After 77 years at 23 South Street, Mason & Carter Insurance has moved to a new home less than a block away.
The company announced this week that it has moved to the 11th floor of the Redwood Exchange building at 233 E. Redwood Street.
“For 77 years, our 23 South St. location has been more than just an office – it’s been a cornerstone of our community, a place where we’ve served generations of families and businesses with dedication and care,” the company said in a post on social media. “Leaving behind such a storied past wasn’t easy, but we’re excited to carry that legacy forward into an exciting future.”
Mason & Carter is an independent insurance agency and brokerage company that was founded in 1901, and one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Baltimore area. The move to larger quarters will allow the company to grow while remaining downtown.
“Before, during and after the pandemic we have been strong believers that our workplace should be a collaborative environment in which our employees can interact with their colleagues in areas emitting energy, social interaction and an after-work atmosphere,” said company president Read Carter, in a statement. “We see signs of progress downtown and specifically on historic Redwood Street. We remain optimistic about the future and believe a strong and vibrant downtown core is essential for the long-term economic health of the entire Baltimore region.”
Formerly known as the Garrett Building, Redwood Exchange is a 13-story, limestone-faced structure that was built by the family of John Work Garrett, who served as president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for nearly 30 years. Designed by architects J. B. Noel Wyatt and Willam G. Nolting, it was completed in 1913, nine years after the Great Fire of 1904 in Baltimore. For many years it housed the law offices of Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger and Hollander.
Byrnes & Associates handled Mason & Carter’s 10-year lease for 5,000 square feet at 233 E. Redwood Street. With entrepreneur Dave Gupta, Byrnes & Associates is also behind the effort to reposition Redwood Exchange as a modern, multi-tenant office setting and anchor for the revitalization of the Redwood Street corridor. Mason & Carter’s three-story former headquarters has been put on the market for $450,500, with Cushman & Wakefield as the listing agent.
“As fellow believers in the resurgence of downtown Baltimore, I am grateful that [Mason & Carter] will be joining us at our Class A Historic Redwood Exchange Building,” Byrnes & Associates principal Brad Byrnes said in a statement when the lease was announced. “It means a lot that they have chosen us after viewing many other locations.”
I hope that wonderful former office is protected! I can just see some developer building something higher. May have been a ship chandler’s office before insurance.