Roland Park Magazine was the "propaganda" arm of the Roland Park Corporation and was used to help bolster sales of properties in the neighborhoods of Roland Park, Guilford and Homeland. It discussed gardens, homes and people, and also had advertisements for new homes, home services, gardening supplies and much more. As always, the ads are every bit as interesting as the articles.
The magazines, which range from 1926 to 1960, have been scanned by Johns Hopkins, which now houses the records of the Roland Park Corporation, and are fully searchable.
One of the more interesting pieces I found was a driving tour of what is referred to as "The District." It's a little more than eight miles long and takes the driver by various highlights on the three neighborhoods. It is mostly still accurate, although some of the places have changed. Here is the drive, quoted exactly as written:
"In order to put facts
about the more salient features of The District within easy reach of motorists,
The Roland Park Company has had prepared a Tour Map of the entire territory.
As
was stated in these columns last month, this Map may be had upon application to
the Company's downtown office, but for the benefit of those who have not had an
opportunity to obtain a copy we are presenting its mile-by-mile itinerary. It is as follows:
0 MILES:
The tour begins on
University Parkway at the intersection of Charles Street. Proceed west along
University Parkway, at 0.1 miles, on your left the Homewood Athletic Field of
the Johns Hopkins University. On your right, at 0.2 miles, First Church of
Christ, Scientist.
Between 39th and 40th Streets, at 0.3 miles, you pass over a
bridge, there entering Roland Park, the first major development of The
District. Beyond 40th Street, note the landscaping of the difficult slope
between the two sides of the Parkway.
0.8 MILES:
At Keswick Road, turn
right. The trees along this street were planted by the Roland Park Company when
this third section of Roland Park was opened in 1910. This was originally a
bare gravel hill.
0.9 MILES:
Enter Northfield Place
and turn left into Merryman Court, a group designed by the late Howard Sill, one of the country's authorities on Colonial architecture.
Leaving the Court,
bear right on Keswick Road. At left, interesting use of varicolored local
stone.
1.2 MILES:
Turn right on Somerset
Road, again turning right at Roland Avenue (1.4 miles). Decorative Water Tower. Catholic Home for Aged Women [now Symphony Manor], with St. Mary's Orphanage in background [now 4405 Roland Avenue].
1.6 MILES:
At Cold Spring Lane, turn
left across tracks and take the right fork into Ridgewood Road. Woman's Club of
Roland Park. The entire west side of Roland Avenue, into which you are now
entering, was the second section of Roland Park to be opened [1901].
1.8 MILES:
Turn right on Kenwood
Road, driving one-half block, then turn left into Goodwood Gardens, restricted
to stucco houses. The scheme was laid out by Charles Platt. No. 206 is the home
of Daniel Willard, President of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad.
Pin oaks [now zelkova trees] along the street were planted by The Roland Park Company in
1903. Sites of homes and gardens were developed on ground that once was a
gravel bank. Keep straight ahead. At left, behind the high privet hedge, 2.0
miles, is the home of Edward H. Bouton, President of The Roland Park Company, with its well-known garden. [Rusty Rocks]
2.1 MILES:
Club Road, bear left:
Note treatment of walls in front of homes. Girls' Latin School. The Baltimore
Country Club. Roland Park Apartments, an example of apartment architecture in
harmony with its setting.
2.3 MILES:
Bear left downhill on
Edgevale Road. Golf links of Baltimore Country Club.
2.5 MILES:
Turn right at first cross
street, Beechdale Road. At Roland Avenue cross car tracks and continue on the
road on which you have been driving (Beechdale Road changes its name to
Wyndhurst Avenue at this point). The left side of Wyndhurst Avenue is
unrestricted property not in The District.
The right side is the first-built
section of Roland Park, where restrictions have been maintained for
nearly 40 years. At the railroad tracks you are leaving Roland Park.
3.4 MILES:
Cross Charles Street into
St. Alban's Way, entering Homeland, the third major development of The Roland Park
Company, opened in the Fall of 1924.
Over fifty varieties of trees have been
cataloged in Homeland by the State Forester, oaks predominating. Note the large
number of stone houses.
3.5+ MILES:
Bear right into
Paddington Road. Paddington Court, a most interesting group of stone houses.
3.8 MILES:
Springlake Way, turn
left. Note landscape treatment along the Lakes and the group of three stone
houses painted white on the opposite hillside. Palmer & Lamdin, architects.
4.1 MILES:
Turn left around Lake
into St. Dunstan's Road.
4.3 MILES:
St. Alban's Way, turn
right. 4.6 miles turn around the triangle, returning on St. Alban's Way.
4.9 MILES:
Taplow Road, turn right.
Interesting houses on both sides of the street.
To the north, Protestant
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.
5.1 MILES:
Charles Street, turn
left. Future site of The Cathedral of The Catholic Church. Friends' School.
5.6 MILES:
You are leaving Homeland.
5.7+ MILES:
Notre Dame College of
Maryland. To the left, behind the yellow brick wall, is "Evergreen
House," the estate of John W. Garrett, United States Ambassador to Italy.
Adjoining is Loyola College.
6.2 MILES:
Cold Spring Lane and
entrance to Guilford, the second major development of The Roland Park Company, opened
1913, where you will find many good examples of Colonial architecture.
"Sunken Park."
6.3+ MILES:
Turn left at St. Paul
Street, immediately bearing left into Greenway. Bedford Square, northern
terminus of Guilford street cars; southern terminus of Homeland bus.
Note
sidewalks on different levels.
6.5 MILES:
Bear left around
Charlcote Place. The first house on the right is a good example of the treatment
of a site below the grade of the street. The residence in the center was
designed by John Russell Pope.
From its lawns can be seen Washington Monument
down the vista of Charles Street. The
brick house at the corner of the side loop (right) is the residence of Dr.
Joseph S. Ames, President of the Johns Hopkins University.
6.8 MILES:
Greenway, bear left.
6.9 MILES:
Turn right on Millbrook
Road.
7.0 MILES:
St. Paul Street, turn
left, following car tracks. Second Presbyterian Church.
7.1 MILES:
Stratford Road, turn
left. At the corner is a fine residence in the Spanish feeling, designed by
Laurence Hall Fowler.
7.2 MILES:
Turn right on Greenway,
Stratford Green is on left. On the right, twin houses, Taylor & Fisher,
architects.
7.3+ MILES:
At Highfield Street, turn
left. The home on the left with the boxwood follows the architecture of the
famous Byrd homestead "Westover" on the James River, Virginia.
The
extensive grounds reach Stratford Road. No 211 Highfield Road is the home of
Dr.William H. Wilmer,
Director of the Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital.
7.5 MILES:
At Underwood Road, turn
right.
7.6 MILES:
At half-block turn right
into Lambeth Road.
At the left on the brow of the hill, formerly stood the
mansion of A. S. Abell, the original owner of "Guilford."
7.7 MILES:
Turn left into Greenway.
"Little Park."
8.3 MILES:
Site of Protestant
Episcopal Cathedral. You are now leaving Guilford. Continue straight across car
track, down Greenway. University Baptist Church, John Russell Pope, architect.
8.5 MILES:
Charles Street Circle,
bear right to the entrance of the Johns Hopkins University. The buildings of
the Johns Hopkins University are before you at the conclusion of the tour, with
the Colonial Museum (Carroll Mansion), one of the most famous examples of
Georgian architecture, at your right.
Two blocks south, to the right of Charles
Street is the Municipal Art Museum, designed by Mr. Pope in association with
Mr. Sill."
