Historic Districts of Cumberland

Local

Local historic districts provide the greatest level of protection legally from any threats that may compromise their historic integrity because many land-use decisions are made at the local level. There are more than 2,300 local historic districts in the United States. Local historic districts are administered at the county or the municipal level as both entities are involved in land use decisions. Local historic districts are identified by surveying historic resources and delineating appropriate boundaries that comply with all aspects of due process. Local historic districts are constricted by design guidelines that control changes to the properties included in the district. Many local commissions adopt specific guidelines for the historic district based upon the Secretary of Interior's Standards. For most minor changes, homeowners can consult with local preservation staff at the municipal office and receive guidance on and permission for the changes. Major changes however, require homeowners to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA), and the changes may be decided upon by the Historic Preservation Commission. 

In Maryland, county and municipal governments enact a historic area zoning ordinance that is consistent with Article 66B, Section 8.01-8.17. Under such an ordinance, local elected officials designate individual historic properties or historic districts and appoint a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to review and approve exterior changes to designated properties. This includes changes to windows, doors, walls, roofs, porches, yards, sidewalks, storefronts, signs, etc. The HPC review does not include interior arrangements, zoning, or how a building is used. 

Cumberland's local historic preservation district is the Canal Place Preservation District.  This district overlays and includes the:

• Downtown Cumberland National Register District
• Washington Street National Register District 
• and a portion of the Green Street National Register District    

Links:

Maps of Canal Place Preservation District

Interactive Map of Canal Place Preservation District

State 

The State of Maryland historic preservation office, the Maryland Historic Trust (MHT), operates under the Maryland Department of Planning and implements the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (MIHP), a repository of information on districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects of known or potential value to the prehistory and history of the State of Maryland.  It includes data on more than 13,000 archaeological sites and 43,000 historic and architectural resources. The MIHP includes information about both standing structures and archaeological resources. Inventoried properties contribute information to our understanding of Maryland’s architecture, engineering, archaeology, or culture. Listing on the MIHP does not trigger any regulatory review, it is is solely a research and educational tool. 

Links:

To view a map of historic places in Maryland, please visit: Maryland Historical Trust Map

Federal:

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is operated by the National Park Service.  There are approx. 90,000 listings on the NRHP across the United States.  A listing on the NRHP is governmental acknowledgment of a historic district. However, the Register is an honorary status which makes it eligible for federal, state and local financial incentives. The NRHP defines a historic district as: a geographically defined area, urban or rural, possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development. A district may also comprise individual elements separated geographically but linked by association or history.  The designation does NOT restrict a private property owner’s ability to alter, manage, or dispose of a property or require that properties be maintained, repaired or restored.

Projects involving properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places (individually listed or within districts) are reviewed by MHT for compliance with State and federal laws, generally referred to as Section 106 Review, only if state or federal funds, licenses or permits are involved [e.g. highway funding, Preserve America grants, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licenses, and Corps of Engineers permits]. If there are no state or federal licenses, permits or funding involved in your project, then there is no review of National Register-listed properties.

Links: 

To view a list of the historically recognized properties in Cumberland, please visit: Historically Recognized Properties in Cumberland.

To learn more about historic preservation on the federal scale or federal guidelines, please visit: National Park Service Historic Preservation or NPS Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Being on the NRHP is more than a title, it provides some level of protection and assistance for the properties within the district. Both tax incentives and Section 106 are benefits of being on the NRHP.  Contrary to what many believe, being on the NRHP does not ensure protection from demolition. The NRHP does not have any laws preventing any modifications to the structure, instead it provides the Secretary of Interior's Standards as guidelines to assist homeowners to make the right decisions.  If a property owner significantly alters the integrity of the structure, it could potentially be removed from the NRHP.

Cumberland's National Register of Historic Places Districts include:

• Downtown Cumberland National Register District
• Washington Street National Register District  
• Greene Street National Register District
• Decatur Street/Decatur Heights National Register of Historic Places District
• South Cumberland/Chapel Hill National Register of Historic Places District
• Rolling Mill National Register of Historic Places District