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Baltimore County commission approves door work at former Methodist Protestant Church but requires wood windows
Summary
The Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission approved replacement of two rear doors and concrete aprons at 301 Allegheny Ave., Towson, but rejected aluminum-clad windows and required all operable replacement windows to be full wood; inoperable Gothic windows will be reconditioned.
The Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission on May heard an application for 301 Allegheny Ave., the former Methodist Protestant Church and Woman's Club of Towson, and voted to approve rear door and apron replacements while rejecting the applicant's proposed aluminum-clad window replacements and requiring wood replacement windows for operable openings.
The property at 301 Allegheny Ave., listed on Baltimore County's final landmarks list (No. 246), was built in 1911 and contributes to Towson's ecclesiastical and civic history, staff said. The applicant proposed replacing two nonhistoric rear doors with Accoya wood doors (a durable modified softwood) and removing and replacing the concrete aprons at those rear entrances. The commission had no objection to the door and apron work.
Staff and commissioners focused discussion on proposed window work. The application asked to replace several windows on the east and south elevations, citing poor condition and lead-based paint; staff noted that the submission did not clearly list or label every window proposed for replacement or state whether metal security grills on basement windows would be reinstalled. Staff also reminded the commission that Baltimore County guidelines permit in-kind replacement of windows that are lead-based-paint hazards but do not permit vinyl or aluminum-clad windows on historic structures.
Project representative Paul Dickover told the commission the existing windows are deteriorated and were a lead hazard, and said the organization obtained vendor quotes for aluminum-clad wood and full-wood windows. "The doors themselves on the south elevation'...will be made of that product," Dickover said referring to Accoya. He added that the applicant prefers aluminum-clad wood windows for lower maintenance and longer life but acknowledged that full-wood windows were available and priced.
Commissioners pressed the applicant for more clarity on exactly which windows would be replaced and asked for elevation diagrams labeling each window so the commission and staff could verify the proposed work meets the county's window-design requirements. Commissioner Ed Hoard noted that historic wood windows can sometimes be stripped of lead paint but said that process is costly and often does not remove all lead-impregnated material. Commissioner Chris Westin moved to approve the doors and aprons as proposed, reject aluminum-clad wood windows, approve full-wood replacement windows for any operable historic wood windows, and require that inoperable or significant Gothic windows remain and be reconditioned. The motion included a condition allowing staff final review of details.
The commission adopted the motion by roll-call vote (11-0). Staff said it would follow up with the applicant for window numbering and material cut sheets.
The commission cited Baltimore County Historic Design Guidelines (chapter 2, windows and doors) and county code Section 32-7-405 in its deliberations.
Next steps: the applicant will provide window-by-window labeling and product information; staff will perform final review per the commission's conditions.
