History

Change is coming, and Marylanders everywhere are adapting to—and for—the future.

The questions are: What needs to be preserved, and how can we do so sensibly? Do we preserve a specific site because of its history? Should we stop building entirely to save the rural character of a town?

As these heated debates rage on, Maryland Life remains engaged. For the fourth year in a row, the magazine has partnered with Preservation Maryland, the state's oldest historic-preservation organization, to create Endangered Maryland, a list of our state’s 11 most endangered sites, artifacts, and, new this year, group of people.

This worthy endeavor is designed to call attention to, and perhaps save, our state’s most historically, culturally, and architecturally significant—and urgently threatened—properties.

For months, concerned community members, preservationists, and historians gathered information and documents to complete their applications, hoping that their beloved site would make it onto this year’s list.

For weeks, Endangered Maryland’s all-volunteer committee members (see sidebar) spent hours evaluating and assessing 40 complex applications before a final group meeting to select the top 11. In determining which of the nominations would make it to the final list, these committee members considered seven selection criteria, including the feasibility of resolution and the benefit of being deemed “endangered.”

To learn more about each of this year’s selected sites please click below:

The Almshouse of Washington County

Arabber Community of Baltimore City

Ellicott City Historic District of Howard County

Fells Point Recreation Pier of Baltimore City

Fox’s Tavern of Frederick County

Harmony Hall of Prince George’s County

Harriet Tubman Cultural Landscape of Dorchester and Caroline counties

Lakefront Promenade of Howard County

Millbrook Grist Mill of Charles County

Newtowne Manor of St. Mary’s County

Providence Farm of Queen Anne’s County

Endangered Maryland 2010 Selection Committee

• Mary Catherine Cochran, Preservation Howard County
• Ed Day, Riversdale Mansion
• Carol A. Ebright, Archeological Society of Maryland
• Tyler Gearhart, Preservation Maryland
• Elizabeth Hughes, Maryland Historical Trust
• Donald Linebaugh, University of Maryland
• Kathy McKenney, Department of Community Development (Cumberland)
• Clifford Murphy, Maryland State Arts Council
• Dan Patrell, Maryland Life
• Roz Racanello, Southern Maryland Heritage Area
• Amy Seitz, Main Street Maryland
• David Wiles, Clear Spring District Historical Association
• Nell Ziehl, National Trust for Historic Preservation