Frederick County to award grants for rural historic preservation

Jack Hogan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·1 min read

Dec. 2—Frederick County is accepting grant applications for eligible owners of historic properties in unincorporated areas, according to a news release.

The county plans to accept applications for the Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program until Feb. 28 at 5 p.m.

The grants will help recipients "preserve, protect and enhance" their properties, County Executive Jan Gardner said in the news release on Thursday.

Property owners can use the grant money for exterior work to stabilize, rehabilitate, restore or preserve their historic buildings.

The county won't award grants for work that has begun or been completed. The grants cannot be used for new construction, landscaping or projects that don't meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, according to the release.

Applicants may request up to $50,000. To be eligible, a property must be in an unincorporated area of the county, designated on the county's Register of Historic Places or a contributing resource in a county-designated historic district.

For properties not in the Register of Historic Places, the county's Historic Preservation Commission will determine whether the owner is eligible to apply for a grant.

The county plans to hold virtual workshops to provide information about the grant program on Dec. 15 at noon, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. and Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

To register for a workshop, apply for a grant or review information about the program, property owners can visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/HistoricPreservation and select "Grant Availability."

The county has encouraged people who have questions about the program to email Amanda Whitmore, a historic preservation planner for the county, at AWhitmore@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

—Jack Hogan