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1. What is historically significant in Prince George's County?

The history of Prince George's County is found in its older buildings, in its nineteenth-century crossroad communities, in its early twentieth-century streetcar suburbs, and in its rural areas that recall the county's agricultural heritage of tobacco raising and horse breeding. The eighteenth-century George Washington House in Bladensburg is a link to Colonial-era trade and industry. The Belair Stables in Bowie, built early in the twentieth century, attests to the county's early association with the nation's horse breeding and racing. A picturesque 1890s Victorian house in Hyattsville reflects the county's emerging suburbs, and the City of Greenbelt is internationally known as the first "greenbelt town" of the Roosevelt administration from the 1930s.

A countywide inventory in 1974 identified some 550 properties as historically significant; they are linked to people, places, and events that helped shape the development and character of the county through its architectural style or in its method of construction. Since 1974, several hundred more individual buildings and a total of 60 communities have been documented. In 2011, the County’s Sites and Districts Plan Inventory of Historic Resources includes 411 Historic Sites, 132 Historic Resources, 3 locally designated Historic Districts, more than 70 individual listings in the National Register of Historic Places, 10 National Register Historic Districts, and 6 National Historic Landmarks. Whether historically or architecturally significant, these places are part of the county's cultural legacy and deserve special care to represent our proud history for years to come.

For more information, please call 301-952-3520.

2. Who can answer my questions regarding county history and property research?

The Historic Preservation Section receives many questions about county history, research methods, and sources. The section maintains a small library of research materials and assists the public in methods of research and sources of documentary materials. Files and information on all county historic sites and resources are also available for review. Staff also refers researchers to pertinent sources of information, e.g., the Maryland Historical Society, the Prince George's County Historical Society, the Prince George's County Genealogical Society, etc.

For more information, please call 301-952-3520.

3. When do I need a Historic Area Work Permit (HAWP) for work on my historic property?

A HAWP is required when making substantive changes to the exterior of a Historic Site or a contributing property in one of three county-designated historic districts (Broadcreek Historic District, the Old Town College Park Historic District and the St. Thomas Episcopal Parish Historic District). Substantive changes include the construction of additions and the removal or replacement of character-defining architectural elements such as windows, doors, porches, steps, and shutters and other decorative features. The demolition of all, or part, of a building requires a Historic Area Work Permit (HAWP). A HAWP is not required for interior work or for ordinary maintenance, which includes minor repairs using like materials and design, minor landscaping, and painting of non-masonry surfaces using the same or substantially the same color.

A HAWP approval does not eliminate the need for a building permit issued by the county's Department of Environmental Resources (DER). If you have questions regarding the HAWP process, please contact the Historic Preservation staff at 301-952-3520.

4. How do I find out whether my property is designated as historic?

The Prince George's County Historic Preservation Ordinance (Subtitle 29 of the County Code) regulates more than 800 properties across the county as historic resources, historic sites, or contributing properties in historic districts. To find out whether your property falls into one of these three categories, consult the county's Historic Sites and Districts Plan 2010, or contact the Historic Preservation staff at 301-952-3520. When calling, please provide the exact address of the property in question.

5. How are historic sites and historic districts created?

Under the county's Historic Preservation Ordinance (Subtitle 29 of the Prince George’s County Code), the Historic Preservation Commission can designate a property listed in the County Inventory of Historic Resources as a Historic Site if the property meets specific criteria of architectural or historical significance. Similarly, a group of historic properties can be designated as a historic district. The process for designation involves a research report documenting the history and architectural characteristics of the building or district. The Historic Preservation Commission, together with the Planning Board and the County Council can also designate properties as historic sites or historic districts that are not included in the master plan Inventory of Historic Resources through a new provision of the County’s Historic Preservation Ordinance established in 2008. The research may be initiated by the property owner or local citizens. The Historic Preservation Commission then holds a public hearing to receive the comments of residents and other interested parties following with a decision. The County Council hears appeals of the Historic Preservation Commission's decisions.

For more information, please call 301-952-3520.