collection1b

collection1b

March 16, 2014

The Lancaster Pen Co.


When the Lancaster Pen Co. relocated after the great Baltimore fire of 1904, its new address was, first of all, 2107 Druid Hill Ave., and then soon after it moved to 882 Park Ave.  But then between the years 1905 and 1908, they also opened up at 413 E. Baltimore St., which was in the Red Light district known as “The Block”.  This is what it looks like today.
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.289752%2C-76.60962600000002&cbp=%2C177.09%2C%2C0%2C-9.730003&layer=c&panoid=JY0qIyI2Gcx1BFQSWVzi8A&spn=0.18000000000000788%2C0.30000000000001953&output=classic&cbll=39.289752%2C-76.609626

And it was located cross the street from what was later the Burlesk Theater shown in this Shorpy’s photo from 1941-42.
Click this link to make the photo appear.


Which looks like this today.
https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-76.609742!3d39.289748!2m2!1f6.36!2f101.43!4f75!2m4!1e1!2m2!1skOQE-D00Jm1anQENALiOEA!2e0&fid=5
 

It’s also just one block away from the location of the first street gas lamp in North America, at the intersection of E. Baltimore & N. Holliday Streets.  Here’s a Google Street View showing the last gas lamp located at that corner as a monument to the first street gas lamps in Baltimore in 1816.  I can’t quite read the sign on the lamp post, but it probably commemorates the occasion.
https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d-76.610419!3d39.289723!2m2!1f32.17!2f84.85!4f29.7!2m4!1e1!2m2!1sUitrxY2qIOZpzjpnTA1PIA!2e0&fid=5

https://www.bge.com/aboutbge/pages/history.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lighting
 

George Kovalenko.
 
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