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09/14/2020
By Preservation Maryland

Best of Maryland: CASA de Maryland Recognized with Stewardship Award for Historic Belnord Theatre Project

CASA de Maryland is a Latino and immigration advocacy and assistance organization with satellite offices in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Here in Maryland, the non-profit organization had been serving the community for several years from East Fayette Street, a few blocks from the Belnord Theatre building. After a purchase in 2017, CASA created bold plans for the historic theatre. Selective demolition removed a non-historic ceiling revealing beautiful architectural details and a space large enough to create a series of modern pods for different uses – all while respecting those design elements and achieving ADA compliance and LEED Gold Certification. Even during Covid-19, CASA has been able to utilize the extra space of the Belnord Theatre renovation to host large-scale and socially-distanced grocery pick-ups. CASA is eager to return to full-strength – supporting the community – and the restored Belnord will take center stage.

09/14/2020
By Preservation Maryland

Best of Maryland: Washington Grove Historic Sign Volunteer Team Celebrated with Community Choice Award

When Washington Grove transitioned from a summer resort to an incorporated town, much of the rustic camp character of this special place carried on including their approach to handcrafting their street signs. Starting in 1937, citizens built, painted, installed, and maintained these iconic posts, including a new cohort of volunteers who recently worked with the Historic Preservation Commission and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service to make minor modifications to the original design to ensure that the town would not lose these iconic signs that provide a sense of direction and a sense of place. For their dedication to the details, Preservation Maryland presents Susan Van Nostrand and the thirty-three volunteers of the Washington Grove sign project with a 2020 Best of Maryland Community Choice Award.

09/14/2020
By Preservation Maryland

Best of Maryland Awards: James Castle of the Brunswick Heritage Museums Honored With Harrison Volunteer Award

A native of Brunswick, Maryland in Frederick County, James Castle is a model citizen, dedicated volunteers, skilled historian, and stalwart preservationist…sometimes known as Brakeman Jim, while giving free tours to heritage tourists or local senior citizens. In 2015, James Castle became President of the Brunswick Potomac Foundation almost 20 years from the day he first started to volunteer for the organization. He has held the position ever since. In his tenure, Castle has led a note-worthy fundraising effort, supported the creation of a protective conservation district and the relocation of the historic WB Railroad Tower, and reinvigorated the organization’s online presence during Covid-19. Preservation Maryland is pleased to recognize Jim Castle with this year’s Preservation Maryland Best of Maryland Harrison Volunteer Award.

Pratt Library Celebrates Grand Reopening After Three Year Historic Renovation

09/18/2019
By Preservation Maryland

The historic ca. 1930s Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore City reopened last weekend after undergoing a $115 million dollar building renovation and technology upgrade project.

Preservation Maryland and partners on a hard hat tour of the Pratt Library, June 2018.

Preservation Maryland and partners on a hard hat tour of the Pratt Library, June 2018.

The project was completed under the supervision of the Maryland State Department of General Services, with funding from the State of Maryland, City of Baltimore and private donors to the Enoch Pratt Renovation campaign. The renovation was designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects of New York and managed by Ayers/Saint/Gross with Gilbane Development Company as the general contractor.

In addition to the tremendous scale of the renovation and the difficulty of modernizing the historic and highly-decorative 30,000 square foot structure, the project team designed the project in phases that allowed the Pratt Library to remain open much of the project and to carry on its mission as a resource serving all Marylanders.

The public grand reopening was held on Saturday, September 14, 2019 and was attended by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Maryland State Senator William C. “Bill” Ferguson IV,  Maryland State Senator Mary Washington, Maryland State Delegate Brooke Lierman, former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young, among others and over 1,000 citizens.

Pratt Restoration Series on YouTube

Visit the Pratt Library

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