Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties

Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties
Name	Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties
Established	1974
Managed by	Maryland Historical Trust
Jurisdiction	State of Maryland
Type	Cultural heritage register

Contents

Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties is a statewide cultural resource listing that documents historic sites, buildings, structures, objects, and districts across the State of Maryland. It functions as a core tool for the Maryland Historical Trust, informing programs such as the National Register of Historic Places nominations, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and state-level preservation incentives administered by the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland Historical Commission. The Inventory interfaces with federal initiatives like the Historic Preservation Fund and regional efforts connected to the Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Park Service.

Overview

The Inventory catalogs properties from municipal examples in Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland to rural resources in Garrett County, Maryland and Saint Mary's County, Maryland, linking documentation practices used by the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. It contains descriptions, statements of significance, periods of significance, and locational information that feed into planning by the Maryland Department of Transportation, compliance reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, and review processes involving the Federal Highway Administration. The Inventory supports heritage tourism promoted by the Maryland Office of Tourism and preservation funding administered through the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

The Inventory was established under policies of the Maryland Historical Trust during the 1970s, shaped by federal milestones such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the expansion of the National Register of Historic Places program. Early surveys were informed by methodologies promoted by the Historic American Engineering Record and collaborative work with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. Over decades, the Inventory evolved alongside state legislation such as amendments to the Maryland Historical Trust Act and partnerships with universities including the University of Maryland, College Park and Johns Hopkins University, as well as county historical societies across Prince George's County, Maryland and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Eligibility criteria align with the four aspects used by the National Register of Historic Places including association with significant persons such as Harriet Tubman, events like the War of 1812, architectural significance typified by firms like B&O Railroad architects, and potential to yield information comparable to archaeological standards used by the Smithsonian Institution. Consideration of integrity follows concepts articulated by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and precedent cases adjudicated through the Maryland Court of Appeals and guidance from the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. The Inventory accepts resources spanning vernacular examples linked to communities like Crisfield, Maryland and monumental landmarks in Frederick, Maryland.

Field surveys are conducted by professionals affiliated with organizations such as the Maryland Historical Trust, county planning offices in Howard County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and consultants certified through the Register of Professional Archaeologists. Documentation employs forms compatible with the National Park Service and photographic standards used by the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Historic American Landscapes Survey. Public outreach involves collaboration with entities like the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and tribal governments recognized by the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, while environmental compliance engages agencies such as the Maryland Department of the Environment.

The Inventory's database integrates identifiers, legal descriptions, GIS point and polygon data compatible with systems used by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and metadata standards referenced by the Library of Congress and the Digital Public Library of America. Records include architectural classifications comparable to typologies taught at the Maryland Institute College of Art and research citations drawn from collections at institutions such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Peabody Institute. Cross-references link Inventory entries to corresponding National Register of Historic Places listings, state historic district records in places like Ellicott City, Maryland, and easement files managed by organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Planners and preservationists use the Inventory to support reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Section 106 process coordinated with the Maryland Historical Trust and federal agencies including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. It informs tax credit applications administered by the Maryland Historical Trust and the Internal Revenue Service procedures for historic rehabilitation, floodplain management in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local zoning actions in municipalities like Takoma Park, Maryland and Salisbury, Maryland. The Inventory also underpins educational programming by partners such as the Baltimore City Public Schools and nonprofit groups including the Historic Annapolis Foundation.

Prominent entries documented in the Inventory range from maritime sites tied to the Chesapeake Bay and shipyards like the Sparrows Point Shipyard to plantation and abolitionist-era resources associated with figures such as Frederick Douglass and routes used in the Underground Railroad. Urban case studies include preservation efforts in Fells Point, Baltimore, adaptive reuse in Towson, Maryland, and resiliency planning for coastal resources in Ocean City, Maryland. Archaeological case studies reference sites investigated under permits issued by the Maryland Historical Trust and multiagency projects involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Smithsonian Institution.

Category:Historic preservation in Maryland