Minutes Thursday, February 17, 2005
Meeting No. 2-2005
Rockville City Hall PRESENT
Max van Balgooy, Chair pro tem
Craig Moloney
Andrea Hartranft
Jeff Broadhurst Absent: Anita Neal Powell, Chair Staff present: Judy Christensen and Shelby Spillers, Preservation Planners. I. WORKSESSION: Chair pro tem van Balgooy stated that the HDC business meeting was preceded by an agenda work session from 7:00-7:20 p.m. in the City Manager’s Conference Room. The worksession involved administrative matters and no decisions were made or discussed at that meeting. The Business meeting was convened at 7:24 P.M. II. COMMITTEE / ORGANIZATION REPORTS A. Peerless Rockville – Eileen McGuckian and Terry Lachin
Ms. McGuckian submitted the Peerless Rockville program schedule on the theme “The Way We Were.” The next program will be February 23 on “Occupations in Rockville” at the Red Brick Courthouse at 7:30 p.m. Other monthly programs will follow. The traveling exhibit “Rockville on the Road to Brown” will be at Lakeforest Mall until the end of February then to Lincoln Park Community Center for March. Nominations are due for Preservation Awards on March 1. Peerless is also requesting nominations for Rockville Celebrities, which are due March 15. The 250th anniversary of General Braddock’s march through Montgomery County will be celebrated on Memorial Day weekend. See the Peerless Rockville web page at www.peerlessrockville.org for further information. Rockville’s Recent Past- Terry Lachin said the Recent Past survey covered 1914 to 1984 by themes, and consists of a GIS database, a collection of 20th Century maps to be scanned. The program is now in Phase III, which will survey another 75 sites as done in Phase II. An inventory form has been developed and an example is included. Ms. Lachin said the goal is a snapshot of Rockville transitioning from a small town to a suburban city. In addition to the map collection and surveys, Phase III will have oral histories and narrative streetscape descriptions. All endangered modern building types are included. Examples are as varied as the public works salt dome, the water tower, 50 Monroe Street, and houses. Commissioner Hartranft asked if the project was in touch with other organizations working on the recent past to avoid duplication of efforts. Ms. Lachin said Professor Isabele Gourney of the University of Maryland was working with Peerless and she was monitoring the Recent Past Network website. Commissioner Moloney asked if original documentation such as plans were available and being collected. Ms. Lachin responded that Peerless was working with local A.I.A. chapters and expected to interview adult children of local architects. Ms. McGuckian said that persons retired from Rockville bring items such as documents and architectural plans back to deposit in Peerless archives. Ideas for sites and themes are welcomed. Peerless plans to continue working with the HDC and City. B. Lincoln Park Historical Foundation – No report. For information consult the Web site at: www.Lincolnparkhist.org
The Chair pro tem noted that the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation will hold a new office ribbon cutting at the Waters House in Germantown on Monday February 21. The HDC is invited to attend. C. Comments – Historic District Commissioners – No reports
III. EVALUATIONS FOR HISTORICAL, ARCHITECTURAL OR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE A. 375 Van Buren Street Planner Judy Christensen stated that this evaluation was initiated by an application for demolition of a house built in 1929 filed by the present property owners, who are the daughter and son-in-law of Mrs. Rosalie Campbell. All structures that are 50 years of age or older must be evaluated for significance and processed for historic district designation, if eligible, before demolition can be approved. Ms. Christensen described the location and history of the parcel. She showed pictures of the house and described it as a small one-story bungalow with a one-story addition on the rear and a detached garage on the side. The house has been clad with aluminum siding and the windows have replaced, according to the present owners. Mrs. Christensen said markings on the joists and rafters indicated the house was probably a kit house. Referring to the inventory form, Ms. Christensen said the land was sold for a nominal fee by a slave owner, Margaret Beall, to her emancipated former slave, Catherine Smith, and her two enslaved daughters, Rose Meads and Flora Procton. Flora had two daughters, Louise and Laura. Rosalie Mapson Campbell was born to Louise and William Mapson on October 17, 1907 in her grandmother Flora’s house in Haiti. The subject house was built by Rose Meads’ daughter and son-in law, Fannnie Meads Smith and her husband William Smith, next door on the land that was purchased by Rose Meads from Margaret Beall. Rosalie’s parents and family were limited to low paying domestic or laboring work at the time and the Rockville Colored Elementary School offered education to sixth grade. Her family sacrificed to allow her to get an education and become a teacher. She taught in the public schools for over 40 years. During that time she earned a bachelors’ degree from Morgan State and a masters degree in education from New York University (NYU) in the weekend graduate school program. She and a friend left Rockville at 2 am on Friday night and spent all day in classes at NYU, then returned to Rockville. The degree work took two years. She was active in the West End Citizens Association, her church, and her community. She set a high example in all capacities. Seldon Higgins, 373 North Van Buren, stated that he is the son-in-law of the late Rosalie Campbell and he found the history presented in the Maryland Historical Trust inventory form a good summary of her life and value to the community. He had submitted a letter to the HDC stating that it was Mrs. Campbell’s last wish to have her house demolished after her death. He said he was not aware the house was a kit house and doubted that it was, as it was reputed to have been built by the family and neighbors. He said he and his wife were asked to come back to Rockville and stay on the family property next door by his mother-in-law. Mrs. Campbell had stated that she was the last person in her family and requested that after her death, her house at 375 N. Van Buren was to be demolished. He asked the HDC to honor her request. The Reverend Jane Wood, Pastor of Jerusalem–Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, said Mrs. Campbell was her third grade teacher at Rock Terrace Elementary School and encompassed all the attributes we as students and community looked up to. Her legacy is her record of educational service and the students she instilled with her principles, rather than where she lived. Her legacy is her achievements and her students. She was an ardent Christian and ardent in her involvement with the community. She should be remembered in another form than preservation of a house. Commissioner Moloney said he recognized Mrs. Campbell’s significance and asked for suggestions on honoring her. Rev. Wood said Mrs. Campbell was greatly pleased by the plaque at the corner of North Van Buren Street marking Haiti Community. Since she was an educator for over 40 years, perhaps a school should be named after her or a plaque placed at Rock Terrace or the Board of Education. Recognition should be given to her great contributions in education. She considered her successful students marks of her success. She noted that personally, as a former student, she always went over her own work to make sure it was grammatically correct as her former teacher would be in the congregation. She said Mrs. Campbell was pleased to have her students rise to success in the world and was happy to have a student as her pastor. She was well loved and respected in the community, but was a practitioner of tough love before tough love was accepted. As no other testimony was offered, the Historic District Commission evaluated the structure according to the adopted criteria. Recognizing that the site must meet the requirements for a single site district or landmark site, the HDC found that it was of local site significance, having historical and cultural significance for its identification with Rosalie Mapson Campbell, a person born in Haiti in 1907 who influenced her community and Rockville by example through her years of teaching and 96 years of service to her church and community. It also found the property had historical value as part of the land purchased by emancipated slaves Catherine Smith and her two daughters, Flora and Rose, from Margaret Beall in the 19th Century. The HDC also recognized her extended family in Haiti that sacrificed financially to be able to offer higher educational opportunities to Rosalie Mapson at a time when Montgomery County offered education for its black students to grade six.
Additionally, the HDC found that the site exemplifies the cultural economic social, political or historic heritage of the County and of its community, Haiti, through the generational occupation of the land, and the practice of community support to offer more opportunities to the next generation than the former generation had available. It also found the community house building to be a significant part of the history of the site. Architecturally, the HDC found that the present 1929 building, though it would be eligible for listing as a contributing structure in a historic district of that era, did not rise to the level of a landmark. Specifically, the house, while embodying the distinctive characteristics of a 1920s bungalow, was a kit house and not unusual or remarkable. It was not the work of a master and did not possess a high artistic value. As a single structure, it did not represent a significant entity with components, and it was not a familiar visual feature due to a singular physical characteristic or landscape. Having found the site significant for its association with Rosalie Mapson Campbell, its history as a parcel obtained from a master by former slaves and the family history on the land, and the story of community commitment to the education of a deserving student, and the housing of its neighbors, the HDC discussed whether the property should be recommended for designation on the strength of its historical, cultural and personal associations alone. It was pointed out by Commissioner Moloney that the object of the review was to determine whether or not the property and structure met the criteria for eligibility and rose to the level of a single site historic district and the future use or potential demolition could not be taken into consideration by the HDC. Commissioner Hartranft concurred, stating that that the recommendation of the HDC, if positive, would be given to the Mayor and Council, which would weigh it against any loss of structure and the owners’ wishes and make a final decision. Ms. Christensen stated that the HDC had several options: to recommend it as eligible based upon the criteria cited, to recommend it as eligible but ask that another way to recognize the historical, cultural and personal significance be identified, or find the significance insufficient to meet the criteria for a single site historic district and not recommend it as eligible. Commissioner Moloney stated that all the testimony and the staff report established Mrs. Campbell as a significant person to the City. He asked the Commission if the association with her was enough to warrant designation of the structure. Commissioner Hartranft asked Rev. Wood if Mrs. Campbell could be considered an extraordinary individual in her community. Rev. Wood replied that she was indeed an extraordinary individual and was regarded with great respect by her community. Mr. Higgins noted that her leadership role in the West End Citizens Association in a time when neither women nor blacks were often elected to such offices also was remarkable. He remarked that Mrs. Campbell was probably the first and perhaps the last black woman to occupy such a high position in a large community association. Commissioner Hartranft said the HDC should not second guess the Mayor and Council and forgo a recommendation because of issues not pertinent to historical, cultural, or architectural significance. She stated that the HDC has a limited focus and job and the Mayor and Council play a broader role with more latitude. She proposed to recommend the site as meeting the criteria on the strength of the historical, cultural, and personal history with suggestion as how to recognize these attributes in the event the Mayor and Council wish to utilize another method of recording significance. MOTION:
Commissioner Hartranft moved, seconded by Commissioner Broadhurst to find that 375 North Van Buren Street meets the criteria for City of Rockville Historic Designation and should be recommended to the Mayor and Council as meeting the criteria for designation as a single site historic district under the following criteria: - It has minor alterations in building and site;
- For its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City and County;
- For its association with a person or a group of persons who influenced society;
- And that it exemplifies the cultural, economic, social, political or historic heritage of the County and its communities.
Specifically:
For its association with the late Rosalie Mapson Campbell, who was of significance to the City for her personal achievement of achieving a graduate degree in education in an era that limited African Americans to a primary school education, for over 40 years of excellence in teaching in both segregated and integrated public schools, for her example and role model to her students and the community, for her many contributions to her church locally and nationally, and for her contributions to her community and City;
For its association with the enslaved family of Catherine Smith and that family’s efforts to provide more opportunities and better lives to the next generations;
For the history of the property as land in Haiti that was passed from master to slave and then to free citizens of Rockville.
Discussion:
Commissioner Moloney asked if the level of significance rose to the level of preservation in historic designation. Commissioner Hartranft responded that she thought it did both culturally and personally. Commissioner Moloney agreed. Chair pro tem van Balgooy concurred, saying he had no difficulty supporting this motion considering the recognition and significance of the person in the testimony tonight and the house is associated with her. Commissioner Broadhurst concurred.
VOTE: 4-0 B. 626 Great Falls Road Planner Judy Christensen stated that this evaluation was initiated due to the Washington Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses plan to demolish the 1951 house and detached garage and build additional parking space for the adjacent religious facility. All structures that are 50 years of age or older must be evaluated for significance before demolition can be approved. Referring to the historic inventory form for 626 Great Falls Road, Ms. Christensen described the location, and the development history of the parcel and surrounding land. She showed pictures of the house and described it as a small, 1951, one and one-half story end-gabled Colonial Revival house with a room addition on one end and a sunroom and enclosed room on the other end. The house was formerly finished with stucco but now has vinyl siding and the windows have replaced with undersized windows that have been fit to the openings with infill panels. Of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jessie James, Ms. Christensen said no information was available about them at Peerless Rockville, the Montgomery County Historical Society, or on the Internet. Therefore, she concluded that they did not play a prominent role in Rockville society, politics, or community life. Of the house and garage, Ms. Christensen stated that the cinder block garage and workshop with steel awning windows possessed more integrity that the house in its present condition. The house has additions on both ends, the siding has been changed, and the windows and window openings altered. The Historic District Commission then evaluated the structure according to the adopted criteria, finding that it did not meet local, state or national levels of significance. The condition was determined to be substantially altered and none of the criteria for historical and cultural significance or for architectural and design significance were found applicable. MOTION: Commissioner Moloney moved, seconded by Commissioner Hartranft, to find that 626 Great Falls Road does not meet the criteria for City of Rockville Historic Designation and will not be recommended to the Mayor and Council as eligible for designation as a Rockville single site historic district.
VOTE: 4-0 IV. DISCUSSION / UPDATES A. Planning Activities and Projects: - Update on staffing and project priorities – Judy Christensen reported that HDC staff is temporarily helping with other department duties while many staff positions are vacant. Hiring is progressing but it will take about six weeks to get back up to working staff levels.
- Updates on Lincoln Park and East Rockville: Via Memos: Planner Ziek said she and Shelby Spillers met with the East Rockville Civic Association on January 11 about National Register listing for Rockville Park and the differences between local and National Register listing. Judy Christensen reported that development standards had been presented to the Lincoln Park Preservation Committee on February 3.
- Update on archaeology in Town Center. Planner Robin Ziek reported via a memo that a stone lined well had been found and excavated but that few artifacts were found.
B. HDC Activities - Recognition of Lincoln Park Historical Foundation Ribbon Cutting /Grand Opening at Historic Waters House in Germantown February 21, 2005.
- Art in Town Center; input on Town Center street naming – Postponed.
- MAHDC joint training session in Gaithersburg, March 22, 6:30 p.m.
- Rockville historic preservation conference, April 16: The HDC went over the draft agenda and program and gave several suggestions. Commissioner Hartranft took the topic of Recent Past with Commissioner van Balgooy. Others did not select a topic.
- Preservation and Revitalization Conference in Baltimore, May 9 &10 Planner Shelby Spillers noted that the conference is Monday and Tuesday this year in Baltimore and funds are available for commissioners to register and attend. Rockville will be part of a panel discussion on Tuesday, May 10.
V. MINUTES - Meeting No. 01-2005, January 20, 2005
Commissioner Hartranft corrected her remarks on page five regarding the HDC’s desire not to be a design review board. She said the words “for non-designated sites and districts” was omitted. MOTION: Commissioner van Balgooy moved, seconded by Commissioner Moloney, to approve the minutes of January 20, 2005 as corrected.
VOTE: 4-0 VII. ADJOURN: The HDC adjourned at 10:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Judy Christensen, Planner. | 
