B&O Railroad Headquarters Building facts for kids

B&O Railroad Headquarters Building - Hotel Monaco
B&O Headquarters Building, now a Hotel Monaco
General information
Type	Mixed-use: Office, Hotel and Restaurant
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts architecture
Location	2 North Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland
Coordinates	39°17′23″N 76°36′58″W / 39.28972°N 76.61611°W / 39.28972; -76.61611
Completed	1906
Technical details
Floor count	13
Design and construction
Architect	Parker & Thomas assisted by Herbert D. Hale and Henry G. Morse

The B&O Railroad Headquarters Building is a historic office building located at 2 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland. It's a tall, 13-story building, about 220 feet high. It was designed by the architectural firm Parker & Thomas and built between 1904 and 1906. Today, this impressive building is known as the Hotel Monaco.

Why Was the B&O Headquarters Building Built?

The original headquarters of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was destroyed in the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. After this big fire, the railroad decided to build a brand new, modern 13-story building. They chose a new spot a few blocks away from the old one.

The building's entrance has two special sculptures. One shows Mercury, the Roman god of trade and business. The other sculpture is called Progress of Industry. It holds a torch and a train engine. This sculpture showed that the B&O Railroad was a leader in its field and helped bring new ideas and progress.

Who Designed and Built This Famous Building?

The building was designed by the architectural firm of Parker and Thomas. They worked with other architects, Herbert D. Hale and Henry G. Morse. The construction was handled by the Wells brothers, W. W. and E. A. Wells. This same team had also worked together on the Belvedere Hotel a few years earlier. The Belvedere Hotel is another beautiful building in Baltimore, designed in the same Beaux-Arts architecture style.

What Makes the B&O Headquarters Building Special?

This 13-story office building was finished in 1906. It was the main office for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for 75 years. The building quickly became a landmark in downtown Baltimore. Its beauty and fancy design showed how powerful and important America's oldest and largest railroad was.

The inside of the building is very elegant. It has lobbies made of different kinds of marble. There are also fancy stairs and beautiful stained-glass windows made by Tiffany. The building uses seven different types of marble from six countries around the world.

The outside of the building is also special. The first three floors are covered in strong New Hampshire granite. The floors above that use Bedford stone. The decorative parts are made of terra cotta tile. The building has an "H" shape, which means many offices have windows and natural light. The main lobby has two grand white marble staircases, large chandeliers, and many detailed decorations.

How Was the Building Seen When It Was New?

When the B&O Headquarters Building was almost finished in 1906, The Baltimore Sun newspaper wrote a very positive article about it. The headline called it "A Palace for B. and O." and said it was a "Monument to City's Progressiveness." The article praised the building's design and decorations. It said the building was a lasting symbol of Baltimore's progress.

The newspaper also mentioned that it was the largest office building in Maryland at the time. It was even one of the finest buildings in the world for its style and completeness. The article talked about the amazing skill of the workers who built it. It also noted the building's huge size, with 1,600 windows. About 1,000 employees were expected to work there. The company dining room could feed 500 people at once!

When it was completed, the B&O Headquarters Building was the second tallest building in Baltimore. The only taller one was the Continental Trust Company Building, which was 16 stories high.

Interesting Facts About the Building's Opening

The current hotel in the building, Hotel Monaco, shares some fun facts about its opening. The B&O Headquarters opened its doors at midnight on September 12, 1906. More than 5,000 electric lights lit up the building, creating a "grand spectacle."

Oscar G. Murray was the president of the B&O Railroad when the new building opened. He chose to move into his office on September 13. The newspaper pointed out some interesting connections to the number 13. The building is 13 stories high. Murray started in the railroad business on January 13, 1872. He was also the 13th president of the railroad! His office number was 13, and his phone extension was also 13.

The building is also known for its amazing statues above the main entrance. These statues, Mercury and Progress of Industry, are believed to be older than the famous statues at New York's Grand Central Station. They represent transportation and business.

The B&O Railroad Headquarters Building is part of the Baltimore Business and Government Historic District. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 2001, Baltimore city officials and the Maryland Historical Trust named the B&O Building one of the city's ten most important historic buildings.

What Is the Building Used For Today?

After a three-year renovation, the B&O Headquarters Building reopened in 2009. It is now a 202-room Hotel Monaco, which is part of the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants chain. The building also has a restaurant called B&O American Brasserie. Besides the hotel and restaurant, there are still three floors of office space and a BB&T bank on the first floor. The building has a total of 220,500 square feet of space.

Gallery

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  Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, (left) and an allegorical feature called Progress of Industry, (right) cradling a locomotive, adorn the front entrance.

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  B&O Headquarters Building, circa 1910, soon after completion of construction. Note the trolley tracks on North Charles and West Baltimore Streets.

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  B&O Railroad Headquarters Building lobby

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  B&O Railroad Headquarters Building lobby stairway

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  Hotel Monaco sign on the corner