Preservation District Design and Preservation Guidelines for Cumberland, Maryland

From introduction: "The objectives of this handbook are threefold: (1) to help you, the owner of a historic building, understand the most appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation practices to preserve your property; (2) to recommend general design guidelines for additions and new freestanding construction that will help preserve the historic qualities of your neighborhood; and (3) to serve the Cumberland Historic Preservation Commission as a reference manual in applying consistent criteria to its judgments regarding building permit applications within the Historic Preservation District. The Commission and its staff will consistently reference this handbook, both to help make their own decisions as well as to advise property owners on appropriate courses of action. Applicants who study the handbook closely and consult with the Commission staff prior to submitting their project plans, will be more assured that their proposals will comply with the objectives of the city's preservation ordinance. The public purpose of the City's historic preservation ordinance is to ensure the preservation of Cumberland's special character and the retention of property values by encouraging property owners to repair and maintain their properties in ways sensitive to the building's original style and methods of construction. The purpose is NOT, however, to force owners to restore their property to its original appearance. In addition, this handbook presents guidelines for the construction of additions to existing buildings and for new free-standing construction within the Preservation District. The City of Cumberland has recognized its preservation district as an important conveyor of the city's rich architectural heritage. As such, it has been judged as a special place and part of the city's public legacy worth conserving. That heritage is conveyed not only by the richly stylized houses on Washington Street built for the city's affluent, but by the commercial downtown, and by the streetscapes of modest vernacular houses built for its working families." Funding was provided in part by a 2004 Historic Preservation Fund grant to Montgomery County (project number MD-04-013) administered by the Maryland State Historic Preservation Office and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Cumberland , Maryland is a Certified Local Government.

Preservation District Design and Preservation Guidelines for Cumberland, Maryland

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