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Report of the
Municipal Improvements Commission, where he reported: “the primary object of the park is a place where natural beauty can be enjoyed free from the turmoil of the city.” He also noted: “It is the calling and duty of the landscape engineer to devise ways of arranging land and its accompanying landscape so that whatever the particular purpose in view may be, the result shall be as thoroughly beautiful as possible.”
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the plans for a park on what was known back then as “Warren Hill.” Today, the park is known to the locals as
Prospect Park which is located in downtown Troy, NY and is a popular site for the locals and students alike. The creation of Prospect Park became well-known and Baltimore used this same model for his other famous projects including: Central Park in New York City and Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
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Baltimore devised a method of creating cement to overcome this challenge, and it became the new standard for New York state when making cement. In 1891, Baltimore returned to Troy and was hired as assistant engineer for the city’s Public
Improvement Commission. This would eventually be followed up with a promotion three years later when he became assistant city engineer.
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Garnet D. Baltimore
Endowed Scholarship in Baltimore's honor to address the need for scholarships for students from underrepresented groups. In August 2019, former Troy mayor Patrick Madden unveiled a new trail marker to dedicate a recently-restored walking trail located in the southwest corner of Troy’s historic
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Beginning in 1991, RPI established the Garnet D. Baltimore
Lecture Series in his honor. In February 2005, former Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian ceremonially renamed the section of Eighth Street between Hoosick Street and Congress Street as Garnet Douglass Baltimore Street. RPI has also established the
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In 1903, Baltimore was appointed a position to be a landscape engineer for the public park systems that would earn him a salary of $ 2,000 a year. Then in 1906, Baltimore was promoted to the position of engineer for Troy’s
Department of Parks. During this time, Baltimore was tasked with drawing up
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on 8th Street with his family and other neighborhood children during the fire. Baltimore attended the Troy
Academy, where he and his brother were the first two African American students admitted, and graduated in 1877. He was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1881 with a degree in
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By the 1940s, several of the original features had already been lost, including the Warren
Mansion, Band Stand, and Bascom fountain. The Friends of Prospect Park formed in 1998 and has attempted to increase popularity and restore its beauty lost over years of neglect. Baltimore also created the
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In 1884, Baltimore was tasked with supervising the extension of the Oswego Canal lock which was known back then as the “mud lock.” During this project, there was a very interesting situation in which the engineers had to deal with the issue of constructing with quicksand as a major obstacle.
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Garnet
Baltimore died at the age of 87 on June 12, 1946, in Troy, New York. At the time, he was the oldest living graduate of RPI. Baltimore was inducted as a life-member of the Rensselaer Society of Engineers in 1946. He was active in the Rensselaer Alumni Association and the 50 Year Club.
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Garnet
Baltimore was born in Troy, New York on April 15, 1859. His parents were Peter F. Baltimore and Caroline Newcomb Baltimore. Peter owned a well-known barbershop in Troy known as the Veranda. Peter and his brother William were active in the
201:"In his later years he made surveys and maps for attorneys of scenes of accidents and crimes, and testified in court about those measurements. The Times Record hailed Baltimore as 'probably the greatest surveyor of the city’s history.'”
135:. At his new job, Baltimore was tasked with several assignments including: the Sandy Hill, Granville & Rutland, and Greenwich & Johnsonville railroads. Baltimore would remain in this position for the next eight years.
189:. The 80-acre park is still in use by Troy residents today. Unfortunately, much of the original work Baltimore designed no longer exists due to poor management. In 1943, Baltimore published an opinion piece in
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131:. After graduating from RPI, Baltimore worked on the Albany and Greenbush Bridge and was an assistant engineer for other projects, including the Sandy Hill Railroad and the
158:, he developed a comparative test of cement using quartz and sands. Baltimore was also a landscape engineer for many cemeteries in the Capital Region including the
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Baltimore dedicated much of his work to the beautification and development of Troy, New York. His most well-regarded accomplishment in Troy was his work designing
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during his attempted arrest in 1860. Baltimore's grandfather was Samuel Baltimore, a slave who fought in the
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of Troy, New York. Baltimore describes his frustration with the mismanagement of the park. He states,
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Biographical Record of the Officers and Graduates of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1824-1886
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Garnet Baltimore was a lifelong resident of Troy, New York, and was employed throughout the
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of Troy, New York celebrating his 84th Birthday, Baltimore recalled taking refuge in the
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Baltimore was born in Troy, New York and lived at 162 Eighth Street his entire life.
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He was known for his architectural, engineering, and landscaping work, including
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Baltimore was well known for his work on waterways. He was involved in many
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499:"Rensselaer Magazine: Winter 2005-06: Honoring A Son of Troy (page 1)"
523:"Garnet Baltimore, 1881: Civic Designs 50 Years Ahead of Their Time"
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on May 10, 1862, destroyed his home. In an article featured in
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340:"Garnet Douglass Baltimore Also a Part of Brunswick's History"
245:"Trailblazer, RPI grad to be honored at Troy park he designed"
525:. No. Winter 1977. The Rensselaer Alumni Bulletin. 1977
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Young, William H; Nason, Henry B; Hall, Benjamin H (1887).
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Baltimore was married to Mary Lane and had no children.
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improvements and Troy waterworks. While employed by the
319:. No. Winter 2005-2006. Rensselaer Alumni Magazine
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411:"Veteran Engineer Observes Date of 84th Anniversary"
384:"Comparative Tests of Cement, With Quartz and Stone"
64:. During his work on the extension of a lock on the
166:in Troy, New York, and several other cemeteries in
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89:and were prominent figures in the escape of
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619:. The Times Record, Troy, NY. 5 April 1946
617:"GARNET D. BALTIMORE HONORED BY ENGINEERS"
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382:Baltimore, Garnet D. (27 February 1892).
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544:Baltimore, Garnet D (16 November 1943).
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772:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni
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273:"RPI students show they're good skates"
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133:Albany, Granville, and Rutland Railroad
68:, Baltimore developed a system to test
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639:"Members of 50 Year Club Hold Reunion"
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662:"Troy Street Paved with Family Pride"
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593:Van Olinda, Edgar S (25 June 1946).
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698:"Garnet Douglass Baltimore Trail"
684:"Scholarship – Rensselaer Giving"
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271:Perry, Kate (January 21, 2003).
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72:that was adopted as standard by
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548:. The Times Record, Troy, NY
458:. Troy, NY. pp. 512–513
152:Shinnecock and Peconic Canal
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436:"Garnet Douglass Baltimore"
353:. p. 7. Archived from
112:Holy Cross Episcopal Church
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782:African-American engineers
777:People from Troy, New York
568:"Friends of Prospect Park"
123:Career as a Civil Engineer
347:Brunswick Town Newsletter
154:. During his work on the
26:engineer and graduate of
20:Garnet Douglass Baltimore
664:. The Albany Times Union
597:. The Albany Times Union
574:. City of Troy, New York
317:"Honoring a Son of Troy"
723:City of Troy Resolution
338:Zankel, Sharon (2005).
315:Gallien, Meg (2005).
43:Henry Highland Garnet
702:The City of Troy, NY
686:. 22 September 2017.
164:Forest Park Cemetery
87:Underground Railroad
58:Forest Park Cemetery
797:American scientists
546:"Alas Poor Yorick!"
438:. 12 February 2021.
285:on November 8, 2018
176:Amsterdam, New York
150:, he worked on the
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47:Frederick Douglass
16:American architect
595:"Around the Town"
386:. The Polytechnic
351:Town of Brunswick
117:Civil Engineering
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34:, Class of 1881.
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250:Times Union
172:Glens Falls
746:Categories
508:2022-04-01
278:The Record
230:References
80:Early life
472:cite book
706:Archived
668:12 April
645:12 April
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601:12 April
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503:rpi.edu
174:, and
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