MARYLAND IDSTORICAL TRUST DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY FORM
NR Eligible: yes_ no
Property Name: WestQQrt Power Station Inventory Number: B- 1062
Address: 2033 Kloman Street Zip Code: i1230 _
County: Baltimore City USGS Topographic Map: Baltimore West
Is the property being evaluated a district? _ yes
Tax Parcel Number: Tax Map Number: 25 Tax Account ID Number: 25 05 7612 003
Project: M_~gLe_v Agency: MTA
Site visit by MHT staff: X no yes Name: Date:
Is the property is located within a historic district? X yes no
If the property is within a district District Inventory Number: B-1342
NR-listed district yes Eligible district X yes Name of District: Westport
Preparer's Recommendation: Contributing resource _{(_yes no Non-contributing but eligible in another context __ yes
lfthe property is not within a district (or the property is a district) Preparer's Recommendation: Eligible X yes -- :--J Criteria: X A B X C D Considerations: A B c D E F
Documentation on the property/district is presented in: B-1062 MHT Form, "Baltimore: Industrial Gateway on the Chesapeake," by Latrobe, 1995.
Description of Property and Eligibility Determination: (Use continuation sheet if necessary and auach map and photo)
G X None
The Westport Power Station is a complex of numerous periods of construction and modification. The Boiler House and adjacent Engine Room to the north are of concrete construction. The former is a massive square structure which houses twentyfour large boilers which convert fossil fuels to steam. Three large 280 foot stacks serving these boilers have been dismantled and replaced by pollution control scrubbers. The building borders the southern boundary of the complex and forms the south facade. Although a single high story inside, the facade is broken by five stories of windows, giving it the appearance ofa manufacturing or warehousing facility.
The Engine Room is similarly broken into three stories and the 1925 addition on the north into four. These structures are also a single space inside. They contain the engines and turbine generators.
In contrast to these early concrete structures is the 1924 Frequency Change Building whose massing and fenestration is a totally modern use of concrete. Windows are long narrow slits which run from first floor to roof, giving the building a verticality lacking in the earlier building. The structure housed the converters to change the current from the 25 cycles at which it was generated into 60 cycles for transmission.
MARYLAND msTORICAL TRUST REVIEW
Eligibility recommended X Eligibility not recommended _
Criteria: ~ A B )( C D Considerations: A B_ C D_ E F _ G __ None
MHT Comments C ~·fv tb-VL f w',~ (\(,j ~-L-- -\c LV.t-? tfo-i.. t- ~D j fl;\ 7 c> rvtt-l41 b G.-
;{~_l;tr•t10lUY/ el«J l ~/e/ · otfi;,.b _ Q!~;ewerOJ.11fce of Pr<;S:rvat;on Servkes l / '? o/ O 2-::_Date - ___ _
Rev;~~ Date
NR-ELIGIBILITY REVIEW FORM
Westport Power Station
Page2
{3- !0G ~
The Westport Power Station of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, when completed in 1906, was the largest reinforced concrete generating station in the world. It had the largest smokestack ever constructed in the Baltimore area, and it was considered to be tbe largest power station in the South. ln 1907, the station produced eighty percent of the company's total electric output, and by 1908, one hundred percent. The plant, with many additions to the original building, is still in use today, albeit in a diminished capacity.
The complex is eligible for the National Register under criterion A, as it relates directly to the growth and industrialization of Baltimore, and also under criterion C, for its distinction as "the largest reinforced concrete generating station in the world." It is a contributing resource to the Westport Historic District, B-1342.
Prepared by: Brian Michael Lione, EACA Date Prepared: 6/2/2002
• tNTElnO .. ··-Gi!Ol.Q()tC '- L. SURVEY, Rf:SJON . Yt ltGINIA- 1970
ASHING TON , D C. :W M l./ f GLEN BURNIE 6 :'.(Mt
Heavy-duty
ROAD CLASSIFICATION
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Medium·duty -==-= _ Unimproved dirt ""''"''"" ,..." °'''": "
() Interstate Route [~j U.S. Route Q State Route
Location: 039° 15' 35.2" N 076° 38' 01 . 7" W
B- IOG~
Name: BAL Tl MORE WEST Date: 6/5/2002 Scale: 1 inch equals 1333 feet
Caption: B-1062, Westport Power Station, contributing resource to Westport Historic District, B-1342
Copyright (C) 1997, Maptech. Inc.
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Westport Power Station Baltimore City, Maryland B- 1062 private, 1906
Statement of Significance
The Westport Powe r Station of the Baltimore Gas and Electri c Company,
when completed in 1906, was the largest reinforced concrete generating
station in the world . It had the largest smokestack ever constructed in
the Baltimore area , and it was considered to be the largest power station
in the South . In 1907 , the station produced eighty percent of the
company's total electric output, and by 1908, one hundred percent. The
plant , with many additions to the original building, i s still in use today.
:aryland Historical Trust State Historic Sites Inventory Form
1. Name (indica te pref erred name )
historic Westport Power Station
and/or common
2. Location
street & number 203 3 Kleman Str eet
city, town Balt imore
state Maryland
3. Classification C•tegory _district·
\_ bulldlng{s) _ structure
_ site _object
Ownership _ public _x_ private _ both Public Acquisition _ In process _ being considered __x.not applicable
_ vicinity of
county
Status _x_ occupied _unoccupied _work in progress Accessible _yes: restricted _ yes: unrestricted _no
Surve y No. B- 106 2
Magi No· 0410 6 2 5 716
DOE __yes no
congressional district
Present Use _ agriculture _ commercial _ educational _ entertainment _ government _ industrial _ military
_ not for publication
_museum _park _ private residence _ religious _ scientific _ transportation
f-o~her: uti l ity
4. Owner of Property <s1ve names and mailing addr esse s of all owner s ) .. ·.· I _ ', , ' '
name Baltimore Gas and Elec t ric Comp any .. , : ' )
street & number Box 1475
city, town Baltimore stat e and zi p code Mar y l and 21203
5. Location of Legal Description
courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Bal timor e City Courthouse l iber SCL 5080
street & number Fayette and Cal ve rt St reets 314
folio
city, town Baltimore state Maryl and
6. Representation in Existing Historical survey s
le none
date _ federal _state _county _ local
depository for survey records
city, town state
7. Description
Condition _ excellent -*- good _ fair
Check one _ deteriorated _ unaltered _ ruins ..x- altered _ unexposed
Check one _x_ original site _ moved date of move
Survey No . B-l062
Prepare both a summary paragraph and a general description of the resource and its various elements as it exists today.
The Westport Power Station, begun in 1905, was built using the latest construction techniques available. The Boiler House and adjacent Engine Room to the north are of concrete construction. The former is a massive square structure which houses twenty-four large boilers which convert fossil f uels to steam . Three large 280 foot stacks serving these boilers have been dismantled and replaced by pollution control scrubbers. The building borders the southern boundary of the complex and forms the south facade. Although a single high story inside, the facade is broken by five stories of windows, giving it the appearance of a manufacturing or warehousing facility .
The Engine Room is similarly broken into three stori es and the 1925 addition on the north into four . These structures are also a single space inside. They contain the engines and turbine generators.
In contrast to these early concrete structures is the 1924 Frequency Change Building whose massing and fenest ration is a totally modern use of concrete. Windows are long narrow slits which run from first floor to roof , giving the building a verticality lacking in the earlier building. The structure housed the converters to change the current from the 25 cycles at which it was generated into 60 cycles f©r transmission.
One of the most important features of this complex is the coal elevators and wharves which allowed the plant to be supplied by barge. Twin tower cranes served a system of conveyors which filled the hoppers in the Boil er House. Though s l ightl y altered, they are still in use.
8. Significance Survey No. B-1062
• •rlod Areas of l lgnlflcanc--Check and Justify below _ prehistoric _ 1400-1499 _1~1599
_1~1699
_ 17~1799
T1~1s99 __ 1~
_ archeology-prehistoric _ community planning _ landscape architecture_ rellglon _ arc:heology-hlstorlc _ conservation _ law _ science _ agriculture _ economics _ literature _ sculpture _ architecture _ education _ mllltary _ social/ _ art _ engineering _ music humanltartan _ commerce _exploration/settlement _ phllosophy _theater _ communications _ Industry _ politics/government _ transpot;tatlon
Specific dates 1906
check: Applicable Criteria: and/or
Applicable Exception:
Level of Significance:
_ Invention L other (specify) (util i ty)
Builder/ Architect
A B C D
A B C D E F G
national state local
Prepare both a summary paragraph of significance and a general statement of history and support.
The Westport Power Station of the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, when completed in 1906 , was the largest reinforced concrete generating station in the world. It had the largest smokestack ever constructed in the Balt i more area , and i t was considered to be the largest power station in the South . In 1907, the station produced eighty percent of the company's total electric output , and by 1908, one hundred percent. The plant is still in use today.
The Westport Power Pl ant of the Baltimore ·Gas and Electric Company was constructed in 1906 out of a great need for a modern central generation plant. It was Built on a 23 acre tract of land known as the Westport property·. This tract, located on the Patapsco River, was chosen Because of its close proximity to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Western Maryland Railway tracks . In addition, coal was received from the Pennsylvania Railroad by water transport. Water for the plant's boilers was obtained from the patapsco River. Original ly the p l ant was equipped with four 2000 kilowatt alternators, whi ch were driven by 3000 horsepower reciprocating steam engines. The current was sent by cables to the McClellan Alley, Penn Street and Monument Street stations , which in turn changed the current to a frequency suitable for customer use . By 1908, the station produced one hundred percent of Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power Company's (now Baltimore Gas and Electric) electr i c output.
Later~ a 5000 kilowatt generator was added to the or i ginal plant. In addi tion, the plant was expanded to increase i ts capacity to 72 , 000 horsepower. This increase allowed the Monument and Goul d Street power plants to be shut down . In 1924, Westport was further expanded by the addition of a new 13,000 volt switchhouse_. and in 1939, a 26, 000 kilowatt
1steam turbine generator
9. Major Bibliographical References Survey No. B-1062
Thomson King Consolidated of Baltimore Baltimore, 1950 vertical files Enoch Pratt Public Library
1 O. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property --------Quadrangle name ______ _ Quadrangle scale ______ _
UTM References do NOT complete UTM references
ALU I I I I I I I I I 8 W I I 1 I I I I I I Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing
cLLJ _I _I ____ I ~I .._.__..___ __ oLLJ ~I l ______ I _I ---------E LJ..J I I I ..._I ....._.............._ __
F LLJ I I I _I ---------G LLl I I I ,__I ...__............._ __ H LLJ I I I Verbal boundary description and justification
D~ . q .
List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries
state code county code
state code county code
11. Form Prepared By
name/title Lisa Turowski., Leslie Barr, Dennis Zembala
organization Balti more Museum of Industry date July 1983 t : : ' I ~ , :, · · ,: ·:· ,. .. · r • , 1 1· · »
street & number 1415 Key Highway telephone 7 2 7 - 4 8 0 8 r • f· . -· . ' ~ '
city or town Baltimore state Maryland
... '•
• ; . ·' 1 I 1 "J
The Maryland Historic Sites Inventory was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, A~t'icie 4i, Section 18l KA, 1974 supplement.
. The. survey and inventory are being prepared for informat~on and · ··· ret ard purposes only and do not constitute any infringement of
individual property rights.
return to: Maryland Historical Trust Shaw House 21 State Circle Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (301) 269-2438
PS-2746
Westport Power Station Baltimore Ci ty, Maryland B-1062 8.1
was added. Westport was expanded again in 1950 with the addition of a 66,000 kilowatt tur bine, and again in 1970 when a combustion turbine unit with a 132,000 kilowatt rating was put into service. As of 1982, Westport Power Station had a total capacity of 346,500 kilowatts, and was the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company ' s only power station generating 25 cycle power. Today, with many additions to the original building, the Westport Power Station is still in use.
0 6 HAER INVENTORY Hi storic Ameri can Engineering Fiecord Department o f the Interior, Wosl11 ngton, D. C. :02..lO 1. SITE ID. NO
2. INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION 3.PRIORtTY
v +- 1 l 1 t 5 DATE
4 OANGERCFOEMOllTION? tSPECIFY THREAn
6 GOVT SOURCE OF THREAT.----..--
7 OWNERIA.OMIN
a ves 121 NO O u l"KNOWN
, ••• 8 ~ I f- 1 l'1'I o r-e G" $ 1' £ J e <: + r 1 c:. G o ,
8 NAMEtSIOF STRUCTURE
10 STATE
COUNTY
11 SITE ADORESStSTREET & NO'
15 CONDITION 70 Q EXCELLENT
16 INVENTORIED BY
7t(il GOOO
CITYl\/ICINITY
60.lr•rnore-CONG DIST
9 OWNER'S ADDRESS
80 y: I l/ 7 5'"
STATE
COUNTY
12 EXISTING SURVEYS
Q NR
COUNTY NAME·
Q NHL
Q CONF
13 SPECIAL FEATURiS10ESCRIBE BELOW!
O •NTERIOR INTACT
SCALE ~ I 24 0 1.62 5
O OTHEP
:>CALE •0 1 24 0 1 o2.5
O OTHE'l
72 Q FAIR 7JQ DETERIORATEO 75Q UNEXPOSED
17 DESCRIPTION ANO BACKGROUNOHISTORY l"ICLUOINGCONSTRUCTION OATE(S~ HISTORICAL OATEtSI PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS. MATERIALS, EXT ANT EQUIPMENT ANO IMPORT ANT BUILDERS ENGINEERS ETC
18 ORIGINAL USE (~ESENfUSE vf-1 f, ry
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