Photo Tour

Surrounding you as you dine are unique, lovingly restored pieces from a dignified way of life long past. The wooden spindles and carved brackets originally formed stairways and “gingerbread porches” adorning stately Victorian houses. Running the length of the booths is an old railing originally from an 1850’s home in Port Deposit, known as the Tome Mansion.

Jacob Tome arrived in Port Deposit a penniless man and at his death was one of the richest men in the US—Cecil County’s first millionaire. The Tome mansion was the largest house in Port Deposit. All the old brick used in our wainscoting came from old buildings in Fort Holabird. An old barn in Towson was razed to obtain the solid oak beams framing the antique post office boxes. The brass mailboxes, themselves, came from the Charlotte Haddon Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The lattice framing around the post office booths originally surrounded an organ that came from an old church in Pennsylvania.

On top of the post office booths is the sled in the 1954 film, White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. The sled was bought from the Crosby estate in 1980.

Mystery shrouds the large brass and copper chandelier hanging from the ceiling in front of the post office. One story is that it illuminated the grand ballroom of an Eastern Shore resort and must have provided romantic light for many a harmless flirtation.

Sitting on top of the main bus station are two art deco crabs titled “May I recommend the Escargot” and “Crab, The Chef.” These were win in a bid from the Crabtown Project sponsored by the Baltimore Community Foundation. This was a fundraising campaign for Baltimore City’s “Believe in Our Schools” campaign. The ornate and heavy cast brass panels, installed around this service center, were formerly in the lobby of an old Baltimore theater.

Three dozen leaded glass windows came from such diverse locations as a Masonic Temple in the upstate New York, to lovely 19th-century homes in Pittsburgh. Antique brass sconces adorn the walls throughout the restaurant. Our lounge bar and back bar were crafted three, old 12-foot doorways from a mansion in Philadelphia which were made of solid walnut & African mahogany. The color is a natural patina of the wood with no stain added, as well as the ceiling moldings.

Quite a few of our booths were originally church pews, including some in the lounge area and the long 10-foot pew in our waiting area. Our hostess stand came from an old German church in Pennsylvania. This pulpit is in the original condition, a fine example of early craftsmanship.

In the lobby area and back by the public restrooms are shantytowns. These very unique and amazingly detailed life scenes were created by George Sunderland. They are typical of the coastal waterways in Maryland around 100 years ago. For more information about Mr. Sunderland and his shantytowns, please see the article hanging in the lobby.