Monuments to Heaven
Baltimore's Historic Houses of Worship
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This book is the only one that describes exclusively the architecture, history, and art associated with 23 of Baltimore's churches and synagogues dating from 1785 to 1887. Within these houses of worship, designed by leading architects of the day, are outstanding examples of windows, statuary, paintings, mosaics, carvings and religious artifacts. Robert Cary Long, Jr., Benjamin LaTrobe and Stanford White are a few of the architects. Louis Comfort Tiffany, John LaFarge, Constantine Brumidi and Hans Schuler represent some of the artisans. A majority of the buildings are National Historic Landmarks or are on the national Register of Historic Places. Churches parallel the development of the city. The book tells why each church or synagogue was founded, the particular ethnic or social group it served and how it adapted over the years to Baltimore's changing demographics. Each building has a special story to tell. Only those religious structures which still have active congregations or are used for religious ceremonies are included. These buildings are city treasures in terms of their history, architecture and artisans' contributions to the interiors. The structures are concentrated in downtown Baltimore and include a variety of neighborhoods. The book can be used as a guide to explore these Baltimore gems.
About the Author
When they shared an office at the Baltimore City Life Museums, Lois Zanow and Sally Johnston discovered that they shared an interest in history, particularly Baltimore's history. During their careers Lois and Sally worked as teachers, museum professionals, writers and tour guides. Lois came from Chicago where she worked as a guide giving tours of Chicago's historic churches. Sally worked at many of Baltimore's history museums and admired the city's rich architecture. There was no book available on Baltimore's religious buildings so they decided to write one. Intrigued by the handsome churches dotting the landscape, they began to research Baltimore's 18th and 19th century houses of worship. Calling themselves steeplechasers they drove around the city zeroing in on the distinctive spires and domes on the city's horizon. The result is a book describing church and synagogue buildings' architecture and history which will appeal to the general public. Photographer Denny Lynch has been exhibiting his work in New York, Paris and many parts of Ireland since the 1990s. Much of his work has focused on Irish history and culture. His photographs have become part of the permanent collections of The Museum of the City of New York and the New York Historical Society. In addition, he lectures at historical societies and library systems on both sides of the Atlantic.