December 2018 - Montgomery Preservation

Montgomery County Cemetery Inventory Revisited

MPI is proud to report completion of this wide-ranging, cutting-edge, urgent, amazing project.

Coordinator Glenn Wallace and project director Eileen McGuckian describe MCCI-R as a significant update of the Montgomery County Cemetery Inventory in terms of data, technology, and accessibility. During 2018, staff trained 90 volunteers to visit all known burial sites in Montgomery County. Project volunteers assessed conditions, completed survey forms, noted GPS coordinates, conducted additional research, and took a variety of photographs to capture the current environment. Staff converted all previous efforts into Excel spreadsheets, added new sites and ID numbers, provided FindaGrave links or created new entries, and utilized maps and other sources to garner additional data.

As a result of this project, solid new information is available on Montgomery County cemeteries. Each survey contains additional fields (ownership, safety concerns, designation status). New sites were added, some sites believed lost were found, and a few sites erroneously thought to be cemetery locations were removed from the list. Another result—bolstered by two local protection laws passed in 2017, effective in 2018—was more attention to and concern about local burial sites.

The Final Report, submitted in December 2018, includes Summaries and Statistics derived from MCCI-R project, Recommendations for Moving Forward and Next Steps, and multiple specific lists of sites: endangered sites to watch, to survey with GPS, in need of clean-up and improvements, African American sites, sites to revisit in winter and those pending further research.

Continue to Historic Cemeteries for the full article.

Recent Restoration Work at the Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station

The Silver Spring B&O Station has been owned by Montgomery Preservation since 1998. With the help of private donors and public partners, MPI was able to repair considerable damage, remove post-1945 changes and graffiti, catch up with deferred maintenance, update utility systems, restore original interior features in place, and replace original artifacts as they returned from other places. The station re-opened in November 2002, looking as sharp as it did in 1945.

Since then, rentals and donations have enabled MPI and its partner Silver Spring Historical Society to keep up with building maintenance and to set funds aside for larger restoration projects in future years. Recent maintenance work on the station included repairs to fascia boards and gutters.

In late 2016, MPI received approval from the Maryland Historical Trust (which holds an easement on the building’s exterior, interior, and grounds) to restore 10 windows and to reconstruct one exterior door. The work accomplished by Oak Grove Restoration Company over a six-month period can be described as both spectacular and understated. Each window was carefully removed, then taken to Oak Grove’s Laytonsville shop to be individually evaluated and recommended for treatment. Specifics were approved by MPI and MHT, and the incredibly detailed restoration process began. Perhaps the best testimony to this tedious process of identifying best practices, following long-established rules, and contracting with an experienced contractor is that the station’s windows and doors fit, work, and look as they did when the station opened in December 1945.

Enjoy these photographs of Oak Grove craftsmen painstakingly replacing rotted components and preparing these handsome wooden architectural features for another 70 years of service.

B&O Station window restoration

Pictures show repairs to one of the window rails on the train station window. We distinguish between the inside & outside of the sash when designing the particular repairs. The outside work is more precise and everything has to be able to survive outdoors. You see in the pics how we sawed the exterior face of the rotted rail completely off and epoxyed a new mahogany board in its place. Window is returned to mortise and tenon. The part that was cut away is on the workbench and you can see how rotted it is. This method conserves the sound historic fabric while restoring the sash. Epoxy was used as an adhesive, not for repairs.

The lock rail weatherstripping interlocks with other pieces mounted on the other sash lock rail, making a metal tongue & groove connection. Metal weatherstripping (as used for 100+ years) will go onto the sash sides and the bottom rails.

Bottom sash will be operable and lockable. TRANSLATION: rails go horizontally, sash is vertical.

The new station master’s door is also spectacular. It is identical to the original one that has wood too rotted to rescue. And what a difference polishing the original brass hardware has made!

If you haven’t yet seen our 10 restored windows, stop by to admire them!

All photos are by Hank Handler, Oak Grove Restoration Co.