CT-1314, Ponds Wood Road Community in Calvert County.

The Architectural Survey Data Analysis Project is a multi-year comprehensive study of existing survey data in the Office of Research, Survey, and Registration at MHT. County by county, the project will assess and analyze documentation in MHT’s library holdings including the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (MIHP), National Register of Historic Places nominations, maps, and photographs. During this process of review, data will be collected that will help identify research and survey gaps within the MIHP.

This extensive review will highlight documentation needs and inform and guide future MHT research and survey efforts across the state. The project will help identify data gaps within the MIHP such as underrepresented historic themes, building or property types, and under-surveyed areas of Maryland. These efforts will also analyze the level of documentation per MIHP file to highlight significant resources that need to be resurveyed or researched further.

The goal of the project is to expand MHT’s comprehensive documentation of the state’s historic resources, provide a more inclusive and diverse collection of historic properties, and create readily available and searchable information for research purposes. The project will result in individual county reports, statewide recommendations, and new searchable fields in Medusa, our cultural resources database. For example, users will be able to generate a list of all the frame Greek Revival style churches in the MIHP, built during the 1850s, and organized by county.

WA-II-009, Devil’s Backbone Bridge, Stone Arch Bridge in Boonsboro, Washington County.

Over the course of the project, MHT will share interesting properties and research findings from the MIHP records on Facebook and Instagram, so stay tuned for information as we move forward!

For further information or questions about the Architectural Survey Data Analysis Project, please contact Sierra Beighey, Architectural Survey Data Analyst, at sierra.beighey@maryland.gov.