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In 1890, Theodore Marburg, Ambassador to Belgium, bought the house and began a six-year renovation project. He added the grand staircase, and an additional floor and a half, bringing the area to 21,000 square feet and increasing the number of rooms to 15. The house was also the first in Baltimore to feature a hydraulic elevator. The elevator, now powered by electricity is still in operation.
Marburg, who was fond of ornate furniture and art, elaborately decorated the interior, adding carved fireplaces, gold leafed sconces, chandeliers and parquet floors. He commissioned French craftsmen to build the mahogany and leaded glass library cabinets. And it is said to have taken five years for artisans to complete the home’s ornate plasterwork.
Throughout the mansion, you will find rare wood including South American blonde mahogany, satinwood and primavera.
A collector of costumes, Marburg had glass-front cabinets built in the corridors of the second floor to display Chinese silks and Native American headdresses. Some of the Marburgs’ furniture and art is still in use in the building today.
According to Maryland Historical Society records, Ambassador Marburg and President Woodrow Wilson drew up one of the Covenants to the League of Nations here at 14 West Mount Vernon Place.
Members of the Tiffany family bought the home from the Marburgs and added much of the stained glass, including windows and a skylight.
In the 1970s, the building was bought by a prominent local ophthalmologist, Dr. Nick Iliff, and was used for medical offices.
Agora Publishing acquired the building in 1994. It currently serves as our corporate headquarters.
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