Historic District Guides
Thank you for calling Downtown Frederick home! By choosing to live here, you are a key part of keeping our city’s historic buildings great.
Whether you’re a home owner, renter, business owner or simply someone who loves Downtown Frederick, you understand that this city’s wealth of historic buildings is what sets our community apart. To help answer some of the most common questions about the historic district, the City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission and Downtown Frederick Partnership have created a series of general guides for residents, merchants and contractors who live and work here.
While these guides tackle many of the basics, we know that each project is unique. If you ever have questions, the City of Frederick Planning staff is always happy to help! The City strives to safeguard its historical and cultural heritage through the preservation of historic sites, structures and districts. We are thankful for the participation of the community in helping us preserve and protect our historic city.
Before starting your next project, take a few minutes to review the Frederick Town Historic District Design Guidelines. Visit bit.ly/freddesign for the complete guidelines, or contact us for more information.
PHONE: 301.600.1499 EMAIL: preservation@cityoffrederick.com
- Download Downtown Frederick Residents Historic District Guide
- Download Downtown Frederick Contractors Historic District Guide
- Download Downtown Frederick Merchants Historic District Guide
Attic Fire Separation Program
The Attic Fire Separation Program is focused on the issue of open, connected attic spaces found in many Downtown Frederick rowhomes. Without fire barriers at each property line, fire can more easily spread from rowhome to rowhome, seriously endangering personal safety as well as threatening the historic fabric of entire neighborhoods.
The parameters of the Partnership’s pilot Attic Fire Separation grant program are described below. Please call the Partnership at 301.698.8118 or email mainstreet@downtownfrederick.
Eligibility
- Existing rowhome located in the Frederick Town Historic District that is > 50 years old
- Existing open cavity attic spaces between adjoining rowhomes
Application Process
- Download an application and submit it to the Partnership
- Application reviewed by Partnership for completeness
- Processed on a first-come, first-served basis
Incentive
- Provides a grant of up to $1,000 to offset the costs of constructing and/or filling gaps in a fire barrier between adjoining rowhomes
- No match required by the homeowner
- In no case will the grant exceed the cost of installation
Duration
- The pilot grant program will continue until all funds are depleted ($5,000 total funds available)
- At that time, the Partnership will reassess next steps
Neighborhood Advisory Council
The Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) is a forum for residents to become involved in identifying and recommending positive changes to improve their neighborhoods by enhancing communications with elected officials. It is the goal of the elected officials to work with residents to understand and address the issues that impact the quality of life in neighborhoods.
- Downtown Frederick residents are represented by NAC 11
- NAC 11 meets the third Tuesday of each month
- For more info contact Michele Bowman at 301.600.2091 or mbowman@frederickmdpolice.org.
Local Resources
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Downtown Resident Parking
With a valid residential permit you can park along your street, any day of the week, without further charge for up to 48 hours. However, you must still adhere to the restrictions for sweeping and trash pickup night, as posted for each street. There are two types of Residential Parking Permits: Metered and Non-Metered.
Residential Metered Parking Permits allow you to park along eligible streets (listed on parkfrederick.org). Non-Metered permits allow you to park along only those streets that are not controlled by parking meters. If there are meters on your block, you may apply for either type of permit. Learn more about parking in Downtown Frederick at parkfrederick.org.
Residential Trash Pick-up
All residential trash throughout the City of Frederick is collected through either automated (mechanical arm) or rear load (manual) trash collection.
- If your area is serviced by Rear Load Trash Collection, no special arrangements are necessary. Simply set your trash out to be collected once per week. Trash should be set out after 5pm and before 12 midnight on the evening preceding your collection day. To determine your collection day click here.
- For Automated Trash Collection, City issued trash carts only are accepted. Place carts as close as possible to the public street with metal bar facing toward the street so that the lid opens toward the street. Place no closer than three feet from any obstruction.
Collections are suspended on all holidays the City observes. If your collection day coincides with one of these holidays please put your trash out for collection on the next business day. Each residence may set out up to 180 gallons of refuse per collection, both trash cans and trash bags may be used. For more information about residential trash pick-up, contact the City Sanitation Department at 301.600.1377.
Hear What it’s Like to Live in Downtown Frederick
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Addressing Fire Risks in Downtown Frederick
In January 2019, Downtown Frederick Partnership announced two new grant programs to address the risk of fire in historic buildings – the Downtown Frederick Fire Suppression Incentive Program and the Attic Fire Separation Program. As an outgrowth of the Partnership’s 2020 Strategic Plan and the Live Downtown Frederick goal of welcoming 335 new residents to Downtown Frederick by 2020, these programs are some of the first of their kind to address the known risk of fire damage in historic downtown environments. The Downtown Frederick Fire Suppression Incentive Program addresses the high costs of installing sprinklers in smaller commercial/multi-family/mixed use buildings. These smaller buildings are disproportionately impacted by the cost of sprinkler installation, which may make it financially infeasible. Since properly sprinklered buildings increase personal safety and protect our historic and cultural heritage, the Partnership seeks to lessen this financial burden and increase the number of fire-protected buildings in Downtown Frederick. This grant program is for existing commercial, multi-family residential or mixed use buildings located in the Frederick Town Historic District that are > 50 years old Provides a grant of up to $15,000 for the connection between the interior sprinkler system and the City’s water main Find the grant application, program […]
Historic District Guides
Thank you for calling Downtown Frederick home! By choosing to live here, you are a key part of keeping our city’s historic buildings great. Whether you’re a home owner, renter, business owner or simply someone who loves Downtown Frederick, you understand that this city’s wealth of historic buildings is what sets our community apart. To help answer some of the most common questions about the historic district, the City of Frederick Historic Preservation Commission and Downtown Frederick Partnership have created a series of general guides for residents, merchants and contractors who live and work here. While these guides tackle many of the basics, we know that each project is unique. If you ever have questions, the City of Frederick Planning staff is always happy to help! The City strives to safeguard its historical and cultural heritage through the preservation of historic sites, structures and districts. We are thankful for the participation of the community in helping us preserve and protect our historic city. Before starting your next project, take a few minutes to review the Frederick Town Historic District Design Guidelines. Visit bit.ly/freddesign for the complete guidelines, or contact us for more information. DOWNTOWNFREDERICK.ORG/LIVE PHONE: 301.600.1499 EMAIL: preservation@cityoffrederick.com Download Downtown Frederick Residents Historic District Guide Download Downtown […]
Kids in the City: Susan and Jeremy Kelley
Like a lot of new parents, the birth of their first child meant it was time for Susan and Jeremy Kelley to trade their small starter home in on a bigger house. But the couple, who’d spent the past decade living in a turn of the century row house across Patrick Street from the fairgrounds and a few doors down from the house Patsy Cline once called home, didn’t head to the suburbs. Instead, they bought a three-story detached townhouse on E. Second Street. “We’d always wanted to be closer into downtown,” says Susan. And the fact that they had a toddler didn’t discourage them. “So many people feel like they need to disengage when they have kids and I felt like we need to engage more,” says Jeremy. Once a boarding house, the home is currently divided into three units. The largest apartment, which meanders over all three levels, is home to the couple and their two children – Jack and his little sister Jane, who was born after the move. “What I like about this house is that it’s a house we can grow into,” says Jeremy. But in the meantime, the home’s other two units house rental tenants and provide a welcome income […]
Downtown’s Millennial Migration: Erik Moore
After attending college in Pittsburg and working in financial services there, Frederick native Erik Moore didn’t immediately leap at the chance to return home and join the family business. “Pittsburg’s just bigger, so there was a little hesitation,” says Erik, the Financial Planning Services & Analysis Manager with Moore Wealth, Inc., a concierge wealth management firm with offices in Downtown Frederick. But Erik, who grew up in Spring Ridge, didn’t immediately rule out a homecoming, either. “I’ve never lived in Frederick as an adult and so there was a lot I hadn’t experienced before,” he says. A lot of those experiences are brand new, too. Frederick – especially downtown – isn’t quite the same place he knew as a teen. “There’s a lot of stuff coming to Frederick that’s appealing to people my age,” says Erik, “the new rooftop bar at Brewer’s Alley has been a real hit.” So, after a few trips home to sample the scene, Erik and his fiancé made the move from Pittsburgh to Frederick in November of 2016. And while he grew up in the suburbs, they decided to make downtown their new home. “The office is here, so that made it easy. Plus, for someone my age, the other areas aren’t as […]
This Weekend in Downtown | First Saturday
It’s the first of August and that means Downtown Frederick is awake and ready for a fabulous First Saturday. While we’re sure your summer has been filled with explorations and vacations, take a breath from all the travel and unwind with a day trip through downtown. There is no better place to be than within the heart of downtown shopping local, eating fresh, and exploring on foot or on the free trolley. August First Saturday is made possible by The Daley. August is all about ART in Downtown Frederick! Visit our many galleries and entertainment venues and find art-themed events in businesses throughout downtown. NOMA Gallery on behalf of Downtown Frederick Partnership is unveiling “A Year of First Saturdays – Plein Air in Downtown Frederick,” a showcase of the Plein Air art created during each First Saturday from June 2016 to July 2017. These art pieces are beautiful representations of the vibrancy downtown holds, so start your evening off at the NOMA gallery, and purchase art that will go directly into the artists hands and our glorious downtown. Inspired to create your own art after seeing what artists have created with downtown as their canvas? Allow your creativity to soar and look out […]
Upcoming Downtown Events
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