History
About Our History
Redwood Street History
William Keyser was once an executive of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and later reestablished the Baltimore Copper Company from solvency and amassed his fortune in copper production. Before his death in 1904, Keyser was appointed a member of the Citzens’ Emergency Committee which was charged with developing a plan for rebuilding downtown Baltimore after the Great Fire of 1904. The Keyer Building is one of the first high rise office buildings to be constructed shortly after the fire that devastated 1,550 buildings in 70 blocks. Noted architects, Wyatt & Nolting designed the Keyser Building as well as the Garrett Building (now Redwood Exchange) and the Baltimore City Courthouse. The facades is made of Indiana limestone and features a propensity of geometric ornamentation. Directly in front of the building is a cannon ball dating from 1814 from the Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry. It was saved by a member of the Keyser family and later placed in front of the building. Keyser put his fortune to many philanthropic uses and was instrumental in the found of Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, and the adjacent Wyman Park to be given to the city for us as a public park.
Why Redwood Street Represents Downtown History and Renewal
It’s worth asking, “Just what is downtown?” now that so much of Baltimore’s traditional business district has morphed into something else.
A sign wrapped around an aged office building proclaims it is being converted into new apartments.
The old Continental Trust, a landmark at Baltimore and Calvert streets, is the latest office to become bedrooms, kitchens and baths. This one comes with a nice history. It survived the Baltimore Fire of 1904 and was completely rebuilt after the flames ate through it.
The novelist Dashiell Hammett worked here for the Pinkerton detective agency in 1915 and clipped the name, “Continental Op” from his home office…
Five Minute Histories: Art & Architecture on Redwood Street
Watch this video, by Baltimore Heritage, to learn about art and architecture on Redwood Street
Mr. Vickers' Building and His Inventive Tenants
Much has been said about the Vickers Building (219-231 East Redwood Street, once German Street) mainly associated with 2001 preservationist efforts by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Maryland Historical Trust, in coordination with the City of Baltimore's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) and Preservation Maryland. Baltimore Heritage highlighted that the permit for this 'new' Vickers Building (to replace the old Vickers Building with ornate Second Empire style with Mansard roofs and complex architecture details) was issued on May 19, 1904, merely 3 months after the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904…
Back Story: Redwood St. Was Named For Hero of WWI
The drivers whizzing along Redwood Street through the heart of the city's old business district, which was once lined with brokerage houses, banks, the stock exchange and the old Merchants Club, probably have no idea for whom it is named.
Late last year, James Carl Nelson's book "Five Lieutenants," which told the story of five Harvard men who fought on the Western Front during World War I, was published. One of those men was George Buchanan Redwood, a newspaperman and editor who worked for the Baltimore News and was a member of the Harvard Class of 1910. When he was killed in action in 1918, Redwood became the first Baltimore officer to lose his life in the conflict…
Five Minute Histories: Gargoyles & Grotesques Part 2, South and Redwood
Watch this video, by Baltimore Heritage, to explore gargoyles and grotesques on South and Redwood Streets.
In November 2020, Kemp Byrnes, Brad Byrnes and Dave Gupta acquired 225 E. Redwood Street and 233 E. Redwood Street. The new owners executed a comprehensive $5 million redevelopment and rebranding strategy of the two office properties with street level retail and restaurants. Then in May 2023, Kemp, Brad and investors purchased their third building on the same block at 207 E. Redwood St. Based on the belief that people want to live, work and play in the same neighborhood, they executed a $19 million dollar hotel to apartment conversion and rebranded the building Redwood Place Apartment Homes.