Hackerman House

One West Mount Vernon Place is a centerpiece of the Walters Art Museum’s five-building historic complex, anchoring the museum’s presence along one of Baltimore’s most distinguished civic spaces. Constructed circa 1850, the Greek Revival mansion—now known as Hackerman House—features a glass-filled conservatory, a Tiffany glass skylight, and richly detailed interior spaces, including a library with mahogany paneling and historic plaster elements dating to the building’s original construction.

As part of the Walters’ ongoing stewardship of its historic campus, the museum undertook a comprehensive modernization of Hackerman House to support gallery, conservation, and administrative functions while preserving the building’s architectural character.

Comprehensive Modernization Within a Historic Structure

Mueller Associates provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and controls engineering services for the renovation of the three-story Hackerman House. The project encompassed approximately 19,300 square feet and included a full upgrade of building systems carefully integrated within the historic fabric.

New infrastructure included air-handling units, exhaust systems, hot-water boilers and pumps, humidifiers, variable-air-volume terminal units, ductwork, piping, electrical power and lighting systems, and a new building automation system. These upgrades were designed to deliver reliable environmental control and operational efficiency while minimizing visual and physical impact on historic finishes and architectural details.

Maintaining Operations During Renovation

To support continued museum operations during construction, Mueller also engineered a separate boiler system to serve the broader One West Mount Vernon Place complex while Hackerman House systems were offline. In addition, Mueller provided engineering services for a first-floor renovation at the nearby 100 West Centre Street building, enabling the temporary relocation of Hackerman House personnel during the renovation.

These measures enabled the museum to maintain operational continuity while undertaking a complex, phased modernization on an active cultural campus.

A Longstanding Partnership with the Walters Art Museum

Mueller has served the Walters Art Museum for nearly 25 years, developing deep institutional knowledge of its historic buildings and collections environments. Prior to the comprehensive renovation, Mueller provided MEP engineering for approximately 6,000 square feet of upgrades in Hackerman House and the adjacent carriage house to accommodate semi-permanent exhibit space. That earlier work included modifications to air distribution devices, sprinkler heads, lighting fixtures, and electrical receptacles, as well as the replacement of humidification systems serving the air-handling units.

Together, these projects reflect a sustained commitment to preserving historic architecture while supporting the evolving needs of one of Baltimore’s leading cultural institutions.

Engineering That Supports Stewardship and Access

Across decades of work at the Walters Art Museum, Mueller’s engineering solutions have quietly enabled conservation, exhibition, and daily operations—supporting stable environmental conditions, visitor comfort, and long-term resilience. At Hackerman House, that approach is expressed through carefully integrated systems that keep the building’s history, craftsmanship, and collections at the forefront.