7 County Sites to Be Protected
The Buckeystown United Methodist Church will have repairs made to its historic wood siding
and window frames with funding from the Frederick County Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program.
FREDERICK, Md. – A female seminary, schoolhouse, and historic African-American church are among seven rural properties that will be preserved with support from the Frederick County Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program. In its fourth year, the initiative is one of only a few historic preservation programs that focuses on significant structures in rural areas.
“Livable Frederick calls for us to preserve the places that make Frederick County unique,” County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said. “By restoring these structures, we connect new generations to our rich history. I’m pleased that we are able, through the collection of recordation revenue, to invest $250,000 toward this program this year.”
The Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program offers one-time grants of up to $50,000 to individual property owners and nonprofit organizations to stabilize, rehabilitate, restore or preserve the exterior of a historic property. To qualify, properties must be located in an unincorporated area of the county, listed on the County Register of Historic Places, be designated as a contributing resource in a local historic district, or be determined eligible for County Register designation. Grant awardees for 2024 are:
Rocky Springs School House – Rocky Springs Road, Frederick. $35,000 for milling and joinery work as part of a larger project to restore the roof framing. Additional grant funding sources will be used towards completing the roof project. The property is listed on the County Register.
Anderson House – Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont. $35,845 to replace the roof on the house and install gutters. The property contributes to the Catoctin Furnace Historic District as worker housing. The property is listed on the County Register.
Daniel James House – Old Annapolis Road, Mount Airy. $50,000 to repoint the south and east elevations of the stone house and rebuild the southern brick chimney. The house was built in the late 1700s and is part of a working farm in the Peace & Plenty Rural Historic District. The property is listed on the County Register.
Elisha Beall – Urbana Pike, Frederick. $23,916 to replace non-historic windows with historically accurate replications on a building that once housed enslaved workers. The property was once part of a larger farm complex built in the first quarter of the 19th century. The property is listed on the County Register.
Liberty Female Seminary – Main Street, Libertytown. $38,387 to repoint two elevations of the stone building. The property was originally constructed as a place to educate and board young woman and was the earliest female seminary in Frederick County. The property has been determined eligible for listing on the County Register due to its historical and architectural significance.
Needwood Farm – Lee’s Lane, Knoxville. $36,852 to repair and replace the box gutters on the house. The property is an example of Second Empire architecture. The property has been determined eligible for listing on the County Register due to its architectural significance with Second Empire.
Buckeystown United Methodist Church – Michaels Mill Road, Buckeystown. $30,000 to repair and replace wood siding and wood window frames and to repaint. The church was originally built in 1900 and rebuilt in 1930. It has been an important resource to the African American community. The property has been determined eligible for listing on the County Register due to its historical significance and architectural significance with Carpenter Gothic styling.
Funding for the Frederick County Rural Historic Preservation Grants comes from the collection of recordation fees charged on certain real estate transactions. For additional information about the grant program, visit www.frederickcountymd.gov/ruralgrants. Questions about the program can be directed to Amanda Whitmore, Historic Preservation Planner, at AWhitmore@FrederickCountyMD.gov.
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