Preserving, protecting, and promoting Montgomery County’s rich architectural heritage and historic landscapes
MPI Is Proud to Join USA-wide Coalition Opposing Changes to Section 106 that Would Harm Preservation Efforts
MPI thanks Cultural Heritage Partners for coordinating the effort to educate Congress about this threat to the most important set of federal regulations protecting historic properties.
According to Cultural Heritage Partners, “On Thursday, August 27th, an unprecedented coalition of 600+ public, private, and nonprofit-sector organizations representing 5 million Americans, sent an open letter to call on Congress to reject efforts underway through regulation, legislation, and executive action to dismantle one of America’s most successful bipartisan conservation and good-government laws.”
Find more information and the letter at Cultural Heritage Partners’ website plus read background articles compiled by MPI.
Silver Spring B&O Station Heritage Marker Dedication
Silver Spring Historical Society and Montgomery Preservation unveiled the the tenth Silver Heritage Trail sign on June 27th.
The colorful, double-sided sign commemorates the original 1878 and replacement 1945 station as Silver Spring’s “The Hub of Growth” and “The Station Masters,” who operated them for a total of 119 years. Read more information about the other Silver Heritage Trail signs located in downtown Silver Spring.
Remarks: Jerry McCoy, President of Silver Spring Historical Society; Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive; Karen Burditt, President of Montgomery Preservation; Betsy Davis, daughter of former Station Master Robert Davis; and Fred Dorsey, great-grandson of the first Station Master Jonathan Burns.
Thanks, Heritage Montgomery, for Featuring MPI
Thanks, KHS, for Hosting MPI’s Historic Preservation Presentation
MoCo Preservation and History Events
2026 is a special year as Montgomery County celebrates its 250th Anniversary – our Semiquincentennial!
For details about the events below plus many more, check out our Event Calendar.
Hometown Treasures: Capital Region
September 18 - September 19How to Conduct an Oral History Interview
September 18 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pmOpen Doors: Exploring the Homes of Historic North Woodside
September 26 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pmSS B&O Station Open House: Hands-On Activities with Brains Plus Reptile Petting Zoo
October 3 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pmParty Like its 1776!
October 10 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Happy 80th Birthday to the Silver Spring Baltimore & Ohio Station!
On December 16, 1945, our passenger station opened to the public. Never been there? Come to our events, which include FREE Open Houses with activities for all ages. Learn more about renting the B&O Station for your next special occasion.
Hands-On Activities with Brains Plus Reptile Petting Zoo
Saturday, October 3, 10 am – 2 pm (see below for times of special activities)
8100 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910
During our October Open House, you can enjoy two special events!
Learn about Animal and Human Brains from 11 am to 1 pm
Members of the Laboratory for Evolutionary Neuroscience from The George Washington University will bring a pop-up exhibit featuring 3D brain models for fun hands-on activities to explore how brains come in different shapes and sizes and what they can teach us about how animals think, behave, and evolve.
Reptile Talk at 1 pm
Join Professor Emeritus Ray Bosmans, Mid Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society, to learn about and touch many different types of reptiles. Thinking about owning a turtle as a pet? Ask Dr. Bosmans how you can be a turtle parent.
Ongoing Activities
- Take a self-guided tour outside & inside the station.
- “Train Spot” under the canopy! See locomotives galore! Wave at the engineers!
- Indoors, enjoy the HO-scale model train display courtesy of the Rockville Model Railroad Society.
- Play with wooden toy train sets.
- Visit the station manager’s ticket office and 1945 telephone booth.
- See railroad photos & memorabilia, including the original B&O “Drumhead,” along with photos & memorabilia of the original Downtown Silver Spring.
Find out more about our October Open House
Maryland General Assembly Unanimously Passes Cemetery Protection Legislation
This year, MPI teamed with other advocates to address cemetery issues in the Maryland General Assembly. Without budget or paid staff but with determination, passion, and patience, Maryland Cemetery Legislative Advocates drafted bills that were revised by legislative staff, heard in committees, and ultimately revised to secure a compromise that will improve the future for Maryland burial sites. Victories this year and last were certainly worth years of planning and convincing. Senators and Delegates listened to compelling testimony and put in place a better structure to protect abandoned cemeteries and descendants, even as we recognized that a bill requiring money was not likely to pass in today’s climate.
SB233 provides a process to protect descendant rights and abandoned cemeteries plus direction to courts in case of sale or transfer. It enables government to acquire an abandoned cemetery and convey ownership to descendants or a nonprofit that will properly maintain and protect it.
MPI appreciates the sponsors and fighters for these bills. With initiation of a Comprehensive Inventory and Database of all Maryland Cemeteries and creation of a fund for Abandoned cemeteries, this is true progress. You can read the report of the Comprehensive Inventory and Database Workgroup — with detailed recommendations — at the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites’ website.
Read the final SB233 that was signed by Governor Moore on May 12 and will go into effect on October 1, 2026.
2026 Wayne Goldstein Preservation Action Fund Grants
MPI is pleased to announce the winners of 2026 grants from the Wayne M. Goldstein Preservation Action Fund. 2026 is the second year that MPI has offered funds for research, historic designation, preservation, restoration, or responses to legal challenges related to Montgomery County historic sites. MPI created the Fund with donations in memory of former president Wayne Goldstein and is grateful to the estate of preservationist Mary Reardon for her generous donation.
2026 grant recipients are Sandy Spring Museum (to assist planning for viable uses of the historic Sandy Spring Bank building), Prathertown Community Development Corporation (for research on historic Prathertown properties), Peerless Rockville (to repair historic windows at Montrose Schoolhouse), Silver Spring United Methodist Church (to assist with ground penetrating radar studies at site of Mt. Zion M.E. Church), and Historic Takoma (to develop a plan of action for the front facade and display window at its Carroll Avenue building). All projects must be completed within one year. Previous grants were made to the Maryland Daughters of the American Revolution (to monitor vibrations and identify concerns at the Madonna of the Trail site) and to the Bethesda Meeting House Foundation (for restoration of the parsonage porch).
MPI anticipates being able to accept proposals for 2027 grants early next year. Donations to the Wayne Goldstein Fund are welcomed.
MoCo Preservation and History News
Artie Jay Farm: The Last MoCo Dairy Farm Shipping Grade A Milk to Local Grocery Stores
Poolesville honors farmers with plaque on Whalen’s Commons
The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Features MPI’s Exhibits
Olney Theatre Center rings in new era after eight-year transformation
Opinion: The GEICO building is leaving and the Friendship Heights landscape is forever changed (read more about the history of the GEICO building)
MPI’s COMSAT Response, New Officers, Upcoming Events
Montgomery County Names Eight New African American Living Legends
Our Unimaginable Loss: COMSAT Laboratories Building, Clarksburg
This article is a chronicle of a cherished and singular building that represented a nation’s promise within our country’s 20th-century history. It is a love story, a precautionary tale, and a challenge. It is a testament to the power of place and the knowledge that once a building is gone, it is gone forever.
Montgomery County Burial Sites Inventory at Seven Years
Montgomery Planning Archaeologist Brian Crane reported on his recent year’s work to the Planning Board at its May 28, 2026, meeting. The report included updates to the Burial Sites Inventory, explanation of the Historic Context project, outreach to the community, and plans for the upcoming year. He noted that 48 sites have been added to the inventory since 2019, discussed how new State law might affect County sites, and answered questions from interested Commissioners. Read his written report.
Continuing MPI’s tradition of commenting on this annual report, President Eileen McGuckian touched on State legislation in the 2025 and 2026 General Assemblies and specifics about five African American burial sites. She presented specific suggestions that she categorized as Identification, Inclusion, Protection, and Outreach. Read her comments.
Trail Construction and Parking for Silver Spring B&O Station
Construction of a new bridge to carry the Metropolitan Branch Hiker-Biker Trail over Georgia Avenue has begun. As part of this construction, a temporary security fence has been installed across the station parking lot. A drive-through gate will be open for MPI and station events. View the most up-to-date information on construction at Montgomery County’s website.
Please note that because of contractor equipment using the lot, the number of available parking spaces will be limited. There is a special needs space and ramp at the station. Additional parking is available one block away at county garage and lot #4, 8100 Fenton Street, with an additional entrance off of Sligo Avenue. Traffic and crosswalk lights facilitate crossing Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue in front of the station.
Historic Preservation in Montgomery County
Open Houses at the Station
Join us for the Silver Spring B&O Station Open Houses, often on the first Saturday of the month from 10 am – 2 pm. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Enjoy special programs and pop-up displays, train spotting, a model train layout, a toy train play set, photos and memorabilia of the railroad’s glory days and historic Silver Spring (including the “Next Stop Silver Spring” video), and more!
Silver Spring B&O Station
The historic train station is a beloved historic landmark and a community resource. After a disastrous car accident that severely damaged the station’s main facade in 1997, MPI rescued the station and, with assistance from private and public sources, restored it to its 1945 appearance. Today this museum of 20th-century rail history regularly welcomes meetings, celebrations, and the general public. The station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, designated on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation, and protected by an easement held by the Maryland Historical Trust. Learn more about station history, Open Houses, and rentals.
Getting Started?
New to historic preservation or how it works in Montgomery County? Visiting and learning about Montgomery County’s bountiful historic sites is a great way to start. Getting involved with any of the groups that share your interest in local historic places is the next step. Do you prefer Victorian homes, African-American history, former schoolhouses, public buildings, Modernist architecture, rural cemeteries, or transportation history? Montgomery County has them all! You can sample local history at Montgomery County Heritage Days. Check out our Resources section to learn more about individual groups and historic sites.