The First Modern House in Annapolis

More from my article on 86-88 State Circle in Annapolis Maryland, a duplex built by Alexander Randall in 1878.

The architectural ornamentation of the building is animalistic. The terracotta ridge roof tiles are like
vertebra. The terracotta fish scale siding is a taut skin. The stepped windows in the side stair hall take
pleasure in the muscular mechanical movement of legs and feet climbing stairs. The pediment on the porch roof does not align with the front door so the path from sidewalk to front door has a zigzag dance that celebrates biped ambulatory movement. The stucco panels of this pediment and the pediments at the gable ends of the main roof hold a key to the spirit of this building: oyster shells were pressed into the stucco during construction. The shells were tightly spaced, with the mother of pearl facing out. Most of the shells are gone, only a pattern of holes and some shell fragments protected by overhanging eaves remain. In classical architecture, pediments were filled with sculptures of heroic human exploits; think of the Parthenon “Elgin” marble figures.

However, here in Annapolis in 1878, the monumental space of the pediment is given over to celebrate the existence of nature, the beauty of Chesapeake Bay life, and the simple joy of eating.

The Alexander Randall duplex is “modern” architecture because it makes an emotional artistic statement: the wonderment of organic earthly life. The architectural spirit in this house links directly to the natural architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright in the 20th century and the biomorphic forms of architect Frank Gehry today.

The nature-celebrating architecture of 86-88 State Circle is diametrically opposed to the social status architecture of the five-part plan mansions. It is also in direct contrast to the architecture of balance and harmony at the U.S. Post Office on Church Circle (see Annapolis Home Magazine Vol. 2, No.1). It is marvelous to have in Annapolis the immediate comparison of such distinctly different architectural thoughts.

This is an excerpt from a column called On the Corner, part of series by Chip Bohl published in Annapolis Home Vol. 2, No. 4. Photography by Geoffrey Hodgdson.

The First Modern House in Annapolis

The first modern house in Annapolis, a duplex located at 86-88 State Circle, was built by Alexander Randall (1803-81). Randall was lawyer, businessman, United States Congressman, and Maryland Attorney General. He and his family were very well educated, world travelers, and successful in business, science, and the arts. He was a staunch unionist and campaigned to keep the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis during the Civil War. His wife Elizabeth Blanchard Randall (1827-96) met with T.H.
Huxley in London after the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859), when Huxley was promoting the evolutionary biology of Darwin and scientific naturalism. Alexander and Elizabeth had seven children, which may have prompted them in 1878 to build the duplex in front of their home, The Bordley-Randall House, described in this series in Annapolis Home Magazine Vol. 2, No. 3.

The architecture of 86-88 State Circle celebrates the complexity of organic life. The building’s silhouette is asymmetrical and varies dramatically from different vantage points. Interior rooms seem to push and pull themselves into space as if they are responding to a force requiring their existence. The three-story front bay windows are dominating vertical elements. The narrow chasm between them further accents their
thrust into the sky. Each material of the house seems to have its own life. The brick foundation steps down in the front to support the vertical bay windows, and then moves around to the sides of the building and reaches up to the roof at the pediment over the stairs. Note the “room” above the entrance porch: it spans over half of the porch ceiling, and seems as if it has been pushed out from inside to create the space
necessary for its existence. Its two small windows make no attempt to match others in the house. They are the size they need to be, based on natural selection, not a contrived sense of symmetry or balance.

This is an excerpt from a column called On the Corner, part of series by Chip Bohl published in Annapolis Home Vol. 2, No. 4. The rest of the article will appear in my next post.

The High Line & Digital Empathy

If you are planning to visit Manhattan this summer, consider checking out The High Line. Section 2 is now open, so the aerial park extends from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues.

There is also a rotating schedule of temporary artworks in and around The High Line. Digital Empathy is a sound installation by Julianne Swartz - voices reading poetry, singing love songs, or just reciting pragmatic information are transmitted through the park's bathroom sinks, water fountains and elevators.

Digital Empathy plays on the notion that, in our culture, we turn to technologies like online social networking, blogs, and instant messages to meet our basic human need for friendship and personal connection.

The Bordley Randall House, Annapolis, Maryland

Maryland State Archives, photo by C. H. Hopkins

The house built by Stephen Bordley is the first five-part plan house in Annapolis. A five-part plan house has a large center section with two smaller building parts attached on both sides. All five parts are joined together in a line, the larger center section has the front entrance door, the two far end “wings” are smaller in size, and the two connecting “hyphens” are the smallest parts. The diminutive side pieces emphasize the importance of the domineering center section. Symmetry is used to monumentalize the front door and place the owner’s quarters in a commanding status. This floor plan concept was made famous by Andrea Palladio in 16th century Italy, and became a staple of 18th century English Georgian country house architecture. However, the five part plan concept is an architectural contrivance. There is little functional reason for the concept. The owners may have found uses for all the parts of the house, but functional needs did not drive the design. This house design has been used for centuries because it is one of the best architectural expressions for personal wealth, power and prestige.

The Paca House, James Brice House, and the Hammond-Harwood House are the only other five part plan houses in Annapolis. They were built in the short period of time of 1763 to 1775 by families that were all related by marriage.

The Sachse drawing was made 11 years before the start of the Civil War. Within 11 years after the Civil War, the open spaces around all of the great mansions would begin the rapid transformation into a densely built town. Today the Bordley-Randall House is largely obscured from all streets. Surrounded by houses and commercial buildings, only a glimpse of the house can be seen through its closed iron gate on State Circle. Its five-part plan imagery is also obscured by a 19th century addition.

A very important advancement in architecture was taken by later owners of the Bordley-Randall House. In 1878 Alexander Randall built a duplex home in front of his five-part plan home. This house at 86-88 State Circle is intellectually progressive, artistically modern, and the next subject of this series.

Brice House

Paca House

Hammond-Harwood House

This is an excerpt from an article on The Bordley-Randall House, part of series by Chip Bohl published in Annapolis Home Vol. 2, No. 3.

The Bordley-Randall House, Annapolis, Maryland

Original owned by Maryland Historical Society

The Bordley-Randall House built in 1760 dominates the left quarter of the drawing and is the most fully depicted of all the buildings. It sits in the center of its own city block defined by State Circle, Maryland Avenue, Prince George Street, College Avenue and North Street. This position allows for private gardens to completely surround the house. Most other 18th century mansions in the city have gardens only in the rear of the house. Furthermore, it is the only mansion positioned on direct axis with the State House. These features made it the most commanding, monumental and socially prominent house in the City.

Thomas Bordley (1683-1726) immigrated to Maryland from a well established family in England at 11 years old. He became a lawyer, landowner and politician. At his death he owned 7500 acres, an extraordinary library of 100 law books, and an entire city block in Annapolis. His eldest son Stephen Bordley (1710-1764), was educated in London, one of the most prominent lawyers in Maryland and taught the law to Samuel Chase and William Paca in Annapolis. In 1759 Stephen sold 1340 acres in Anne Arundel County and built what is now known as the Bordley-Randall House in 1760. The house was conceived and used as Bordley’s social show place. He entertained with lavish food and drink, cementing business and political connections.

Photo at left of the Bordley Randall House from the State House dome, Maryland State Archives, 1860-1868, by C. H. Hopkins.

This is an excerpt from an article on The Bordley-Randall House, part of series by Chip Bohl published in Annapolis Home Vol. 2, No. 3.

View of Annapolis from the State House

Original lithograph owned by Maryland Historical Society

This 1850 drawing from the State House dome by the E. Sachse Co. (circa 1855) is a fascinating portrait of Annapolis. Near the center of the drawing is East Street. To the right of East Street is a densely packed assembly of small buildings crammed toward the bustling activity of the harbor. To the left of East Street the scene is quite different. Large homes surrounded by gardens with massive yards fenced and gated. The Paca House (1763-65) and the James Brice House (1767-73) are identifiable by their towering chimneys. They share one large city block exclusively with the Hammond Harwood House (1774). The Judge John Brice House (1739) and the John Brice III House (1766-75) control a large swath of the block defined by East Street, Prince George Street (which they front), Maryland Avenue and State Circle. The Chase Lloyd House (1769-74) and Ogle Hall (1739-42) own the entire city block north of the Hammond Harwood House. In the upper left hand corner of the drawing is McDowell Hall (1744-46) of St. John’s College, originally conceived as the colonial governor’s house.

This is an excerpt from an article on The Bordley-Randall House, part of series by Chip Bohl published in Annapolis Home Vol. 2, No. 3.

Himalayan Architecture at the University of Texas El Paso

One of us visited El Paso, Texas over Memorial Day weekend. El Paso is home to UTEP (University of Texas El Paso) which is notable for its Himalayan architecture. The story is that Kathleen Worrell, wife of the school’s first dean Stephen H. Worrell, had seen pictures of Bhutanese buildings in National Geographic. Noting the similarity of mountainous Bhutan (which is in the Himalayas) to the location of the campus, she suggested that the new buildings be in the style of Bhutanese dzongs (monastic fortresses), with massive sloping walls and overhanging roofs. Prominent El Paso architect Henry Trost designed the first four buildings in 1917. All buildings since then have followed this style, including a fifth by Trost in 1920, and three more by his firm in 1933-1937. While the early structures only copied the general appearance of a dzong, recent buildings incorporate internal elements of the dzong form as well.

UTEP College of Business & College of Engineering

Trongsa Dzong in Bhutan