Baltimore's historic Inner Harbor area is home to several small communities that make up a trendy, growing residential area. Known for its maritime past, Fells Point—one local neighborhood founded in 1730—became a shipbuilding and commercial beacon, and Baltimore's famous Clipper Ships were built there. The bustling waterfront community remained a shipbuilding hub until the Civil War, when the industry moved to other larger areas.
Fells Point transitioned into a major manufacturing center, with many tobacco, flour, and coffee warehouses sprouting up during the 18th and 19th centuries. The area also became well known for its pub and malt house facilities, including Canal Street Malt House. Built in 1866 in the area now known as East Harbor, just four blocks from Fells Point, the building features red brick and colossal paned windows, reflecting Baltimore's industrial past.
During the early to mid-1900s, many of the neighborhood's manufacturing facilities left the city, a shift that eventually led to the decline of the area's historic buildings. But two years ago, local developer Union Box Co. renovated the Canal Street Malt House into a two-story, 38-unit urban loft residence. Local architect Parameter maintained the building's historic flavor, including its exposed concrete columns and 18- and 20-foot ceilings.
Canal Street Malt House features 13 units in the original building and 25 units in the residence's adjoining newer addition, which is connected to the warehouse with an exposed glass and steel elevator core and egress stair (inset). The property, on the edge of the city's Little Italy neighborhood, now features an open courtyard, large expanses of glass, and landscaped vistas.
Abby Garcia Telleria is a freelance writer in Costa Mesa, Calif.
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