1897 - 119-121 Baltimore Street - Cumberland, Maryland - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

Over 100 buildings make up the Downtown Cumberland Historic District in Cumberland, Maryland. The narrow three-story building at 119-121 Baltimore Street is dated 1897 and faces north.

Flat stone covers the elevation of the street level storefront. Red brick laid in rows of alternating depths and patterns emphasizes the eight windows of the upper two floors. Painted a cream color with dark details, the cornice is mainly plain except for a series of five circles in a row topped by a set of narrow rectangles between horizontal bands. A carved stone square medallion centered among the four windows of the second floor features only the date "1897" surrounded by modest bas-relief leaf motif scrolls.

The 107 commercial, religious, and civic buildings that comprise the Downtown Cumberland Historic District reflect the prosperity and growth that ensued as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad converted this small town into a major transportation and industrial center. The district possesses an impressive collection of mid-19th to early 20th-century architectural styles, including Italianate, Art Deco, Beau Arts, Romanesque, and Georgian Revival. The well-preserved commercial buildings comprise the city's Central Business District, which remains an integral part of the town's economy.

...In the late 1970s, Baltimore Street was paved with bricks and became a pedestrian mall. Two buildings, 42-46 Baltimore Street and 118 Baltimore Street were successfully restored in the 1980s utilizing the Federal historic preservation tax credit. In 1997, the district was recognized as a Main Street Maryland community.

The heart of the Downtown Cumberland Historic District is the intersection of Baltimore and Centre Sts., bounded by their intersections with Bedford St. to the north, George St. on the east, Harrison St. to the south, and the Western Maryland railroad tracks to the west. Most of the buildings are either commercial or civic and are open to the public during normal business hours.

Source: Downtown Cumberland Historic District

Downtown Cumberland Historic District

The district is located in the heart of the downtown area along Baltimore Street, the formerly the main thoroughfare through the city. Baltimore Street is now a brick pedestrian mall. The street is lined with large multistory commercial buildings, most of which were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[2] These buildings, which were formerly banks, hotels, and department stores, are relics of the city's former wealth and importance during the industrial age. They now contain tourist oriented businesses such as sidewalk cafes, antique stores, boutiques and art galleries. Baltimore Street hosts some of the city's biggest sidewalk festivals and block parties. In the warmer months the weekly Farmers Market will draw hundreds downtown and often evenings there will be activities such as outdoor dining with live music or block parties.

Source:Wikipedia

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