Mount Washington History Quiz (Part 1) Results

I know that this one was a toughie, and I offer my hearty congratulations to everyone who made an attempt. You can find the names of the highest scoring entrant at the bottom of this post.

Once again, all of the facts that formed the basis for this quiz came from Mark Miller’s excellent Mount Washington: Baltimore Suburb – A History Revealed Through Pictures and Narrative. If you don’t have it, get it. It provides quite a bit of insight into the beginnings of our community.

If you have lived here for a while, this one should start you off on the right foot. Before it moved to its current location in 1970, where was the Mt. Washington Post Office?
A. Falls Road
B. Kelly Avenue
C. Smith Avenue

Over the years, the post office has changed locations many times as mail volume has increased. It had been at the Kelly Avenue location since 1927.

The octagonal building on Johns Hopkins’ Mt. Washington campus, originally built to house the Mt. Washington Female College, was one of many such structures built in the mid-19th century. Who was the main exponent for buildings of this design?
A. James Renwick, Jr.
B. Henry Bacon
C. Orson Squire Fowler

Fowler wrote The Octagon House: A Home For All and toured the country extolling the benefits of living in an octagon. He claimed that the octagonal design was more energy efficient. His own octagonal home, built atop a hill overlooking the Hudson River, became known as Fowler’s Folly when he was forced to rent it out after falling into financial ruin.

The Mt. Washington Fire Station originally opened at 1500 Sulgrave Avenue in what year?
A. 1855
B. 1892
C. 1915

After the county executives in Towson repeatedly denied requests for a fire station despite losing a hotel and store to flames, the Sawerwein family donated land for a station. Ironically, the Sawerwein’s home was the next to burn – just weeks from the opening of the new fire house.

Roxbury Place, which runs between South Road and Wildwood Lane, remains a unique street in a unique neighborhood. What name did John Graham originally give the street?
A. Wolcott Avenue
B. Graham Road
C. Mt. Washington Valley Road

The houses on Roxbury Place are modeled after the ideas of Andrew Jackson Downing, who believed that wooden structures should have a “truthfulness”, in that the building materials did not need to be obscured in order to produce an aesthetically pleasing home.

Mt. Washington was once part of Baltimore County. In what year was it annexed by Baltimore City?
A. 1919
B. 1891
C. 1885

Baltimore had a higher population density than that of New York at the time.

One of the reasons that Mt. Washington’s location was selected was its proximity to a rail line, allowing residents to commute to their jobs in the City. What company operated this railroad at the time?
A. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
B. Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad
C. Western Maryland Railroad

In 1885, sixteen trains ran from Mt. Washington into the City between 6:20 a.m. and 11:50 p.m. and sixteen trains ran from the City to Mt. Washington.

What business first occupied the Mt. Washington Tavern’s building?
A. The Mount Washington Advocate
B. James Hamilton’s General Store
C. Burrell’s Confectioneries

The building was erected in 1891.

When Mt. Washington School No. 8 first opened in 1877, who was its first principal?
A. Perley Ray Lovejoy
B. William Saffell
C. Dr. William Todd

In 1908, neighbors came together and raised enough money from private donations to cover 11% of the cost to expand the school – more than half a million of today’s dollars.

In 1950, the Mt. Washington Improvement Association faced one of its first major fights with the City. Branch 21, the Mt. Washington branch, of the Enoch Pratt Free Library was slated to be closed. Why?
A. The City thought that it flooded too often
B. The City wanted to use it as an annex for the school
C. The City could not afford to keep it open

The City pledged to bring a bookmobile through Mt. Washington to make up for losing the library.

What was the site of Mt. Washington’s first telephone?
A. Dr. Arnold’s Pharmacy
B. James Hamilton’s General Store
C. Mt. Washington Station

The telephone was installed 1886; it cost 15 cents to make a call and 5 cents to receive one.

With 8 out of 10 correct, Steven Gore is this week’s winner.

This week’s quiz was exceedingly difficult, so Steven deserves much congratulations.