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County to apply for $40,000 MHT preservation grant to document agricultural outbuildings
Summary
The Department of Land Use and Growth Management will apply for a Maryland Historic Trust noncapital FY27 grant and commit $40,000 in matching funds to hire an architectural historian to document disappearing agricultural outbuildings; staff estimated a list of 20–30 candidate properties for survey.
The Board authorized the Department of Land Use and Growth Management to apply for a Maryland Historic Trust (MHT) historic preservation noncapital grant for FY27 and to commit $40,000 in matching funds if the grant is awarded.
Department staff said the county has used proceeds from a locally sold book to seed the match and that the grant would fund hiring a qualified architectural historian to perform measured drawings, detailed photographs, and condition assessments of agricultural outbuildings (smokehouses, poultry houses, meathouses) that have not been studied in detail. "We came up with a list of 20 to 30 properties, and then we would go to the property owner to request permission," a staff member said. Commissioners discussed using local academic expertise but staff noted archaeologists and campus historians are not trained to prepare architectural measured drawings; the consultant RFP would allow qualified firms to apply. The board approved the application and the matching commitment by voice vote.
Staff said the project timeline was adjusted at MHT's request to run from November 2026 through November 2028. The department will run a competitive proposal process to select the consultant and follow required MHT application procedures.
