To address the increasing frequency of requests for technical guidelines on appropriate adaptations for historic buildings at risk of flooding, the National Park Service recently released a new resource for preservation practitioners.
In 2019, Preservation Maryland achieved several important victories across our major programs, including advocacy, grantmaking, smart growth, historic trades, and all of our research and education efforts. At any one-time, our staff is working on many active and on-going projects and what follows is just a sample of our donor-supported work of which we are most proud.
As a component of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Resilient America program, Preservation Maryland has been engaged in broad national conversations about resiliency, hazard mitigation and the critical impact on cultural and historic resources.
In response to the devastating July flood in historic Ellicott City in Howard County, Preservation Maryland has opened a Preservation Resource Center on Main Street to guide rebuilding efforts of historic properties, assist property and business owners navigate appropriate repairs and rebuilding, and provide expert guidance in applying and using incentives to preserve each building’s historic character.
Renée S. Novak, Field Director
The Resource Center, which is currently operating out of the old Ellicott City post office, is providing a wide variety of preservation assistance, including connecting property owners with consultants and contractors, navigating the historic district review process and providing information on financial assistance available, including local, state and federal tax credit programs. Workshops and talks on specific preservation topics will also be provided as the Center expands its efforts this fall.
The operations of the Center are overseen by Field Director Renée S. Novak. She can be reached at 410-685-2886, x305 or rnovak@presmd.org.
Renée’s most recent work has been with the Maryland Historical Trust, the State Historic Preservation Office, as a Tax Credit Review Officer in the Office of Preservation Services. Her primary role there was to assist homeowners, business owners, architects, and the general public with the review and approval process for historic residential and commercial tax credit projects throughout Maryland.
Renée received her Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation from the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has worked in the private sector for both architectural and cultural resource firms in Baltimore City, where she participated in adaptive-use and transportation-related projects. During her undergraduate years at Mary Washington College’s Historic Preservation program, she interned with the Federal government at Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Department of Cultural Resources in their Environmental Conservation and Restoration Division.