Hirsch Residence (HA-2290), Harford County. Photo by Sarah Vonesh, EHT Traceries.

Historic Contexts

A historic context is a format or method of organizing information about related historic properties into manageable units based on a theme, geographical limits, or chronological period. A historic context might encompass the development of an area, taking into account its history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. It also might identify associated property types that relate to the context. Establishing a historic context increases the reliability of decisions made concerning the identification, evaluation, registration, and treatment of historic properties. More information about the role of historic contexts in the research and survey of cultural resources can be found in our Standards and Guidelines for Architectural and Historical Investigations in Maryland.

All historic contexts held by MHT are available in the library and can be searched in our online library catalog. The library is open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays by appointment only. For further information or to schedule an appointment, contact Lara Westwood by email at lara.westwood@maryland.gov, or by phone at (410) 697-9546.

A National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission is a type of historic context document that serves as the basis for evaluating the eligibility of related properties. All completed Maryland Multiple Property Submissions can be accessed on our National Register search page.

The following is a select list of historic contexts that are available in digital format. We hope to have more contexts available online in the near future.

• Maryland LGBTQ Historic Context Study
• Hammond-Harwood House Cultural Landscape Report
• Annapolis Historic District Block Histories
• HERITAGE THEMES AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION PLANNING IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY: A Diverse Melting Pot: Ethnic Origins, National Influences, and Immigration
• National Historic Landmark Context Study: Public School 103
• The Architecture of Domestic Support Structures in Southern Maryland
• Maryland's Education History and Architecture: A Context Study
• Timber-Concrete Composite Bridges in Maryland: 1937-1972
• "A Harvest in the Open for Saving Souls:" The Camp Meetings of Montgomery County
• Reflections of Black Heritage: An Architectural and Social History of Black Communities in Montgomery County, Maryland
• Talbot County, Maryland 20th-Century Agricultural Context and Historic Resource Survey
• Suburbanization Historic Context and Survey Methodology: I-495/I-95 Capital Beltway Corridor Transportation Study Vol I
• Suburbanization Historic Context and Survey Methodology: I-495/I-95 Capital Beltway Corridor Transportation Study Vol II
• Suburbanization Historic Context Addendum (1961-1980), Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland
• Context Essay: Modern Movement in Maryland
• Maryland National Road Historic Context Volume I
• Maryland National Road Historic Context Volume II
• Maryland National Road Historic Context Volume III
• "Tomorrow's Roads Today:" Expressway Construction in Maryland, 1948-1965
• Maryland Railroad Statewide Historic Context
• State Historic Bridge Context and Inventory of Modern Bridges Phase II
• Historic Bridges in Maryland, 1631-1960 (External Link)
• Small Structures on Maryland's Roadways (External Link)
• Benjamin Rice Mill Historic Context Report

Final Survey Reports

Final survey reports represent the culmination of survey, i.e. the process of identification and gathering of data on a community’s historic resources. It includes a field survey, the search for and recording of historic resources, a summary of pre-survey planning and background research, and the establishment of a historical overview of the project area to document the broad patterns of a community’s historical development that will be represented by its historic resources. Like historic contexts, all final survey reports produced in conjunction with MHT are housed in the MHT library.

The following is a select list of final survey reports that are available in digital format.

• Silver Spring Survey Update for Selected Buildings within the Central Business District (April 2021)
• Southern Maryland Tobacco Barn Survey
• Lower Eastern Shore Threatened Sites Survey, Final Report 2018-19
• Architectural Survey for the Town of Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland (June 2022)

Please be sure to also search our online library catalog for a full record of these reports. Digital copies of research resources can be provided as available.