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The Pagoda -- An Icon of the 'Gilded Age':
To the first-time visitor, the Pagoda may seem just as fanciful memento of a bygone era. But, observed more closely, and viewed in historic context, it soon becomes clear that the Pagoda is a major architectural masterpiece, standing as a lasting tribute to one of Baltimore's finest hours.
Designed and built in 1891 by architect Charles H. Latrobe, the "Patterson Park Observatory" was created to commemorate the Battle for Baltimore (September, 1814). It stands on Hampstead Hill, at the site of Rodger's Bastion, a large breastwork with 100 naval cannons. Here, 12,000 men, mostly Baltimore volunteers, repulsed the British as they bombarded Fort McHenry. The tenacity of Baltimoreans at both locations resulted in a British retreat, thus saving the city from being burned, as had just been Washington's fate.
Latrobe's Pagoda design reflects the Victorian taste for things exotic, as well as the enormous popularity of Oriental goods which arrived on ships in the harbor below. The elegant structure is also a symbol of the "Gilded Age." During the late 19th Century, many large municipal parks were created, in which whimsical buildings figured prominently in the landscape. The Pagoda, which one overlooked a Music Pavilion and Conservatory, is one of the last remaining treasures of that era. |