Endangered Maryland

The iconic 148-foot tower was designed by a local architect and erected in 1905. It sits at the convergence of distinct city neighborhoods, including Hampden, a former mill town; Roland Park, a turn-of-the-century suburban community; and Hoes Heights, a neighborhood comprised, in part, of rowhouses built for African-American servicemen returning from World War II, according to architect Matthew Fitzsimmons, AICP, a member of the Friends of the Roland Water Tower.

The tower, its staircase, and the surrounding park-like setting represented the aesthetic principles and values of the City Beautiful Movement, a turn-of-the-century planning and design movement inspired by the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.

Although the tower’s utilitarian function ceased during the 1930s, it played an important role in the development and improvement of Baltimore’s water supply, says Fitzsimmons.

“At the time of its operation, cities were plagued with public-health issues attributed to the lack of clean water and proper sanitation, which today we take for granted. The internal riveted standpipe held in excess of 200,000 gallons of mineral water that came from natural springs in the area and was used by the growing Roland Park community to the north. The water tower’s marriage of function and aesthetics captures the spirit of early-20th-century urban progress.”

Since the 1930s, the tower has served as a radio transmitter; the grounds’ looping drive, which once accommodated a trolley line, was eventually used as a bus turnaround.

Today, the tower’s decrepit state is perceived as a public endangerment. Pieces of terra cotta and soffit boards have fallen from the belvedere onto the ground below, says Fitzsimmons. “The city, at the request of concerned residents, erected a chain-link fence to secure the grounds. The fence is emblematic of the city’s current budgetary constraint.”

Recently, the Greater Roland Park Master Plan established the preservation of the water tower and the restoration of the grounds as a shared community park.

“Many people who live near the water tower don’t have their own private yards,” says Fitzsimmons. “The grounds would provide an intimate and comfortable open space for local residents of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. In its current state of disrepair, and with the installation of a tall chain-link fence, the property is unsafe and unwelcoming. Its neglected condition also creates a barrier between neighborhoods and an impediment to casual socialization among neighbors.”

An estimated $2 million is needed to restore the tower and beautify the grounds into a park.

For more information, visit http://apps.facebook.com/causes/rolandh2otower.