Historic Properties

Seeking to rally public support for saving some of Maryland's most historic buildings, a statewide group of preservationists published a list yesterday of landmarks "endangered" by neglect, decay and development. What Preservation Maryland uncovered in the process, though, was just how difficult it can be to get consensus on how to save some old sites - or even agreement that they're in need of help. Leading the preservation group's list of threatened historic properties was St. Peter's Cemetery, an overgrown 19th-century West Baltimore graveyard.

After a year that dealt Baltimore's preservationists some painful hits, the city is stepping up its effort to protect historic properties - and sites that include a noted African-American church, a South Baltimore park and an old brewery are poised to become "city landmarks." Though the owner of the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre has put off landmark consideration for that downtown site until next month, Baltimore's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation will consider granting protected status tomorrow to five new locations, after creating only 17 landmarks over the past decade.

Seeking to reform a system criticized by developers and preservationists alike, a Baltimore County group is drafting a plan it says would eliminate confusion in how the county protects historic properties.The volunteer committee -- formed last year by the county after a series of disputed demolitions -- would revamp county historical preservation law by setting up three classes of historic properties with three levels of protection. The group is nearing consensus on a plan as existing law is being challenged as unconstitutional.

DETAILS of the Thomas Fortune House demolition show the need for revision of Baltimore County's zoning code.Historic preservationists decry the surreptitious demolition of the house. Opponents see the case as an example of bureaucracy run amok. Both groups may be correct.The stone house in Timonium -- which was knocked down last month under cover of darkness -- was built 145 years ago by quarry owner Thomas Fortune, who supplied the blocks for the Washington Monument in the nation's capital.

After more than a year of meetings and discussion, a Baltimore County committee is about to recommend changes in the county law protecting historic properties -- a law that preservationists have criticized as too lax and property owners have said is too cumbersome.The group, appointed by County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, will propose a system in which any property with historic, cultural or architectural significance would be placed in one of three categories with varying levels of protection.

The Baltimore County Board of Appeals cleared the way yesterday for bulldozers to raze the two wings of the former Catonsville Middle School on Bloomsbury Avenue so county officials can convert the structure to a $6.3 million recreation center.Only a challenge in Circuit Court by community preservationists can halt the demolition, officials said yesterday.During a 1 1/2-hour meeting, the board upheld a previous ruling of the county Landmark Preservation Commission that authorized issuance of a demolition permit for the 71-year-old wings of the Bloomsbury building.

Every day, Lynne Puckett enjoys the view of the harbor through new glass doors that open from the third floor of her historic home in Butchers Hill.The doors, along with the rest of the renovation work she has done, have added value and comfort to her 1870s rowhouse -- and they opened a way to reduce her state income tax bill this year.More owners of historic properties in Baltimore are taking advantage of two tax credit programs:One is a city program that freezes property taxes at pre-rehab rates; the other, operated by the state, allows owners to regain 25 percent of their rehabilitation costs in the form of a credit on their Maryland income tax.The number of applications to Baltimore's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP)

On a slight slope overlooking Anne Arundel County's picturesque South River perches a stately old mansion that once was surrounded by more than 800 acres of tobacco.Today, Olde Bloomfield, as the former plantation is known, sits atop a mere 7 acres outside Annapolis.Its owner plans to reduce the size of the historic estate further, sparking an outcry from residents of the surrounding Cape St. John community.The community's ire stems from more than just the thought of dividing a beautiful property to build homes that would block a clear view of the brick mansion, built in 1803, from the road.

Saving history might become easier in Baltimore County, a place that preservationists complain is afflicted by indifferent officials and cumbersome landmark protection laws.The County Council approved a bill to toughen penalties for destroying a historic structure without a permit. Two other proposed bills would provide tax incentives and establish clearer guidelines for preserving landmarks.The efforts were applauded by preservationists, who lost a battle recently to save a 145-year-old stone house in Cockeysville.

CARELESS oversight of Baltimore County's demolition permits department is at last acknowledged by its director. Two top officials will now review permits to ensure that no historic properties are wrongfully affected. Better understanding of historic preservation laws and lists is promised.That should have been the case long ago, given the propensity of developers to disregard the historic status of old structures that block their immediate plans -- and the growing perception that the Ruppersberger administration is indifferent to the problem.

Howard County has completed the purchase of the post office on Main Street in Ellicott City, but the conversion of the first floor into expanded space for the county's tourism operation may be delayed for months. In the meantime, county tourism programs will continue to operate from the building's basement, with the entrance at the rear. "We have to do some minor modifications, but there's no plan yet," said James M. Irvin, the county public works director. "It's kind of up in the air at this point."

After a year that dealt Baltimore's preservationists some painful hits, the city is stepping up its effort to protect historic properties - and sites that include a noted African-American church, a South Baltimore park and an old brewery are poised to become "city landmarks." Though the owner of the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre has put off landmark consideration for that downtown site until next month, Baltimore's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation will consider granting protected status tomorrow to five new locations, after creating only 17 landmarks over the past decade.

Seeking to rally public support for saving some of Maryland's most historic buildings, a statewide group of preservationists published a list yesterday of landmarks "endangered" by neglect, decay and development. What Preservation Maryland uncovered in the process, though, was just how difficult it can be to get consensus on how to save some old sites - or even agreement that they're in need of help. Leading the preservation group's list of threatened historic properties was St. Peter's Cemetery, an overgrown 19th-century West Baltimore graveyard.

Orange construction netting surrounds the 18th-century mansion. Plaster dust has crumbled to the floors in the once-stately rooms. Paint is peeling on the grand exterior doors and along the handcrafted moldings. But still, Greg McGuire has something to show off. The crews are more than half-done with the renovations to the Georgian mansion at the Hampton National Historic Site, says McGuire, the facilities manager, as he surveys the drilling through a second-floor ceiling. A new air conditioning and heating system is being installed, and cosmetic repairs are to follow, as part of the $1.6 million project.

One of state government's most valuable contributions to the revival of Baltimore has been a tax credit program with an unwieldy name. The Maryland Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit has in 10 years generated an estimated $2.3 billion in economic activity statewide with much of it going to the city. The benefits of providing a financial incentive for the commercial rehabilitation of historic properties are numerous: They include stronger and safer neighborhoods, preservation of open space, and a boost for commercial districts and tourism.

Tinkering with the success of Maryland's historic tax credit program has cost the state, and last year's experience provides the latest evidence: Supporters of the program say $350,000 in available commercial tax credits went unspent and several dozen business projects in Baltimore that might have benefited from this economic engine lost out because the city had received its share under the law. The program needs to be more flexible - and there's an...

A right-wing attack on contraception Cynthia Tucker is absolutely right that conservatives are ramping up a campaign to deny Americans the right to use birth control ("Family planning advocates must campaign for contraceptive use," Opinion Commentary, Jan. 23). What's most distressing is that the White House and congressional leaders are helping them do so. They are pumping hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars every year into harmful abstinence-only programs that grossly exaggerate contraceptive failure rates and rely on glib slogans and outdated gender stereotypes.

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. proposed a plan yesterday to make it easier for owners of historic buildings to receive tax breaks when they improve their properties, drawing praise from preservationists who have assailed the county's record on historic preservation. The measure, expected to come up for a County Council vote Monday, would apply to about 3,000 commercial and residential properties. Owners would get a tax rebate equal to 20 percent of the cost of improvements that exceed $1,000.

Carroll family keeps state's history alive As the curator of Homewood House, the 1801 country house of Charles Carroll Jr. (the only son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton), I was pleased to read of the Carroll family's current efforts to ensure the ongoing stewardship of Doughoregan Manor, the family's ancestral home and one of the most intact early American plantations in existence ("Preservation mixed with profit," Dec. 25). In the early 21st century, it is almost impossible to find a historic structure that stands in its original context.

The Langenfelder house was looking a little worn on its perch above Kingsville. Paint was peeling. An inside wall had collapsed. And sections of the porch were rotting. Now, the 91-year-old farmhouse is a protected, historic structure with $800,000 worth of renovations. But the neighbors who pushed for landmark status for the house are still unhappy about a plan that, they say, would ruin the view. Baltimore county officials have said that the owner of the property can't build two houses on the site because they would conflict with the area's master plan, which calls for preserving the "scenic vista" of the old estate on a hill above Belair Road.