William Donald Schaefer Building

Last updated

William Donald Schaefer Building
William Donald Schaefer Building.jpg
The William Donald Schaefer Building is the fourth-tallest building in Baltimore.
William Donald Schaefer Building
General information
Location6 St. Paul St (northwest corner, E Baltimore St and St. Paul Street), Baltimore, Maryland, US
Coordinates 39°17′23″N76°36′51″W / 39.2898°N 76.6141°W / 39.2898; -76.6141
Completed1986
Opening1992
Height
Antenna spire590 ft (180 m)
Roof493 ft (150 m)
Technical details
Floor count37
Floor area305,394 sq ft (28,372.0 m2) [1]
Design and construction
Developer Maryland Department of General Services
References
[2] [3]

The William Donald Schaefer Building (a.k.a.William Donald Schaefer Tower or simply Schaefer Tower, previously known as Merritt Tower) is the fourth-tallest building in the City of Baltimore, Maryland, located at 6 St. Paul Street. Originally completed by Merritt Savings and Loan in 1986 and later re-opened under state management in 1992, [3] the building rises 37 floors and 493 feet (150 m) in height. [2] Office space constitutes the lower 29 floors, housing more than 1,100 employees in 14 state agencies. The nine upper floors are unoccupied, containing a maintenance area, cement staircase, a ladder to the rooftop deck and then an eight-floor spiral staircase leading to the top of the spire and the flagpole. [4]

Contents

The flagpole atop the building reaches to 590 feet (180 m), higher than any building in the state. [5] The flags flown from the tower's poles are (by order of former Governor Martin O'Malley) a large and noticeable Star-Spangled Banner flag (a recreation of that flown over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812); and a smaller Maryland state flag. Both are usually clearly visible throughout the downtown area and most of the city. [5]

The iconic building was renamed for William Donald Schaefer (1921–2011), who served as the Mayor of Baltimore (1971–1987), [2] Governor of Maryland (1987–1995), and state comptroller (1999–2007). [2]

History

The Merritt Commercial Savings and Loan Association, originally from Merritt Boulevard in the southeast Baltimore County suburban area of Dundalk, was one of several savings and loan associations (S&Ls) which had experienced rapid growth in deposits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. To invest a portion of this capital and increase its prestige, Merritt S&L constructed the Merritt Tower to replace its small brick offices on the west side of St. Paul Street just above East Baltimore Street. The new building would also overshadow the headquarters of rival Baltimore Federal S&L, a recreated Georgian/Federal-style building known as "Colonial Corner" which had dominated St. Paul Street since the 1950s, and the headquarters of many of the traditional larger banks and insurance companies which had dominated the city's skyline since the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904.

The Merritt Association went bankrupt along with several other major S&Ls in the metropolitan area during the aftermath of the Old Court Savings and Loans financial embezzlement scandals, following a run on its deposits in 1985. [6] The Merritt Tower was sold at auction for US$30 million. [5]

After a succession of owners, the Maryland state Department of General Services purchased the building from Chemical Bank of New York for US$12.2 million, which was less than half of the building's estimated cost, and eventually planned to use it for supplemental center-city state offices in addition to the long-time "State Office Building Complex" (formerly known as the Mount Royal Plaza). [5] It was renamed for William Donald Schaefer who served as city mayor (1971–1987) and state governor (1987–1995).

Building characteristics

The building was an immediate landmark for its scale and copper-colored metal-clad roof. The upper floors were designed as a loft apartment with a huge palladian window overlooking the inner harbor. It was to be a "shag pad" for the personal and private use of the developer (the president of Merritt S&L). The floor in front of the window had been scheduled to have a hot tub installed and the upper mezzanine-style half-floors on the left and right sides of the space were to be bedroom areas for his personal entertainment. As of 2008, the now-finished floor is a conference room for the Maryland Transit Administration. [7]

Tenants

The Schaefer Tower houses several state agencies. These include the headquarters of the Maryland Transit Administration, [8] [9] the Board of Contract Appeals (suite 601), [9] [10] the Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs (suite 1502), [9] [11] the Maryland Office of People's Counsel (suite 2102), [9] [12] the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (suite 900), [9] [13] the Office of the Public Defender (suite 1400), [9] [14] the Maryland Public Service Commission, [9] [15] and the Maryland Teachers & State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans system (suite 200). [9] [16] It also houses branch offices of the Department of Assessments and Taxation, the Department of General Services, an office suite for the Governor of Maryland, the Governor's Office of Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, and the Property Tax Assessment Appeal Boards. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore County, Maryland</span> County in Maryland, United States

Baltimore County is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state. Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent city of Baltimore. It is part of the Northeast megalopolis, which stretches from Northern Virginia in the south to Boston in the north and includes major American population centers, including New York City and Philadelphia. Major economic sectors in the county include education, government, and health care. As of the 2020 census, the population was 854,535. The county is home to several universities, including Goucher College, Stevenson University, Towson University, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

The University System of Maryland (USM) is a public university system in the U.S. state of Maryland. The system is composed of the eleven campuses at College Park, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Princess Anne, Towson, Salisbury, Bowie, Frostburg, Hagerstown, Rockville, Cambridge, and Adelphi, along with four regional higher education centers located throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Baltimore</span> Public university in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

The University of Baltimore is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland. UBalt's schools and colleges provide education in business, law, public affairs, and the applied arts and sciences. The university is the location of one of Maryland's two law schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Penn Station</span> Intercity rail station in Maryland

Baltimore Penn Station—formally, Baltimore Pennsylvania Station—is the main inter-city passenger rail hub in Baltimore, Maryland. Designed by New York City architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison (1872–1938), it was constructed in 1911 in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is located at 1515 N. Charles Street, about a mile and a half north of downtown and the Inner Harbor, between the Mount Vernon neighborhood to the south, and Station North to the north. Originally called Union Station because it served the Pennsylvania Railroad and Western Maryland Railway, it was renamed to match the PRR's other main stations in 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Donald Schaefer</span> American politician

William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. As a Democrat, he was the 45th mayor of Baltimore from December 1971 to January 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987, to January 18, 1995, and the 32nd Comptroller of Maryland from January 20, 1999, to January 17, 2007. On September 12, 2006, he was defeated in his reelection bid for a third term as Comptroller by Maryland Delegate Peter Franchot in the Democratic Party primary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parris Glendening</span> American politician

Parris Nelson Glendening is an American politician and academic who served as the 59th governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. He previously served as the county executive of Prince George's County, Maryland from 1982 to 1994 as a member of the Democratic Party. In 1999, Glendening was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power Plant Live!</span> Collection of businesses in the Inner Harbor section of Baltimore, Maryland, US

Power Plant Live! is a collection of bars, restaurants and other businesses in the Inner Harbor section of downtown Baltimore, Maryland. It was developed by The Cordish Companies and opened in phases during 2001, 2002, and 2003. The entertainment complex gets its name from the nearby "Power Plant" building, three blocks south on municipal Pier 4 on East Pratt Street facing the Inner Harbor, which was also later re-developed by Cordish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Light RailLink</span> Light rail system in Baltimore

The Baltimore Light RailLink is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and its northern and southern suburbs. It is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. In downtown Baltimore, it uses city streets. Outside the central portions of the city, the line is built on private rights-of-way, mostly from the defunct Northern Central Railway, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad and Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. The system had a ridership of 3,546,300, or about 15,400 per weekday, as of the third quarter of 2024.

Melvin A. Steinberg is an American politician who served as the fifth lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1987 to 1995 under Governor William Donald Schaefer. He was also President of the Maryland State Senate from January 1983 to 1987, and a member of the State Senate from 1967 until his election to the position of lieutenant governor. Steinberg graduated from the University of Baltimore with an A.A. degree in 1952 and with a J.D. degree in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Street (Baltimore)</span> State Highway in Maryland, US

Charles Street, known for most of its route as Maryland Route 139, runs through Baltimore and the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end, it terminates at an intersection with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 (I-695). At the south end, it terminates in Federal Hill in Baltimore. Charles Street is one of the major routes through Baltimore, and is a major public transportation corridor. For the one-way portions of Charles Street, the street is functionally complemented by the parallel St. Paul Street, including St. Paul Place and Preston Gardens, Maryland Avenue, Cathedral Street, and Liberty Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Maryland Comptroller election</span>

The 2006 Maryland Comptroller election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic State Comptroller William Donald Schaefer ran for a third term, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Peter Franchot, a State Delegate from Montgomery County. On the Republican side, Anne McCarthy, the former dean of the University of Baltimore business school, won a crowded primary and faced off against Franchot. In the general election, Franchot defeated McCarthy and became the next Comptroller of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Franchot</span> American politician (born 1947)

Peter Van Rensselaer Franchot is an American politician who was the 33rd comptroller of Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, Franchot served for 20 years in the Maryland House of Delegates representing Takoma Park and Silver Spring. He was elected comptroller in 2006, and was subsequently re-elected three times. Franchot unsuccessfully ran for governor of Maryland in 2022, placing third in the Democratic primary behind Tom Perez and Wes Moore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transamerica Tower (Baltimore)</span> Mixed use in Baltimore, Maryland

100 Light Street is a 40-story, 528 ft (161 m) skyscraper completed in 1973 in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. It occupies the city block bounded by South Charles, East Lombard, Light and East Pratt Streets. It is the tallest building in Baltimore and in Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel I. Rosenberg</span> American politician (born 1950)

Samuel Isadore Rosenberg is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing northwest Baltimore since 1983. He is currently the longest serving member of the Maryland General Assembly.

The Baltimore City District Courthouses of the District Court of Maryland are located at North Avenue, Wabash Avenue, Patapsco Avenue and E. Fayette Street in Baltimore, Maryland, and serve as the courts of first impression for the majority of residents in Baltimore City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cloisters (Lutherville, Maryland)</span> Historic house in Maryland, United States

The Cloisters, also known as Cloisters Castle, is a historic home in Lutherville, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The building was completed in 1932, after three years of construction. The house is 4 story house, irregular in elevation and plan with much architectural ornament. It is built of large, random-sized blocks of a native gray and gold colored rock known as Butler stone, with details principally of sandstone, wood from the site, plaster, and wrought iron. Many structural elements were salvaged from other buildings in the US and Europe, including several items from the Glen Ellen Mansion, which had been near Loch Raven Reservoir. The main façade is dominated by two asymmetrically placed, projecting sections topped by massive half-timbered gables that were originally part of a Medieval house in Domrémy, France. It also has a massive stone octagonal stair tower, which contains a stone and wrought-iron spiral staircase and is crowned by a crenellated parapet and a small, round, stone-roofed structure from which one can exit onto the roof of the main tower. The house's roof is constructed of overlapping flagstones secured by iron pins, the only roof of this kind in America.

The headquarters of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender is located in the William Donald Schaefer Tower; Suite 1400, 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Natasha Dartigue is the Public Defender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Maryland gubernatorial election</span>

The 1994 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic governor William Donald Schaefer was ineligible for re-election. Prince George's County Executive Parris Glendening emerged victorious from the Democratic primary after defeating several candidates. Maryland House minority leader Ellen Sauerbrey, who would also be the 1998 Republican nominee for governor, won her party's nomination.

References

  1. "William Donald Schaefer Tower". Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "William Donald Schaefer Tower". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  3. 1 2 "Donald Schaefer Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  4. Oxenden, Mckenna (25 July 2019). "You asked: What's at the top of that weird spire in Baltimore's skyline? We took a reader up to find out". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Rosen, Andy (June 19, 2008). "What's atop the Schaefer Tower?". The Daily Record (Maryland) . Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  6. Brandenburg v. Seidel,859F.2d1179, 1181(4th Cir.1988).
  7. "What's atop the Schaefer Tower in Baltimore?" The Baltimore Daily Record . June 20, 2008. Retrieved on September 18, 2012.
  8. "Contact MTA." Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "Maryland Transit Administration 6 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21202-1614"
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "DGS Managed Facilities William Donald Schaefer Tower." Maryland Department of General Services. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "Location 6 Saint Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202"
  10. "Home." Maryland Board of Contract Appeals. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "6 St. Paul Street, Suite 601 | Baltimore, MD 21202-1608"
  11. "Contact Us." Maryland Governor's Office of Minority Affairs. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "Governor's Office of Minority Affairs Suite 1502 6 Saint Paul Street Baltimore MD 21202 "
  12. "Home." Maryland Office of People's Counsel. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "6 Saint Paul Street, Suite 2102 - Baltimore, MD 21202"
  13. "Home." Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "6 St Paul Street, Suite 900 - Baltimore MD 21202 - 1-800-705-3493"
  14. "Contact." Maryland Office of the Public Defender. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "OPD Administration 6 Saint Paul Street Suite 1400 Baltimore, MD 21202 "
  15. "Contact Us." Maryland Public Service Commission. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "William Donald Schaefer Tower 6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202"
  16. "Directions to MSRP." Maryland Teachers & State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "Directions to MSRP Wm. Donald Schaefer Twr., Suite 200, 6 St. Paul St., Baltimore, Maryland 21202-1608"