The Baltimore Rowhouse

Rating:
Summary: They say, "Timing is everything.."
Review: ...and the time to read 'The Baltimore Rowhouse' is now! I'm telling you'se- this book has it all. ; )

You not only get the expected descriptions of the architectural styles of rowhouses, and a historical review of the development of this style of housing, but the author weaves in the chronological social climb of an immigrant family throughout the book. Following the family's real estate history gives the book a story-like, biographical feel; unusual for non-fiction of this nature. It is in a sense, a well documented account of one way the "American Dream" has been realized.

From a social/cultural perspective, the 'Baltimore Rowhouse' is a social commentary on Baltimorean (and American) housing development past, present and future from visionary authors who love the City of Baltimore.

I received the book as a Christmas gift and read it in about 3 days. I couldn't put it down and was a little saddened that it had to end. I say this rarely- IT IS A MUST READ.

Rating:
Summary: The history of the city as told by its houses
Review: I enjoyed the pictures of these houses, and thought the book was especially well written. It's impossible to separate the evolution of these houses from the changes in the city itself, so some history is inevitable; there is also a great amount of detail involving the lives of the owners and developers. (I suspect this is a result of the book's being partly funded by a grant. Nothing got thrown away, to give the sponsor their money's worth.) If you are not overwhelmed by all this, you will uncover some interesting bits: the ads for Formstone, the fact that basements were hand-dug by a crew of nine in two days, the tales of the "night soil" removers. Really concentrates on the local history, though, so it may not of interest to others.

Rating:
Summary: A Study in Sensible Housing
Review: The Baltimore Rowhouse describes the origins and development of a housing style which went out of favor after World War II, when suburban development became more fashionable. As the authors explain, Baltimore has a fascinating collection of rowhouses, beginning with the federal period and continuing through the 1950s, with a recent spate of construction that generally matches earlier styles. Notwithstanding the limited space (i.e., the front of the rowhouse) within which to express their individual stylistic vocabularies, architects and builders managed to create a plethora of fascinating facades.

Now that the disadvantages of suburbia--the traffic, the commute, the isolation--are becoming more obvious, the rowhouse looks more and more like a great solution to the problem of home ownership and community. The city of Baltimore has a rich collection of structures and magnificent, but human-scaled, streetscapes which are worth exploring and reinhabiting.

A fun book for urban dwellers and architecture enthusiasts to read. The authors write in respectable, historians' prose, but the language is lively enough to keep one interested.

Rating:
Summary: The Baltimore Rowhouse
Review: The Baltimore Rowhouse provides an insightful retrospective of the growth of Baltimore City over a 200+ year period by analyzing the houses which its residents built and occupied. It chronicles the birth of a city and describes its growing pains in accomodating its increasing population. Being a lifelong resident of Baltimore and having a personal knowledge of the neighborhoods described in the book, it was especially fascinating to me. I was able to match my own knowledge with the historical background provided by the authors. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the growth and evolution of a typical American City from the perspective of its townhomes.

Rating:
Summary: Well-written treatment of a highly specialized topic
Review: The rowhouse is far more common in Baltimore than other US cities, and these authors have documented its history and development up to the present day. Every nuance of design change is thoroughly discussed, and the amount of detail allows a street-by-street discussion at times. We're told about the various developers who, parcel by parcel, converted old elite estates into street grids covered with rowhouses of varying quality. The book ends as an advertisement for new urbanism, in which dilapidated old rowhouses are renovated and run-down neighborhoods undergo renewal.

The quality of writing is particularly high. There are approximately 140 b&w photos, which for the most part are grouped together so they can be printed on high-gloss paper. This is an awkward arrangement that requires the reader to flip back and forth to the glossy photo pages. There are approximately ten cross-sections and floor plans. There are very few maps, and a detailed knowledge of Baltimore geography is assumed. Because of the highly specialized nature of this book, it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside Baltimore, but it would probably be a delight to architectural enthusiasts within the city.