Roadshow for Homeowners
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Mark Your Calendars
The FY2026 Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program round will open in December with a series of webinars and workshops. This year, the program received an increased allocation of $1 million to fund bricks-and-mortar projects for historic properties that are listed on or eligible for the National Register. Individual awards up to $100,000 are available to qualifying applicants. Learn more about it on the program webpage.
The Architectural Fieldwork Symposium will be on March 26, 2026 at the MHT offices in Crownsville. As more information becomes available, it will be shared on the symposium webpage.
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By Dr. Brenna Spray, MHT/MHAA Outreach & Communications Officer
 Langley Park Mansion (2007)
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight the vital role that preservation can play in supporting diverse communities and honoring shared histories. Nowhere is this more visible than in the work of CASA de Maryland, which has transformed historic landmarks into vibrant centers of community empowerment.
At Langley Park, CASA connected its mission of serving Latino and immigrant communities with the preservation of the McCormick-Goodhart Mansion. Built in 1924 for Frederick and Henrietta McCormick-Goodhart by noted Washington architect George Oakley Totten, Jr., this Georgian Revival residence was once the centerpiece of a 500-acre estate. Distinguished by its monumental Ionic portico, Classical Revival interiors, and sweeping double staircase, it remains a rare surviving country house from the 1920s in Prince George’s County.
 Photo Credits: Before - Ward Bucher; After - Ken Wyner Photography
Once a seminary and later a community school, the mansion had fallen into severe disrepair by the 1990s. That changed when CASA purchased the property in 2009 and launched a multimillion-dollar project. By bringing it back to life, CASA established its Multicultural Center and created a permanent home for programs like English classes, workforce training, housing, legal, and health services that ensure Latino and immigrant communities have the tools and voice to thrive across the state.
The rehabilitation restored historic interiors and exteriors, adaptively reused service areas, and added an underground wing with sustainable design features. In recognition of this achievement, MHT presented CASA with a Maryland Preservation Award for Project Excellence in 2011, honoring the transformation of a fading landmark into a hub for community service.
That commitment to blending preservation with community needs extended to Baltimore City. In 2017, CASA purchased the historic Belnord Theatre, a 1921 movie house in the East Monument Historic District. Known for remaining racially integrated during its decades of operation, the Belnord had endured decline and conversions into a grocery, nightclub, and furniture store. CASA reimagined the building as its Baltimore Regional Education and Employment Center, undertaking a major adaptive reuse effort that restored plaster ceilings and domes, reconstructed the marquee with its lit stained-glass signs, and introduced a “pod” system of offices and classrooms that preserved the theater's sense of volume.
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When the revitalized Belnord reopened in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, CASA quickly put it to use as a hub for food distribution and essential services. Today, the center triples CASA’s service capacity in Baltimore, offering job placement, ESOL classes, youth leadership programs, and legal and financial services.
 2022 Maryland Preservation Award presentation
Projects at the McCormick-Goodhart Mansion and the Belnord succeeded because of broad public and private investment – including historic tax credits – that made their preservation and adaptive reuse possible. That combination of resources reflects the very spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month: honoring culture through collective effort while building opportunities for future generations. CASA de Maryland’s work at the Multicultural Center in Langley Park and the Belnord Theatre demonstrates how preservation can serve as a foundation for thriving, inclusive communities across Maryland.
More MHT News...
Shifts in the Project Review and Compliance Team
With the retirement of Beth Cole, Dr. Dixie Henry has been promoted to Administrator of MHT’s Project Review & Compliance team. Dr. Henry joined the team in 2003, reviewing federal and state undertakings for impacts to historic and cultural properties. She previously served as Administrator of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and served as Acting Chief Archaeologist (2018-2019). She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Cornell University.
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Taking over Dr. Henry’s position as archaeologist and Preservation Officer is Brian Snyder, who holds degrees in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico (B.A.) and Northern Arizona University (M.A.). He brings over 15 years of archaeological experience, most recently with the National Park Service at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where he managed geospatial mapping, Section 106 compliance, and cultural resource documentation.
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How the National Historic Preservation Act Helped Save America’s (and Maryland’s) History by Dr. Brenna Spray, MHT/MHAA Outreach & Communications Officer
Diving In, Signing Off: A Career Retrospective with Dr. Susan Langley
Turning Policy into Practice: the Maryland Historical Trust and the Rise of State Historic Preservation Offices by Dr. Brenna Spray, MHT/MHAA Outreach & Communications Officer
Highlights from Maryland’s Aviation History by Lara Westwood, MHT Librarian
The Historic Preservation Fund: Quietly Powerful (and Why It Needs Our Voice) by Dr. Brenna Spray, MHT/MHAA Outreach & Communications Officer
Reach Out!
There are many ways you can learn more about MHT, its programs, and the work it does. The latest news is updated regularly on our website. You can "like" and "follow" us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or sign up for our e-blasts to have our quarterly newsletters and other preservation news delivered straight to your inbox! If you are interested in joining the team at MHT, check the most recent job listings.
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