Carroll Mansion facts for kids
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Carroll Mansion
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Carroll Mansion in 2011
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 Location in Baltimore
Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 800 E. Lombard St., Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1811 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Late Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002182 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 25, 1973 |
The Carroll Mansion is a very old and important building in Baltimore, Maryland. It's also known as the Carroll-Caton House or the Carroll Mansion Museum. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about history.
Contents
The Mansion's Story
A Home for Important People
The Carroll Mansion was built around 1811. It stood at the corner of Lombard and Front Streets. Back then, this area was a very rich part of Baltimore.
In 1818, a man named Richard Caton bought the house. He paid $20,000 for it. Richard was married to Mary, who was the youngest daughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Charles Carroll was a very famous person. He was one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence.
For the last twelve years of his life, Charles Carroll lived in this house during the winters. Many important guests came to visit him there. Charles Carroll of Carrollton passed away in this very house.
The Caton family lived in the mansion until 1846. After that, no one from their family lived there anymore.
A Changing Neighborhood
The mansion was empty for eleven years. Then, in 1855, a group called the Sisters of Mercy bought it. The neighborhood had changed a lot by then. It was no longer the richest part of town. Instead, many poor immigrants lived there.
The Sisters of Mercy rented out the mansion. The first floor became a saloon, which is like a pub. The second floor was rented as apartments for German and Russian Jewish families. In 1868, the Sisters sold the mansion for only $1,000.
Over the next forty years, the Carroll Mansion was used for many different things. It was a saloon again, and then a furniture store. In 1904, newspapers reported that it was being used as a sweatshop. A sweatshop is a place where people work long hours for very little pay, often making clothes.
Becoming a School and Museum
In 1914, the mansion was given to the City of Baltimore. Four years later, in 1918, it became Baltimore's first vocational school. This means it taught students practical skills for jobs. The mansion's large rooms were used as classrooms. The outdoor areas held workshops for different trades.
The vocational school taught skills like tailoring, printing, and auto mechanics. It stayed open until 1928. After that, the Carroll Mansion was fixed up. It opened to the public as a museum, showing old and valuable items.
The mansion had more big changes in 1935. It got new showers, indoor toilets, and a new heating system. From 1937 to 1954, it was called The Carroll Mansion Recreation Center. Then, its doors closed again.
Saving a Historic Landmark
In the 1960s, there were plans to tear down the mansion. A gas station was going to be built in its place. But the people of Baltimore did not want this to happen. They protested to save the historic building.
When Theodore McKeldin became mayor in 1962, he promised to restore the mansion. He wanted to improve the city. After a lot of hard work to fix it up, the Carroll Mansion opened again in 1967. It became a museum once more.
The museum started collecting items from the 1820s and 1830s. These were the years when the Caton and Carroll families lived there. In 1985, the mansion became part of the Baltimore City Life Museums. The collection grew to include old wallpaper, paint, china, silver, and furniture from that time. The mansion was a museum for thirty years, from 1967 to 1997. Then, its doors closed again.
The Mansion Today
The museum stayed closed until 2002. Then, a group called Carroll Museums, Inc. reopened it. The Carroll Mansion is still open today. You can take tours to learn about its history. It also shows different art exhibits.
Currently, the museum is managed by Poe-Baltimore. They host changing exhibits about the Poe family. They also have concerts, art shows, and other events.
Mansion Design
The Carroll Mansion is a great example of Federal Period architecture in Baltimore. This style was popular in the United States after it became a country. The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This list includes important historic places across the country.
Who Manages the Mansion Now?
Poe-Baltimore manages the Carroll Mansion for the City of Baltimore. In the fall of 2024, the mansion started hosting the Poe Death Exhibit. It also has the Raven Room, which features a large mural by artist Michael Kirby. There are also displays that show the history of the Poe family.
