Staff from both Montgomery Planning and Montgomery Parks will present an overview of cultural resources existing conditions for the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment. This includes a review of historic and cultural resources identified in the plan area, including on Montgomery Parks land, and a discussion of themes and sites that will be explored as the plan develops.
Later that day, Planning staff will present a status update on the AAPI Heritage Project. We will share preliminary historical background on the development of Chinatowns and ethnoburbs, a preview of sites and themes identified so far, and a demonstration of the project’s interactive feedback map.
April is Maryland Archeology Month
Each year during April, archeology and history organizations from around the state mark Maryland Archeology Month. This year’s theme, The Future of Studying the Past: Innovative Technologies in Maryland Archeology, gave Historic Preservation staff archeologist Brian Crane the opportunity to promote recent work done in support of the Department’s Burial Sites Inventory program.
An example where we know for certain the location of both the family house and cemetery. The Gaither-Worthington Family Burial Ground is about 450 feet from the historic house on a low hill east of Laytonsville.
On our own Third Place Blog, you can also read Brian Crane’s latest post on Montgomery Planning’s efforts to identify lost cemetery locations. This important research is developing a methodology for locating suspected burial sites using known property boundaries and historic house locations. This tool may eventually help identify burial sites for people held in slavery, who made up 30% of Montgomery County’s population prior to Emancipation.
