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Evergreen Museum & Library facts for kids
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Evergreen House
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| Location | 4545 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
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| Area | 17 acres (6.9 ha) |
| Built | 1857-1858 |
| Architect | Multiple, including Laurence Hall Fowler |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 83002932 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 17, 1983 |
Evergreen Museum & Library is a special place in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a historic house that has been turned into a museum. It also has a large research library. This museum is located between the campuses of Notre Dame of Maryland University and Loyola University Maryland. Johns Hopkins University manages Evergreen, along with Homewood Museum. Together, they form the Johns Hopkins University Museums.
History of Evergreen House
This beautiful mansion was built in the mid-1800s. In 1878, John W. Garrett bought it. He was the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Railroads were a very important industry in the United States back then.
The Garrett family owned and ran one of the biggest railroad companies. Because of this, their home grew larger and became very fancy. John Garrett's son, Thomas Harrison Garrett, added new parts to the house. These included a billiard room, a bowling alley, and a gym.
Later, these rooms were changed into an art gallery and a private theater. The Garrett family lived in Evergreen until 1952. Then, they gave the house to Johns Hopkins University. In 1983, Evergreen was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special historic site.
Architecture and Design
Evergreen House is a great example of "Gilded Age" architecture. The Gilded Age was a time in the late 1800s when many wealthy people built very grand homes. The house sits on 26 acres of beautiful land in Northern Baltimore.
The first design for the house was simpler. It was an Italianate style home. But when the Garretts owned it, it became a huge 48-room mansion. It even had a bathroom with 23-karat gold plating!
The house also features a library with 30,000 books. There is also a theater painted by the famous Russian artist Léon Bakst. The many decorations in the house show the Garretts' travels and interests. You can see a red Asian room with items from Japan and China. There are also artworks by famous artists like Picasso, Modigliani, and Degas. You can also find beautiful glass by Tiffany.
Today, Johns Hopkins University takes care of the museum. They offer guided tours so visitors can explore this amazing home.
The John Work Garrett Library
The John Work Garrett Library is a special part of Johns Hopkins University. It is managed by the Department of Special Collections. The library has more than 30,000 books. Most of these books were collected by John Work Garrett (1872–1942) and his father, Thomas Harrison Garrett.
The collection is especially strong in English Renaissance literature. This includes early editions of Shakespeare's plays from 1623, 1632, and 1663. The library also has many books on natural history. One example is the original drawings for Mineral Conchology of Great Britain by James Sowerby.
Other important collections include travel books, architecture books, and early American writings. For example, it has the original handwritten book of The History of the Ancient and Honorable Tuesday Club by Alexander Hamilton. The library also has a small but special collection of very old printed books and prayer books.
The museum also holds the oldest known example of printing from colonial Maryland. It is a small booklet printed by Nicholas Hasselbach. He opened the first printing shop in Baltimore in 1765.