In 1901 Baltimore was graced with a magnificent tower that loomed not only over the city but also across the Eastern Shore. A blue light emitted from 288 ft. in the air, the light source, was blue bottle with the words BROMO-SELTZER inscribed on it (Figure 1). In a town that had nothing going for it except for perhaps the Orioles, this structure was something to marvel at. There is a lot of history behind that historical and humongous clock in downtown Baltimore. The Bromo-Seltzer Tower Building has been a landmark in Baltimore since the early part of this century. This paper is meant to examine the effect that the Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower had on Baltimore and the reason why it is still standing today.
By the 1900’s Baltimore was known as the Monumental city due to vast collection of monuments erected throughout the city. Structural architectural was not a focus because Baltimore had hit its peak in the Revolutionary War and been on a down hill ever since.[i] Business was not coming in as it was for other cities in the west and north. Great migrations left Baltimore in a standstill economically it was neither failing nor progressing. The area of Lombard Street was a suburb, serving as a residential area.
“Captian” Issac Emerson wasn’t born into the city but rather the opposite; he was raised in spacious Chatham County, N.C. In 1879 he worked out and patented what would become the reason for his success. Emmerson created a simple tablet one can take in the morning after a heavy night of consuming libations to cure their aching mind. Bromo-Seltzer's great popularity was due, in part, to Emerson's early recognition of the importance of advertising to sales. As a young pharmacist he devised a way to earn a bundle of money. For every $60 of Bromo a person bought they would in return received a share of the Bromo-Seltzer Company. By the early 1900’s a share of the stock was valued well over $4000. It was with this money that helped contribute to the construction of the Bromo Tower. To design his tower Emerson needed to higher an architect, enter Joseph Evens Sperry. Joseph, a native of Georgetown, S.C., spent the majority of his life in Baltimore. Beginning at the age of 16 Sperry began his architectural practice, using 19th century architecture but with a touch of the 20th century by consulting engineers for mechanical and electrical design services. Sperry worked out of the Herald building, which he designed, until the Fire of 1904 destroyed it.
As Issac Emerson was wandering around Indonesia he happened to stumble upon an active volcano by the name of Mt. Bromo. The volcano is located in East Java Indonesia and is famously named after the Hindu God of creation.[ii] It was there that Emmerson conceived the idea for his factory building. In 1900 Issac contacted the budding architect Joseph Sperry. I believe Joseph was chosen for his eclectic style of design. He had been known for designing various building for Johns Hopkins University and the West Virginia University campuses. When Sperry first designed the tower it spanned over four feet of paper (Figure 2), it was intended to be a massive and spectacular building. The Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy influenced Sperry. The Palazzo is a 14th century stern stone structure topped by a crenellated gallery. On the top of the Palazzo is a 308-foot tall bell tower that was used as the cities alarm system. The Palazzo was home to the Medici, who were people of great power 1500’s, since then it has served as the office of the Mayor and it is currently a museum.[iii]
The Bromo-Selterz tower stands at 288 ft. with a factory for the Bromo-Selterz Company at the bottom. The tower itself is built with a steel frame with a masonry facade. Steel had just been a recent invention at this time. It allowed for self-supporting structures, which allowed for top-heavy masonry because it only needed to support itself and the rest of the structure. The tower is made out of special yellow brick with brown and blue glints[iv]. The foundation of the tower reaches down into the ground 30 feet giving the tower a structural hold at the bottom, stating that it was not built on top of a landfill thus allowing the building to withstand 100-mile gale winds that come with the harsh Baltimore winter.[1] Which made the building one of the strongest of its time, as well as being strong it also exhibited tasteful architecture (Figure 3).
The off center tower and materials used gives is a Romanesque quality but the decorations gives it a Renaissance Revival feel. In a publication of the Washington Post from 1993 the Bromo Tower was describes as being, “almost postmodern because it was of styles to create what would be design metaphors.” Although the postmodern movement did not occur until the 1970’s, 70 years after the towers construction. There is however signs that give it postmodern feel[v] such as the blue bottle on the top, which partially shifts the tower from Romanesque into something different. Another sign is that the weight of the tower is surprisingly not placed at the bottom but rather at the top causing it to be top heavy in comparison to the tapering towers of the time. Many of the tall buildings being constructed at this time were built from the smallest space such as a single office, then proceeded by the other surrounding rooms were build around that, it was then stacked on top of each other, practically being built inside out. This makes the tower uniform all the way which in turn makes all the floors uniform to where the elevator ends. After riding the elevator up to the 14th floor you still have to walk up two more flights of stairs to reach the clock.
With a total of fifteen floors only the first five served as the factory. The remaining ten floors served as offices for the executives and other employees. All the windows inside the structure were framed with original copper. The Seth Thomas Clock Co. of Thomaston, Conn., produced the clockworks for the four-sided clock on the 15th floor. The gravity clock that keeps Baltimoreans on time really stands out as a unique city icon. The clock is measured at 25 feet in diameter, with the hands spanning from nine feet to fifteen feet. The hands of the clock are constructed of laminated wood, which gives it a glow when the six 800 watt light bulbs light up the clock at 5 pm. The numbers on the face of the clock read out B-R-O-M-O-S-E-L-Z-E-R, instead of the usual 1-12, every time a commuter or a pedestrian looks up at the clock for the time they are reminded of Baltimore, “the home of Bromo”. Atop the Emerson Tower stood a 51 foot tall blue bottle with the name of the company inscribed on it. Sperry tried to use his Italian influence when he designed the bottle in which he embellished a turret like structure. The 600 lights that make up the 30-ton bottle, gives the building a sense of Florentine grace with a hint of American private enterprise.
Emerson clearly took elements of the Palazzo Veechio and added it to his vision of the Tower (Figure 4). The Palazzo Veechio was chose for several critical reasons. The Palazzo is clearly a symbol of strength, something Emerson was trying to convey to the city of Baltimore as well as the strength of his company. Emerson believed that Baltimore had great potential to become a city known for its culture and social power. The palazzo was also chosen because it is a symbol of protection. Before the removal of the blue bottle, the Emerson tower shone brightly along the waters of the Chesapeake allowing safe passage for boats entering Baltimore. I believe that the Palazzo was also an influential choice for three main reasons, it was a building that was used to attack their enemies, it was used as a place of protection, and it was used to alarm in case of an emergency. The Emerson tower carries these ideals with it, its attack was its high elevation that gave it an advantage to those on the ground, its defense was the watchful clock that kept a vigil through the night, and its alarm is the chime it makes on the hour.
After only being open for three years the unexpected happened, a great fire ravaged the city of Baltimore. On Sunday February 7, 1904 an explosion took place at Hurst & Company, located between Hopkins Place and Liberty Street. In area, the fire covered 160 acres, and many hundreds of buildings were demolished. With only a few exceptions (Sperry’s Mercantile Trust and Deposit Bank) all of the banks and trust companies were destroyed and a large number of contemporary office buildings were severely damaged including the Pratt Street Power Plant. It was in great thanks to the New York fireman in part with the Baltimore firemen that the city survived. The citizens of Baltimore took advantage of this tragic situation to reconstruct the great wharf property making Baltimore’s harbor one of the best on the sea coast, this was indication of Baltimore’s great future.
Baltimore’s rebuilding after the Great Fire of February 7 and 8, 1904 addressed many urgent needs the city previously had ignored. Some of its valuable lessons led to the standardization of fire fighting equipment and the establishment of emergency procedures at the city government level, while others emphasized the necessity of modernizing all cities. Baltimore and many of its downtown businesses faced serious challenges after the Fire. Some 1400 structures valued at about $13 million prior to the Fire were replaced by approximately 800 buildings worth some $25 million. Consequently, overall industrial progress suffered as building owners diverted investment capital to reconstruction. Due to the destruction of many of the major buildings in the downtown business district there was little for inspiration. So the future buildings had little to look to in the city. The Heiser, Rosenfeld, and Strauss Buildings located on South Paca and Lombard are an example of a building that was influenced by the Bromo Tower. The arched windows along with the rosary ornaments, dental work and rustication of the stonework give the building Romanesque qualities.
Through the years the Tower has under gone various renovations. In 1930 the iconic blue bottle was taken down because of structural concerns. The Emerson facilities were shut down in 1970 due to a buy out of the company (Figure 5). In the same year the facilities were converted into a fire station, later to be named The John Steadman Fire Station. The two-story firehouse stretches almost 200 ft. on both Eutaw and Lombard St. Consuming a large part of the area. [vi]Throughout this time the tower itself had been shutdown and it wasn’t until 1973 under the demand of Mayor Donald Schaefer that, with hundreds of volunteers and $50,000 worth of donations, was the building reopened. The first four floors the tower was constructed to become an art shop. Selling works by local artists. The rest of the building is being lightly refurbished. The tower was shut down once again in 2002 due to lack of funding but was reopened in early 2007 thanks to Philanthropist Eddie Brown who purchased the historic tax credits, which makes it possible for the tower to be opened. The Baltimore Office of the Arts added 33 artist studios to the once empty tower.
The Bromo Tower was first built so Emerson could display both his wealth and his love of Italian architecture. I believe that he also wanted to contribute a legitimate piece of architecture to the Baltimore skyline, that wasn’t a monument. Emerson’s construction of the tower was a shadow of the race for the tallest building in New York City. The Woolworth and the Metropolitan Life buildings are just two of several that were competing to be the most advanced buildings and striving to be the pride of their city. With the construction of the Bromo Tower I believe that Emerson was partially trying to emulate this idea. With that he also wanted to show his appreciation to Baltimore by constructing not only the tallest building in Baltimore but also one that would be nationally recognized, adding Maryland to the map of interesting buildings. Over time it became a staple and a representation of Baltimore. The city and the citizens have grown to appreciate the tower, the tower itself is not particularly beautiful — an unadorned shaft with a wonderful crown. And yet, everybody knows that damn building.” “Like Baltimore, it's quirky,"[vii]
The structure is a historic landmark and important symbol of the Baltimore skyline. Since it’s opening in 1901 The Bromo-Seltzer Tower has stood amongst the citizens of Baltimore. From catching a game at Camden Yards to fishing in the Chesapeake, this landmark is a testament for the greatness the Baltimore can produce. Over the year’s hotels, fancy apartments, and even stadiums have taken the honor that the Bromo Tower had, the honor of being the tallest building. It was a title that it held for nearly 12 years, cause all who saw it to stare in admiration. Although the shining beacon of blue light that emitted from the massive bottle is no longer there, the tower serves as a reminder of the achievements one can earn through hard work and dedication.

Bibliography

Crooks, James B.. Politics & progress; the rise of urban progressivism in Baltimore, 1895 to 1911. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1968. Dominguez, Alex. "Baltimore Landmark to Indigestion.”Washington Post, May 6, 1993. Hayward, Mary Ellen, Frank R. Shivers, and Richard Hubbard Howland. The architecture of Baltimore. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Jlymes, Jay . "Largest Clock Deices Changes, Time Brings." News America (Baltimore ), February 23, 1964. McCauley, Mary. "Art installation aims to add to the Bromo Seltzer Tower's gravitational pull." Baltimore Sun, November 4, 2011. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-11-04/entertainment/bs-ae-bromo-projections-20111104_1_clock-tower-bromo-seltzer-tower-planets (accessed December 1, 2011). Muccini, Ugo, and Alessandro Cecchi.Palazzo Vecchio. Boston, Mass.: Sandak, 19921989. Muller-Phyme, Kim . "Bromo Seltzer tower Gets Its Face Lifted." Jewish Times (Baltimore), November 9, 1973. Baltimore News, "No Title," March 1, 1928. Wigginton , Noelle , and Fern Shen . "Iconic Bromo Seltzer Tower clocks in at 100." Baltimore Brew, May 5, 2011. http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2011/06/05/iconic-bromo-seltzer-tower-clocks-in-at-100/ (accessed December 2, 2011). *Dedication to John F. Steadman September 11, 1973 (Original Copy)

[i] Baltimore News, "No Title," March 1, 1928. [ii] Crooks, James B.. Politics & progress; the rise of urban progressivism in Baltimore, 1895 to 1911. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1968. [iii] Jlymes, Jay . "Largest Clock Deices Changes, Time Brings." News America (Baltimore ), February 23, 1964.
[iv] McCauley, Mary. "Art installation aims to add to the Bromo Seltzer Tower's gravitational pull." Baltimore Sun, November 4, 2011. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-11-04/entertainment/bs-ae-bromo-projections-20111104_1_clock-tower-bromo-seltzer-tower-planets (accessed December 1, 2011).

[v] Dedication to John F. Steadman September 11, 1973 (Original Copy)
[vi] Dominguez, Alex. "Baltimore Landmark to Indigestion.”Washington Post, May 6, 1993.
[vii] Muccini, Ugo, and Alessandro Cecchi.Palazzo Vecchio. Boston, Mass.: Sandak, 19921989.