From the President of our Board of Directors, Tom Spencer: In my previous blog post, I wrote about stone structures on the National Register located in Maryland and contiguous states that I have visited and photographed during the Pandemic. In this piece, I focus on buildings similarly recognized and located but built of brick.
In spite of the challenges presented by this year, Preservation Maryland continues to invest in the future of our state by preserving the heart of our communities.
While we have all found our activities to be limited during the Pandemic, there remain some that are both safe and rewarding. For Preservation Maryland’s President of the Board, Tom Spencer, an enjoyable activity has been searching out and photographing historic stone structures. The following are a few that he has found to be particularly interesting.
Photo from Downtown Frostburg.
The City of Frostburg in Allegany County, Maryland is currently accepting proposals for the purchase and redevelopment of the historic Nickel Building on Main Street through an open RFP process.
The building, which formerly housed the popular “Au Petit Paris,” a French Restaurant, has been vacant since the restaurant’s closing in 2012. The City of Frostburg, with the support of Allegany County and the State of Maryland, has acquired the structure and has been awarded $150,000 in Community Legacy state grant funds to be allocated to the future developer.
Nickel Building Frostburg, courtesy Crossroads Business Journal.
The oldest known use of the site was for McCulloh’s Tannery, which is not believed to have had a large structure. The current building is believe to have existed by 1871 and served a variety of uses including a furniture store, apartment complex and auto-repair shop before its last use as a French restaurant.
There is no minimum purchase price and proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis until a successful completion.
From Frostburg First, the Main Street organization of the City of Frostburg:
Located off I-68 exits 33 & 34, Frostburg is just 2.5 hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., one hour from Morgantown, WV, and two hours from Pittsburgh, PA. Those who visit discover a small-town Main Street, historic homes, friendly residents, a vibrant arts scene, and four-season beauty.
Frostburg, population of 9,000, owes its beginnings to the authorization of the National Road in 1806. Originally called the village of Mt. Pleasant, Josiah Frost bought a tract of land lying across the route and laid out a series of ‘town lots.’ His son, Meshach, built a log house on Lot 1 (site of the current St. Michael’s Church Rectory) and brought his bride to it in June, 1812. When stagecoach service was inaugurated in 1818, the village of Mt. Pleasant became a regular stopping point for east-west travelers. The cluster of taverns, smithies, and houses was also known as Frost Town. The Post Office Department identified the community as Frostburg in 1820.
Coal was discovered near Frostburg as early as 1782. The completion of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to Cumberland in 1842 and the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad to Frostburg in 1852 made it possible to ship coal in large quantities. Frostburg became a commercial center for mining, both thriving and suffering with the fluctuation of coal prices.
In 1898, the lobbying of local citizens led to the legislature’s $20,000 appropriation for State Normal School #2. In 1902, fifty-seven students attended the two-year elementary school teacher training program. Today, Frostburg State University (FSU) serves 4,755 undergraduate students, 630 graduate students, and employs 1,068 faculty and staff. FSU serves as a center of multi-cultural activity for the residents of our region.
Learn more about Downtown Frostburg