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Historic Preservation

The Historic Preservation Office supports the Planning Board and the Historic Preservation Commission by providing for the identification, designation, and regulation of historic sites in Montgomery County.  Historic Preservation staff also maintains an archive and library of documentation on historic resources in Montgomery County and provide preservation outreach and guidance on preservation best-practices to the public.

If you are interested in historic buildings, sites, and programs in Montgomery County Parks, please visit Montgomery Parks.

News

  • NEW The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission is pleased to announce available funding for qualified historic homeowners in the county to receive a residential energy audit. Thanks to a $9,000 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust, historic preservation planners will run a local Energy Efficiency Initiative for selected owners of 8-10 historic homes in the county. Read the press release.

    Owners of homes designated historic on the county Master Plan for Historic Preservation or located in a designated historic district are eligible to receive a free home energy audit if selected. Download the 2013 Montgomery County Energy Efficiency Program Application. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013 to be considered.
  • Glenmont historic resources are under evaluation for potential historic designation, in conjunction with the Glenmont Sector Plan.
  • The Historic Preservation office has relocated from its previous location to the Planning Department's MRO building, 8787 Georgia Avenue.
  • The Department has published the Approved and Adopted Greenwich Forest/Animal Industry/Higgins Cemetery amendment. Places from the Past: The Tradition of Gardez Bien in Montgomery County book cover
  • The 10th-anniversary edition of Places from the Past: The Tradition of Gardez Bien in Montgomery County, a book that inventories historic sites and districts, is now available online. Recognized with awards from the Maryland Historical Trust and Montgomery Preservation, Inc., Places from the Past documents the history of architecture and community planning in Montgomery County. The book features a series of essays on building traditions, housing types and outbuildings as well as an inventory of historic districts and sites.
  • Our interactive historic site locator tool, which helps people find resources in Montgomery County, was recognized by the Maryland Historical Trust with its Excellence in Media and Publications Award. The historic preservation map tool locates properties that have been identified in the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites in Montgomery County, designated in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation, or listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 
  • Montgomery Modern logo Visit our new Montgomery Modern page to explore mid-century modern buildings and communities that reflect the optimistic spirit of the post-war era.
  • The Historic Preservation Commission has concluded their evaluation of Calendar Year 2011 Montgomery County Historic Preservation Tax Credit applications, recommending 56 projects. These projects represent nearly $ 740,000 million in investment in the County’s historic resources, and $ 74,000 in tax credits for property owners. Owners of Master Plan for Historic Preservation-designated properties may receive a 10% credit for eligible rehabilitation work and routine maintenance projects exceeding $1000. Applications for 2012 credits are due in April, 2013.
  • Effective immediately, historic preservation staff will hold regular office hours to meet with people interested in discussing the Historic Area Work Permit process and to accept plans the Historic Preservation Commission has approved for stamping. Office hours will be held Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Staff will continue to be available to meet with people by appointment during regular business hours.
  • Want to locate a historic property or district in Montgomery County? Use our new interactive tool to find sites designated by the county or on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Read the latest postings on historic preservation topics on The Straight Line blog.
  • The owners of about 10 historic homes in Montgomery County will receive a free home energy audit, thanks to a grant the County received from the Maryland Historical Trust. Homes were selected based on factors including geographic distribution, characteristics of the residence (such as age, size, construction materials), and other information provided by applicants. The goal of the project, administered by historic preservation staff, is to obtain energy audits from properties representing a variety of the county’s historic residential building stock. The results of the audits, which will be included in a broader study to be undertaken by the Maryland Historical Trust, are expected to help owners of historic properties take steps to improve energy efficiency.
  • The Historic Preservation Section received a grant from the Maryland Historical Trust to undertake a study of the history and architecture of Dickerson, a historic district identified in the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites in Montgomery County Maryland. The survey led to the production of a Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties form for Dickerson. This project has deepened the understanding of the history of Dickerson, and the research may be used in the future at such time as the historic district is evaluated to determine whether it merits designation in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation. For additional information, please contact Scott Whipple, Historic Preservation Supervisor.

Historic Resources Under Evaluation or Recently Evaluated

Research and Designation

The Research and Designation program evaluates resources currently or potentially listed on the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites for possible inclusion in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation.  The evaluation of a historic site or district may be initiated by an area master planning effort, by nominations by the public, or through a review of resources listed in the Locational Atlas. 

Historic Area Work Permits (HAWPs)

  • The Historic Preservation Commission meeting schedule and agenda can be found here. As required by law, the HPC will act on all applications within 45 days from their submission to DPS.  At this time the next deadline for Historic Area Work Permit application submissions is June 5th for the June 26, 2013 meeting. View a summary of the actions taken by the Historic Preservation Commission at past meetings.
  • Historic preservation design guidelines are available to assist owners of historic properties in the development of their project plans.

Learn more

Our planners, staff to the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Board, work to safeguard the county's significant historic resources. Learn more about how a structure becomes a designated historic site — and what it means if you own a historic home — on this edition of Montgomery Plans.
Guest: Clare Kelly, Historic Preservation Planner.

Date of last update: January 3, 2013