Richardsons from Hounslow Heath
~~ Richardson Artwork ~~

Ted Richardson was invited to make a screen painting of the historic Patterson Park Pagoda to decorate a senior center in the Canton neighborhood of East Baltimore. He considered the finished work to be one of his two masterpieces. He painted himself into the scene as a young man seated on a park bench, picking the banjo. It is signed "PATTERSON PARK, by Ted Richardson 1985, SCREEN ARTIST". Ted had the honor to present his artwork to Baltimore's mayor, William Donald Schaefer. The image was most generously contributed to this site by Tom Lipka ~ from his collection.

~To Music Box~

~To Bottom Of Page~

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~ Painted Window Screens of Ted & Ben Richardson ~
and Miscellaneous Richardson Artistry

~~ Historic Patterson Park ~~

Historic Patterson Park, in east Baltimore between Butchers Hill, Washington Hill and Greek Town, is one of the oldest parks in the nation, and is famed in Baltimore City for its size and history. Patterson Park was created from "two squares of ground on Hampstead Hill", donated to the city of Baltimore by William Patterson in 1827. He was a wealthy clipper ship merchant and the acreage, a part of his landed estate, was envisioned by him for a European style public walk. William Patterson's daughter Betsy is reknown in local history for her marriage into the Napoleon Bonaparte family of France. In the War of 1812, Hampstead Hill became a stronghold for American troops during the Battle of North Point. Many citizens of Baltimore watched the naval fight from Hampstead Hill during the bombardment of Fort McHenry. In 1853 twenty thousand Baltimore citizens gathered to picnic and watch fireworks when Patterson Park was formally opened. Those six acres became an area of public walkways, romantic paths, pavilions, trees, fountains, a mansion and two lakes. The parkland was continuously occupied by Union troops throughout the War Between the States. The 155 acres of Patterson Park is located at 200 South Linwood Avenue.

~The Pagoda at Patterson Park~

The landmark four-story Pagoda, standing on Hampstead Hill, the park's highest peak, offers dramatic views of the Baltimore Harbor. From here William Patterson watched his ships passing Fell's Point at the foot of Broadway. The 60-foot-tall, octagonal Asian motif observatory, was built in 1891 on a redoubt of the War of 1812, as a commemoration of that war. The designer was Charles Hazlehurst Latrobe who contracted to build the pagoda for $18,475. He was then Superintentent of Parks, having served as chief engineer for the Jones Falls Commission for more than two decades and also an engineer for Patterson Park, where he improved drainage. He was the grandson of the designer of the U.S. Capitol and Baltimore's famed Basilica of the Assumption. The pagoda has had many uses, even housing a police substation in the 1930s and 1940s until it fell into disrepair. The Patterson Park pagoda stands near the corner of East Lombard Street and South Patterson Park Avenue, just past the white-marble entry portals. The Pagoda was restored in 2001. For more go to The History of Patterson Park.

More information may be found about Baltimore folk artists and brothers, Ben and Ted Richardson, including images of their work at The Screen Painters.