History of the 1840s Plaza, Located in Baltimore

                  The city of Baltimore has a very diverse and rich history. When people think of historic Baltimore they may think of museums, or Edgar Allen Poe’s birthplace. However, many people don’t know the historic venue, the Fava Building, the 1840s Carrollton Inn, or the Carroll Mansion, located on 29 South Front Street, across from Port Discovery. Although the building was constructed in 1996, its cast iron façade that covers the front of the building is from the 1869 G. Fava Fruit Building. This may seem like a miniscule detail but before the Fire of 1904, there were over 100 cast iron buildings, as compared to today, which is less than 12. The Fava is one of the last remaining buildings with a cast iron façade on the east coast.

The Fava Building

Originally, the Fava façade stood where the Baltimore convention center is today. The building was condemned to make way for the convention center. The architects Peterson & Brickbauer had the idea to recreate the building to the exact specifications and the cast iron façade was plastered onto the new building. The new building became the Baltimore City Life Exhibition Center, which won awards for its construction. The goal of the Baltimore City Life Exhibition Center was to preserve a piece of historic Baltimore for generations to come.

The museum included representations of trolleys, period row houses, the old Royal Theater, Marketplace, an original reconstructed White Tower Diner, and floor to ceiling murals, which were detailed, colorful, and added life to the museum. Despite the award winning architecture and exhibits, the museum was not as popular as Peterson & Brickbauer had predicted. Due to the lack of attendance and low income, the building was closed in 1997 and became city property, until the Pomykala family purchased the property in 2003.

The courtyard leading to the Inn

After the purchase of the property, the family combined all the row homes into a 13 room bed and breakfast, now known as the 1840s Carrollton Inn. The Baltimore City Life Museum became the 1840s Ballroom. The Carrollton Inn and the 1840s Ballroom, with a courtyard in between the two buildings, makes up the 1840s Plaza. The courtyard that leads from the inn the Ballroom consists of an upper and lower courtyard. The upper courtyard is filled with trees while the lower courtyard has gardens and flowers on either side of the walkway.

The Carroll Mansion

The Carrol Mansion also resides on the 1840s property and was the home to the longest living signer of the Declaration of Independence. The mansion is often used as a wedding venue for smaller weddings. The house was originally constructed between 1804-1808. Richard Canton later purchased the mansion in 1820, with Charles Carroll, Canton’s father-in-law. Charles Carroll died on November 14th, 1832, in the mansion, at age 95. Because of his importance in the community, Charles Carroll’s death became recognized as a local and national event. After the death of the Richard Canton and his wife, the property changed hands several times. The mansion was used for a brewery, saloon, restaurant, apartments, tailoring firms, and even a school. In 1967 the mansion was renovated and open to the public as a historic house museum until 2003, when the Pomykala family purchased it as well.