MPI History

Summary History of Montgomery Preservation, Inc., 1984-2024

MPI started as the successor to the 1970s Montgomery County Committee of the Maryland Historical Trust out of concern for loss of unprotected landmarks and landscapes as well as the prohibitive cost of restoration. County residents were awakening to the history around us, our national bicentennial inspired interest, and there was concern about preservation being conducted only by property owners without benefit of tax incentives or financial assistance.

A few local groups (Peerless Rockville and Historic Medley) organized in the 1970s, but County-wide coverage was lacking and the Montgomery County Historical Society focused on history, not historic preservation. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission hired a historian to survey the County, resulting in the Locational Atlas & Index of Historic Sites in Montgomery County, MD in 1976. Three years later, an ordinance created the Master Plan for Historic Preservation and the Historic Preservation Commission to protect sites, landscapes, districts, and archaeology. Designation was slow and public education needed. Montgomery Preservation (MPI) incorporated in 1984 to create a unified block of preservation supporters that could act on behalf of the nonprofit sector.

MPI quickly found niches to fill. By the mid-1980s, it became the voice for preservation, providing information and supporting designations. In 1987, MPI opened an architectural salvage operation to recycle donated building parts to County residents. Old House Parts operated for 15 years, then closed for lack of a permanent space.

Wishing to applaud deserving owners and advocates, the Awards program also began in 1987. Mary Ann Tuoey led volunteers who nominated, judged, and presented certificates in the first annual recognition event. To date, more than 300 individuals, groups, businesses, and entities have been honored. The program continues to be popular, conducted through in-person presentations and creative videos.

Governance

MPI has been fortunate over the years to have strong volunteer leaders such as Bobbi Hahn of Capitol View, Mary Gardner of Brookeville, Lorraine Pearsall of Takoma Park, Judy Christensen of Gaithersburg, Eileen McGuckian of Rockville, Maria Hoey of Burtonsville, and Wayne Goldstein of Kensington. MPI has gone through changes in emphasis as well as leadership. Focus on awards and reusing architectural parts was high at first, then expanding the membership and saving and restoring the Silver Spring B&O Station came next. Public education and strategies to protect architectural and natural resources increased in importance as development challenges in the County mounted.

MPI remains an organization of volunteers, only recently augmented by part-time staff. At all times, MPI has fearlessly and passionately protected specific properties and principles of preservation in general. Boards of Directors mostly were composed of individuals representing local nonprofits, and those without one nearby, to maintain a County-wide presence. The current Board has representatives from Germantown Historical Society, Silver Spring Historical Society, Peerless Rockville, Capitol View Park, Historic Medley, Kensington Historical Society, and Historic Takoma, but other areas still need to be involved.

MPI’s role as an umbrella group for 40-some local history and historic preservation nonprofits in Montgomery County is unique and indeed contributes to heritage tourism here. Helping smaller, like-minded organizations is always a priority. Examples of assistance include an exhibit on Lyttonsville, Gaithersburg and Rockville legal issues, threats to local landmarks and the Agricultural Reserve, and partnership with Silver Spring Historical Society at the B&O Station. Clearly, nonprofits contribute directly to local heritage tourism and programs while accomplishing their individual goals.

Setting an Example and Preservation Advocacy

In 1997, when a car smashed into the Silver Spring B&O Station, the public outcry was deafening and MPI became the owner of last resort. Eileen McGuckian and Nancy Urban led a team to take title to the property, plan its future, and raise more than $500,000 to restore the station to its 1945 Opening Day appearance inside and out.

In 2000, concerned by overnight surprise demolitions, MPI and the Silver Spring Historical Society asked for a Montgomery County Demolition Hotline for endangered buildings over 25 years old, suggesting an alert list, and requiring a 30-day negotiation period. County Executive Ike Leggett agreed and the ordinance passed.

In the 21st century, MPI has focused on the historic railroad station to exemplify good preservation practices and reutilization. Since re-opening in 2002, the building provides a friendly, affordable meeting place and showcase for local history. After 5 years of sharing with an arts group tenant, MPI turned to keeping the station open and maintained with a facility committee led by John Sery. Other than during the COVID pandemic, the station has regularly hosted private rentals and meetings, musicians, railroad buffs, and community events. Wendy Woodland and the Silver Spring Historical Society team up to host a popular public Open House once a month with creative family programs.

Other hands-on opportunities arose along the way. The Lynch house in Potomac was to be demolished when MPI convinced the new owner to permit it to be moved and rehabilitated. The 1860 Champayne house came into MPI ownership through a developer donating one acre in a new Layhill subdivision, coming at a time when hopes were high but a recession had begun, and MPI’s choice of a partner was poor.

MPI attracted more attention as time went on and advocacy projects grew. Although MPI couldn’t purchase or greatly influence the future of the iconic COMSAT building in Clarksburg designed by Cesar Pelli, it arranged a 2006 charrette where many interests produced development options that showed how the old building could be saved alongside the new. Montanverde in Darnestown, home of a War of 1812 hero and in disrepair, was trapped in a downward cycle when MPI pulled parties together and helped a young family purchase and renovate it.

In 2009-10, MPI undertook the challenge of a County Councilman bent on destroying Montgomery County’s historic preservation ordinance. Through a campaign that drew national attention, the Knapp Amendment was roundly defeated. More recently, MPI has addressed threats to burial sites around the County with legislative successes and used its Wayne Goldstein Preservation Action Fund on behalf of issues that ranged from abuse of the preservation process to remove historic properties in Gaithersburg to incompatible development of the Riggs property in Silver Spring. It also published brochures on Montgomery County Historic Designation and the Silver Spring B&O Station. Some efforts were not successful, though MPI believed them worthy of effort; a Demolition by Neglect case in Clarksburg and replacement of the Wheaton Youth Center building are two.

Education and Outreach

Education and Outreach are always MPI priorities. Past public programs and workshops featured how to research your house, repairing old windows, genealogy talks, preservation advocacy in Annapolis, and more. In 2018, MPI organized volunteers for Montgomery County Cemetery Inventory Revisited to document and map all known burial sites; this project resulted in new laws and a Planning position to address cemetery issues.

Fundraising

Fundraising was never MPI’s major focus, aside from the B&O station restoration project. Grants (mostly from Heritage Montgomery and the Historic Preservation Commission) helped with Awards, website, and cemetery inventory projects. Income from sales of two donated properties helped.

In Recent Years

MPI rode out the COVID-19 pandemic with creativity, caution, and introspection, like many other Montgomery County cultural, historic, and arts groups. MPI re-opened in 2023 to embark on one of its most challenging journeys yet… working around long-planned construction of the Metropolitan Branch Hiker-Biker Trail through our property and inviting the public back to the B&O Station for Open Houses, rentals, programs, and enjoyment of local heritage in a beautiful restored historic landmark.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company’s Metropolitan Branch through Montgomery County was a highlight in 2023. And 40 years in, MPI is strengthening its educational programs and ability to advocate for the future of local preservation. MPI looks forward to continuing established relationships and making new ones, and to celebrating more successes for preservation and reuse of the vibrant local Mid-Century Modern architecture that survives mostly in the down-County suburbs. We invite you to join MPI in convincing public officials and citizens of all ages to appreciate the wide range of good architecture, beautiful landscapes, and significant history to be found in Montgomery County.