The Hebrew Orphan Asylum, dedicated in 1876, is closely associated with the Jewish history of Baltimore and is a rare example of a 19th century purpose-built orphanage designed by master architects Edward Lupus and Henry Roby. When the institution transitioned from an orphanage to the West Baltimore General Hospital in 1923, it took on a new association with the broader growth of West Baltimore through its many services that provided care to thousands of residents. In 1989, the building was vacated when the Lutheran Hospital of Maryland Closed.
After 30 years of dormancy, the former Hebrew Orphan Asylum in West Baltimore was transformed into The Center for Health Care and Healthy Living. It is the new permanent home of the Maryland Crisis Stabilization Center, a place for people to receive short-term medical attention and sobering services for those addicted to drugs or alcohol. A COVID-19 Call Tracing center will be located on the upper floors.
Reconstructing the 140+ year old building had numerous challenges. The building’s wood frame structure failed and main roof had collapsed, requiring complete stabilization and reconstruction. Bricks from collapsed walls were carefully salvaged and used to rebuild. Out of 127 windows, 75% of the frames and molding were restored and the remainder were reconstructed from photographs. The missing central monumental staircase and octagonal skylight were researched and redesigned as a contemporary design with historic overtones.
Today, this challenging project and unique building is once again ready to serve the community not only as a healthcare center, but as a preservation marvel.
Project was originally started by Kann Partners and completed by Waldon Studio Architects, now Michael Graves Architecture.
