36th Annual Maryland Preservation Awards

2011 Award Recipients

The Maryland Preservation Awards are presented annually by the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust. The Trustees are appointed by the Governor of Maryland and represent all regions of the state. The awards honor outstanding achievements in historic preservation, architecture, archaeology, museums, cultural conservation, education, and related fields and represent the best of preservation in Maryland. Awards are made in seven categories: Stewardship, Service, Project Excellence, Educational Excellence, Heritage Book, and the Calvert Prize. In 2009 the Trustees created two new categories for the Stewardship of Historic Properties by a Government Agency and Preservation Partnerships.

To learn more about these categories and past recipients click here.

For more information about the Maryland Preservation Awards please contact Elizabeth Hughes at (410) 514-7604.

The Calvert Prize

The Honorable William Donald Schaefer

The Calvert Prize will be presented posthumously to the late William Donald Schaefer, former Governor, Comptroller, and Mayor of Baltimore in recognition of his paramount leadership in and substantial contributions to historic preservation programs in Maryland. 

During his decades’ long career in public service, Governor Schaefer was a pivotal figure in the success of many preservation-related projects and legislative efforts.  As Mayor of Baltimore he was a champion of the preservation and revitalization of Fell’s Point and as Governor he played an instrumental role in the design of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, including the preservation and adaptive use of the 1856 Camden Station and 1899 B&O Warehouse.  Among his most significant contributions at the statewide level was the passage of legislation protecting archeological resources submerged in Maryland’s vast waterways, including hundreds of shipwrecks, and the establishment of one of the first state-level underwater archeology programs in the country. 

Governor Schaefer was also a principal figure in and champion of the design and construction of the Maryland Archeological Conservation (MAC) Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum in Calvert County.  The MAC Lab is a state-of-the-art curation facility for archeological materials and currently houses more than 1,000,000 artifacts from every county in Maryland and several Mid-Atlantic States.  The MAC Lab gained recent notoriety as the treatment facility for the 19th century merchant ship uncovered at the World Trade Center in New York.

Preservation Service

Click here for a list of past recipients of Preservation Service Awards

Maryland Traditions Program of the
Maryland State Arts Council

2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Maryland Traditions program at the Maryland State Arts Council. Maryland Traditions has developed a statewide infrastructure for the documentation, preservation, and presentation of the cultural traditions and folklore of Maryland’s diverse communities.

Maryland Traditions has raised the profile of traditional arts and culture by spearheading cultural preservation initiatives from the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore City to Appalachia. These initiatives have been recognized by federal and state institutions, intellectual societies, and countless Maryland communities for their relevance and their high standards of scholarship. Maryland Traditions has protected and reinvigorated threatened traditions, and has created lasting resources for communities to sustain living traditions. Maryland Traditions’ successful track record since 2001 has made Maryland a destination for the study of cultural preservation, heritage studies, folklore, oral history, and regionally-based anthropology and ethnomusicology.

Donna C. Hole

Annapolis, Anne Arundel County

Donna Hole has been at the forefront of historic preservation and heritage tourism efforts in Maryland and around the world for nearly 30 years. In 1992 Donna began a 15 year stint as the Chief of Historic Preservation in Annapolis. During her record tenure she served as a liaison between the Historic Preservation Commission and property owners, contractors, and architects, advocated for adherence to the commission's rules to preserve the character of the historic district, and coordinated a series of roundtable discussions with the public — all with the goal of improving the HPC's service to the community and its public perception.

Donna was the first chair of the Annapolis, London Town and South County Heritage Area Coordinating Council, and is a continuing member of the Board of Directors and the Anne Arundel County Trust for Preservation. Donna has also been a respected board member of the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions for over a decade and served two terms as President.

Donna loves history and has undergraduate and master's degrees in American History. Donna taught American and Architectural History in Germany for the University of Maryland-European Division and architectural history courses at Anne Arundel County Community College. She has also served as a guest lecturer at a number of local institutions, including Catholic University and the University of Maryland. She enjoys sharing her interest in vernacular architecture with her fellow Annapolitans, and from time to time, loves to play architectural 'detective' to discover new information about historic properties in the district.

Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.

Benedict, Charles County

Franklin Robinson has been a leader in historic preservation efforts in Southern Maryland for more than a decade.  His work has included not researching, preserving, and protecting only buildings and landscapes, but also people and entire communities.  Mr. Robinson regularly donates his time to assist a broad range of projects, including researching specific properties, preparing National Register and Maryland Inventory forms, identifying and writing grants for preservation projects, conducting free seminars on archiving and preserving papers and historical artifacts, advocating for historic properties and projects throughout Southern Maryland, and testifying at hearings and other public forums in defense of preservation measures.

Mr. Robinson’s recent accomplishments include spearheading the National Register listing of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish Historic District in Prince George’s County, researching and writing text for Roadside Historical Markers in Southern Maryland, and participating in preservation projects at the Parlett Farm in St. Mary’s County, St. Thomas’s Church and the Chapel of the Incarnation in Prince George’s County.  Mr. Robinson was recently appointed Chairman of the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission and has served on numerous task forces and commissions throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia.  In 2001 he received the St. George’s Day Award from the Prince George’s Historical Society.  Mr. Robinson is employed as an Archives Specialist with the Archives Center in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. 

Heritage Book Award

Click here for a list of past recipients of Heritage Book Awards

Maritime Maryland: A History

William S. Dudley, Ph.D. and Johns Hopkins University Press

There have been many publications which studied, analyzed, and described the Chesapeake waters and their importance to Maryland’s past present, and future, but the value of Maritime Maryland is its broad scope and inclusiveness. The author has made a significant contribution by creating a narrative synthesis of these many and varied studies, all within the context of regional and national events. He shows how the bay and its tributaries have made a major impact on the lives of this region's inhabitants. He argues that the abundant waters of the Chesapeake have shaped and improved the lives of those who have depended on it for their livelihoods, for transportation of agricultural and manufactured products, during naval conflicts for defense of the bay, for the harvesting of seafood, and for recreational pursuits. The economy of the entire state has benefitted from the geographical asset of this marvelous estuary which has made a permanent impact on Maryland's history and heritage.

Educational Excellence

Click here for a list of past recipients of Educational Excellence Awards

Baltimore Heritage, Inc.

Behind the Scenes Tour Program

Since 2006, Baltimore Heritage's Behind the Scenes Tour program has offered regular tours of historic places across the city to a diverse and growing community of Baltimore area residents. Beginning with only 40 people and one tour in early 2006, the distribution list of members has grown to over 1400 people today and the number of tour sites grew to 25 separate places last year. The list has largely grown through the enthusiasm of existing members in reaching out to friends and colleagues (Baltimore Heritage does not engage in any paid marketing).

The subject of the Behind the Scenes tour programs varies depending on the featured historic site and the volunteer tour leader or guide for the program. Recent tours have included the restoration of the Lloyd Street Synagogue, a studio tour at McClain Wiesand Custom Built Furniture, Hotel Brexton, and even short walking tours such as a tour of historic Bars and Brothels of Fell's Point. These tours and others address both the architectural and social history of their buildings and neighborhoods, as well as the process of architectural restoration and the preservation and development of historic properties. Tours are intended to promote and support Baltimore's historic sites and to create a group of "heritage ambassadors" made up of Baltimoreans who know and care about the city's heritage.

 

Carroll County History Project

The Carroll County History Project is an ongoing multi-part initiative to digitally capture and preserve the oral and pictorial history of Carroll County, and make it accessible to the general public. The History Project began in 2008 when the Community Media Center of Carroll County partnered with the Carroll County NAACP to preserve the memories of local African-Americans by videotaping them, then aired them on Carroll’s public access channel. That early partnership grew to include the Historical Society of Carroll County, the Carroll County Public Library, the Human Relations Commission of Carroll County, the Carroll County Genealogical Society and the Carroll County Bureau of Aging.

The History Project was officially unveiled to the community in the Fall of 2008 and by the end of 2009, 250 oral history interviews had been collected and added to the archive. To date, the archive contains nearly 500 oral history interviews.  In 2009, a collaborative effort was developed with the Carroll County Times Newspaper for an ongoing column based on the History Project interviews. Staff of the CMC and volunteers provide the content for the articles which have expanded the reach of the History Project throughout the local community.

 

Huntingtown High School Archeology Class

Huntingtown, Calvert County

In the current world of education so much depends on test scores. Educators of all stripes, from all over the United States, lament the lack of school time devoted to critical thinking skills, creativity and even subjects that were once a mainstay of a good education, such as geography. But Huntingtown High School and the Calvert County Public School System have shown their commitment to not only those goals, but also to the preservation of the past by developing and maintaining an Archeology Class for juniors and seniors.

The Archeology class was started two and a half years ago by teacher Jeff Cunningham with the support of school and district leadership. While Mr. Cunningham was given a base curriculum to start with, he expanded the class to include a mock archeological site and forged a partnership with nearby Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, the State Museum of Archeology. Archaeology Class students also take multiple field trips to enhance their understanding of archaeology and history. These trips include Historic St. Mary’s City, the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, and with the audio tour project, the National Museum of the American Indian and the United States Capitol. This class illustrates for students how we know what we know about American history beyond what is written in books.

Stewardship of Historic Properties by a Government Agency

Click here for a listing of previous Government Stewardship Award recipients

Town of Sykesville, Carroll County

The Town of Sykesville straddles the Patapsco River as it winds its way between Carroll and Howard Counties.  Home to a little more than 4,400 people, it is the picture postcard of small town life in one of Maryland’s historic communities.  The Town and its residents have long prized and celebrated their history and the dozens of historic houses, shops, and churches that line its streets.

The Town’s elected leaders, appointed boards and commissions, employees, civic groups and citizens have shown great commitment to historic preservation and being good stewards of their inherited legacy over many years and have set a wonderful example for other communities throughout the State. The core of the Town is a locally-designated historic district and an all volunteer Historic District Commission helps property owners make sympathetic changes to their buildings while accommodating modern needs. The Town purchased and rehabilitated the 1883 B&O Railroad Station in the early 1990s and today leases it to a successful restaurant. The Town also owns and has assisted the restoration of the historic Black School House and B7O Switching Tower, and even houses its offices in a historic home right on Main Street.

In the early 2000s, the Town took a major leap of faith when it took ownership of the Warfield campus of the former Springfield State Hospital. The campus is comprised of more than a dozen Colonial revival style dormitories, treatment facilities, and service buildings atop a hillside overlooking downtown. The Town fought for the preservation of the historic buildings and formed a nonprofit organization to spearhead the redevelopment efforts on the property. Several buildings have been rehabilitated to date and house new business and several more rehabilitation and new construction projects are in development.

Stewardship of Maryland Historical Trust Easement Properties

Click here for a list of previous Easement Stewardship Award recipients

Fairmount Academy

Upper Fairmount, Somerset County

The Fairmount Academy consists of two late 19th century public school buildings that served the rural community of Upper Fairmount on a narrow peninsula in southern Somerset County. The rural school house once housed students in all twelve grades, but by 1944 served only as a primary school for first through sixth grade students. The County closed the school in 1969 and announced their intention to auction the property in 1972. Local residents formed the Fairmount Academy Historical Association and have served as the primary caretakers of the property since that time.

The property is owned by the county, but is operated and maintained by the Historical Association. The Maryland Historical Trust supported the restoration of the buildings with a capital grant in 1990 and has held a perpetual preservation easement on the property since that time. The Historical Association receives limited annual funding from the County for maintenance, and like many nonprofit organizations works hard to maintain their membership as well as the funding and programming necessary to preserve the buildings and their community's heritage.

Preservation Partnerships

Click here for a list of previous Preservation Partnerships Award recipients

Proctor House

54 E. Gordon St., Bel Air, Harford County

The Proctor House, built between 1860 and 1873, is a Gothic Revival Style cottage unique in Bel Air for its board and batten construction and for its barge boards and finials as well as for the wide overhang of the eaves.  The house remained in the Proctor family until 1965, when the Harford County School Board purchased it and used it for office space. In October 2006, after several years of vacancy, the house was given to Harford County Government.

Remaining vacant thereafter, the house continued to deteriorate from neglect. Harford County approached the Town of Bel Air to determine what might be the best way to preserve the Proctor House and allow this significant structure to serve a functional role within the Town. The Town agreed to seek a buyer for the property who would be interested in rehabilitating the structure, but the real estate downturn in 2008-2009 made the prospect daunting.  The Kelly Financial Group, an adjacent property owner, purchased the property in 2009 and undertook a $500,000 rehabilitation project to expand their financial services business.  The project owners were awarded $100,000 from the Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit program, Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits and property tax credits from the Town and County.  Work on the project began in the spring of 2010, and Kelly Financial Group employees moved into the renovated Proctor House in January, 2011.

The efforts and cooperation of local, county and state staff plus the willingness of a local business to invest in their community made it possible to save and renovate an important historical structure located in the Town of Bel Air. The project also turned a property that had formerly been a drain on public resources into a privately-owned, property that is back on the tax rolls and contributing to the Town’s economy.

Project Excellence

Click here for a list of past recipients of Project Excellence Awards

Restoration of the Skipjack Caleb W. Jones

Charles County

The skipjack Caleb W. Jones, one of less than a dozen surviving oyster boats of the once mighty Chesapeake fleet, was built in 1953 in Reedville, Virginia.  The vessel was built during the “second wave” of skipjack construction during a revival of the oyster industry after World War II. The 65-foot long wooden vessel was built by Jones’ grandson and after two decades of service in Virginia waters, was purchased by a waterman on Deal Island, Somerset County.  The captain retired from oystering in 2006 and the boat was docked in shallow water in need of significant repair.

in 2008 Michael J. Sullivan, a Charles County businessman with an interest in Maryland history, purchased the vessel and personally financed its restoration so that it could be used for environmental education programs on the Potomac River. The boat was shored up and transported to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael's where Mike Vlahovich and his crew from the Coastal Heritage Alliance restored the vessel in public view as an education program for museum visitors. The project also served as a training program for apprentice boatwrights, allowing a master craftsman like Mr. Vlahovich to pass along critically endangered skills to a new generation.

 

Rehabilitation of the Gilpin's Falls Covered Bridge

Bayview, Cecil County

The Cecil County Department of Public Works recently completed the rehabilitation of the Gilpin’s Falls Covered bridge which is located near Bayview, Maryland.  Built in 1860 on a site that had seen grain, saw and woolen mills, Gilpin’s Falls Covered Bridge was located upstream of a stone dam on the Northeast Creek.  The bridge is a timber, single span, Burr Arch Truss structure built in 1860 by Joseph George Johnston.  The bridge is 119 feet long and is the longest of the six remaining historic covered bridges in the State of Maryland.  Some carvings on the bridge date back to the Civil War era.

Until 1936, the bridge accommodated highway traffic.  At that time, the State Roads Commission realigned Route 272 and the bridge was abandoned.  Its repair and maintenance were left in the care of farmers in the area.  A severe snowstorm in 1958 caused the deteriorated roof of the abandoned structure to collapse. In 1989, the Maryland State Highway Administration transferred title of the bridge to Cecil County.  Because of a lack of maintenance, the bridge, again, fell into disrepair and was in a state of structural collapse.  Inspections by various consulting structural engineers resulted in the closure of the bridge to pedestrian traffic in July 1999. 

Between 1999 and 2010 Cecil County worked to secure funding, develop plans, and hire contractors to rehabilitate the bridge for use on a bike and pedestrian adjacent to the new roadway. The Maryland Historical Trust supported the project with a Capital Grant and holds a perpetual preservation easement on the structure. The bridge reopened for use in June 2010.

 

Rehabilitation of 105 E. Montgomery St., Baltimore

Baltimore City

This Federal style house in the Federal Hill National Register Historic District was built in the early years of the 19th Century and is typical of the earliest structures in Federal Hill. Located on a fifteen foot wide lot the house is a two room deep, two-and-a-half story building with a rear two story kitchen wing. Abandoned for nearly 30 years, the house was purchased by Bruce Boswell in 2006 and was in need of significant repair.

The roof over the two story kitchen wing had collapsed and there was extensive water damage throughout. Termites had damaged many of the structural components and flooring of the rear wing. Water penetration had damaged all or part of every ceiling in the house. Every room in the house had floorboards that were missing and/or rotted. While the house had gas lines installed in the late 1800’s for lighting, plumbing in the early 1900’s and a rudimentary electrical system it had had virtually no updates in many years.

Mr. Boswell worked with architect Rebecca Swanston to develop rehabilitation plans for the building that would allow for a comfortable, contemporary home while restoring the historic features that made the property unique.

 

Rehabilitation of 212 Brookletts Ave., Easton

Easton, Talbot County

Situated near the edge of the Easton Historic District, the Horsey House at 212 Brookletts Ave. recently underwent a remarkable transformation.  The exterior of the large, late 19th century frame residence was completely rehabilitated by owners Al Bond and Christin Dickey and their contractors from O’Neill Development.  The home was in reasonably good condition, but the siding, porches, and roof were all in need of repair from years of water damage and rot.

The contractor removed the mid-20th century cedar shingle siding to reveal the original shiplap siding, which was repaired and painted, repaired the porch columns, floors, and roof, and restored the historic wood windows in the house.   The result is remarkable and the visual impact of the rehabilitation project on the neighborhood is nothing short of amazing.  The owners received a State Rehabilitation Tax Credit from the Maryland Historical Trust for the project and are the recipients of a 2011 preservation award from the Easton Historic District Commission.

Rehabilitation of Charles Carroll House

Annapolis, Anne Arundel County

The Charles Carroll House is one of only 15 surviving birthplaces of a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and was owned by five generations of the Carroll family.  The property has been owned by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer since 1852 and served as a center of missionary activity for the Redemptorists until the late 1960s, when the order relocated their headquarters out of Annapolis.

The Charles Carroll House of Annapolis, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated preserving and interpreting the property recently completed a remarkably sensitive and impressive transformation of this significant house into offices and meeting space.  The 18th and 19th century finishes and features were all stabilized and either restored or encapsulated, and the electrical and security systems were upgraded to meet modern safety requirements.  This project is significant not only for the quality of work and attention to detail in the design and execution of the plans, but for the decisions made about the use of the property.  Rather than turn the house into a museum, CCHA and the Redemptorists chose to make sensitive alterations to accommodate a contemporary use while still allowing for public access and interpretation of this iconic structure.

Rehabilitation of the McCormick-Goodhart Mansion

Langley Park, Prince George's County

Once part of the 565-acre Langley Park estate, the three-story, 19,000 square foot mansion was built in 1924 as a private residence for Frederick Goodhart and his wife Henrietta McCormick.  Frederick Goodhart was a noble from the Langley Park estate in England and Henrietta McCormick was a wealthy descendent of the inventor of the mechanic reaper.  Following their death the mansion became a seminary, then a Montessori school, and finally a childcare center before sitting vacant for many years.

The estate was subdivided several times and the surrounding land is now primarily used as garden apartments.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2008, the building has become a community landmark in Langley Park, Maryland.  CASA de Maryland worked with architect Bucher/Borges Group to transform the mansion from a badly damaged, vacant historic property into a thriving office and community center.  The construction work included restoration of the exterior and most of the existing historic interior, adaptive use of service and storage areas, and an underground addition.  The project incorporated numerous green building features, including a green roof on the new addition and earned a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.