1115 West Lanvale Street (House), Baltimore, Independent City, MD

Significance: One of the last residences (along with 1102 West Lafayette) built on the Square before the first World War, this Romanesque revival house stands out from its Italianate and Queen Anne revival neighbors. By 1890, the covenants regulating the design of houses on Lafayette Square had expired, and residents were no longer limited to red brick. At 1115 West Lanvale stone replaced the familiar brick, variety replaced uniformity, irregularity replaced regularity, and dormers and gables replaced flat roofs and massive cornices in keeping with turn-of-the-century architectural trends. Although an architect has yet to be identified, the facade of this house resembles that of the Breese House at 6 West Mount Vernon Place designed in 1893 by architect George Archer. Owner and resident (since 1972) Maurice Murphy is to credit for the townhouse's remarkable state of preservation.
Survey number: HABS MD-1144
Building/structure dates: after. 1890- before. 1901 Initial Construction