Author: Johns

Johns Hopkins has been the executive director of Baltimore Heritage since 2003. Before that, Johns worked for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development developing and implementing smart growth and neighborhood revitalization programs. Johns holds degrees from Yale University, George Washington University Law School, and the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Secretary of Interior Salazar Focuses on Women’s History in Baltimore

Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center

On Tuesday, the Secretary of the Department of Interior Ken Salazar celebrated Women’s History Month with an appearance in downtown Baltimore at the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center, just one week before Baltimore Heritage’s Behind the Scenes Tour there (Saturday March 31, 2-3 pm).  Joined by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Judge and First Lady Katie O’Malley, Secretary Salazar noted a serious underrepresentation of historic sites associated with women’s history, and articulated a vision for getting more of these places designated as National Historic Landmarks and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In one example, the Secretary noted that of the country’s National Historic Landmarks, a designation that the Department of Interior bestows on buildings with the highest level of national significance, only 4% are places with significance to women’s heritage.

As the Secretary of the Department of Interior, Mr. Salazar oversees numerous agencies that are responsible for heritage sites, including the National Park Service that manages the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmark program.  In his vision for the near future, Secretary Salazar said that as the National Park Service gears up to celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2016, he is committed to launching a national dialogue over women’s heritage sites to create a blue print for how to bring these to a higher level of prominence and visibility.

Citing Maryland as a national leader in the role of state governments to promote women’s heritage, the Secretary also said that he is committed to more full federal funding for State Historic Preservation Offices as a way to  make sure that smaller places and ones with more local significance also receive assistance.

Baltimore Heritage will wrap up Women’s History Month with a tour of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center on Saturday, March 31.  The tour is from 2-3 pm at the Center: 39 West Lexington Street, in the historic former BG&E Building.  The cost is $10.  Register online today.

What is the future for Baltimore’s city-owned historic properties?

Last week, the Baltimore Sun and others reported that Baltimore City is hiring an Annapolis-based appraisal firm to determine the “market value” of fifteen city-owned historic properties. Baltimore Heritage has asked the Mayor and the director of the Department of Public Works to make this process open and participatory—ensuring that there is a seat at the table for the many citizens and volunteers who for decades have protected and celebrated these important landmarks.

Upton Mansion in 1936, one of fifteen historic landmarks included in city-owned landmark review

Our most important goal must be to make sure the buildings are occupied, well cared for and remain intact as public assets for Baltimore. These fifteen properties are irreplaceable reminders of our city’s long history from the War of 1812 through the development and civic life of Baltimore up through the present. In addition, the ownership for each building should be evaluated based on what is best for its repair and maintenance. There are many different forms of ownership that these properties could have, ranging from public ownership and public use, leasing to nonprofit organizations, or even outright private ownership and private use. These options, and others, should be considered with the long-term care of the building as the guiding principle.

All of the properties should be protected with historic designation to make sure they are preserved, regardless of who owns them. Twelve of the fifteen properties are already on the city’s historic landmark list, requiring the approval of CHAP (the city’s preservation commission) for any exterior changes. Additional protections could include placing historic easements on the properties or including specific preservation requirements in leases or use agreements.

Finally, although the current proposal has targeted fifteen buildings, the city owns dozens more iconic historic structures — The Bromo Seltzer Tower, Patterson Park Observatory, Flag House, H.L. Mencken House, Washington Monument, and Babe Ruth House, are all city-owned historic properties. If nothing else, the attention and concern over this study has put city-owned landmarks in the spotlight. We should seize the opportunity to ensure a future for all of these historic places by creating an inventory of city-owned structures and a rehabilitation and maintenance plan for each.

“This Place Matters” at the McKim Center

For nearly all of these buildings, from the Shot Tower to President Street Station, local residents and preservation organizations have spent years, even decades, working to celebrate their unique stories and preserve them for our city’s future. These leaders understand the importance of this history more than anyone else. They and the city’s preservation commission must be at the center of any consideration for their future.

Baltimore City-Owned landmarks identified for possible lease or sale

  1. Superintendent’s House, Clifton Park
  2. The Peale Museum, 225 N. Holliday St.
  3. Shot Tower, 801 E. Fayette St.
  4. Public Works Museum – Eastern Avenue Pumping Station, 701 Eastern Ave.
  5. Upton Mansion, 811 West Lanvale St.
  6. Valve House at Clifton Park, 2803 Saint Lo Drive
  7. Roland Park Water Tower, 4201 Roland Avenue
  8. West Arlington Water Tower, 4025 Ridgewood Avenue
  9. Engine House No. 6 – Baltimore Fire Museum, 416 N. Gay St.
  10. Cylburn House and Park, 4515 Greenspring Ave.
  11. McKim Free School, 120 E. Baltimore St.
  12. War Memorial, 101 N. Gay St.
  13. Old Town Friends’ Meeting House, 1201 E. Fayette St.
  14. Civil War Museum, President Street Station
  15. Orianda Mansion, Crimea Estate in Leakin Park, 4921 Windsor Mill Road

Make a nomination for the 2012 Baltimore Heritage Preservation Awards

For over 50 years, Baltimore Heritage has granted awards from small rowhouse rehabs to major redevelopment and adaptive reuse projects. We’d love to hear from you this year with nominations for any people or organizations you think have worked especially hard to preserve our heritage or revitalize our historic neighborhoods. To give you a few ideas about the great projects that have won in the past, look out for more posts highlighting  2011 award winners over the next few weeks.

Take a look at our award categories and nomination guidelines or go ahead and make a nomination today. It only takes a few minutes to submit a nomination with a brief description of the project and contact information for project participants. Photographs (the more the better!) can be submitted by e-mail to awards@baltimoreheritage.org or by mail on a CD sent to 11 1/2 West Chase Street. The deadline for submissions is April 4, 2012. Contact Johns Hopkins, Executive Director at hopkins@baltimoreheritage.org or 410-332-9992 for more information.