Sarah Elfreth, who previously served as State Senator from the 30th legislative district of Maryland, took her oath of office today and assumed her new role as Congresswoman Elfreth, representing the much larger 3rd congressional district of Maryland. The 3rd district includes numerous historic communities, including Annapolis and Ellicott City, each listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During her time in the Maryland General Assembly, Elfreth introduced numerous pieces of preservation, conservation, and environmental legislation for which she was honored as a Preservation Champion in 2023. Notably for the preservation community, she sponsored the Great Maryland Outdoors Act, which included $70 million for critical maintenance, $80 million for capital improvements and acquisitions, and $12 million for 100 new park staff. Today, a portion of this funding is helping to rehabilitate and restore numerous historic resources under the care of the state parks.
Additionally, in partnership with her colleagues in the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates, she sponsored legislation to establish a new state maritime heritage grant program which is set to launch in 2025. The land conservation community also worked closely with Senator Elfreth in her role on the budget committee to ensure consistent funding for Program Open Space, the principal funding source for preserving land in Maryland.
Elfreth also secured funding for many historic resources, including grants to stabilize the historic Captain William Burtis House, the last remaining watermen’s cottage on City Dock, as well as funds to restore the historic Stanton Center and Ralph J. Bunche Center and an appropriation that kept the light shining at the photogenic Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. The Burtis House, which stands at the heart of the much larger City Dock resiliency project, just recently completed an initial round of capital improvements under a team organized by Preservation Maryland.
Beyond her legislative efforts, Elfreth was also a consistent supporter of the broader work of Preservation Maryland – ready with letters of support, introductions to key officials, and brainstorming on innovative approaches to complex preservation challenges. During her time in state legislative office, she participated in numerous visits to historic sites in Maryland and beyond – even once taking a trip across the Potomac River to George Washington’s Mount Vernon (Virginia) to understand the complexity of preserving the historic site’s viewshed, which lies entirely within Maryland.
As Congresswoman Elfreth takes her oath of office and assumes her new role, we wish her the best of luck – and look forward to working with her to save historic places on an even greater scale with hew new colleagues and role in the United States Congress.