Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Part 2: A Tour of the Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower!

Richard, Rob, Tom and Jim after the clock tower tour
Yesterday we told you about a visit we took to Baltimore's landmark Bromo Seltzer Tower and explained what Bromo Seltzer was. Today we'll take you up to the famous clock tower. There's a lot of cool things about this structure, so join us with our friends Jim and Richard as we take you on a tour of this landmark!  (For Superhero fans, it reminded me of the clock tower the Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl had her apartment in). - Rob and Tom
Rob and Tom in the tower

 


A Tour of the Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower! 

Rob and Richard

WHAT IS THE BROMO-SELTZER TOWER? -  Emerson Tower often referenced as Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower is a 15-story, 88 meter (289 foot-high) skyscraper erected in 1911 at the corner of Eutaw and Lombard Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, designed by Joseph Evans Sperry for Bromo-Seltzer inventor "Captain" Isaac E. Emerson. It was the tallest building in Baltimore from 1911 until 1923.

The tower and former factory
Rob and Jim
MODELED AFTER AN ITALIAN TOWER - The design of the tower along with the original factory building at its base was inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, which was seen by Emerson during a tour of Europe in 1900. Systems engineering for the building's original design was completed by Henry Adams.

Inside the clock tower
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ADJACENT BROMO-SELTZER FACTORY? - The factory was demolished in 1969 and replaced with a firehouse. Bromo Seltzer tower on Eutaw Street in 1912. The Bromo-Seltzer Tower remains one of Baltimore's most distinctive landmarks.

THE CLOCK IS REMARKABLE! - The building features four clock faces adorning the tower's 15th floor on the North, South, East and West sides. Installed by the Seth Thomas Clock Company at an original cost of $3,965 they are made of translucent white glass and feature the letters B-R-O-M-O S-E-L-T-Z-E-R, with the Roman numerals being less prominent.

HOW IS IT LIT UP? HOW DOES IT WORK? - The dials, which are illuminated at night with mercury-vapor lamps, are 24 feet (7.3 meters) in diameter, and the minute and hour hands approximately 12 and 10 feet (3.7 and 3.0 meters) in length respectively. Originally driven by weights, the moving parts are now electrically powered.

NEEDED TO GET "OFF THE BOTTLE"-  The tower originally had a 51 foot (16 meter) Bromo-Seltzer bottle, glowing blue and rotating. Weighing 20 tons (18.1 tonnes), it was lined with 314 incandescent light bulbs and topped with a crown on a clear night it could be seen from 20 miles away.The bottle was removed in 1936 because of structural concerns.

Inside the Clock Tower 15 stories up
TOWER ABANDONED AND RE-OPENED - The tower was virtually abandone
Richard and Rob
d in 2002, but in early 2007 the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts began renovations to transform the building into 33 artists' studios. The Baltimore Fire Department's John F. Steadman Fire Station, which opened in 1973 and is situated at the tower's base, houses BCFD Hazmat 1, Airflex 1, Medic1, Medic 23, MAC23, Engine 23, Rescue 1, and formerly Truck 2.

The Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is included within the Baltimore National Heritage Area.

Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

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