Historic Preservation District

white historic house

The City of Cambridge is one of the oldest towns in Maryland dating back to 1684. In 1986, a group of citizens organized an effort to recognize and preserve Cambridge's rich architectural heritage. Their work resulted in the listing of the Cambridge Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. This listing enables property owners to take advantage of federal and state tax benefits for approved renovations and restorations.


Several years later, the Cambridge community worked with the Mayor and Council to create the locally-designated Cambridge Historic District and to establish the Cambridge Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). This local designation enables the HPC to manage requested changes to buildings within the historic district.

The Historic District encompasses a large portion of downtown Cambridge then extends in a northwest direction along the waterfront to include portions of Wards 1, 3 and 4. It covers over forty city blocks and was the home of many prominent business owners and tradesmen. A variety of architectural styles can be found in the District as most of the buildings date from the second half of the nineteenth century and the first three decades of the twentieth century.

Meetings

  • Third Wednesday
  • City Council Chambers
    305 Gay Street
  • Open to the public.
  • Times and dates subject to change.

Click Here to watch a previous or live meeting.

Click Here for the HPC Meeting Schedule.

For more information contact the Planning and Zoning Department at 410-228-1955 or by email.

Click the links below to download approved sections of the Historic Preservation Guidelines.

- Historic Preservation District Guidelines

- Appendix A

- Appendix B

- Appendix C

- HPC Guidelines' Additional Materials

- Administrative Review Chart

- HPC Public Survey Results

Application Process

Click here to submit an HPC application.