William Donald Schaefer Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William Donald Schaefer Building |
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The William Donald Schaefer Building is the fourth-tallest building in Baltimore.
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| General information | |
| Location | 6 St. Paul St (northwest corner, E Baltimore St and St. Paul Street), Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Coordinates | 39°17′23″N 76°36′51″W / 39.2898°N 76.6141°W |
| Completed | 1986 |
| Opening | 1992 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 590 ft (180 m) |
| Roof | 493 ft (150 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37 |
| Floor area | 305,394 sq ft (28,372.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | Maryland Department of General Services |
The William Donald Schaefer Building is a very tall building in Baltimore, Maryland. People also call it the Schaefer Tower. It is the fourth-tallest building in the city.
This building is 37 floors high and reaches about 493 feet (150 meters) to its roof. But wait, there's more! A flagpole on top makes it even taller. The very top of the flagpole is about 590 feet (180 meters) high. This makes it the tallest point in the whole state!
Two important flags fly from the top of the Schaefer Tower. One is a large Star-Spangled Banner flag. This flag looks like the one that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The other is a smaller Maryland state flag. You can often see both flags clearly from many parts of downtown Baltimore.
The building is named after a famous person, William Donald Schaefer (1921–2011). He was the Mayor of Baltimore for many years (1971–1987). Later, he became the Governor of Maryland (1987–1995). He also served as the state's comptroller.
Building's Story
The Schaefer Building was first finished in 1986. It was built by a company called Merritt Savings and Loan. They wanted a big, impressive building for their offices in Baltimore County. They hoped it would show how successful their business was.
However, Merritt Savings and Loan faced some financial problems in 1985. Because of these issues, the building was sold. After a few different owners, the state of Maryland bought the building in 1992. They paid much less than it cost to build!
The state decided to use the building for many of its offices. They also renamed it to honor William Donald Schaefer. He was a very important leader for both Baltimore and Maryland.
What's Inside the Building?
The lower 29 floors of the Schaefer Building are filled with offices. More than 1,100 state employees work here. They are part of 14 different state agencies.
The top nine floors are not used as offices. They have maintenance areas and stairs that lead up to the roof. From the roof, you can climb a ladder to the very top of the spire where the flagpole is.
The building is known for its unique copper-colored roof. It also has a large, special window on the upper floors. This window looks out over Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Since 2008, a conference room for the Maryland Transit Administration is located on this floor.
Who Works Here?
Many important state offices are located in the Schaefer Tower. Here are some of them:
- The main office for the Maryland Transit Administration. They help manage public transportation.
- The Maryland Board of Contract Appeals.
- The Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs.
- The Maryland Office of People's Counsel.
- The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.
- The Office of the Public Defender.
- The Maryland Public Service Commission.
- The Maryland Teachers & State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans system.
Other state groups also have offices here. These include parts of the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Maryland Department of General Services. There are also offices for the Governor of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
