In 1907, Edward Livingston
Palmer, Jr., a native Baltimorean and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University
and the architectural school of the University of Pennsylvania, returned to
Baltimore after four years as a draftsman in the Washington office of Hornblower
& Marshall.
For the next 10 years, 1907-1917, he served as architect for
the Roland Park Company of Baltimore, for which he designed a number of houses
and in addition, had some private residential practice.
In 1917, Mr. Palmer opened his own office for the practice of
architecture, continuing his residential work, and in 1917-1918, designing
buildings for two large housing developments: One for Bethlehem Steel Company
in Dundalk, Maryland; the other for the DuPont Company near Wilmington,
Delaware.
Thus established, he augmented his staff with excellent drafting,
design and other personnel. Mr. Willis, a University of Pennsylvania graduate,
came to the firm for the construction phase activities, and Mr. Lamdin joined
in 1920, providing for the next 25 years, the excellence in design for which
the office became widely known.
For the next eight to ten years, the firm was extremely active,
designing not only scores of fine houses, but buildings for the Johns Hopkins
University, schools, apartment buildings and two distinguished churches. Upon
the advent of the depression at the start of the thirties, however, the office
was left with practically no commissions except the very important one of
converting the old City of Baltimore "asylum" into a large modern
general hospital with all adjunct facilities.
Faced with major expenses to produce the necessary documents,
Mr. Palmer conceived the idea of bringing four younger men into the office, as
associates, on a share of profit basis. Though the sharing was painfully thin
initially, conditions improved and the younger group brought in and designed
work of their own. Upon this country's entry into World War II, the
younger men left for military service. Again, work was scarce but the office
survived.
Under Mr. Palmer’s guidance, the
controlled development of Roland Park, Guilford and Homeland became a reality.
He was a pioneer in instituting the "restricted development"
which protected the site, the environment, and the architectural integrity of
the area by requiring quality architectural and site restrictions for the
design and location of all buildings within the development.
Palmer was instrumental in the planned housing development at Dundalk for Bethlehem Steel in
1917, and the community of Wawasset Park near Wilmington, Delaware in 1918. In
1930, he surveyed the existing conditions and physical facilities at the old
Bayview Asylum for the City of Baltimore. His report resulted in modern and
free medical care for the people of Baltimore.
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