes from the Boat Lake connect to thisconduit which drains directly to the harbor.A major 16-foot wide relief drain was built inthe 1970s that extends from Lakewood

Avenue at the north edge of the park anddischarges to the old conduit just north ofEastern Avenue.

Over a dozen projects built since 1915 havedrainage infrastructure which connect to themajor drainage facilities beneath the park.No major drainage problems were observedin the eastern park during sightinvestigations for the master plan.

The Annex

The drainage infrastructure in the park annexis fairly simple. At the base of the west-facing slope is a concrete swale. A system ofa dozen inlets is located in or near the swaleand pipes convey water from these inlets tostorm drains in the adjoining streets. A seepof water was observed on the northern end ofthe slope.

BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

The buildings, entrances, and structures ofPatterson Park are an integral part of the lifeand style of the park and illustrate thecultural evolution that occurred throughoutthe park’s life span. The earliest (nineteenthcentury) structure, Rodgers’ Bastion,predates the park. And while early buildingsreflect the traditions of the Country Park era,later additions express the modern traditionof utilitarian recreation facilities and high-tech building materials of the late twentiethcentury.

Buildings and Pavilions

Table B is a summary of the buildings andpavilions remaining in Patterson Park thatincludes the date they were built, theiroriginal function, and their current status.Six of the significant buildings in the parkdate from the nineteenth century: theGatekeeper’s House; the Stable; the Pagoda;the Casino; and two octagonal pavilions.These structures were carefully designed andsited in the tradition of the Country Parkstyle of design. Each of these facilities is ingood condition, with the exception of thePagoda which is in need of significant repair.These buildings are an integral part of thecharm of the historic park.

The most threatened building in the park isthe Field House. Built in 1905, and designedby the firm of Wyatt and Nolting ofBaltimore after a concept by the OlmstedBrothers, this Tudor Revival style building isthe only building in the park whichrepresents the Recreation Movement at theturn of the century. The Field House wasalso an important component of the OlmstedBrothers’ recreation complex design.Originally, the building had two wings on thesouthern side which extended diagonally toframe the circular swimming beach alsoconceived by the Olmsted Brothers.Presently, the building is severely degradeddue to deferred maintenance. The westernside is vacant and the eastern side is used bythe Aquatics Division for storage. The roofhad a hole for an extended time which leftthe interior open to the elements and pigeons,ruining the surfaces. The hole now has a

6


Table B: Buildings and Shelters in Patterson ParkBuilding (original name(s) & Date Built and Original Use Current Statuspopular reference)

(2) Octagonal storm shelters; Designed by Charles Latrobe, ca. 1890. These iron and wood structures were recently re-roofed and painted.

The Gatekeeper’s House;The Superintendent’s House;The White House

)esigned by George Frederick in 1866 as a dwelling and((ice for the park superintendent and his family.

Banner Neighborhoods Community Corp. resides in building rent-free in exchange for on-going maintenanceof the facility. Building is in good condition but may need significant repairs in window and roof in near future.Banner Neighborhoods plans to move soon, and an after-use has not been identified.

Observatory; Designed by Charles H. Latrobe in 1891 in the Exotic and Not currently open to the public and in need of major renovation. Butcher’s Hill Community OrganizationPagoda Picturesque tradition of park architecture as an observatory, presently sponsoring fund raising and renovation plan.

Stables; Originally built In 1870 and rebuilt after fire in 1881. Houses Patterson Park Division offices. Crew members and equipment provide service throughout SoutheastMaintenance Yard Designed by George Frederick for livestock and storing Baltimore. Departmental reorganization calls for a smaller staff, dedicated only to Patterson Park, to be locatedtools, carriages, and wagons. here. Structure is in good condition except for sandblasting that destroyed the surface of the brick. Southwestcorner needs repointing.

The Mansion I-louse; Designed in 1893 by Charles I-I. Latrobe, the new General Since 1992, the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (CARE) has leased the building for Adult DayThe Casino Superintendent of the City’s Parks, as a new focal point for Care. CARE has received a $.5 million grant Irons the Maryland Departnsent of l-lealth and Mental Hygiene forthe expanded park. Design included basement tool house major renovations to adapt the building. Project is in design development.and park office, upper story suite of residential apartmentsand public restrooms. First used as a refreshment stand,and then, in 1899, as Park Commission offices.

Virginia Baker Recreation Center Built in 1974 after a fire destroyed the dance pavilion that Bureau of Recreation performs recreational programming in this recently-renovated building. Facility includesexisted previously on this site, offices, two game and meeting rooms, a gymnasium, and stage.

Quoit I-louse Originally a wood-frame building with many windows, it An aesthetically inappropriate precast concrete veneer now encases the building. The Old Men’s Club meetswas designed in 1915 by the Olmsted Brothers firm and here to play cards and socialize.built in 1925.

Field House Built in 1905, and designed by Wyatt and Nolting of The building on the west side, under the jurisdiction of Patterson Park Division, is vacant. The east side isBaltimore after the original concept by Olmsted Brothers to occupied by the Aquatics Division and used for storage. Decades of deferred maintenance have caused seriousserve ass field house for recreational facilities. Diagonal deterioration of the roof and interior finishes.wings once framed the southern exposure at the basementgrade level. These wings were bath houses for theswimming lake to the south.

New Ilnth I-louse Contemporary concrete block structure built in 1970 after The building is in good condition; however, the interior floor plan does not conform to the management needsarson fire destroyed bath house to the north which was part of the operation.of the recreation complex designed by Olnssted Brothers.

Mimi DiPietro Ice Rink Original outdoor rink built in 1967. Tension structure and Tension structure has failed several times due to snow loads. It appears that since the structure is not heated itbuilding renovations performed 20 years later (1986—1987). has difficulty shedding heavy snow storms. Estimates to replace the structure with an alternative were $1.Smillion. Existing foundations cannot be used for a heavier building due to unstable soils. The Departmentplans to replace the tension structure this year.

tTltc Random House College Dictionary defines Casino as: 1. A building or large room used for meetings, dancing, etc.


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temporary patch. Any recreational use ofthis building will require gutting andcompletely renovating the interior.

Some of the modern architecture in the parkwas developed in response to two acts ofarson in the 1970s, from which the parksuffered considerable damage. Unfortunatecasualties included an elegant circular dancepavilion near Luzerne and Baltimore Streetsand the bath house wings of the Field House.Two modern buildings were built to replacethese features, the Virginia Baker RecreationCenter and the present bath house. Thesestructures were designed in the modernaesthetic of an era that favored efficiency andan absence of ornament.

The last building placed in the park was theMimi DiPietro Ice Rink. Built in 1986, therink’s “bubble” roof was a high-tensionstructure of woven fabric which failedseveral times under snow loads. Presently,the Department has plans to replace thedamaged bubble with a new upgraded one ofsimilar design. The 40-foot-tall structure is a

prominent form in the landscape, out of scalewith other park structures, visually out ofcontext, and able to be used only in the falland winter because the material allows fortoo much heat gain in the summer months.An estimate for replacing this type ofstructure with a year-round facility made ofmore traditional building materials and moresensitive to the landscape context was over

one million dollars.

SITE FURNISHINGS

Figure 12 illustrates the location of existingsite furnishings. Features such as entrancegates, walls, and fencing lend considerablecharacter to the park.

Lighting

Electric lighting has been a tradition inPatterson Park for over 100 years. Theintensity of lighting in the park has increasedcontinually to the present day. By the turn ofthe century the park had 28 arc lights in thepark west of Linwood Avenue. Low levellighting was provided around the LombardStreet Gate/Pagoda area, the Mall, theCasino, and the Lake. Most of these wereserviced by above-ground wires, though CE-ILatrobe proposed underground electric linesbeginning in 1885. At the turn of the century,the lights were an elegant “Standard ParkPole” provided by the Bush Company.

By 1915 there were 116 lights west ofLinwood Avenue and an additional 47 in theeastern annex. The eastern swimming lakewas a dramatic sight with lighting around itsentire edge as well as the interior of the lake.The Mall had five poles down the center ofthe pavement alternating with huge Victorianurns making a dramatic statement. Lightstandards continued along the mall extensionon either side of the pathway.

The present-day lighting pattern wasestablished in the early 1970s when all of thecarriage roads were equipped with 25 foothigh arc lamps every 170 feet. This approach

changed the emphasis from low level accentlighting at a pedestrian scale in a few areas ofthe park to low level lighting throughout thecarriageways at a height more characteristicof parking lot and roadway lighting. Newluminaires were installed in the 1980s.

Landscape Structures

Table C summarizes the date built and thecurrent status of the landscape structures thatlend considerable character to the park. Theearliest element, Rodgers’ Bastion, wasrecognized from the beginning by parkdesigners as an appropriate feature of visualinterest in the Country Park. The tradition ofplacing structures in the park as functionalornament began in the nineteenth centuryand is well represented by the marblefountain built in 1865 as the first architecturalfeature in the park. The latest addition, theCount Casimar Pulaski monument, datesfrom 1951 and is cherished by the local Polishcommunity.

Fencing styles in the park represent threestyles and eras, including a Victorian“hairpin” style, flat iron picket, andcontemporary chain link. Many of thelandscape structures of the park need somelevel of repair.

Entrance Gates

The entrance gates of Patterson Park wereadded over a period of 50 years as the parkevolved. As the park expanded anddevelopment occurred on the perimeter, parkentrances appeared, and they reflect a

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BALtiMORE, MARYLAND

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

Table C: Landscape Structures in Patterson Park

1TIpu Tfl[Rodgers’ Bastion 1814 earthen battery Original earthwork significantly graded to be teas severe.

Marble Fountain 1865 marble Parking compromises aesthetics and use of fountain. Operable but leaks slightly and is not designed to

recirculate. Overflow is conveyed to clogged system which drains to Boat Lake.

Perimeter fence remnant 1865—1899 large granite Extending the length of Patterson Park Avenue and along Baltimore Street and Eastern Avenue to their

blocks intersection with Port Street. 1-loles on top of blocks indicate previous iron fence. Some blocks nut of

alignment, some spatting.

Stone wall southeast of twentieth century stone Nice wall/nice tree; major crack in wall; stone caps missing.

sculpture garden

Saengerfest Statue 1915 bronze and Won as first prize by the United Singers of Baltimore at Saengerfest in Brooklyn, NY.

granite

Star Spangled Banner Statue 1914 bronze and Designed by J. Maxwell Miller, a prominent sculptor from the Maryland Art Institute, and dedicated by the

granite Star Spangled Banner Centennial Commission to honor the writing of the national anthem. Two neighborhood

children were models. Good Condition.

Gold Star Mothers Memorial 1923 flagpole and Pays tribute to the 154 soldiers of World War I from East Baltimore.

Flagstaff bronze relief

Kiddie Pool (now sculpture 1925 (Bull’s head stone wall; Arc lamps compromise view of bull. Area is enjoyed as a quiet, contained space. Sculpture has been

garden) with hull’s head once part of marble bulls vandalized, and poor drainage around perimeter walk results in sediment deposits in area.

Taurus Fountain headat north end of

Mall>

Count Casimir Pulaski 1951 bronze relief Designed by A. Cradziszewski, sculpted by I-laos Schuler, currently in good condition. l’he sword is missing

monument (continually stolen whenever replaced). Constituents have requested gate to enclose grassy circle to protect the

area from dogs.

Iron picket fence at eastern cc. 1913 flat iron pickets Constructed during the Olmsted Brothers era of park design, it is a unique design that has an industrial feel to

annex it. Only remaining fragment is at eastern annex at the top of the bank along Lhiwood Avenue. Needs

ainting.

“1-lairpin” picket fence 1932 round solid Fashioned after earlier fences of the Victorian era, it surrounds the pond. Needs repair or removal.

iron

Chain link fencing Mid-late twentieth chain link steel Some fencing redundant; needs repair; rusted mesh should be replaced with black vinyl coated mesh.

centuryBenches 19th & twentieth iron and metal Benches of insufficient number and in need of repair.

century

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL1]MORE, MARYLAND

diversity of styles. The earliest entrance wasactually the only entrance to the 1860s park.Located at the intersection of Patterson ParkAvenue and Lombard Street, theseRenaissance Revival gates are arguably themost elegant in the park. Later, in the earlytwentieth century, two entrances wereexecuted in a picturesque masonry style thatis reminiscent of seventeenth century castles.The latest entrances, dated from the 1920s,reflect the cost savings and flexibility ofconcrete construction. Virtually all of theiron work, light fixtures and signage thatornamented many of the gates are now gone,although most of the stone and concretepediments are in good condition.

RECREATION FACILITIES

Recreation facilities began to appear inPatterson Park at the turn of the centurywhen a pronounced change occurred in thenation’s attitude toward the appropriate useof public open space. At this time,Baltimore’s Public Park Commissionrecognized the need to provide athleticfacilities to its citizens; and in 1895, PattersonPark was provided with its first baseballgrounds. Throughout the twentieth century,recreation facilities have been provided inincreasing numbers, though the locations offields and courts have varied.

Ball Diamonds

There are four different types of balldiamonds and ten separate fields in PattersonPark based on individual design and

configuration needs, outfield constraints, andprogramming, including softball; little leaguesoftball/hardball; little league hardball only;and baseball. Table D summarizes thelocation, size, and programming of each field.

All of the ball diamonds are in goodcondition, although the grass often gets highin the spring when cutting crews find itdifficult to keep up with the rapidly growinggrass. Regrading would be helpful to mostfields and new lights would improve thelighted fields.

The softball diamonds are heavilyprogrammed on week nights from Maythrough September by city slow ball and fastball leagues scheduled by the Department ofRecreation and Parks.

Three 60-foot ball diamonds are permittedexclusively to the l-tighlandtown ExchangeClub, a local little league for six to 12 yearolds which has a well-established presence inthe community. Games are scheduled onweeknights and Saturdays. The organizerswould like a hood to be installed on thebackstop and increased lighting for safety(not field lighting).

Baseball diamonds are scheduled for play onweek nights and Saturdays with about fivecity-run leagues and several other privateleagues. Fields are used only about 50percent of the available time because thedemand for baseball in Baltimore is lessintense than softball. Field number 1,Sterling Sheriff Fowble Field, is maintained

by the Harbor Federal Baseball Club, amember of the Metro Baseball League.

Soccer/Football

Five fields are available for soccer, one fieldfor football; and the Utz TwardowiczStadium is used for both football and soccertournaments.

Baltimore City has soccer leagues for fivedifferent age groups under the age of 16 andsponsors the Baltimore Metro InvitationalSoccer Tournament in the park in Octoberand November.

Youth football for ages nine through 13 isorganized into four leagues. Games for theseleagues are scheduled at several facilitiesthroughout the city including Patterson Parkfrom September through November.

Tennis

The tennis courts are well used in the parkand the number of courts seems toadequately support the demand. The courtsneed resurfacing, however, and length ofplay could be extended if lights wereprovided on the courts south of Pratt Street.

Basketball

The five Patterson Park basketball courts arein three different dimensions: two are nearlyregulation high-school size, but slightly toonarrow; two are not regulation size, thoughthere is adequate space surrounding them toextend their length; and one is a half-court

‘a


Table D: Ball Diamonds of Patterson Park

Baseline dimension Location or Name where Lightsappropriate YIN Primary Users

Softball Ortmann Field (2) ‘V (2) Approximately 15 city-run softball leagues primarily from downtown and southeast

Baltimore.60’ East annex N

Utz Twardowicz Stadium ‘V

Softball and Little League Eastern & Lakewood Avenue (2)/William N Highlandtown Exchange Club

l-lardball H. Schutz Fields

60’

Little League l-lardball (no West of Utz Stadium N Highlandtown Exchange Club

softball)

60’

Baseball (adult) East Annex (2)/ # I is Sterling Sheriff N (2) Approximately five city-wide leagues, Metro Baseball League, Salvation Army, 1-larbor

Fowble Field Federal Baseball Club.90’

Southwest of Utz Stadium N


with space to expand if necessary. The courtsare well-used, with the heaviest play on thelarger two courts. Resurfacing is needed andthe short courts could be expanded toenhance play opportunities.

Pool

The pool is a well-used facility, though thesize of the facility exceeds the spacerequirements based on use. The season lastsfrom mid-June to Labor Day. Mornings arereserved for the area Fun Camps, which offerlessons and free swim opportunities forchildren. The afternoons and early eveningsare open to the general public.

The pooi was built in the 1950s, and thefiltration equipment was replaced in 1973.The entire facility is due to be replaced. Thewading pool is closed due to a problem in thedrain line which the Department ofRecreation and Parks has been unable torepair adequately. During communitymeetings, members of the public felt that allof the present functions (such as diving andwading) should continue to be maintained inthe pooi complex in addition to the mainpool. A new configuration may beappropriate to meet present-day standards,including a more efficient and compactdesign and improved functional relationshipswith the bath house facility.

Special Events

Festivals and other privately-sponsoredevents are a vital part of the park experience.Typically, events begin in April with the

annual Boy Scouts of America SpringCamporee where 250 boys camp west of theBoat Lake. In May, the park is host to theannual week-long Maryland PreaknessFestival sponsored by the localHighlandtown Merchants Association. Juneand July are occupied by the annual Polishand Italian festivals, respectively; though inthe summer of 1997, the Italian festival wasrelocated. Recently, the Friends of PattersonPark and the Parks and People Foundationinitiated an annual “Parkfest,” an effort toshowcase the park and increase constituentsto advocate for its preservation.

Smaller events are also a regular part of theactivities in the park. Once or twice a year,the Municipal Concert Band sponsors apopular concert in the park. City SpringsElementary School and Saint Elizabeth’sschool use the park on a regular basis, andthe city Fire Department holds an annual fire-prevention exposition. Baltimore RoadRunners sponsors a ten mile run, nd in someyears, a bicycle race is sponsored in the park.Family reunions and picnics are not a regularoccurrence in the park, perhaps because ofthe lack of vehicular access to the pavilions.

Virginia S. Baker Recreation Center

The Recreation Center is a vital communitycenter and has a complete year-roundschedule of programs. The center includes alarge all-purpose room and gymnasium, agame room, a meeting room, a kitchen, andoffices for Department staff.

In the summers, the center offers Fun Campfor ages five to 11 with completeprogramming on and off site with after-careavailable for working parents. In addition,sports leagues in basketball, football, soccer,volleyball and lacrosse are organized at thecenter. Various recreational classes, such asaerobics and dance, can be found here as wellas a study hall where tutoring is offered. Agame room is offered for self-directed playand the meeting room is available at nocharge to community groups. Theprogramming adapts to the needs of thecommunity, and it is a well-used facility.

Mimi DiPietro Ice Rink

Open from October to April, the ice rink is apopular center of activity for both theneighboring community and the broadermetropolitan hockey community. An icehockey clinic teaches the fundamentals ofskating technique and rules of the game, andice skating lessons are available forindividuals interested in figure skating.Open skating for the public is available andthe ice hockey leagues program the icecontinuously. Because of the constraints ofthe building, the facility has a limited season.Regional demand would probably support ayear-round facility

USER PROFILE

The site that hosts Patterson Park has alwaysbeen an attractive location to visitors seekinga scenic landscape. In the early nineteenthcentury, residents came to the high point of

9

A MASTER PLAN roi’ PATTERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

the site, now the location of the Pagoda, toadmire the sweeping view of the harbor andto obtain water from the area’s prolificspring.

As the site was developed into a public parkin the nineteenth century, Baltimore cityleaders embraced the belief of park advocatesnation-wide that parks symbolize an idealdemocratic society iii which people from allwalks of life have the opportunity to interact.While this was the spirit of the parkfounders, it is not clear whether thenineteenth century Patterson Park actuallyassumed the role of an urban melting pot,since photographic images from this periodtend to depict only the leisure class.

Lampl Associates attempts to describe thenineteenth century recreational experience ofvisitors to Patterson Park in their descriptionof this “sizable pleasure ground for urbandwellers:”

Rural scenery was abundant in thetremendous variety offlora zoitbin(complemented by exotic horticulturaldisplays in the conservatory]. ‘Passive’recreation was available in the form ofboat lug, (lcd skating, strolling, ordriving by carriage. Picturesque follies,such as the Observatory and the Bastion,allowed people to be transported toanother place or another time. Setteesprovided for relaxation, concerts, andenlightenment, all within a pleasingnatural setting (Lampi Associates,NRHP Report).

The turn of the century witnessed theintroduction of new activities into the park asactive recreation was used as a tool to curethe social ills of the city. For example,Baltimore’s Free Public Bath Commissionchampioned the creation of swimming bathsat the public facilities, recognizing that manypoorer households did not have bathingfacilities. However, because the ParksCommission was committed to segregation,there were no facilities available for use byAfrican Americans in early twentieth centuryPatterson Park.

Today, Patterson Park’s visitors reflect theethnic diversity of the surroundingcommunities. Recreational experiences areequally varied, and range from passiveactivities, such as strolling and walking dogs;to active recreation, such as softball andtennis.

Observations of Summer Use

Recreational use of the park was studiedextensively during the master planningprocess with the assistance of the Universityof Maryland’s Urban Studies and PlanningProgram. Casual observations wereaugmented with a systematic quantificationof park activities, location of activities, andthe age and sex of the participants. Over5,000 visitors were observed on a Saturday,Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday in July1995. The following discussion is based onthese observations, assuming that the sampleis representative of summer patterns ingeneral. A more detailed summary report is

available from the Baltimore Department ofRecreation and Parks.

Attendance

Approximately 2,500 people per day visitPatterson Park in the summer. Although thepark is used throughout the day, betweenmid-morning and dusk, the park contains aminimum of 200 people. At the peak time ofactivity, 500 to 900 people may be using thepark. One of the factors affecting thevariation in peak use is the number ofsimultaneous ball games scheduled in theathletic fields. Slightly more people can befound in the park on Saturdays and Sundaysthan on a weekday; and while Saturday usepeaks in the late morning, Sunday use peaksin late afternoon. Activity on weekdayspeaks in the evening with a significantsecondary peak in late morning.

This pattern of activity contrasts with Druid[-Till Park where weekend use tends to be fivetimes the weekday rate. Though the totalnumber of people who visit Patterson Park isa fraction of those who visit Druid Hill, theintensity of use at Patterson, a significantlysmaller park, is twice that of Druid Hill onthe weekends and more than four times onthe weekdays. For this reason, PattersonPark may be the most intensely used park inthe city. Since most people walk to the park,except for certain visitors to the recreationfacilities, attendance is predominantly fromthe surrounding communities. This patternof use reflects how integral the park is to thedaily life of the surrounding communities.

20

A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

Table E: Ranking of Daily ActivitiesObserved on July 8, 9,20,26th, 1995

.norganized PlayWalking Dog

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BasketballBaseballPicnickingCyclingSoftballTennisJoggingLying/SleepingRollerbiadingFishingGolfingOther

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11-12

13-14

15-16

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Percent of people observed participating daily

19-20

21-22

<123- 25- 27- 29- Total: 100%24 26 28 30

‘Range of activity extends from the smallest number of people per day observed engaging in an activity to the highest number of people per day for the four days observed.


Composition

Over half of the summer visitors to PattersonPark are adults, and there are twice as manymen as women. Only one-quarter of parkvisitors are children, and one out of sevenvisitors are teenagers. Teen-age boysoutnumber teen-age girls by a ratio of four toone.

While men outnumber women with regard tovirtually all of the park’s activities, thegreatest disparities are found in activerecreational activities, such as ball games.Nearly all of the park’s basketballparticipants are male; and only one in 12participants in baseball (including littleleague and adult leagues) is female. Even anon-team sport, such as jogging, isdominated by men by a ratio of two to one.

Activities

Visitors to Patterson Park engage in a widerange of physical activity. Table F ranks alist of summer activities by the numbers ofobserved participants. Park activitiesexcluded from this study include fall orwinter activities, such as soccer, football, andice skating.

Passive recreation, including walking, sitting,standing, lying, unorganized play, walking adog, or picnicking are enjoyed by three out ofevery four park visitors. Nearly one out offour people relaxes by sitting or standing inthe park, and one quarter of this number

represents spectators at ball games.

One out of every four visitors engages inwalking, the park’s most popular activity.Visitors usually take advantage of the park’sextensive path system; and at any timeduring the day, people can be found strolling

throughout the park.

The fourth most popular activity is walking a

dog. One out of every 14 visitors to the parkin the summer is engaged in walking a dog,and this group represents one of the mostconsistent constiftients of the park. Theheaviest dog-walking traffic can be found inthe park in the early morning and after 4:30PM, when 25 to 50 people visit with theirpets. Between 7:30 and 8:30 AM, the dogwalkers sometimes represent as many as halfof the park visitors. Nearly two-thirds of the

dog walkers do not keep their pets leashed.

One out of four visitors to the parkparticipates in active recreation, includingfacility-based activities such as ball gamesand tennis; as well as path-based activitiessuch as jogging. This is one-third the numberof those engaging in passive activities. Ofthese active park participants, one out of fiveplay basketball and one of six play baseball

(baseball includes little league and adultleagues).

Location and Intensity of Use

Part of the genius of Patterson Park lies in the

successful merger of a pastoral landscapedesigned for path-based activities with aprofusion of built recreational facilities.Thus, the intensity of park use as measured

by people per acre varies, reflecting thesediverse uses. Figure 13 is a map showing thelocation of users on one Sunday. Five areas,comprising one-tenth of the entire park, havea significantly greater intensity of use thanthe remainder of the park. These areasinclude the swimming pool, the LinwoodAvenue playground, basketball courts, tenniscourts, and the Boat Lake.

The intensity of use of the swimming pool isfive times greater than the rest of the park.Even considering its short, three-month longseason, the space devoted to this activityannually serves a comparable number ofpeople as the rest of the park on a people per

acre basis.

Likewise, the intensity of use of the LinwoodAvenue Playground is more than four timesgreater than the rest of the park. This area ispopular with children and families and is thegreatest focus of casual play for children.Nearly half of the children who play in thepark use this facility, and one-third of playingchildren use the playground at thepromenade.

The site also complements the softball fieldsat Ortman field since families can visit for the

dual purpose of viewing a ball game andplaying in the playground. Over half of thefamily picnicking in the park occurs here andin the south end of Ortman Field.

The basketball courts have more than fourtimes the intensity of use as most of the park.Half of the players are men, over one-third

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are teenage boys, and the remainder arechildren. The three teenage girls who visitthe courts comprise only 1.0 percent of thetotal number of visitors. The courts are usedthroughout each day, with activity peakingafter 4:30 p.m.

The tennis courts have more than twice theintensity of use as most of the park; andalthough tennis play is a fairly consistentdaily activity, peak use occurs on Sundayafternoons. While the courts arepredominately used for tennis, they are alsoless frequently the scene of rollerbiade,hockey, and lacrosse practice.

The Boat Lake is the single most popular placeto walk, and its intensity of use is twice the restof the park. In addition to serving as ameditative area for relaxation, the Boat Lakeoffers the people of Baltimore a uniqueopportunity to fish in the city. While peoplefishing represent a small percentage of the totalusers, fishing does occur here in spite of theinconvenient configuration of the fencing andlake edge. A fish rodeo held in Summer 1997and sponsored by the Department of Recreationand Parks was very well-attended.

The hillside, which is defined as the areabetween the Pagoda, the Boat Lake, and theCasino, has an average intensity of use.However, the area is a popular place for dogwalkers, where one out of four dogs wereobserved.

The single most used type of facilities in thepark is the pathways. On Sunday, over one out

of every six people were observed on thepathways. Most of the walking occurs on thepaths, and cycling and rollerblading are alsopopular pathway activities.

Neighborhood Use and Perceptions

A telephone interview was completed for 230residents in the surrounding neighborhoods toobtain their perceptions of the park. Thismethod was employed in order to sample equalnumbers of park users and non-users.

Activities

Of the members of the community who use thepark, three out of four individuals walk there toattend special events, such as festivals. Half ofthe people polled like to watch the ducks, usethe playground, and participate in some kind ofactive recreation.

Perceptions of Neighborhood Users

Nearly all of the residents who use the parkview it as a part of their neighborhood and mostof them perceive the space to be a neighborhoodpark, not a city-wide park. Most neighborhoodvisitors visit the park at least once per week.

Half of the park users in the neighborhood areconcerned that there are some problems withdogs in the park that need immediate remedy.The existence of feces and urine in public areasare the greatest concerns among neighborhoodresidents, but many people also feel threatenedby dogs that are walked without a leash. Mostresidents are in favor of enforcing the leash lawand mandatory clean-up after dogs by owners.

There is little community support for creating aseparate use area in the park for dogs.

Most community users feel relatively safe inthe park during the day, despite the fact thatmost are aware of at least one violentincident that has occurred in the park withinthe last five years, and some individualsknew the crime victims personally. Over halfof the neighborhood park users feel that thepark is safe for children, but two-thirds of thepeople polled feel that their children areactually safer in their neighborhood. Mostcommunity park users would like park policeto be hired to patrol the park.

Half of neighborhood park users feel thatimprovements need to be made to the BoatLake. Most of the complaints made byneighborhood residents indicate that theywould like the quality of lake maintenance tobe improved, and the vegetation surroundingthe lake controlled. While many residentswould like to maintain a balance of habitatand open water, a significant number of usersemphasized habitat over open water.

Over half of the community park users feelthat automobile parking should be reducedor eliminated in the park.

Perceptions of Neighborhood Non-users

Most of the non-users interviewed are elderlymembers of the community, and most ofthem had been a park user in the past. Whenasked why they do not use the park, nonusers cited both perceived park problems andtheir own age or infirmity as reasons. Half of

22


the neighborhood park non-users do not feelsafe in the park during the day. Most non-users believe that there are problems withsome of the park activities in which peopleare engaged, but that most of these activitiesare not criminal in nature. Most of thesecurity-related problems discussed by nonusers tended to be dismissed as related tobehavior exhibited by “kids.” Only one outof seven non-users said that they would usethe park if it were safer.

23

Though the Master Plan is not specifically acultural landscape or park preservation plan,changes to a place with such a rich historywarrant careful consideration, and theplanning team was guided by a strongpreservation ethic. The information providedby the Department of Recreation and Parks,Dr. Charles E. Beveridge, and the summary ofpark significance by Lampi Associates formedthe baseline for establishing historic contextand significance; and this, balanced withcommunity interests, guides the majority ofthe recommendations. It is critical that therecommendations accommodate communityinterests and be sensitive to the site’s naturaland cultural history.

The recommendations that follow are theresult of a highly participatory process.Public meetings and forums led by theAdvisory Committee, city staff, and theplanning team, were held at crucial stages inthe Master Plan’s development. Issues,concerns, and disparate visions for the park’sfuture were discussed; alternatives weredeveloped and evaluated; and consensusachieved through the creation of a clearprogram of complimentary actions andimprovement strategies. Conceptual cost

estimates were then developed along with arecommended list of priority projects. Therecommended actions, cost estimates, andpriority list will guide future decisionsregarding park uses; capital improvements;recreation programming; cultural andenvironmental preservation; and on-goingcommunity projects.

The evaluations and recommendations arepresented in two ways: 1) Recommendations forthe Whole Park is a section entirely devoted topark-wide systems and resources, includingroads and paths, vegetation, andinfrastructure; and 2) Recommendations for ParkZones & Precincts contains more detailedrecommendations for distinct areas within thepark. Figure 14 illustrates the Master Plan forPatterson Park and Figure 15 illustrates ParkZones and Precincts.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WHOLE

PARK

Vegetation

The park’s character is largely defined by itstrees and mowed lawn. Although in the last80 years, the number of trees in the park has

been dramatically reduced, and nearly 100 ofthe existing 800 trees were identified asdamaged, diseased, or otherwise unhealthy inthe 1995 survey, the overall character of thepark’s open landscape, viewed throughcarefully-placed groupings of trees, stillremains. Presently, the park’s mature treesare among its most important assets.

Trees

• Restore the park’s overall quantity oftrees to its historic level.Approximately 1006 trees (906 newtrees plus 100 trees to replace thosethat are presently unhealthy) arerequired to bring the total number oftrees to the 1887 quantity of 1,714.

• Prepare an ongoing tree maintenanceand planting program that includesthe use of grant funding andvolunteer efforts for planting, whereappropriate.

• Emphasize use of native species withdistribution and species selectionbased on historic plant lists andavailable historic planting plans.Trees should be used to provide


Chapter 4: Park Preservation and Improvement Strategies

Recommendations for the whole park, park zones, and precincts

.

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PRECINCTS AND ZONES

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shade, emphasize vistas, screenelements such as fencing and utilities,and (in some areas such as the hillsideeast of Linwood Avenue) “hide whatwould otherwise be. .very steep andungainly” topography (JC Olmsted,“Patterson Park: List of Trees PlantedHistorically,” July 1906). Exceptwhere illustrated, trees should begrouped informally.

• Create informal groupings of mixedspecies rather than monoculturegroupings. Plant at adequatedistances to maintain health of lawns.

• Establish a nursery to propagatecommercially unavailable vegetation.

• Establish an annual program to pruneand fertilize existing trees.

• Utilize plant species known to havebeen planted in the park historically,and/or noted in the available historicplanting plans.

• Re-establish historic plant patternsand species mixes. Where historicplanting plans exist, use these as thebasis for new plans. For example, a1906 Olnisted Brothers plan exists forthe area north of the Field House.

• Plant evergreen trees as part ofclusters to define views or createscreening. Work with police andmaintenance staff to accommodatesecurity needs.

• Plant one (1) species of tree on eachstreet bordering the park so that eachstreet has a different species of tree.

• Plant groves of flowering trees where:historic plans include them; accents ofcolor or diversity are desired withoutcompromising historic plans; andcontemporary structures have beenplaced. flowering trees andevergreen trees.

• Develop, in collaboration with theDepartment of Recreation and Parksand the Department of Public Works,a street tree planting program for thestreets surrounding the park. ParkCommission reports recommendSugar Maples. Consider AmericanLinden, various oaks, and red maplesfor such plantings.

• Establish a tree labeling program forthe Nineteenth Century Park, so thatmature specimen trees may be easilyidentified by park visitors.

Lawns

Despite a limited maintenance program, thepark’s lawns are in reasonably goodcondition.

• Continue the maintenance of lawnsunder current practices.

• Cut grass to a four inch height toreflect the historic design and use ofthe park and to maintain ease ofaccess throughout the park.

• Emphasize diversity, hardiness, anddrought tolerance in selectingappropriate seed mixes for new lawnareas and lawn restoration.

• Establish a program for over seedingand aeration to maintain lawn health.

Shrubs

• Install shrubs and flower beds onlywhen adequate long-term provisionshave been made for maintenance.

• Limit the use of shrubs to specialareas (see Park Zones & Precincts forspecific recommendations), such asusing shrubs to stabilize the slopenorth of the Boat Lake.

• Replace the foundation planting atthe Casino and maintain the hedge atthe Linwood Avenue and BaltimoreAvenue Gate in its present condition.

• Upgrade/replace as needed theshrubs and hedges near the Pagoda.

Flower Beds

The reintroduction of flower beds in theNineteenth Century Park is recommendedonly in certain limited areas. In certainlocations, where historic precedent isindicated by postcards and otherphotographic views, flower beds would beappropriate. (See Park Zones & Precincts forspecific recommendations).

• Utilize plant lists from ParkCommission reports for flower beddesign.

25


PROOSD FLOWRINQ TREES

PROPOSEDFLOWERING TREES

figure 16


PROPOSED EVERGREEN TREES

PROPOSEDEVERGREEN TREES

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Establish a long-term commitment tocareful maintenance of the flowerbeds.

Access & Circulation

The historic path and carriageway system isone of the key elements that has establishedthe overall spatial coherence of the parktoday.

Pedestrian Paths

• Preserve the existing path system,particularly in the Park’s western half,except as shown on the Master Plan.

• Use asphalt or asphalt paving blocksto match historic pavement for newpedestrian path construction andreplace existing concrete payers withasphalt block.

• Improve areas that are not inconformance with the Americans withDisabilities Act. Install ramps at pathand carriageway intersections withexisting curbs.

• Repair and reset existing path systemas needed, and modify circulationwhere indicated.

• Remove existing brick or brickmodule asphalt paving block pathswhere they duplicate adjacentcarriageways, and stockpileretrievable unit paver materials foruse in making repairs elsewhere inthe park.

• Preserve turn-of-the-century pavingmaterials where feasible.

• Establish a program to preserveexisting paving and repair withmatching materials.

Permit Vehicle Access

• Allow vehicle access for service andemergency use, or by permit only.

• Establish the Luzerne Avenue Gate asthe only gate open to vehicles andprovide park access permits.

• Increase enforcement of permit rules.

• Ensure that service vehicles usepedestrian paths to access only thoseareas of the park not otherwise servedby a carriageway; and that pedestrianpaths are not used for generalvehicular circulation. In particular,the pathway west of Ortman Fieldshould not be used for vehicles.

• Install roll-over curbs toaccommodate service and emergencyvehicle access at the PulaskiMonument Gate and the Gough StreetGate. The Lombard Avenue Gateswill be operable and severalpedestrian paths along the perimeterare wide enough to provide access tothe carliageways.

• Provide low, narrow (4’ wide x 3high) curbs along new carriageways,parking areas (such as at the Casino),and where drainage requires suchtreatment.

• Install curbs along carriagewayentries at surrounding streets exceptwhere vehicle access is required.

• Perform a traffic study to investigatewhether: 1) restricted parking can beeliminated on one side of PattersonPark Avenue; 2) the left turn lane onPatterson Park Avenue and BaltimoreStreet could be eliminated; and 3)Linwood Avenue could be made one-.way to accommodate additionalparking.

Infrastructure and Drainage

Prepare Study Plan to Fill Gaps andDeficiencies in Data

Records for all existing utilities should beassembled into a central location for use infuture planning and engineering design. Therecords should include:

• Plans and profiles for storm drains atthe park and adjacent streets;

• Plans and profiles for sanitary sewersin the park and adjacent streets;

• Plans for water lines in the park andadjacent streets;

• Gas and electric distribution plansfrom Baltimore Gas and LiectricCompany;

• The 19Th topographic survey by theDepartment of Parks (available at thetime of writing);

• The 1996 Aerial Survey (available atthe time of writing);

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.4 MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

• Utility plans and profiles from thefollowing construction plans:

• The 1961 playgroundconstruction,

• The 1967 ice rink construction,

• The 1969 Utz TwardowiczStadium construction,

• The 1981 UPARR work,

• The 1985 Patterson Park AthleticField Renovation, and

• The 1987 ice rink additionconstruction; and

• Historic plans and reports ofrenovations, maintenance activities,demolition, and new constructionbetween 1915 and the present notincluded above.

Obtain information required for detailedanalysis and design. Recommended studies(in priority order) are:

• Dye testing—To confirm the locationof outfalls of the sanitary sewerservices from each building, dyetesting is recommended. Dye wouldbe placed into the sanitary sewer ateach building and the direction offlow from manhole to manholerecorded. This will confirm that eachbuilding is connected to the sanitarysystem and not to the storm system.

• Lead in water—It is recommendedthat the water service in each buildingbe tested for lead content, todetermine if water service piping isleaking lead.

• Flow testing—To determine thecapacity of the water system and toascertain the level of fire safety in thepark, flow testing from fire hydrantsthroughout the park should beconducted. The Department of PublicWorks conducts this testing. Thetesting also flushes the lines andremoves rust, scale, etc. from thelines.

• Storm drain condition—The existingcondition of the storm drains shouldbe determined, so that collapsed anddamaged pipes can be replaced. Thiswould require TV inspection of thedrain lines, including cleaning and/orrepair of damaged pipes, manholeand inlet cleaning and repairs for alldrains within the park, includingthose leading to the Boat Lake.

• Field survey—The location ofmanholes, inlets, hydrants, lights,storm drains, water lines, sanitarysewers, gas lines, and electric linesshould be determined to include rimelevations and elevations in and outof each manhole and inlet. Recorddrawings should be used to initiallydefine the location of services withfield survey verifications; determinethe location and size of electricalservices to each building,

transformers, and services to streetlighting including routing of wiring.This information should be added tothe CADD drawing of the aerialsurvey.

• Storm drainage study—A detailedanalysis of the entire storm drainagesystem should be conducted basedupon the field survey. The objectivewould be a redesign of the stormdrainage system to indicate wheresurface stormwater managementcould be utilized, numbers of inletsand drains could be reduced, inletscould be relocated, pipes renovated,and pipe capacity needs to beincreased to prevent flooding. Asimprovements to the drainage systemare made, the old clay pipe systemshould be upgraded.

• Fire service—Determine if waterpressure and location of fire hydrantswithin the park is sufficient.

Recommended Improvements

• Area east of Linwood Avenue—Remove the concrete lining of theditch around the athletic fields andinstall a vegetative stabilized ditch.To eliminate wet conditions onathletic fields created by underlyingclay soils, an underdrairi system withperforated piping should be installed.The spacing of the underdrainsshould not be less than 100 feet apart.New inlets should be installed, withthe drain lines designed using current

27


standards. The size of the reinforceddrain lines should not be less than 15inches.

• Boat Lake improvements—Boat Lakeimprovement recommendations arefound in the Park Zones and Precincts:Boat Lake section.

• Ice rink and pool complexrenovations—Initial analysis based onlimited data concerning existingconditions indicate that utilities areavailable to provide services to thesebuildings. The current services maybe of sufficient capacity. The need forincreased service size would bedetermined as part of the design ofthose facilities.

• Expanded community gardens—Anew water service should beprovided from Patterson ParkAvenue to the community gardens.The service would provide water to asystem of yard hydrants for use withhoses spaced at approximately 75 feeton center throughout the gardens.

• lrnproved access roads and paths—New inlets should be provided whereneeded based upon the revisedconfiguration of paved surfaces anduse of surface stormwatermanagement techniques.Connections from any new inlets tothe drainage system should usereinforced concrete pipe with aminimum diameter of 15 inches.

• Storm drains—Investigate potential touse surface (non-piped) stormwatermanagement where possible toeliminate as much of undergroundsystem as feasible. Where anunderground system is required,make repairs to the storm drainsystem with reinforced concrete pipewith a minimum diameter of 15inches. Entire sections of pipebetween structures should bereplaced as required. Downstreamsections of pipe would only bereplaced when damaged.

• Sanitary condition—If any sanitaryservice is connected to the stormdrain system, it should be replacedwith a new PVC service that connectsto the 27 inch sanitary sewer.

• Fire service—Undersized fire linesshould be replaced withappropriately sized iron pipe lines.

Buildings & Structures

Recommendations for Buildings & Structures

• Repair and renovate existingbuildings, including theSuperintendent’s House, Casino,Pagoda, and bath house.

• Construct new buildings, includingthe Boat Lake Pavilion and concessionstand, as indicated in the plan.

• Perform new construction andpreservation and renovation ofexisting buildings and structures in

accordance with the US Secretary ofthe Interior’s Standards and Guidelinesfor the Treatment of Historic Propertiesand Guidelines for the Treatment ofHistoric Landscapes.

• Prepare a five-year and ten-yearmaintenance program for allbuildings and structures. Incorporateinto the park department’s operatingand CIP programs.

• Clean and repair piers, walls, andsmall structures in such a manner asto preserve historic character. Usehistorically appropriate methodswhere possible.

• Install bollards and curbs as trafficcontrol devices where appropriateand retire inappropriate designedbarriers.

Site Furnishings

The proposed locations of site furnishings areillustrated in Figure 18.

Lighting

Improvements to park lighting was a highpriority for the community during discussionsabout the Master Plan.

• Replace the existing system of low-level lighting along the carriagewaysand selected paths with a selective,brighter system. New lighting,proposed under the Master Plan, willprovide adequate light levels in thepark’s night use areas and along

28


LOCATIONS OF SITE FURNISHINGS

PROPOSEDSITE FURNISHINGS

Lights

Athletic Field Lights

genchos

Piny Equipment

Es. Athielic Field Lights to remain

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figure 18


major east-west and north-southpaths.

• Use decorative lighting standards, 12feet high, with a polycarbonate“acorn” globe and a paintedaluminum base and pole; such as thelighting recently purchased forFederal Hill Park. The recommendedglobe and lamp are designed toprovide adequate and even levels oflight when installed approximately100 feet apart (Figure 19). Thealuminum pole and base are designedto resist vandalism. The Departmentof Recreation and Parks should workwith the Department of Public Worksto ensure that compatible lightstandards are used on surroundingstreets.

• Mount security lights on eachbuilding, even though the parkinterior will remain dark under therecommended plan.

• Abandon the existing low-levelsystem once the new system is inplace and remove the lights.

Benches and Trash Receptacles

• Use the “Baltimore Bench”throughout the park (Figure 20).

• Fabricate and install a backlessversion of the “Baltimore Bench” forlocations where there are attractiveviews in several directions.

• Increase number of benchessignificantly.

Picnic Tables

• Install modest, vandal-resistant picnictables in areas designated forpicnicking (see plan).

• Use picnic tables that meet theAmericans with Disabilities Actrequirements in locations adjacent tocarriageways and paths.

• Group picnic tables in clusters in sucha way as to minimize visual intrusioninto park vistas.

Fencing

• Utilize historically appropriatefencing, such as iron picket and ironhairpin (modeled after the fencingadded to the Boat Lake in the early

1900s) in the Nineteenth CenturyPark.

• Remove existing chain link in theRecreation Park and replace withheavier gauge chain link fencing withblack vinyl coating.

Signage

• Provide wayfinding and interpretivesignage to clarify facility use, visitoraccess, and visitor educationopportunities.

• Provide signs that are harmoniouswith the historic character of the parklandscape and compatible withlighting, benches, and other sitefurnishings.

Park Programming

• Retain the location and distribution ofuses in the park, which (with only afew exceptions) are generally inaccordance with historic developmentof the park. Retain the existing parkuses and locations, but avoidintroduction of any additional usesthat would be limited to a smallspecific user group. Encourage use ofthe park by the broadest public, as itwas historically intended.

• Limit specific programmatic changesto the placement of restroom facilitiesnear playgrounds, the creation of newpicnic areas, and the installation of abeach volleyball facility. Thesechanges should be carefully andsensitively designed to reflect thepark’s period of significance (1827—1925).

• Minimize conflicts between parkusers (e.g., basketball and softball!soccer or dog walkers and youngpark users) through scheduling,community education, andenforcement.

• Enforce leash laws, including thosethat prohibit off-leash animals andrequire owners to pick up after theirdogs.

• Encourage organizations using therecreation facilities to participate involunteer improvement programs.(Refer to the Park Zones & Precinctssection for details regarding proposed

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improvements to the park’s fields andrecreation facilities).

Encourage volunteerism asappropriate to assist withimplementation of Master Planrecommendations. An examplewould be the planting programundertaken during the “Hands onBaltimore” program in Spring 1997.

Maintenance & Management

• Encourage regular mowing of lawns.

• Establish a new position of ParkSuperintendent with adequate staffdedicated to Patterson Park.

• Encourage ‘controlled volunteerism’for maintenance of specific vegetationsuch as flower beds. Flower speciesand bed design should be providedby the park; maintenance practicesshould be overseen by the ParkSuperintendent or staff on a regularbasis.

• Establish a public/privatepartnership to fund a special securityprogram in the park and augmentmaintenance and capital funds.

• Contract with neighborhood residentsto maintain shrub and perennial beds.

Preservation and Interpretation

• Perform preservation treatment ofvarious architectural and landscapeelements in accordance with the timeperiod for each element to reflect the

park’s period of significance (1827—1925).

• Perform preservation, restoration,reconstruction and rehabilitation inaccordance with the Secretary of theInterior’s Standards for the Treatment ofHistoric Properties and Guidelines forthe Treatment of Historic Landscapes.

• Incorporate respect for historicelements (including views and vistas)in plans for new construction andscreen non-historic elements (such asbalifield lighting) in order to restorehistoric views and vistas.

• Integrate a program of interpretationwith the way finding signage system.

• Interpret significant historic elements,and label historic trees with small,discrete signage.

• Place (at a minimum) one sign in eachof the park’s precincts, describing itshistory, significant elements, andlocalized special ecology, whereappropriate.

• Develop a brochure, including a mapof the park and an outline of itshistory, to educate visitors about thepark’s significance.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARK ZONESAND PRECINCTS

The previous section delineatesrecommendations for the whole park. Thissection provides specific recommendations foreach of the park’s three zones—the Park

Perimeter, the Nineteenth Century Park, andthe Recreation Park—and the precincts ordistinct areas within each zone (Figure 15).

The Park Perimeter

The features of the park’s perimeter—its grassslopes and trees; monumental gates andretaining walls; and sidewalks, stairs, andpaths—are among its most visible assets, andas such, play an important role in shapingcommunity perceptions. Perimeter conditionsstrongly influence the way the whole park isperceived; even modest changes for better orworse have a significant effect on thereputation of the park and surroundingcommunity as a safe and inviting place.

The park’s oldest entry gates are in relativelygood condition, but in most cases, the areaimmediately surrounding them is in poorcondition. Site furnishings, stairs, and entrypaths—the small-scale physical features thatrequire on-going maintenance—have not beenwell taken care of and trees lost to disease ordamage have not been replaced in sufficientnumbers. Benches have been removed ratherthan repaired or replaced, several of the cast-in-place concrete stairs have deteriorated, andvirtually every path paved with asphalt blockin the western section of the park has becomepartially overgrown.

In addition, past efforts to restrict vehicularaccess were not designed in a sensitivemanner. Since the 1940s, when the citybanned public vehicular access to the park,three of the park’s six access drives have beenremoved or blocked. In these locations—

30


a.

Eastern Avenue and Patterson Park Avenue,

Patterson Park Avenue and Cough Street, and

Baltimore Street and Linwood Avenue—parkentrance drives were removed and replacedwith asphalt paths and lawn. Curb cuts were

also removed at the Eastern Avenue andPatterson Park Avenue entrance, but in theother locations, the curb cuts remain andwood or steel pipe bollards have beeninstalled to block traffic.

Adequate access for disabled park users isalso an issue at many of the entrances. Few of

the pedestrian entries have curb cuts, and inmany instances, paving is uneven and manyof the entry stairs have deteriorated and do

not meet current code requirements. Thoughcars with handicapped tags are permittedwithin the park, there are no signs indicating

this policy nor are there signs that direct the

disabled to accessible entries.

Currently, there is substantially less tree cover

and fewer street trees exist along the park’s

perimeter than existed in previous periods of

the park’s history. As Figures 9 and 10

indicate, there were at least twice the presentnumber of trees on the park’s edge 90 years

ago. In addition, the Park Commissionreports indicate that the sidewalks wereplanted with rows of street trees.

Recommendations

• Undertake preservation andimprovement programs for each ofthe park’s entries. Existing stonepiers, walls, curbs, and decorativefeatures should be preserved.

Improvements should includecleaning and repair of stone piers,gateways, installation of decorativelighting and park signage, path andstair repair or replacement, treeplanting, and lawn restoration. Dueto the very high cost of replicatingiron gateways, the Master Plan doesnot recommend re-creating historiciron gates and fencing except at theLombard Street entry.

• Add a new gate to complete theenclosure of the Pulaski monument.

• Replant the slopes along the southernand northern edges of the park with avariety of deciduous trees using thepalette developed for the oldestportion of the park. To promote asense of safety, eye-level views fromthe street to the top of slopes andcarriageways should remain open.

• Coordinate with The Department ofRecreation and Parks and theDepartment of Public Works todevelop plans for the installation ofpedestrian lights and street treesalong the public sidewalks borderingthe park.

• Remove entry drives and curb cutsfrom adjacent streets from each of theentrances proposed to be closed tovehicle traffic, and replace them withcontinuous sidewalks. At the PulaskiGate and the Cough Street Gates,where service and emergency vehicleaccess is to be maintained, installmountable curbs and construct

sidewalks and paths to supportintermittent vehicle use foremergencies, service, or by permitonly.

Complete perimeter improvements toincrease the park’s accessibility to thephysically challenged. The mostheavily used entries, including thoseat major intersections of BaltimoreStreet and Patterson Park Avenue,and Eastern Avenue and PattersonPark Avenue, and the two onLinwood Avenue east of the PoolComplex should be improved beforeothers. In addition, the stairs alongEastern and Baltimore Avenuesshould be reconstructed to complywith current accessibilityrequirements for stairways in publicplaces.

The Nineteenth Century Park

The Nineteenth Century Park, the oldest andwestern-most portion, reflects the actions ofgenerations of Baltimore’s citizens and publicofficials, as well as the influences of severalimportant park design movements. From theRevolutionary War onward, the high groundin the park’s western end has been shapedand adapted to serve a range of uses: adefensive battery and public promenadeduring the early eighteenth century, a hospitaland encampment during the Civil War, apopular Country Park, and a place forcommunity gatherings and celebrations.

The overall plan of the Nineteenth CenturyPark is remarkably coherent, especially with

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regard to the carriageways and pathalignments. In addition, several featuresintroduced between the 1860s and the turn ofthe century remain and provide a sense of thepark circa 1890. These structures, sitefurnishings and landscape features and theirhistoric associations, in addition to thecommunity’s strong attachments to the place,provide a rich framework within which toplan for the park’s future.

For the purposes of the plan, [he NineteenthCentury Park zone is defined generally by thepark’s boundaries circa 1873 (i.e., west ofLuzerne Street) plus the area surrounding theeastern-most Storm Shelter and the VirginiaBaker Recreation Center. For several reasons,the small area to the east of 1873 boundary isincluded:

• Topographically, the land is up slopeof the Harris Creek alignment andshares drainage and soilscharacteristics with the land to itswest;

• Historically, the area was improvedprior to the turn of the century—a citytopographic survey indicates that thepaths and carriageways werecompleted by 1896; and

• The Virginia Baker Recreation Centerhas similar use characteristics andvehicular access requirements to theCasino.

The Heart of the Park—The Lombard StreetGate, White House & Pagoda

The Heart of the Park is defined generally asthe area surrounding the park’s earlieststructures—the Lombard Street Gate, theSuperintendent’s House (White House) andthe Observatory (Pagoda)—and includes theold Kiddie Pool site (i.e., the oval walkway)and the landscape west of the MaintenanceYard (Figure 21).

Despite its problems, the Heart of the Parkhas the potential to provide visitors with anauthentic experience of the park as it was atthe turn-of-the-century. Though changeshave occurred, much of the nineteenthcentury fabric remains intact and in relativelysound condition. Carriageway and pathalignments have changed little and majorarchitectural elements from the period remainand have undergone only modest alteration.Even the existing land forms—the rollingterrain with serpentine drives and slightlydepressed pathways—express the nineteenthcentury designer’s pastoral approach tolandscape design.

The main architectural features of thisprecinct—the Superintendent’s House (WhiteHouse), Observatory (Pagoda), Fountain, andthe Lombard Gate—exist in varying states ofrepair. The Superintendent’s House (WhiteHouse) has been relatively well-maintained,largely due to the efforts of its current tenant,the Banner Neighborhoods Association. Theassociation completed a $20,000 improvementprogram a few years ago and has assumedresponsibility for minor maintenance and

repairs. Additional improvements, includingrepairs to the roof, windows, and roof drains,will be required in the next few years.

An additional concern relates to the reargarden created during the improvementprogram. Enclosing this area to create agarden, though it was a substantialimprovement over previous conditions,obscured views to the building’s rear facadeand limits public access. The creation of thisenclosed space is inconsistent with the park’sheritage as a place open and accessible to thecommunity.

A community-based restoration program ledby the Butcher’s Hill NeighborhoodAssociation has been initiated for theObservatory (Pagoda) to protect the structurefrom further deterioration and ensure itsrestoration. In addition to the structure itself,features immediately surrounding thestructure are also in disrepair. The concretebases for the cannons are cracked and most ofthe plaques are missing. In addition, the StarSpangled Banner Memorial sculpture wasplaced facing in the wrong direction someyears ago and the asphalt block paths areovergrown and uneven.

The iron picket fence is a contemporaryaddition in response to vandalism and shouldbe removed and replaced with a system oflighting and security alarms, as well as a 24-hour security presence in the park.

The Marble Fountain near the Lombard Gateentrance, the first feature built specifically forpark use, is also in poor condition. The

32

A MASTER PLAN rop PATTERSON PARK IN BALTiMORE, MARYLAND

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plumbing system is inoperable because ofclogged drain lines, the basin lining iscracked, the coping is chipped and stained,and the iron picket fencing is damaged andrusting. In addition, the Fountain’simmediate context is compromised by its usefor parking, the benches surrounding it havebeen removed, the drinking fountain isinoperable, and the shrubs to the east screenviews to the fountain from the area near thecommunity gardens and the Kiddie Pool site.

Though the decorative iron gates are nolonger present, the Renaissance Revival styleLombard Gateway is in the best condition ofany feature in the precinct. The marble pillarsrequire cleaning but there are no signs ofsettlement or deterioration. As with the restof the precinct, however, paths are in poorcondition, few benches remain along the mainentry paths; and recent improvements, suchas the use of concrete unit payers for a pathreplacement project, are inappropriate to theprecinct’s historic fabric.

The former Kiddie Pool site, with its ovallawn, benches, and low stone retaining walls,works well as a quiet seating area, but a fewitems require attention. The space itself lacksdefinition. Its central element, the sculpturefrom the Taurus Fountain, has been damagedby vandals; and the crown of the lawn issteeper than necessary, especially if the spaceis to be used for informal play. Acontemporary sculpture in the center of thesite that has been vandalized does notcomplement the quality of the space. As withmost areas of the park, benches, retainingwalls, paths, and stairs are in need of repair.

New Use Options

Future uses and related accessibility issueswere also evaluated during the planningprocess. Because of the number and closeproximity of important features, the precinct,once improved, could attract greater use andbecome a desirable place to hold communitycelebrations, wedding receptions, and otherevents. Certain basic amenities, however, willbe required to support increased use, and anumber of alternatives have been explored.

An evaluation of the Superintendent’s House(White House) suggests that, because of itshistoric importance and small size, alterationsto accommodate more active uses may not beappropriate or cost-effective. If the buildingwere open to large public functions orrenovated to house support facilities likerestrooms or a catering kitchen, architecturalchanges to comply with handicappedaccessibility and health codes may proveeither prohibitively expensive or inconsistentwith sound preservation practices.Rehabilitation of the building for less intenseuse (e.g., to host small meetings or exhibitionsor to act as a modest headquarters for a park-related organization or a police substation)may be more appropriate.

Potential uses for the Observatory (Pagoda)were also considered, but because of its smallfootprint and lack of heat or air conditioning,it cannot function as anything other than anobservatory. Without the means to regulatetemperature and humidity, its use even as avery small exhibit space is not recommended.Regardless of these limitations, this structure

is the park’s best known feature and itspreservation should remain a high priority.In addition, first floor access to the disabledshould also be explored.

It is unlikely that either structure could housesupport facilities, and additions ormodifications may compromise their historicintegrity, so a new building option was alsoconsidered. At the turn of the century, theLittle Casino served precisely the sort of rolerequired to provide needed services to usersand to sustain increased public use of theprecinct and may provide a model for futureaction. Built in 1871, the Little Casino, alsoknown as the Ice Cream Saloon, was designedto serve the needs of park visitors, includingice skaters, in the winter. The small Victorianstructure, located adjacent to the carriagewayacross from the Observatory (Pagoda), houseda small refreshment stand and restrooms.Photographs suggest that the building, withits open porch and nearby benches, blendedin well to its environment and was a populargathering place. A new building, servingsimilar functions, could be located at this site.

Recommendations

• Renovate the Superintendent’s House(White House) to accommodate park-related uses such as a policesubstation; offices for Friends ofPatterson Park or other communityorganizations; or a modest exhibitionand meeting space. Improve itsassociated landscape (includingremoving nearby flower beds),

33

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTLRSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

remove the rear garden enclosure,and renovate the area for park use.

Support the community’s restorationinitiative for the Observatory(Pagoda). Specific ways theDepartment of Recreation and Parkscould help support this projectinclude improving the condition ofpaving and landscape features at thebase of the structure (includingremoving the iron fence andrenovating the plantings) andassisting in on-going fundraisingefforts.

• Restore the Lombard Gate andFountain and reconstruct lostelements, such as the fountain head,iron gates, and stone bollards.Redesign the fountain system to berecirculating and remove existing ironfencing. As two of the park’s oldestand most visible elements, restorationof these features would send a strongmessage to the community that thepark is important and well cared for.A thorough understanding of eachelement’s history, original condition,and context should guide therestoration and reconstruction effort.

• Construct a small building to houserestrooms, a food concession, and acatering kitchen on the site of theLittle Casino adjacent to theObservatory (Pagoda). The structureshould be secure and vandal-proofand contain handicap accessiblerestrooms and a food service space

with the equipment required tooperate a small concession stand.Reconstruction of the Little Casinoshould be attempted only if historicdesign plans or photographs areavailable.

• Reinforce the former Kiddie Poolsite’s use as a contemplative space byrepairing the damaged sculpture,regrading the lawn, and plantingflowering trees. Remove concretebeneath the lawn to sustainvegetation. The existing lighting,particularly the fixture that blocksviews to the Taurus Fountainremnant, should be removed, thepaths should be repaired, the existingbenches should be repaired, and newbenches installed.

• Install planting beds containingflowers and shrubs of the size andcharacter of those depicted in historicphotographs for the lawn panels atthe base of the Observatory (Pagoda)and in the small circular bed wherepaths converge northeast of theSuperintendent’s House (WhiteHouse). Establishing flower beds inother locations, however, isinconsistent with historic evidenceand is not recommended. Instead,flower beds should be established inthe Mall area.

• Implement a precinct-wide path andsite furnishing preservation andimprovement program. Existingpaving materials (asphalt, asphalt

34

pavers, and brick) should bepreserved and concrete payers at theLombard Street entry should bereplaced with historically appropriatematerial.

• Preserve the small-scale features ofthe precinct, the elements that addrichness and provide evidence of thepark’s history. The cannon basesshould be rehabilitated and theplaques reinstalled, the Star SpangledBanner Statue should be cleaned andturned so that the children faceoutward as they did historically, andthe War of 1812 cannon and plaqueshould be cleaned.

• Develop an interpretive program toshare the history of the park precinctwith visitors. For example, smallsigns or plaques could explain thehistory of the Battery and importanceof the view to the harbor and to theeast.

The Maintenance Complex and CommunityGardens

The Maintenance Complex and CommunityGardens precinct is located west of theVirginia Baker Recreation Center between theKiddie Pool site and the northern-mostcarriageway. The precinct, though locatedwithin the park’s boundaries circa 1860, hasexperienced a greater degree of physicalchange since its initial improvement than anyarea in the Nineteenth Century Park.

Community gardens have had a long historyin the Park. In 1904, and again in 1913, the

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dedication of land for community-tendedgarden plots is discussed in Park Commissionreports and a 1935 map depicts a largechildren’s garden. Photographs from the timeconfirm their existence and area residentshave suggested that community-tendedgardens or victory gardens have been in thepark since World War II.

Recommendations

• Perform a major renovation of theexisting Maintenance Complex oncethe Patterson Park Division’s regionalmaintenance functions are relocatedto new facilities outside of the park.The Stables should be restored, theconcrete block storage buildingshould be demolished, a smallmaintenance structure should bebuilt, the outdoor storage area shouldbe consolidated, and new fencingshould be installed. Under therecommended design, the Stables willbecome more visible and moredirectly connected to the surroundinglandscape (Figures 22 and 23). Aniron picket fence will be used toenclose the south edge of the yard,outdoor storage will be screened by anew shelter attached to the smallstorage building, and a small parkingarea will be provided between theStables and the carriageway.

• Enlarge the Community Gardens andinstall new fencing. The gardensshould be physically separated fromthe Maintenance Complex through

new landscaping. An iron picketfence and small formal gate should beinstalled where the garden bordersthe Kiddie Pool site and black vinylchain link fencing should be installedaround the west, north, and eastedges. An access drive for servicevehicles should be constructed fromthe carriageway to the gardens.

• Construct a brick path that followsthe historic alignment of MiddleDrive. The new path will define thesouth and east edges of thecommunity gardens and provide amore direct path between theLombard Gate, the gardens, and theVirginia Baker Recreation Center.

The Mall

This precinct is generally defined as the areasurrounding the Mall and the Storm Shelterand includes the former site of theConservatory (Figures 24, 25 and 26).

The Mall area retains many of the elementsinstalled in the late nineteenth century,including the walks, carriage drive, trees, andthe Mall itself. Although the area retainsintegrity, its defining elements (such as theConservatory and the vases) have beenremoved; and the area is generally in poorcondition.

Recommendations

• Rehabilitate the Mall with carefulrestoration of extant elements andredevelopment of critical historical

features. The rehabilitation programincludes conserving and resettingexisting asphalt paver blocks;installing new asphalt payers tomatch existing payers in deterioratedareas; reconstructing the vases andplanting them with floral displays;installing new “Baltimore Benches”and trash receptacles; and plantingmaple trees along the edges. Carefulattention should be given topreserving existing trees along theMall.

• Construct a pavilion at the Mall’snorthern terminus similar in form andscale to the former Taurus FountainPavilion. Demolish the existingdrinking fountain and pad.

• Establish flower beds along the eastside of the Mall and in the circularlawn panel at the Mall’s southernterminus.

• Remove existing play equipment atthe Conservatory site and construct anew, expanded, custom-designedchildren’s playground on the east sideof the Mall.

• Construct a small structure forrestrooms on the east side of the Mallon a path connecting the Mall to thePlayground.

• Develop a new picnic area on thegrounds between the Mall and thecarriageway.

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A MASTER PLAN FOR PATFERSON PARK IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

• Rehabilitate the paths in the vicinityof the Mall utilizing historicalignments and asphalt paving.

• Preserve the storm shelter andestablish tree plantings in its vicinityin accordance with tree densitydesired for the park.

The Boat Lake

Background

The Patterson Park Boat Lake (Figures 27, 28and 29) was created during gradingoperations in 1864 when extensiveearthmoving work was performed to removemilitary emplacements and to fill ravines.

When Baltimoreans began spontaneously touse the Lake as a skating pond in 1865, theBoard of the Public Park Commissionacknowledged the worthiness of expandingthe Lake to accommodate skating as well asboating. This work, completed in 1875,enlarged the Lake to its present size, reducedthe depth to approximately three feet, andincluded a brick retaining wall around theLake edge, an island, and plantings of treesand shrubs.

A system of trench drains, using oyster shellsas the porous materials and earthen pipes toconvey the water, was constructed toeliminate wet areas. Waste water from themarble fountain at the Lombard Street parkentrance and numerous springs and seepswere also piped to the Lake. By 1884, a boatlanding shelter was added.

Park Commission reports noted that by 1897marine grass was removed twice annually.During this period, the growth of vegetationwas sufficient to preclude boating. Availablerecords do not indicate how the growth ofvegetation problem was solved, other thanthrough periodic harvesting, nor do theyindicate what actions may have been takenduring the period from the turn of the centuryto 1984.

In 1984, the Departments of Public Works andRecreation and Parks drained the Lake andremoved between six inches and one foot ofsediment that overlaid a clay bottom. At thattime, it was recommended that the Lake bedeepened and that the ground be treated withherbicides. The Lake has a winter surface ofapproximately 2.62 acres (114,250 square feet)and is fed by a drainage area of 34.65 acres.Field observation shows all 11 pipesdischarging into the Lake area activelydraining, although available test pit datasuggest that feed pipes may in fact be cloggedand not fully functional. The brick wall alongthe Lake’s perimeter still remains and ispresently covered with concrete and inconsiderable disrepair in numerous locations.The island, surrounded by a wall as well, alsoremains.

During the master plan, citizens expressed adesire to manage the pond to retain acombination of open water and wetlandhabitat for fish, waterfowl, and songbirds.The current conditions do not support theseobjectives. The Lake is shallow and cattailsand water lilies are rapidly encroaching onthe Lake as sediments continue to collect on

the bottom. The cattails have limited foodvalue for waterfowl, however redwing blackbirds breed in the cattails to the delight oflocal bird watching enthusiasts. The Lakeproduces a prolific annual crop of algae,which causes noxious odors later in theseason as the algae decays. Fish kills alsooccur due to poor water quality.

Recommendations

The design objectives for the lake are to(Figures 30, 31 and 32):

• Establish and maintain a combinationof open water and emergent wetlandhabitat.

• Maintain water quality to support fishand an aesthetic environment, freefrom odors.

• Provide safe access to the water’sedge for fishing and otherrecreational purposes.

• Provide amenities, which bring backthe aesthetic character of the late 19h

century.

Several strategies will fulfill theseobjectives:

• Perform a feasibility study to assessthe environmental quality of the pondand make design and managementrecommendations for the long-termmaintenance of the pond to meetdesign objectives.

36

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL11MQRE, MARYLAND

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• Establish a diverse and easilymanaged plant community ofemergent wetland vegetation on partof the fringes.

• Incorporate methods to interceptand/or reduce sediment and nutrientcontributions to the Lake from thewatershed.

• Deepen the pond if the feasibilitystudy demonstrates this willsignificantly improve water qualityand management considerations.

• Incorporate methods to reducemaintenance requirements.

• Provide a safety bench below waterlevel around the portion of the Lakewhere there is direct access. The Lakebottom in the area of the bench andalong the slope should be coveredwith a grouted stone lining to preventgrowth of emergent vegetation.

• Add spray aerator to restore thewater jet that appears in historicimages of the park. This featurewould also increase the dissolvedoxygen content of the Lake.

• Rehabilitate the brick wall, pargedwith portland cement concrete.Consider revising portions of the lakeedge treatment to facilitate access formaintenance dredging.

• Consider constructing a new low-level drain, depending upon the

location and the configuration of theexisting drainage valve

• Inspect, clean, repair, and/or replace(as necessary) existing inlets,manholes, and drains within theLake’s draining areas.

• Add plantings of trees along the eastedge of the Lake to screen bailfieldsand lightpoles from eastward vistasfrom the storm shelter and Mall areaof the park.

Develop a routine maintenance program sincethe Lake acts as a “best management practice”wet pond. The maintenance program shouldbe as follows:

• Minimize erosion throughout thedrainage area through spot regradingand seeding or sodding eroding areas.Clean and repair broken inlets. Whenrepaired to proper functioning,existing inlets will reduce surface runoff that creates erosion. Once thedrainage system is restored tooperable condition, the system mustbe inspected annually andmaintenance performed as required.

• Remove debris, litter and floatingmaterial from the water surface on amonthly basis.

• Clean sediments from the lakeapproximately every ten years.

The Casino and Virginia Baker RecreationCenter

The Casino (Figures 33 and 34) has seenvarious uses, from a refreshment stand toPark Commission offices. The building iscurrently leased to the Commission on Aging,which houses an adult day care programthere and is scheduled to expand theprogram. Presently, parking at the front ofthe building intrudes on the park and isdegrading the paving and landscape.

The Virginia Baker Recreation Center wasconstructed in 1974 in the north centralsection of the park on the site of the formerMusic Pavilion. Although this building lacksthe architectural significance of many of thebuildings in the park, the facility is animportant magnet for active recreation andcommunity events. The landscapesurrounding these structures retains theoriginal alignment of paths, steps, retainingwalls, and a dense canopy of shade trees.

Recommendations

• Collaborate with the Commission onAging during the renovation andrestoration of the Casino building.

• Modify existing circulation in thevicinity of the Casino to eliminatevehicular use of the diagonal mallextension and move employeeparking to the rear of the building. Anew vehicular access road wouldbegin at the existing carriagewaynortheast of the building. Pedestrianaccess should be up-graded to

.

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37

A MASTER PLAN ro PATTERSON PARK IN BAL]1MORE, MARYLAND

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Virginia BakerRecreation Center

Baltimore St. /Linwood Ave.Gate

Handicap Parking

0ThE CASINO AND VIRGINIA BAKER RECREATION CENTER

figure 33

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Casino Drive Path Casino DrivelParking

SECTION THROUGH RENOVATED CASINo SITE, LOOKING NORTH

fIgure 34


provide an accessible path to theCasino and a more direct pathbetween the Nineteenth Century Parkto the west and the Recreation Park tothe east. Both the vehicular andpedestrian improvement will resolvethe casual parking and ill-definedpaths on the east side of the building.

Upgrade parking and pedestrianaccess at the Virginia BakerRecreation Center. Expand theexisting parking area south of thebuilding and create a small parkingarea on the carriageway west of thebuilding. Install a new path thatmeets accessibility guidelines fromthe parking area to the main entranceto the building. Rehabilitate the pathleading from the carriageway to themain entrance of the building andinstall shade trees and benches alongthe path. Install new shade trees inlocation similar to early twentiethcentury planting plans.

The Recreation Park

The Recreation Park is the third zone ofPatterson Park. This zone includes theportions of the park west of Linwood Avenuedevoted to active recreation and the Park eastof Linwood with play fields. Though thewestern portion of this zone became part ofthe park in 1883, its improvement as arecreation landscape was not completed untilcirca 1912 under the direction of the OlmstedBrothers. Its early use for active recreationand the initial high quality of improvementsserved as a model for the development of

recreation complexes in public parksthroughout the United States.

Portions of the Olmsted plan for the westernportion of the zone remain intact, but majorchanges over time have compromised itsintegrity. The Field House; the Linden treeplanting along the promenade/mall; thechildren’s play area; the location of open playfields along Linwood Avenue; and the generalorganization of structures along a north-southaxis provide the framework within whichchange may occur while keeping the coredesign elements intact. The eastern portionwas constructed as designed by the OlmstedBrothers and, despite the loss of trees, exhibitsa high degree of integrity.

An improvement strategy that respects theOlmsted plan and reestablishes the FieldHouse (Figure 35) as the central focus ofactivity is recommended. Of the entire park,the western portion of this zone is the mostamenable to change; new development andredevelopment, as appropriate, can beaccommodated within the existingdevelopment area. The balance of the zone,including the perimeter, the play fields, thePulaski Monument, and the OlmstedExtension east of Linwood Avenue should bepreserved or restored as appropriate.

Today, although numerous fields andfacilities are dilapidated, much of theRecreation Park retains the spirit andcharacter that dominated the park in the earlytwentieth century. The facilities requiring thegreatest need for repair include the FieldHouse, pool, and courts surrounding the

building. The landscape on the north side ofthe ice rink is one of the most unattractiveareas in the park.

Recommendations

• Stabilize the Field House from furtherdeterioration and rehabilitate thebuilding for future recreation orcommunity use. Rehabilitate the east-west oriented Mall, including paving,site furnishings, and lighting.Possible uses of this facility include ahealth club; art center; youth center;or a day care center.

• Demolish the existing bath house andcreate a new bath house south of andon axis with the Field House.

• Redevelop the existing swimmingpool and develop a new, separate,small pooi for young children. Whenthis area is redeveloped, the grade onthe south side of the Field Houseshould be raised from the basementlevel to the elevation of the first floor.

• Replace the bubble cover over the icerink in the long term with a year-round facility sympathetic in designwith the context of the area. Realignfencing in the vicinity of the ice rinkto provide greater access to the parklandscape while removingunnecessary fencing.

• Create a new sand volleyball courtadjacent to the existing courts west ofthe Field House.

38


RefurbishCourts toRegulation Size

New Volleyball

Picnic Pavilion

SwimmingPool Complex

11-1E FIELD House AND POOL COMPLEX

figure 35


• Upgrade the existing tennis courts, discourage dogs from entering theincluding paving, lighting, and chain area. Preserve the Olmstedlink fencing. Extension east of Linwood Avenue.

Utilize the promenade planting• Upgrade the basketball courts and design attributed to the Olmsted

reconfigure, where space is available, Brothers as a basis for upgrading theto regulation size. planting along the crescent-shaped

• Repair Utz Twardowicz scoreboard walk. On the slope, add masses ofand PA system. trees to hide the ungainly topography

and provide shade as suggested by• Provide hoods on back-stop.Olmsted Brothers. Remove the

• Renovate ball fields. concrete gutter that is in poorcondition and replace with a• Redevelop the existing children’s

playground east of the swimming supported grass swale. Upgrade thelighting and install new “BaltimoreBenches.”

• Upgrade the pedestrian path systemin the vicinity of the Field House.Establish new paths east and west ofthe swimming pooi. Upgrade thepaths south of the proposed bathhouse and create a small mall thatwill provide direct access fromLinwood Avenue to the tennis courts,the carriageway, the ice rink, the bathhouse, and the Quoit House. Refinethe alignment of the paths north ofthe Quoit House. Preserve thecarriageway and rehabilitate theasphalt paths throughout the zone.

• Protect the existing healthy trees inthe zone. Develop a new plantingprogram adapted from the earlytwentieth century Olmsted Brothersplanting plan utilizing the locationand species of that plan.

• Install a gate to complete theenclosure of the Pulaski Monument to

39


Chapter 5: Implementation

A brief overview of priority implementation projects

.

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.0

BACKGROUND

Following an identification of priorityprojects at the final Public Hearing,members of the Advisory Committeeidentified ten priority projects to beimplemented as part of the Patterson ParkMaster Plan. These ten projects cost morethan the funds immediately available fromthe $1,000,000 bond bill.

A ballot was circulated, asking AdvisoryCommittee members to consult theirconstituents and rank the ten projects,specify public or private funding, andprovide comments. Sixteen of twenty-seven members of the Advisory Committeereturned their ballots. The results of eachballot were analyzed, weighting each votea value of 1—10, with the first priorityproject given a value of 10 and the last avalue of 1. The weighted values from eachballot were added together for each projectto determine the cumulative ranking. Therelative ranking is listed in Table F.

In addition to the ten projects discussedabove, other projects and policies weresuggested by the public, including

enforcing leash laws; providing morepolice or ranger protection; improvingcirculation and access to the Virginia BakerRecreation Center and Casino; andimproving the playgrounds.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The consensus from the AdvisoryCommittee is that improvements to theperimeter of the park are the highestpriority for the community. Theseimprovements not only upgrade the parkbut will enhance the neighborhoodssurrounding the park. The Boat Lake isalso a high priority; however, thecommunity would prefer to find additionalfunds to complete this project. Installingtrash cans and repairing pathways andstairs are secondary priorities. Whilebenches ranked only fifth on the list,comments suggested that benches may alsobe a secondary priority. New seatingshould be emphasized at the perimeter,tennis courts, and Boat Lake.

Athletic facilities are recognized as a greatasset to the park and community; however,user funds and corporate contributions

along with public funds are viewed as anappropriate way to enhance these facilities.Upgrading the park’s infrastructure is nota popular project, but is recognized as aninevitable need. Many considered thatdrainage improvements should happensimultaneously with Boat Lakeimprovements.

Restoration of the Lombard Street gate isviewed as a low priority, and appropriatewhen the whole park or the northwestsection of the park is completely renovated.

The following projects fell within the midrange of priorities, and were similar inimportance to committee members:installing benches; improving perimeterlighting; renovating athletic fields;repairing drainage infrastructure; andrepairing tennis courts.

Finally, the community recognizes andsupports the need to examine privatesources of funding for sustaining PattersonPark now and in the future.

40

A MASTER PLAN FOR PA]TERSON PARK IN BAL]1MORE, MARYLAND

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Table F: Ten Priority Projects as Determined by Advisory Committee

1. Improve perimeter

Rank & Project Weighted Score Percent of Possible WeightedScore

2. Install stationary trash cans

132

101

81%

63%

3. Repair pathways & stairs 100 62%

4. Renovate Boat Lake 98 61%

5. install Benches 90 56%

6. improve perimeter lighting 89 56%

7. Renovate ball fields 86 54%

8. RepaIr drainage 82 51%intrasructure

9. Repair tennis courts 70 44%

10.Restore Lombard Street 42 26%gate


Chapter 6: Cost Estimate

Detailed cost estimate of improvements for the park

BACKGROUND

THE WHOLE PARK

Circulation and Infrastructure (exclusive of precincts)

Pedestrian circulationUtility and infrastructure studies (park-wide)

Utility reconstruction (to be determined based on future study)

Following approval of the draft Master Plan, the planning team prepared a detailed cost estimate of improvements for Patterson Park. The cost

estimate was reviewed at the final public meeting and Advisory Committee meeting. These cost estimates enabled the Advisory Committee

members to better establish priority projects. Based upon comments from the public, Advisory Committee members and Department of

Recreation and Park reviews, the final Master Plan cost estimate is as follows.

0

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0

$215,000$130,000$0

Total $345,000

Site Furnishings (exclusive of precincts)

Benches and trash receptacles $127,000

Lighting $377,000

Total $504,000

Landscape Improvement and Restoration (exclusive of precincts)

Lawn and trees $150,000

Annual and perennial bed preparation $5,000

Total $155,000

41


Interpretation

Interpretive program design $10,000Interpretive signs $12,000Brochure/map $5,000Total $27,000

Total: The Whole Park

Subtotal $1,031,000plus 15% contingency $155,000TOTAL: THE WHOLE PARK $1,186,000

THE PARK PERIMETER

Gateways

Entrance 1 Baltimore and Patterson Park Avenue Gate $29,000Entrance 2 Luzerne Avenue Gate $2,500Entrance 3 Lakewood Avenue Gate $49,000Entrance 4 Kenwood Avenue Gate $4,000Entrance 5 Baltimore Street and Linwood Avenue Gate $14,000Entrance 6 Pulaski Monument Gate $47,000Entrance 7 Eastern Avenue Entrance $27,000Entrance 8 Gough Street Gate $35,000Entrance 9 Pratt Street Gate $4,500Entrance 10 Eastern Avenue and Eliwood Avenue Gate $13,000Total $225,000

Miscellaneous Elements

Demolish and reconstruct stairs (5) and repair stairs (2) $250,000Clean stone foundation wall and reset as required $10,000Total $260,000

42


Total: The Park Perimeter

Subtotalplus 15% contingencyTOTAL: TIlE PARK PERIMETER

$485,000$72,750$557,750

43

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PARK

The Heart of the Park—The Lombard Gate/White House/Pagoda

Precinct-wide $201,000

White House and Fountain $242,000

Pagoda (Observatory) $387,000

Music Pavilion Site $46,000

Total $876,000

The Maintenance Complex and Garden


Maintenance complex $180,000

Community garden $54,000

Total $311,000

The Mall and Conservatory Site


Mall restoration/rehabilitation $25 I ,000

Conservatory site and picnic area $242,000

Total $591,000

The Boat Lake

Boat Lake reconstntction $755,000

Lake perimeter $258,000

Total $1,013,000

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The Casino and the Virginia Baker Recreation CenterPrecinct-wideCasinoVirginia Baker Recreation CenterTotal

$215,000$171,000$63,000$449,000

Total: The Nineteenth Century Park

Subtotal $3,240,000plus 15% contingency $486,000TOTAL: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY PARK $3,726,000

THE RECREATION PARK

The Field House and Pool Complex

Precinct-wide $302,000Field House and Pool Complex $3,069,000Total $3,371,000

Recreation and Play Equipment

Play equipment and courts $223,000Fields Renovation $37,000Total $260,000

Total: The Recreation Park

Subtotal $3,631,000plus 15% contingency $545,000TOTAL: THE RECREATION PARK $4,176,000

PARK RESTORATION TOTAL $9,645,750 (excluding Drainage Infrastructure)

44

A MASTER PLAN FOR PA1TERSON PARK IN AL11MORE, MARYLAND

Patterson Park Bibliography

List of sources.

Bergland, Mark, et al., “Patterson Park:Putting the Pieces Together,” Universityof Maryland Urban Studies Program,1994.

Beveridge, Charles E., “DocumentaryMaterials from the Records of theOlmsted Firm,” including 17 documentslides and 9 plan copies, 1996.

_“Precis of Correspondence” in B filenumber 2414, Olmsted AssociatesRecords, Manuscript Division, UnitedStates Library of Congress, 1996.

“Comments on the Condition andDesirable Treatment of Patterson Park,”June 1996.

City of Baltimore Department of Recreationand Parks, Patterson Park Inventory Maps,1996.

City of Baltimore Department of Recreationand Parks, “Patterson Park Before theDawn of the Recreation Era,” notes toaccompany analysis of 1899 map, March1996.

City of Baltimore, HT Douglas, ChiefEngineer, City of Baltimore TopographicalSurvey, 1895, scale: 1=200’.

Delon Hampton & Associates, Chartered,Patterson Park Boat Lake Master Plan Study,Rockville, Maryland, December 1996.

Faul, Augustus, Map of Patterson Park, 1891.

Kessler, Barry and David Zang, The Play Lifeof a City: Baltimore’s Recreation and Parks,1900-1955, Baltimore City Life Museumsand Baltimore City Department ofRecreation and Parks.

Lampl Associates, US Department of theInterior, National Park Service, tJationalRegister of Historic Places, Patterson Park,Baltimore, Maryland, Draft Report,September 1996.

Latrobe, CH, Map of Patterson Park, 1899.

Park Commission of Baltimore City, AnnualReports, 1861—1914, Baltimore CityArchives.

Photogrammetic Data Service, Inc.,Topographical Base Data, Sterling, Virginia,March 14, 1996, scale: 1=40’, 5 sheets.

Simon, Michael, History of Patterson Park,October 1994.

Strocko, Ed, ed., Patterson Park Chronology,City of Baltimore Department ofRecreation and Parks, June 1995.

Unknown, “Land Acquisitions! Grading!Drainage: Years of Addition to ParkGround are Underlined.”

Walker, Charles, A Historical Perspective: 155Acres-155 Years: Patterson Park’s Rich Past,date unknown.

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Appendices



.

1. Patterson Park Master Plan Phase I: Inventory and AnalysisCommittee Members

0

Physical Features Natural Resources Recreation and Users Promotion and Marketing

Sidney Brower Marion Brenna Phyllis Brulik Mark Adams

Jim Creiman Ren Brenna Nelson Cammack Chris Belanger

Rob Foster Toni Francfort Dorney Chesto Amy Bonitz

John Huppert Charles Glass Michael Griffin Don Carver

Florence Kulbicki Paul Janigue Carol Hartke Jackie Carrera

Dan Lipstein Lisa Land George Hollaiid Ellen Casale

Clint Roby David Locke Cheryl Jordon Hubert de Montagen

Maiy Roby John Moulis Mary Jordan Helle DeSimone

Kitty Thompson Lori Nicolle Frank LePage Dorothy Dobbyn

Veronica Piskor Tony Loeffler John JolinsoiiSandra Sales Jennifer Morgan Tracey LeBonteClaudia Saniszewski Lisa Shipley Sally LoomisDan Tracy Virginia Fowble Sandy McCollum

Susan MurrayMary Roby

A MASTER PLAN pop PA1TERSON PARK IN BAL11MORE, MARYLAND

2. Patterson Park Chronology*

Chronology of major events in the park’s history

1792 William Patterson invested profitsfrom his shipping business in a largetract of land in east Baltimore.

1814 Rodgers’ Bastion established as abattery of cannon in preparation forattack by the British Army during theWar of 1812.

1827 William Patterson’s Public Walk, a5.96 acre site, is dedicated for publicuse.

1860 Expansion of Public Walk withcapital improvements to 31 acres.

Grading and fencing installed.

George Aloysius Frederick appointedPark Architect by the ParkCommission.

1863 Construction of the serpentinecarriageway begins, gradingoperations continued, ravines filled,and restoration/renovation plansmade, including southeast corner ofthe park “contemplated for use as asmall lake.”

1864 Walks constructed, lake excavated,and approx. 2,000 trees planted; BoatLake completed (one-half the size ofthe present lake).

1865 Drainage pipes and fire plugsinstalled; marble fountainconstructed; Boat Lake depthreduced to 3’ for skating pond use;fountain added.

1866 Superintendent’s House/Gatekeeper’s House (White House)constructed.

1867— Lombard Gate completed; music1870 stand and the “little Casino” built;

shade trees and evergreens planted;iron fencing and settees (benches)installed; stables constructed.

1869 Skater’s structure constructed.

1873 Boundary expanded; “SouthernEdition of Park” addition-19.2 acres;beginning of Mall construction.

1874 Mall installed as a gravel path;planted with maples.

1875 Flower beds established in park; BoatLake expanded to presentconfiguration.

1876 Wood frame Conservatoryconstructed.

1881 Maintenance building rebuilt afterfire damage.

c. 1881 War of 1812 cannons (not originalcannons on site) and Star SpangledBanner statue added.

1882— Boundary expanded; “Extension”- 571883 acres; Baltimore Avenue/North

Kenwood Street Gate is constructed.

New boathouse completed.

Two storm shelters constructed.

1891 Observatory (Pagoda) completed;Mall paved with asphalt block.

1892 Urns installed on Mall, placed fromDruid Hill Park; Patterson ParkAvenue & Eastern Avenue Gatesconstructed.

1861

1862 1887

1890

Adapted from Strocks, 1995.


1893 Mansion House (Casino) constructed;Gough Street Gate constructed.

1895 Baltimore Avenue/North LakewoodStreet Gate constructed; end ofFrederick’s tenure as Park Architect.

Wharf built and boathouse repaired.

First children’s playground (firstactive recreation use in park) locatednear storm shelter; marine grassremoved twice annually from BoatLake.

1904 Land dedicated for communitygarden plots near service yard; ironand glass Conservatory constructed;outdoor gymnasium constructed inthe 1882-1883 extension; OlmstedBrothers landscape architects hired toprepare a plan for the 1882-1883extension.

Field House constructed.

Mall repaved (material unknown,probably asphalt block); boundaryexpanded, “Patterson ParkExtension,” 22.5 acres acquired.

1915 Olmsted Brothers Plan implementedand fields ready for use by public.

Baltimore/Patterson Park AvenueGates Constructed.

Gold Star Mothers MemorialFlagstaff installed.

1925 Quoit House constructed, kiddiepool/roller skating rink constructed;stone retaining wall with Bull’s Head

from Taurus Fountain constructed atMusic Pavilion site.

1944 Conservatory removed.

1948 Playground near shelterreintroduced.

1951 Pulaski Monument installed.

1952 Board of Education built athleticfields at present site of UtzTwardowicz Field; outdoor skatingcenter and changing house installed.

1953 Swimming pools added; lake filled.

1968 Skating rink changing houseexpanded.

1970 Utz Twardowicz Field and viewingstand installed; Bath House installed.

1970s Vietnam Memorial and twomaintenance structures installed.

1974 Virginia Baker Recreation Centerconstructed.

1986 Mimi DiPietro Skating Rink enclosedwith tension structure andchanging/warming house expanded.

1896

1897

1905

1908

.

.

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0

0

1916-1921

1923

2


3. Patterson Park Bird Species

Bird Species Observed in Patterson

Breeding Status (If Available)

Park, Their Relative City-Wide Abundance, and

American Robin V V

______ ________

Breeding Abundant* Common Uncommon Somewhat Rare Rare

B

B

B

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B

B

BI

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American Crow V V

Blue Jay V V

Chimney Swift V

Common Grackle V

European Starling V V

House Sparrow

Mourning Dove V V

Northern Cardinal V V

Northern Mockingbird V V

Rock Dove V

Barn Swallow V

Dark-eyed Junco V

Downy Woodpecker V

House Wren V

Northern Flicker V V

Red-winged Blackbird V V

Mallard V V

Eastern Kingbird V

American Goldfinch V

Kildeer V

Wood Thrush V

Chipping Sparrow V

Black-Crowned Night Heron V V

Black Duck V

Canvasback Duck V


—:17lI •Pii1iit’] i ‘JiI{•liiliiNi

Laughing Gull V

Marsh Wren V V

Purple Finch V

Ring-billed Gull V

Peregrine Falcon

Ruddy Duck V

Wood Duck V

American Bittern V

American Coot V

Brown Creeper V

Canada Goose V

Swamp Sparrow V V

Chipping Sparrow V

Great Egret V

Marsh Hawk V

Great Blue Heron V

Green Backed Heron V

Little Blue Heron V

Ring-necked Duck V

Marsh Hen V

Pied-billed Grebe V

For the purposes of this study, Abundant is defined as occurring in greater than 85% of the city; “Common is defined as occuring in 60—85% of the city; “Uncommon’ is de&ied asoccurring in 33—60% of the city; “Somewhat Rare” is defined as occuring in 1O—33% of the city; and “Rare” is defined as occurring in less than 10% of the city.

Source: Bird Sightings by Charles C. Glass and Michael Hendrick, community residents; Breeding status by M. Hendrick; Analysis for relative abundance city-wide by Department ofRecreation and Parks, adapted from Baltimore City Habitat Assessment Plan, Baltimore Department of Planning

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4. Results of 1996 Water Sampling in Patterson Park Lake

Dissolved Oxygen 6.540

Analyte May Water Sample (mg/I) August Water Sample (mg/I) Soil Sample (mg/kg) Desired Water QualityAcceptable Range

7.800 >5.00Chlorophyll - 3.140 mg/rn3 0.003 mg/rn3 — —

Total Phosphorous 0.070 0.100 2.560 0.01—0.06Nitrate/Nitrate as Nitrogen 21.000 0.080 0.240 0.10—0.40Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 0.2 17 0.240 6.450 0.20—0.60Ammonia 0.070 0.050 ND 0.10—0.30Ortho-phosphate ND ND — 0.00025—0.001Fecal Strep ND 4/100 ml — —

Fecal Coliforin ND Present — <200 mpn/mlTotal Coliforin ND Present — —

Percent Moisture — — 57% N/A

Source: Delon Hampton & Associates, Maryland.


5. Recommended Trees Adapted from Historical Lists

AcerAesculus hippocastanumCatalpa speciosa

00

HEARTOFTHE PARK Q

maple

northern catalpa

Latin Name Common Name Historical Presence OriginI 2 4

1 2horse chestnut 1 4 S. Europe

indigenous to Maryland

Midwest USCeltis occidentalis hackberry 4 indigenous to MarylandCercis canadensis eastern redbud 3 indigenous to MarylandCornus florida flowering dogwood 3 indigenous to MarylandLiriodendron tulipfera tulip poplar 1 3 4 indigenous to Maryland*pillus nigra austrian pine 3 S. Europe*pinus strobus eastern white pine 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus alba white oak 1 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus macrocarpa bur oak 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus prinus chestnut oak 1 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus rubra red oak 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Tilia americana American linden/basswood 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Key: Sources:I Present in 1887 City of Baltimore I)epartment of l’arks & Recreation,2 Present in 1915 “Patterson Park Tree Inventory.”3 Present in Olmsted Bros. Plan Olmsted Brothers, Plant List, dated to 20 March 1916,4 Present Today applicable to Planting Plan 2414-13, dated* Evergreen 13 March 1916.

* Maple Species in 1915 survey not specified


•r1r1uiiir- [1.JieJiiI.]p1F1iit: L!J1hAcer maple I 2** 4 indigenous to MarylandAesculus hippocastanum horse chestnut 1 4 S. EuropeCercis canadensis eastern redbud 3 indigenous to MarylandCornus florida flowering dogwood 3 indigenous to MarylandFagus grandifolia American beech 1 2 3 4 indigenous to MarylandGymnocladus dioicus Kentucky coffee tree 2 4 Central US/naturalized in Maryland*llex opaca American holly 1 3 indigenous to MarylandLiriodendron tulipfera tulip poplar . 1 3 4 indigenous to MarylandLiguidambar styraciflua American sweetgum 2 3 4 indigenous to MarylandQuercus rubra red oak 1 2 3 4 indigenous to MarylandTilia americana American linden/basswood 1 2 3 4 indigenous to MarylandUlmus americana American elm 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

POND AND SPRINGS AREA

Latin Name Common Name Historical Presence Originmus caroliniana American honbeam/musclewood 1 3 indigenous to Maryland

Cercis canadensis eastern redbud 3 indigenous to MarylandFraxinus pennsylvanica green ash 1 4 indigenous to MarylandGleditsia triacanthos common honey locust 1 2 4 indigenous to MarylandPlatanusacerifolia (hybrid) London planetree 2 4 indigenous to MarylandQuercus palustris pin oak 3 indigenous to MarylandQuercus phellos willow oak 24 indigenous to MarylandSalix babylonica Babylon weeping willow 1 2 3 4 S. EuropeTaxodium distichum common bald cypress 4 indigenous to Maryland

Key: Sources:I Present in 1887 City of Baltimore Department of Parks & Recreation,2 Present in 1915 “Patterson Park Tree Inventory.”3 Present in Olnisted Bros. Plan Olmsted Brothers, Plant List, dated to 20 March 1916,4 Present Today applicable to Planting Plan 2414-13, dated

Evergreen 13 March 1916.** Maple species in 1915 survey not specified

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RECREATION FIELDS

irni [el.] I:

Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam/musclewood 1 3 indigenous to Maryland

Cercis canadensis eastern redbud 3 indigenous to MarylandCornus florida flowering dogwood 3 indigenous to Maryland

Fagus grandifolia American beech 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland*llex opaca American holly 1 3 indigenous to Maryland

Liriodendron tulipfera tulip poplar 1 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Liguidambar styraciflua American sweetgum 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland*piIlus strobus eastern white pine 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Platanusacerifolia London plane tree/sycamore 2 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus palustris pin oak 3 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus phellos willow oak 2 4 indigenous to Maryland

Quercus rubra red oak 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Tilia americana American linden/basswood 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Ulmus americana American elm 1 2 3 4 indigenous to Maryland

Key: Sources:I Present in 1887 City of Baltimore Department of Parks & Recreation,

2 Present in 1915 “Patterson Park Tree Inventory.”

3 Present in Olmsted Eros. Plan Olmsted Brothers, Plant List, dated to 20 March 1916,

4 Present Today applicable to Planting Plan 2414-13, dated* Evergreen 13 March 1916.

3

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6. Ranking of Tree Species by Numbers Present

Numbers of Trees and Species West of Linwood Avenue only

1887

LTs ITi1.x IiI11Silver Maple (A. dasycarpum) 265 15%Norway Maple 189 11%Box Elder 169 9%American Linden 117 6%Carolina Poplar (Populus augulata) 1 10 6%Horse Chestnut 109 6%European Linden 96 5%European Beech 61 3%American Elm 54 3%Catalpa 47 2%Sugar Maple 43 2%Basket Willow 43 2%Tulip Tree 38 2%European Ash 37 2%White Birch 28 %Honey Locust 27 %Silver Poplar 26 1%Deciduous Cypress (Cupressus serotina) 25 1%Red Maple 23 1%Chestnut Oak 23 1%English Corked-bark Maple 19 1%BurOak 16 1%Maiden Hair Tree (Salisburia adiantifolia) 13 1%American Ash 12 1%Mountain Willow (Salix laurifolia) 12 1%Double Flowering Cherry (Cerasus rubra) 12 1%

A MASTER PLAN FOR PATTERSON PARK IN BAL]1MORE, MARYLAND .SweetGum 11 1%Balsam Poplar 11 1%Sycamore 10 <.5%English Oak 10 <.5%Paper Mulberry (Morus Sp.) 9 <.5%Kentucky Coffee Tree 9 <.5%Common Scrub Oak (Q. Ilicifolia) 9 <.5%White Oak 8 <.5%European Hornbean 7 <.5%Japan Tree (Paulownia Imperiallis) 6 <.5%Wild American Cherry (Cerasus serotina) 4 <.5%Weeping Willow 3 <.5%Purple-leaved Beech 3 <.5%Red Oak 3 <.5%European Larch 2 <.5%American Bird Cherry (Cerasus padus) 2 <.5%Sensitive Tree (Mimosa prostrata) 1 <.5%American Holly 1 <.5%Sassafras 1 <.5%Total Trees 1714 100%Total Number of Species 45

1915

Species Number Percent TotalMaple (species unknown) 451 39%Linden 258 25%Elm 71 7%Hickory 40 6%Poplar 43 4%Sycamore 43 4%Willow Oak 35 3%Beech 24 2%Catalpa 18 2%Cedar 16 2%Locust 11 1%Willow 10 1%S. Bean (Kentucky Coffee Tree?) 10 1%

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.

2


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Pine 9 1%RedOak 9 1%BurOak 7 1%Birch 5 <.5%Gum 4 <.5%Ash 2 <.5%Oak 2 <.5%Mulberry 2 <.5%Total Trees 1041 100%Total Number of Species 22

1995

Species Number Percent TotalLinden 270 29%Red Oak 94 10%Red Maple 55 6%White Ash 47 5%White Pine 26 3%Mulberry 22 2%Hawthorn 22 2%Norway Maple 21 2%American Elm 21 2%Sycamore 19 2%Unknown 19 2%Cherry 18 2%Sweet Gum 17 2%Scholar Tree 16 2%Honey Locust 16 2%Hackberry 15 2%Horse Chestnut 15 2%English Oak 14 2%Willow Oak 12 1%Tulip Poplar 11 1%Ginkgo 10 1%Sugar Maple 9 1%Silver Maple 9 1%English Elm 9 1%BurOak 8 1%

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Black Locust 7 1%Pear 7 1%Green Ash 7 1%Sycamore Leaf Maple 6 1%Saucer Magnolia 6 1%Bald Cypress 6 1%White Oak 5 1%Southern Magnolia 5 1%Holly 5 1%Crabapple 5 1%Golden Rain 5 1%Amur Cork 4 <.5%Basswood 4 <.5%Yellow Wood 4 <.5%Beech 4 <.5%Weeping Willow 3 <.5%Shingle Oak 3 <.5%Eastern Cottonwood 3 <.5%Calespur Thorn 3 <.5%Osage Orange 3 <.5%Cottonwood 2 <.5%Zelkova 2 <.5%Kentucky Coffee 2 <.5%White Fir 2 <.5%Weeping Cherry 1 <.5%White Wingnut 1 <.5%Locust 1 <.5%Hop Hornbeam 1 <.5%Chestnut Oak 1 <.5%Weeping Mulberry 1 <.5%Juniper 1 <.5%Amur Maple 1 <.5%Poplar Hybrid 1 <.5%Oak 1 <.5%Total Trees 920 100%Total Number of Species 59Total Trees West of Linwood Avenue 808 = 77% of 1915

47%of_1887

4


7. Historical Trend of Trees in Patterson Park

Numbers of Trees and Species West of Linwood Avenue

ii i*i.. I:J: 1*].

#Trees 200 1,714 1,070 808=75%ofl9l5tota?& 47%ofl887total

Trees/Acre 33 12 7 6

No. Species ? 45 21 59

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