Early this month, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development designated two new Main Street communities into the statewide economic development program, the Town of New Market and the City of Laurel. There are now 30 Main Streets across Maryland with...
Preservation News
Heritage Fund Program Awards over $50,000 to Array of Preservation Projects
The Heritage Fund grant program is a cooperative effort of Preservation Maryland and the Maryland Historical Trust. An important source of direct financial support for preservation projects since 1997, we're pleased to announce grants totaling over $50,000 to the...
100th Anniversary of the End of World War One
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. The bloody fighting came to a brokered armistice on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour. The changes the war wrought were undeniable. It was described as the “war to end all wars.”...
Post-Election Update on the Future of Historic Ellicott City
Elections have consequences – and the most recent election in Howard County will have significant impacts on the future of historic Ellicott City. As a non-partisan organization, Preservation Maryland watched from the sidelines as the 5-year, $50 million flood...
Smart Growth Maryland: Land Conservation Success Report
As a result of the efforts of the Smarter Growth Alliance for Charles County, which is led by Smart Growth Maryland, 208-acres of environmentally sensitive and culturally significant land has been preserved forever. Smart Growth Maryland is a campaign of Preservation...
Smart Growth Maryland: In the Field in Charles County
Smart Growth Maryland is a campaign of Preservation Maryland which advocates for a more environmentally and economically sustainable future that creates opportunities for all Marylanders through better development patterns. A major component of this campaign is...
Smart Growth Maryland: Alternatives to New Chesapeake Bay Crossing Should be Considered
In fall of 2017, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) initiated the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study to study the potential location for a third Bay Bridge crossing. The impact of a such a massive project could have a profound impact on the historic landscape of...
National Preservation Organizations Release Candidate Surveys
In advance of the mid-term elections, two national historic preservation and heritage advocacy organizations, Preservation Action and the Coalition for American Heritage, have released the results of their candidate surveys. With the help of state and local partners...
National Park Service Releases Annual Historic Tax Credit Economic Impact Report
The National Park Service recently released their Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit for FY 2017 and its good news for historic communities across Maryland and around the country. POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT In 2017, the Park Service...
Event Photos: Phoenix Rising Benefit Event
Phoenix Rising was our biggest event yet with nearly 300 guests filling the Baltimore Museum of Industry's waterfront location in Baltimore City. Each year, this capstone fundraising event showcases the strong connection that Marylander's have to our state's rich...
Amendment Made to Legislation that could have Devastated Howard County’s Historic Districts
On October 29, 2018, the Howard County Council passed CB75-2018 with amendments, as advocated for by many Marylanders, that lessens the bill's original threat to the Historic Preservation Commissions' independent nature. After being introduced at the October 1, 2019...
Smart Growth Maryland: Calvert County Poll Shows Public Concern with Overdevelopment
A new poll conducted by OpinionWorks and released today by Smart Growth Maryland, a program of Preservation Maryland, reveals satisfaction with Calvert County as a place to live today and concern with overdevelopment in the years to come. An impressive 92% of...
Tour Recap: Experiencing Harriet Tubman’s Eastern Shore
On Saturday, October 20, 2018, Preservation Maryland hosted a day-long tour exploring Harriet Tubman's journey to freedom and the impact of slavery and the Underground Railroad on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The tour was led by Priscilla Timken, founder of Chesapeake...
Six-to-Fix Update: WUSA Tells History of Mt. Hope Baptist Cemetery
The intact cultural landscape of the Mt. Hope Baptist Church and Cemetery in Charles County was the focus of a recent feature about forgotten cemeteries by WUSA Channel 9. Reporter John Henry brought to a large audience the area's important African American history...
Dominion Energy Halts Project in Historic Mount Vernon Viewshed
As a result of significant public pressure and preservation advocacy, Dominion Energy has reversed their plans and announced a decision not to build a towering natural gas compressor in Charles County, Maryland just across the Potomac River from George Washington's...
Emergency Funding Brings Land Use Experts to Historic City Dock in Annapolis
Historic Annapolis, Inc. is the recipient of an emergency Heritage Fund grant to address threats to the historic City Dock area of the Annapolis National Landmark District. The funding will bring a national Technical Assistance Panel from the Urban Land Institute to...
New Legislation Could Devastate Howard County’s Historic Districts
On October 1, 2018, CB75-2018 was introduced during a legislative session of the Howard County Council. This new legislation could radically upend over forty years of preservation planning and investment in one fell swoop. This legislation would establish a dangerous...
Preservation Trades Network will Host Hands-On Conference in Maryland
Preservation Trades Network will host their annual International Preservation Trades Workshop in partnership with the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Maryland this year at the end of October. This annual hands-on conference...
Third-Party Review of Howard County Engineering Report Uncovers Shortcomings in Vetting of Demolition Plan
Preservation Maryland has released the findings of an independent third-party review of Howard County’s engineering reports that are the basis for the plan to demolish nearly two dozen buildings in historic Ellicott City. The third-party analysis, which was conducted...
Canal Place Heritage Area Expansion Would Include City of Frostburg
Canal Place Heritage Area was Maryland's first state heritage area and built on the cultural resources of the City of Cumberland like the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and public and private investments to create a cultural tourism destination. The Maryland...
Update: Ellicott City Demolition Plan Funding Approved
On Monday, October 1, the Howard County Council approved a series of bills which would fund the demolition of nearly two dozen historic structures in Ellicott City. While the preservation community has lost this first battle – the fight is far from over. On a split...
Six-to-Fix: Meet the New Class of Maryland Treasures
As a part of Preservation Maryland’s strategic efforts to save threatened historic places, the organization recently announced its fourth class of Six-to-Fix projects from around the state. The Six-to-Fix program, which continues to evolve and expand since its launch...
Preservation Maryland Supports Reasonable Amendments to Howard County’s Historic District Demolition Plan
In advance of this evening’s meeting of the Howard County Council, during which funding for demolition of historic structures will be considered, Preservation Maryland issued the following statement: Tonight’s vote of the Howard County Council will resonate for...
Federal Agency Asks Important Questions about Ellicott City Demolition Plan
In a letter dated September 28, 2018, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the federal agency tasked with coordinating the nation's preservation policy and laws, asked the Army Corps of Engineers to provide greater clarity about their role and involvement in...
New Poll: Majority of Howard County Residents Support Alternatives to Demolishing Ellicott City’s Historic District
74 percent of Howard County voters support alternatives to demolishing large portions of Ellicott City’s historic district, according to a poll released today by Preservation Maryland. Additionally, according to the poll results, 69 percent of Howard County residents...
Update: Baltimore’s Arch Social Club wins Preservation Funding
Baltimore's Arch Social Club is in the running to receive funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Partners in Preservation and Vote Your Main Street programs. The ca. 1905 building is one of the oldest, continuously operating African American men's...
Saving Ellicott City: Latest News from the Frontlines of Preservation
Preservation Maryland and local, state and regional partners are continuing to support efforts to protect historic Ellicott City – and are working hard to provide viable alternatives to the demolition plan currently being pursued by Howard County. Since plans were...
Now Accepting Applications: Historic Ellicott City Revitalization Grant Program
As part of a continued presence in support of historic Ellicott City, Preservation Maryland and Historic Ellicott City, Inc. created and funded the Historic Ellicott City Revitalization Grant Program to support projects in the community. Funding for the grant program...
Journey Through Maryland History: A Perfect Summer Day in Somerset County
On their two-year quest to visit and explore all of Maryland's counties, Diane and Jeff Caslow, set their sites on Maryland's southern most county of Somerset for a summer road trip. From the Caslow Travelogue We took off on a hot summer day to explore a bit of...
Survey: Help Shape the Future of South Mountain Battlefield
With the support of the American Battlefield Protection Program, the Frederick County Tourism Council, Frederick County Community Foundation, Rural Maryland Council and the Delaplaine Foundation, Preservation Maryland has released a new survey to help guide the future...
Statewide Smart Growth Workshop
December 10 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pmPreservation Basics with Talbot Historical Society
SAVE THE DATE! More information and registration page coming soon.
January 8, 2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pmHeritage Fund FY25 Information Session
Save the Date! Join Preservation Maryland on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, to learn more about the He...
January 22, 2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Events
Preservation Maryland participates in and hosts many events in and around Maryland. Take a look at our upcoming events to see where we’ll be next.