May is Preservation Month: Discover Montgomery County’s Historic Gems

May is National Preservation Month and this year’s theme, “Discover America’s Hidden Gems”, got me thinking about Montgomery County’s rich collection of historic places.

Montgomery County has 430 sites and 22 districts designated in the County’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation. More are identified in the Locational Atlas and Index of Historic Sites in Montgomery County. And more still are waiting to be identified and investigated.

Historic and architectural gems we have. But hidden? In a county just outside the nation’s capital, with a population rapidly approaching a million people, it is hard to think of much as being hidden. Whether or not we live or work in a historic building, most of us encounter historic buildings or landscapes on a daily basis as we navigate the County.

But how often do we stop to appreciate these places, or take the time to discover new places? So to help you, the Planning Department's historic preservation staff have prepared a list of places we think people should discover and celebrate.

Some people love lists. I am in another group – the reluctant list-makers – concerned about inadvertently leaving off the list something deserving inclusion. So with the caveat that the list is by no means definitive and advanced apologies if we have left off your favorite building or opened people’s eyes to your much-loved secret place, what we've come up with is what can only be considered a partial list of thirty-one Montgomery County hidden gems, one for each day of Preservation Month. Some are hidden in plain site; others are known to some, but should be enjoyed by many.  Check back here as we unveil our list over the next few weeks. Or if you want to see all thirty-one gems right now, click over to the Planning Department's Straight Line blog, where we have already posted information about each.