Blueprints

If you read my post about Norwood Road, there is a whole story behind the house. About six months ago, I was contacted by a woman in New Zealand who told me her grandfather had worked with Edward Palmer to build the house on Norwood Road. Her father had grown up in the house, as had her family. Her brother lived there until he died about a year ago. So the house had not changed hands for more than 110 years!

Her query to me was what she should do with all of the correspondence, plans, blueprints, etc. that her family had saved! We talked about over several options, and finally decided that she would donate everything to the University of Baltimore Archives of Architecture (mostly Palmer & Lamdin). 

Life interfered, and finally, last week, I picked up the box of ephemera from her old neighbors on Norwood.

It's been absolutely fascinating reading through the old correspondence, of which there is a two-inch high stack, which starts out formal but friendly, and ends up both formal and snarky!

The plans are both well-used and almost brand new!

The well-used plans were the shop plans that were used by the wood-working and mill-work plans, so they are more roughed up than the architects' plans.

The writing is absolutely phenomenal!

There are even chits of paper with the sums for certain items included.

The house is really lovely, and deceptive in its size. It's almost 4,000 square feet!

I love that there are original Edward Palmer signatures on some of the documents. J. Swing Willis signed other letters. 

I am so pleased that all of this worked out!