Fanlight from Craig House, Baltimore, Maryland

This fanlight came from a house formerly located at 915 East Pratt Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Built around 1810 for Henry Craig, a prosperous merchant, the brick, three-story, Federal style structure was a particularly large and elaborate example of the many townhouses being built at the time for the city's wealthy mercantile class. Fanlights, often installed over windows and doors, functioned as a means of bringing light into the interior of the house. The spare, elegant design of this fanlight is characteristic of the Federal style, which became popular in the late eighteenth century. The Museum acquired it in 1918, along with various other architectural elements from the Craig dwelling. These include the woodwork from the front parlor, two sidelights, and a mantel (18.101.1–.3).