About Us

The Boiler Room History

In the early 1900s, steam trains loaded with fresh cut trees from across the country would slowly rumble to stop. Pine trees, birch, maple and many other species would be off loaded here at the mill. Long sharp steel blades some ten feet and more in length on huge iron lathes would shave thin veneers of wood from the spinning trunks. These veneers would then be used for cabinetry, furniture, housing and construction all over the city of Baltimore and beyond. The massive machinery needed for the movement and milling of the colossal trees was all steam powered and required immense boilers to heat the water and create the steam. The “Boiler Room” needed three 20 foot high steel boilers to provide enough energy.

Welcome to the Boiler Room. We have removed the boilers to make space for the restaurant but have retained the door to one boiler and mounted it on the wall to help people appreciate the size. The boiler room and mill remained in operation until the mid 1950s when it was abandoned. The buildings were used occasionally by other trades such as a tap handle manufacturer and some steel forging but was empty again by the early 2000s.

Around 2009 Dave Seibert and his company Metro Development started refurbishing the buildings on the block and created the Highlands Forge Community in Historic Baltimore Highlands. Consisting of office buildings, retail, and entrepreneur incubators. Finally one of the last buildings to be completed is the Boiler Room. Having removed the massive boilers the interior is being kept as close to original as possible while complying with health and safety regulations. The new restaurant is steeped in red brick with a sense of the industrial but with a contemporary clean cut edge.

The menu was curated by Chef Brian Szewczyk who puts a contemporary take on classic cuisine. The menu features favorites for all, as well as brick-oven pizzas.