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Union Brothers Furniture Company
Inventory No.:
B-5313
Other Name(s):
Plymouth Wallpaper Building
Date Listed:
2/7/2018
Location:
1120 S. Hanover Street (premises addresses include 37 W. Cross Street and 1118 Clarkson Street), Baltimore, Baltimore City
Category:
Building
Period/Date of Construction:
1923-1955
Architect/Builder:
Stanislaus Russell - Architect
Louis Ulman & Co. - Builder
Boundary Description:
The nominated property is recorded among the Land Records of Baltimore City, Maryland as Ward 23, Section 5, Block 948, Lots 4, 52/54, 65 through 69 and 74 through 77.
The nominated property, 0.442 acres, encompasses the city lots historically associated with the resource.
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Description:
The Union Brothers Furniture Building is an irregular-shaped brick factory building constructed in three distinct sections between 1923 and 1955, located southwest of the intersection of Cross and South Hanover Streets in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The building fronts on both South Hanover and West Cross Streets, surrounding a corner site that has been a filling station since the mid-1930s in the neighborhood known as South Baltimore. The Union Brothers building has gently sloping roofs, reading as flat, and reflects three distinct types of industrial architecture that typify the Baltimore region. The 37 West Cross Street and 1118 Clarkson Street structures reflect the utilitarian design typical of factory structures erected in the first quarter of the 20th century, consisting of simple brick walls with punched openings holding industrial steel sash windows. Structurally, 37 West Cross Street reflects the longstanding tradition of “Baltimore Mill Construction,” combining masonry with timber framing, while 1118 Clarkson Street utilizes the poured-in-place concrete construction techniques of the early 20th century. The 1120 South Hanover Street structure was constructed in 1955 and reflects many mid-century modern influences, including its single-story form comprising masonry bearing walls spanned by steel beams, more elaborate brick detailing, and a decorative streamlined aluminum entrance canopy. Some of the original windows appear to have been bricked in or replaced with modern insulated glass units, however the majority of the original industrial steel sash windows remain, many of which are in very good condition, protected behind the exterior brick infill. The Union Brothers Furniture Company building retains its original architectural character and possesses sufficient integrity to convey the history associated with the building and its occupants.
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Significance:
The Union Brothers Furniture Company, which operated between 1919 and 1972, incorporated evolving trends in manufacturing and employed new architectural styles to promote sales of their furniture pieces. The Union Brothers Furniture Company building, constructed between 1923 and 1955, is architecturally significant, embodying fundamentally intact examples of three distinctive architectural styles and construction techniques representative of the evolution of Baltimore’s industrial architecture. The building derives additional interest for its association with the growth and development of Baltimore’s furniture industry and also for association with the owners of the property, brothers Philip and Rubin Union and their partner Benjamin Ruttenberg, who assumed prominence and leadership roles within Baltimore’s furniture manufacturing community. The buildings retain sufficient integrity to convey these historic associations despite the limited modifications and minor loss of integrity to the structures.
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