Existing comment:
Gone But Not Forgotten:
After the Civil War, Baltimore's city planners began to restore what we now know as Patterson Park. During the Victorian era it was fashionable to create pastoral landscapes in city parks, complete with fanciful buildings. The young architect, George A. Frederick, was hired to create such structures and other architectural features in Patterson Park. Many of these buildings survive today.
Unfortunately, two of the most delightful Victorian buildings have now been lost. An elegant glass Conservatory, built in 1876, which sheltered exotic plants from all over the world, succumbed to decay over the years, and was finally torn down. The beloved octagonal Music Pavilion, the scene of countless concerts and romantic trysts, was destroyed by fire in 1972.
At the turn of the 20th century, public hygiene was a civic concern, and a Free Public Bath Commission was created. This Commission was a proponent for public swimming pools, since many households did not have access to private baths. A smaller lake in Patterson Park was converted into a public swimming facility with a graded sandy beach. During the winter months it was used for ice-skating. Now, there is an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a Mimi DiPietro Family Ice Rink for indoor skating. |