B-994 Domino Sugar Plant, (American Sugar Refining Company, AMSTAR) Architectural Survey File This is the architectural survey file for this MIHP record. The survey file is organized reverse- chronological (that is, with the latest material on top). It contains all MIHP inventory forms, National Register nomination forms, determinations of eligibility (DOE) forms, and accompanying documentation such as photographs and maps. Users should be aware that additional undigitized material about this property may be found in on-site architectural reports, copies of HABS/HAER or other documentation, drawings, and the “vertical files” at the MHT Library in Crownsville. The vertical files may include newspaper clippings, field notes, draft versions of forms and architectural reports, photographs, maps, and drawings. Researchers who need a thorough understanding of this property should plan to visit the MHT Library as part of their research project; look at the MHT web site (mht.maryland.gov) for details about how to make an appointment. All material is property of the Maryland Historical Trust. Last Updated: 03-10-2011 Domino Sugar (8-q~ y) Statement of Sign . Statement of Significance The American Sugar plant is Baltimore ' s only remaining operating sugar refinery in a city which once ranked second among the nation's refining centers and supported as many as six separate plants. Built in 1921 as a massive complex in the 1000 block of Key Highway, the plant is the second largest refinery in the United States . The Amstar Corporation, which operates the Baltimore plant and 11 other refineri es , presently supplies over one quarter of all sugar annually consumed in the United States. MARYLAND HISTORICAL TRUST B-994 Magi-0409945714 INVENTORY FORM FOR STATE HISTORIC SITES SURVEY DNAME HISTORIC Ame rican Sugar Refining Company ANO/ OR COMMON Domino Sugar Plant fJLOCATION STREET & NUMBER 1100 Key Highway East CITY. TOWN CO NGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Baltimore - VICINITY OF STATE COUNTY DcLAss1F1CATION CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE _DISTRICT _ PUBLIC XoccuP1Eo -AGRICULTURE _ MUSEUM X BUILDING\Sl X PRIVATE - UNOCCUPIED _COMMERCIAL _PARK _STRUCTURE -BOTH _WORK IN PROGRESS - EDUCATIONAL _ PAIVA TE RESIDENCE ,- X.SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE - ENTERTAINMENT _ RELIGI OUS _ OBJECT _JN PROCESS -YES: RESTRICTED _ GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC _BEING CONSIDERED - YES· UNRESTRICTED 2<iNOUSTRIAL _ TRANSPORTATION XNO _ MILITARY _ OTHER DOWNER OF PROPERTY Amstar Corporation NAME American Sugar Divisi on Telephone # i752-6150 t TREET & NUMBER ------- 1100 Key Highway East CITY TOWN STATE' zip code Baltimore _ VICINITY OF Maryland 21230 llLOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION Liber #: JFC-2174 COURTHOUSE. Folio #: 581 REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Baltimore City Courthouse STREET & NUMBER Fayette and Calvert Sts . CITY TOWN STATE lfl REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE None DATE _FEDERAL -STATE -COUNTY _LOCAL ....-- ~-DEPOSITORY-------------------------------------~ FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN STATE f.IDESCRIPTION CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE LEXCELLENT _ DETER IORATED _ UNALTERED .h.ORIGINAL SITE _ GOOD _ RUI NS ULTERED _ MOVED DATE ___ _ FAIR _UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE TH E PRESENT AND ORI GINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEA RANCE Designed by a consul ting board to be the most efficien t plant possi ble i n 1920 the Amstar facility remains the second largest sugar refinery in t he United States . Outside contrac­ tors were engaged to design and buil d both the Boiler Pl ant and the overall site . The consulting board , composed mainl y of American Sugar Company engineers and management1 assumed re­ sponsibil ity for layout and design of all process and equi pment . The initial plant was designed to permit a 50% increase in capacity if desired. As built the plant was compo~ed of sixteen s t ructures in­ cluding offices, warehouses and ancill ary bui ldings. At the east end of the property is the powerhouse with a nearby coal storage tower. North of it with an axis parallel to the bul k­ head is the Raw Sugar Shed with i ts cranes for unloading ships. West of the Powerhouse is the Machi ne Shop. Southwest of the Raw Sugar Shed are the Wash House and the Filter House . Further west is a U-shaped compl ex composed of the Pan House , Finishing House and the Domino Storage Buildi ng. The plant also had a complete barrel-making pl an t and a three million gallon mo l asses storage tank. Construction of the plant was a difficult engi neering pro ­ blem because more than half of it was built i n the water. Hun­ dreds of piles were driven both on land and i n the harbor with the average water dri ven pile penetrating 6 to 22 f eet of mud and 8 feet of hard strata and up to 30 feet of water. A total of over 1 . 2 million linear feet of piling was dri ven. A mat of heavy ttmbers and planking was built on these pi lings and a rein­ forced concrete foundation l ayed on t his surface . Since this plant was contructed at one time and has been virtually unaltered, al l 4-process buildings have the same rein­ f orced concrete design. They vary i n hei ght s i nce they were designed to house the equi pment necessary to that stage of the refi ning process . Raw sugar passes from the ship or the raw sugar shed to the wash house v i a bucket conveyors . The wash house , a seven-story steel-frame and bri ck building wi th movable casement windows . After passing through mechanical crushers , the raw sugar enters a system of " ming l er~; ' large t roughs , where it is mixed with syrup from sugar that has already gone through the raw sugar centr ifugal machines . The resulting mass of sugar and syrup is cal led "magma." The magma is then passed into a large mixer and agitated before being di scharged into the centrifugal machines directly below. The object of these machines is to sepa rate the syrup from the sugar crystals. Below the centrifugal (con ' t . ) CONTINUE ON SEPARATE SHEET IF NECESSARY II SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _ PREHISTORIC .....ARCHEULOliY· PREHISTORIC _COMMUNITY PLANNING _lANOSCAPE ARCHITECTUR E _ RELIGION _1400-1499 .....ARCHEOLOGY · HISTORIC _ CONSERVATION _ lAW _SCIENCE -1500-1599 -AGRICULTU R~ -ECONOM ICS _LITERATURE _ SCULPTURE _ 1eoo. 1e99 -ARCHITECTURE - EDUCATION _ MILITARY _SOCiAUHUMANITARIAN _fi'00- 1799 _ART _ ENGINEERING _MUSIC _THEATER _1800- 1899 _COMMERCE -EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _ PHILOSOPHY _ TRANSPORTATION ~1900 · _COMMUNICATIONS !l1NOUSTRY __ POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _OTHER (SPECIFYI _INVENTION SPECIFIC DATES BUI LOER/ ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The American Sugar Plant is Baltimore's only remaining opera­ ting sugar refinery in a city which once ranked second among the nation' s refining centers and supported as many as six separate plants . Built in 1921 as a massive complex in the 1000 block of Key Highway , the plant is the second largest refinery in the United States . The Amstar Corporation, which operates the Baltimore plant and 11 other refineries, presently supplies over one quarter of all sugar annually consumed in the United States . Historical Significance I mmediatel y prior to the Civil War , the sugar refining industry in Baltimore greatly expanded. Since col onial times, the city sup­ ported several small refineries which supplied local demand; but in the 1850 ' s the introduction of the vacuum pan process, and other de­ velopments in refining , greatly improved the methods of manufacturing and increased production. Baltimore ' s excellent harbor and proximity to the crude sugar sources, particularly in the West Indies, combined with a well developed rail transportation system, encouraged many new refineries to begin production in the city. By the late 1860 ' s, six large companies--The Baltimore; Calvert; Canton, Chesapeake; Maryland; and Merchants- -all had refi neries in the city. In 1871 The Baltimore Sun described "the refini ng of sugar as most important to the general trade of the city, 11 noting the large numbers of workers employed, the huge amounts of imported raw sugar and t he capital invested. In 1873 , however, the Baltimore sugar refini ng industry collapsed. Stirling , Ahrens and Company, owners of four of the city's refineries and largest importers of molasses and sugar in the United States , de­ clared bankruptcy. Al though several businesses made efforts to revive the industry, from 1875 to 19 20 onl y one refinery operated in Balti­ more . This was the Curtis Bay Sugar Refinery , established in 1891 at the foot of Aspen Street on the waterfront. Revival of the sugar industry in Baltimore occurred in 1921 when the American Sugar Refining Company built a massive plant in the Locust Point area of the cit y. This p lant, commonly known as "Domino Sugar," took over t wo years to build, contains 15 buildings and co­ r vers over 20 acres--with over one quarter waterfront. In addition to -cont ' d CONTINUE ON SEPARATE SHEET IF NECESSARY ·; ~ IJMAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Query+Vertical Files, Enoch Pratt Fr~e Library . '' Baltimore AMSTAR Refinery, Construction Completion Reportu(private, 1922) CONTINUE ON SE~.ARATE SHEET l~ NECESS~Y IEGEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY -------- VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE COUNTY STATE COUNTY mFORM PREPARED BY NAME/TITLE Linda Daur , Dennis Zembala ORGANIZATION ' ·QA11e r ? r 1 Baltimore Industrial Museum Sept 1980 STREET & NUMBER .! TELEPJ-tOtlE:. l 217 N. Charles Street 301-396-1931 CITY OR TOWN ~ , •r STATE .. Baltimore Md. 21201 The Maryland Historic Sites Inventory was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature, to be found in the Ann~tated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA, 1974 Supplement. The Survey and Inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only and do not constitute any infringe­ ment of individual property rights.