The Stafford Hotel, now The Stafford Apartments, is a historic building in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

which was constructed in 1894. The Stafford Hotel building was the tallest building on Mount Vernon Place at the time of its inception. It was designed by architect Charles E. Cassell (1838–1916), who was a founding member of the

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Peñas de Aya, small mountain range in Oiartzun, Gipuzkoa * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

chapter, and also designed the Christian Science Temple, Chamber of Commerce building, and

Stewart's Department Store Stewart's Department Store, also known as the Posner Building, is a historic department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ...

in Baltimore. The building itself is clad in brown Roman brick, and features arched windows and balustrade balconies – all of which is done in the Richardsonian/Romanesque architectural style. The building is located on the north face of Mount Vernon Place, a cross-shaped park composed of 4 landscaped squares, featuring the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

at its center. The park itself is located in the heart of

's historic district, and many of the most historically and architecturally significant structures in

line its sides. Mount Vernon Place represents Baltimore's history and development during the 19th and 20th centuries, and can be seen as the finest surviving example of Maryland's 19th century urban planning efforts. The hotel opened on November 5, 1894, and was considered the grandest hotel in all of

. The hotel opened with highly decorated halls,

foyer A lobby is a room in a building used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer, entryway, reception area or entrance hall, it is often a large room or complex of rooms (in a theatre, opera house, concert hall, showroom, cine ...

, dining rooms, a bar, a café, a ladies reception, a

drawing room A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained, and an alternative name for a living room. The name is derived from the 16th-century terms withdrawing room and withdrawing chamber, which remained in use through the 17th ce ...

, smoking rooms, lounges, a barber, a coatroom, a newsstand, offices, a writing room, private dining rooms, reception rooms, 140 bedrooms, 30 private parlors in suites (with 80 baths among the suites on the upper floors), a basement finished in marble, and a central

rotunda A rotunda () is any roofed building with a circular ground plan, and sometimes covered by a dome. It may also refer to a round room within a building (an example being the one below the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.). ...

featuring an open curved stair illuminated by a large rooftop skylight. It was preferred by the famous and wealthy while visiting Baltimore.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and exces ...

is even known to have resided in the hotel from 1935-1936. Throughout the years the hotel received numerous renovations, and in 1968 the building was sold at auction. At the time of sale, it had 117 guest rooms. It is a

contributing building In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distr ...

in the

Mount Vernon Place Historic District Mount Vernon is a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, located immediately north of the city's Downtown Baltimore, downtown. It is named for George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia, as the site of the city's Washington Monument (Balt ...

, a U.S.

National Historic Landmark District A National Historic Landmark District (NHLD) is a geographical area that has received recognition from the United States Government that the buildings, landscapes, cultural features and archaeological resources within it are of the highest signific ...

designated in 1971. Today, The Stafford is a 96-unit apartment building; housing primarily students from the nearby Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute. While it is owned by the university, it is managed and leased by LandMark Property Management, Inc. In 2016, Stafford Capital Partners, LLC, an investment group led by Luis A. Cozza purchased the leasehold interest in The Stafford from Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO). The community consists of studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments, that range from 390 sq ft (36 m²) to 696 sq ft (64.7 m²). Community amenities include a fitness center, laundry facility, and common room. While the interior has been recently renovated, the historic exterior is very much intact and in good condition.

Gallery

Image:Stafford exterior.jpg, The Stafford facade Image:Stafford facade.jpg, The facade of the historic Stafford apartment building

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Stafford Apartment Building Apartment buildings in Baltimore Buildings and structures in Baltimore Mount Vernon, Baltimore Mount Vernon Place Historic District Historic district contributing properties in Maryland