Submitted: January 16, 2003
Approved: __________

CITY OF ROCKVILLE
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
MINUTES

Thursday, December 19, 2002
Meeting No. 12-2002

The City of Rockville Historic District Commission convened in regular session
in the Mayor and Council Chambers, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, at 7:10 PM

PRESENT
Jeff Broadhurst, Acting Chair
Andrea Hartranft
Craig Moloney
Beth Rodgers

Absent: Anita Powell

HDC Staff present: Cindy Kebba, Anne Brockett, Robin Ziek

I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

November 21, 2002 (Meeting No. 11-2002)

MOTION: Commissioner Moloney moved to approve the minutes of November 21, 2002 as written. Commissioner Rodgers seconded the motion.
VOTE: 2-0 (Commissioner Powell was absent. Commissioners Hartranft and Broadhurst abstained as they were not present at the November meeting)

II. EVALUATION FOR HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

110 North Street (Doy/Crockett House)
Planner Kebba summarized the staff report and showed photographs of the house. She said that this evaluation was advertised by mail to all addresses within _ mile of the subject. A sign was posted at the property, and the agenda and MHT form were posted on the City’s web site. She said that this evaluation came about when the owner of 110 North Street, Mr. Mukhtar A. Khan, requested information pertaining to the property’s historic status and the potential for obtaining a demolition permit. Staff discussed the evaluation process with him and provided information on historic designation and its benefits as a possible alternative to demolition. Staff sent Mr. Khan a packet of information but had not been able to contact him at the telephone number he provided to determine what his current intentions are.

Planner Kebba stated that the house is located on Lot 6, Block 10 of North Street and faces north. It is situated on a 50 foot by 250-foot lot and is one of a row of single-family detached houses with similar setbacks and spacing. Neighboring houses range from 2 _-story frame turn-of-the-century houses to one-story ramblers. A duplex development is across the street on McLean Court.

The 1 _-story, 3-bay by 2-bay, frame bungalow is rectangular in shape. A large maple tree is situated close to the front façade. The house has a hipped, composition shingle roof and a central shed-roofed three-window dormer. A full-width front porch is supported by four simple square posts and a four-light wood panel door is centered on the front façade. Aluminum siding covers the exterior. Windows are two over two with plain surrounds that have been spaced out with molding strips to accommodate the added aluminum siding. There is one interior chimney on the west roof slope.

Planner Kebba said that both east and west facades have three evenly spaced two over two windows. There are two three-light basement windows in the foundation on each façade. The rear, or south, façade has a window in the east bay and a four-light exterior wood door in the west bay.

Planner Kebba showed a photograph of 106 North Street, two houses east of the subject. She explained that the owner there had begun an extensive renovation that gutted the interior and removed the rear of the house before the City’s Inspection Services Department put a stop work order on it for not having a building permit. She said that although staff acknowledges that 106 North Street does not possess architectural integrity at this point, staff felt that the HDC should proceed with the evaluation on 110 North Street to avoid a similar situation. Although the owner was sent a letter stating the date of the HDC evaluation, the agenda for the meeting, and the MHT form, he had not contacted the Preservation Office and did not attend this meeting.

Planner Kebba continued with the history and significance of the 110 North Street property. She said that the Doy/Crocket House is typical of the vernacular dwellings constructed by middle-class African–Americans in the Haiti community in the second quarter of the 20th century. It was built on land that was originally used by the Beall and Dawson families to house slaves, and later servants who were allowed to purchase Beall and Dawson property for their personal use. The house was constructed on the northernmost block of “Beall’s Subdivision” which was originally platted in 1893. This section of the subdivision was abandoned in 1910 because sales were slow due to economic downturns. The area was resubdivided in 1926.

The three Dawson sisters who inherited this portion of Margaret J. Beall’s subdivision sold off a number of building lots with 50-foot frontages. Elijah and Emma Duffin purchased Lot 6, containing 13,500 square feet in 1925. The Duffins owned the property for three years, then sold it to James and Estelle Doy. The Doys took out a mortgage for $900 in 1931, presumably to build the house. They lost it in foreclosure in 1935.

For the foreclosure auction, the property was described in the Montgomery County Sentinel as “located in the colored settlement adjacent to Rockville known as Haiti, this property formerly owned by James Doy and wife and now occupied by Nellie Offutt, also called Nellie Gitting and Walter Gitting and family. It is improved by a six-room frame bungalow, composition roof, recently built, basement and attic, and the lot contains 13,500 square feet of land, more or less, and has frontage on the street of about 50 feet by a depth of 270 feet.”

Subsequent owners included Annie I. Ray, Bernard and Catherine Poss, Edward Johnson, and James E. and Marie V. Crockett. The Crocketts owned the house for almost two decades, during which time Haiti was annexed into the City (1949), North Street was paved (1950), and water and sewer were provided by the City (1951). The property also went into foreclosure under the Crockett ownership.

City utility records indicate that Robert L. and Alma P. Snowden were responsible for utility payments for the property in the 1960s after the Crockett ownership, but it is not clear if the Snowdens lived in the house or even owned it. The Snowden family operated Snowden Funeral Home on North Washington Street, the first black-owned funeral home in Rockville, for more than seven decades and Robert L. Snowden was the funeral director from 1936 until 1975. Mr. Snowden was also a philanthropist who generously donated to county churches and organizations. Commissioner Rodgers questioned the name Doy/Crockett House and suggested Snowden might be more appropriate if a link is established.

Other names associated with the property though utility records from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s include Manuel and G.B. Thompson, Charles H. Adams, Floyd and F.L. Eaton. These individuals may have rented the house after the Crockett foreclosure as their names do not appear in county land records as owners. Jamil Azat and Samir Salameh sold the property to Pompeyo and Estela Ordeya in 1984 who in turn sold it to the current owners, Karin Meerbaum and Mukhtar Khan in 1988.

Commissioner Rodgers asked how the City is dealing with the owner of 106 North Street and whether they were fined for not having a building permit. Planner Kebba responded that the legal department is looking at code revisions dealing with substantial renovations and demolitions.

Stewart Bowman, of 100 North Street, attended the meeting and stated that he did not specifically have an opinion regarding this designation, but he was concerned that two houses could possibly be built on the 110 North Street lot if the existing house were to be demolished. Mr. Bowman showed photographs of the subject property that he had taken, which he said indicated a lack of maintenance. Commissioner Hartranft asked about the zoning and whether two houses would be permitted on the lot. Staff responded that the site is zoned R-60 and that it would be unlikely, given the standards of the R-60 zone and the 50-foot frontage of the lot. Planner Ziek suggested that there is adequate depth to the lot to add on to the existing house, without losing the original house frontage. Commissioner Hartranft suggested that North Street, or at least the south side of North Street, be looked at for historic designation due to its consistent setbacks and spacing.

Commissioner Moloney asked Mr. Bowman if his house is similar to the subject house. Mr. Bowman replied that his house at 100 North Street (at the corner of Van Buren) is more of a farmhouse style, with two rooms over two.

No other citizens spoke, but two other neighbors attended to obtain information on what was happening with the property. The HDC did not want to make a recommendation on significance at this meeting because it wanted to give the owner(s) further opportunity to comment. The HDC also asked for more information on the people associated with the house, particularly the Snowdens, Offutts, and the Gittings.

MOTION: Commissioner Hartranft moved that the HDC evaluation of 110 North Street for historical, architectural, or cultural significance be continued to the January 16, 2003 meeting and that the record be closed on January 9, 2003 to allow staff time to consolidate any additional comments or testimony. Commissioner Rodgers seconded the motion.
VOTE: 4-0 (Commissioner Powell absent)

III. 2003 WORKPLAN

The HDC reviewed a draft of the 2002-2003 work plan, including events, projects, commission improvement, and the historic district survey plan. Planner Ziek discussed conservation districts versus historic designation for the East Rockville master plan. Commissioner Rodgers and Eileen McGuckian of Peerless Rockville suggested she speak with Duane Jones, who used to work for the City of Rockville, because he is working with conservation districts in Dallas now.

IV. DISCUSSION/UPDATES

Middle Lane Curb Installation
In response to HDC comments and recommendations, Hal Cranor, the Director of Public Works replied via e-mail that there must be a vertical barrier to control where people drive and park, and where snow plows and other maintenance equipment operate. He said that stone pavers, as recommended by the HDC, would have to be installed all the way to the sidewalk to eliminate rutting and then people would be parking on the sidewalk if there is no significant vertical barrier. Staff reported that additional comments from HDC commissioners Rodgers and Moloney were forwarded to Mr. Cranor. Preservation Planner Christensen accompanied Mr. Cranor and other City staff members from Parks and Recreation and Public Works to the site in November where it was decided to proceed with the curb installation.

Update on Designations

1. 305 Lincoln Avenue, adopted 12/9/02
   
2. Rose Hill Barn, Mayor and Council public hearing was held 12/16/02. One person expressed opposition
   
3. 22 Martin’s Lane, Mayor and Council public hearing was held 12/16/02. Wellington Crutchfield, Jr., representing his family, spoke in favor of the designation
   
4. 110 South Adams Street was approved by the Planning Commission, 12/18/02
   
5. Buckingham, 522 West Montgomery Avenue, is scheduled for Introduction of Ordinance, 1/13/03
   
6. 115 Park is scheduled for Mayor and Council D&I, 1/27/03
   

V. COMMITTEE/ORGANIZATION REPORTS

Lincoln Park Historical Society – Anita Powell was not present to provide a report.

Peerless Rockville – Eileen McGuckian said that invitations to Peerless’s New Year’s Day Brunch at Glenview Mansion have been sent out. Peerless plans to continue its “Rockville at 200 years” program after the first of the year. A program on 20th century residential architecture is tentatively scheduled for January 30. Future topics may include commercial architecture and parks. Ms. McGuckian said that this has been a popular series and each program has been videotaped.

Ms. McGuckian said that the Gettysburg historic trail will be coming through Rockville and 6 to 8 interpretive markers will be placed within the City. A trail guide with the Rockville sites should be ready by June 2003.

The Peerless Rockville Awards presentation is scheduled for May 12 and the Progressive Dinner will be held on May 17 during Preservation Week. The HDC will work with Peerless on various projects, likely to include coordinating school and video exhibits, holding a reception for owners of newly designated sites, and marking the 200th anniversary of the 1803 Plan of Rockville.

VI. ADJOURN

The HDC adjourned at 7:55 p.m.