Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Designation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff recommends Mount Hermon Masonic Temple in Hyattsville for county historic-site designation
Summary
Staff told a joint Prince George's County Council and planning-board hearing that the Mount Hermon Masonic Temple (4207 Gallatin St.) meets multiple county criteria for historic-site designation; the planning board will review testimony and forward a recommendation to the council, which must act within two months.
At a joint public hearing, staff recommended that the Mount Hermon Masonic Temple at 4207 Gallatin Street in Hyattsville be designated a Prince George's County historic site.
"The Mount Hermon Masonic Temple is a 2.5 story, rectangular brick building constructed in 1893," planner Daniel Tanna told the council and planning board during the staff presentation. Tanna said the building is a contributing resource within the Hyattsville National Register Historic District and is the only example of the Romanesque Revival style in Hyattsville.
Staff said the Historic Preservation Commission considered the property at its July 23, 2024 public hearing and concluded the temple meets four of the nine designation criteria in subtitle 29‑104(a) of the Prince George's County Historic Preservation Ordinance. The HPC recommended designating the documented property (68‑010‑095) and its 0.145‑acre environmental setting, identified in the staff report as Lot 11, Block A of the subdivision record, as a county historic site.
Daniel Tanna said the building "retains its essential character" despite some alterations and noted the temple's long use by lodge members and other community organizations since its construction. Staff reported that Michael Garner represented the property owner at the HPC hearing and that Kaylee Kolb, identified there as the contract purchaser, spoke in support of designation.
The planning board will review the hearing record and staff materials and forward its recommendation to the district council. Chair Jolene Ivey advised that written comments to supplement testimony must be submitted via the council's e‑comment portal, email or fax by the close of business on 09/25/2024; final council action on planning‑board recommendations will occur within two months of receipt of those recommendations.
