Save the Jesse Baltimore House

above: the Fullerton model as shown in a 1920s Sears Roebuck catalog, and the Jesse Baltimore house in Washington, DC’s Palisades neighborhood recently. An effort is being made to save this fine example of one of Sears’ finest models.

The
Jesse Baltimore House has been nominated to the DC Inventory of
Historic Sites. Meanwhile the DC Parks and Recreation has applied for a
permit to raze this historic house.

Built
in 1925, the Jesse Baltimore House is a Sears Roebuck "Fullerton" kit
house at 5136 Sherier Place in Washington, DC’s Palisades neighborhood.
After living in the house for 33 years, the Baltimore family sold it to
the National Parks Service in 1958. Although NPS retains ownership, it
transferred jurisdiction over the house to the DC Department of Parks
and Recreation in 1971.

Since
passing out of private hands, the Baltimore House has been rented to a
succession of tenants, used as a group home, and remained vacant for
more than 10 years. Concerned about demolition rumors, Historic
Washington Architecture nominated the house to the DC Inventory in
March, 2004. A few days later, DC Parks and Rec applied for the raze
permit.