Baltimore American Building
| Baltimore American Building | |
|---|---|
| |
| Site Information | |
| Address | 231 E Baltimore St |
| Geo-reference | 39°17′22″N 76°36′40″W / 39.28949°N 76.61118°W |
| Building Data | |
| Building Type | Commercial |
| Design | |
| Architect | Theodore Wells Pietsch |
| Architecture Firm | Simonson & Pietsch |
| Construction | |
| Completed | 1905 |
The Baltimore American Building has the distinction of being the first office building constructed after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. In a city scrambling to reassemble itself in the face of devastation, the Baltimore American Building was a triumphant design by Simonson & Pietsch in the months after the fire. Construction was completed in early 1905. The office, designed in the Beaux-Arts style popular at the time, was the home of Baltimore News-American. Opposed to Baltimore Sun, Baltimore News-American was an afternoon paper targeting a working class readership. By April 1905, Simonson & Pietsch moved their firm’s office to the twelfth floor of the building, which was unique as they themselves had designed it.
This building was featured in Recent Works of Simonson & Pietsch, published in 1906 (Enoch Pratt Free Library Archives).
