We offer resources for home-owners, small businesses, and churches to help save Baltimore’s historic places. We help local activists learn how to advocate for historic preservation and educate elected officials on the economic benefits of the city tax credit. We also help to build networks of residents, volunteers and professionals who can support one another including Bmore Historic and Baltimore’s New Old House Forum on Facebook.
Image credit: Light Bulb by Blake Thomas from The Noun Project
Image credit: Light Bulb by Blake Thomas from the Noun Project.
Find out how home-owners can save money with historic tax credits and discover the history of their property with digitized maps and periodicals.

Resources for Homeowners

Learn how congregations can find help to restore their churches or how historic religious buildings can find new uses.

Resources for Congregations and Religious Buildings

Image credit: Bank by Adrijan Karavdic from the Noun Project.

Funding for Preservation

Historic preservation projects are often supported by a wide range of grants, loans and financial incentives available for historic buildings and neighborhoods. Learn more about funding (and fundraising) for historic preservation.
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Research Local History

Learning more about historic places in our communities has never been easier. Learn more about researching your home or neighborhood or check out our inventory of digital sources for local history research.
Image credit: Map designed by useiconic.com from the Noun Project.

Historic Districts 101

Historic districts are one of the best ways to protect buildings, streetscapes, neighborhoods, and unique landmarks. Learn more about historic districts.

Resources for homeowners and neighborhoods

Get our help with Historic Tax Credits

Baltimore City has nearly 70 neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts containing over 50,000 residential and commercial buildings. Nearly all of these structures are eligible for city and state historic tax credits when undergoing rehabilitation work. Baltimore Heritage offers regular workshops and presentations Learn more.

Join Baltimore’s New Old House Forum on Facebook

Baltimore’s New Old House Forum is new online community on Facebook for anyone who loves rehabbing old houses or is just looking for a bit of advice to connect with home-owners, find resources and more. Join us on Facebook today.

Recent Updates

How to organize and advocate for historic preservation in Baltimore

October 22, 2014

If you are working to save historic buildings in your neighborhood, we want to help you make the case for historic preservation and get your voice heard by key decision-makers. We’ve collected a selection of helpful resources from our local, statewide, and national partners to help you plan your campaign or… Read more

Baltimore Atlas Maps

February 23, 2018

Explore our finding aid for atlas maps digitized by the Maryland State Archives and available online through mdhistory.net. We have supplemented the original collection of images with more information to make it easier to find relevant historic maps. More sources for historic maps and atlases are available in our collection… Read more

Digital Sources for Baltimore History Research

July 24, 2014

This is a sortable and searchable list of free digital collections and resources related to Baltimore neighborhood history and architecture using Airtable. We assembled this list as a resource for local historians and preservationists. It is not comprehensive – many helpful resources and collections are not yet available online. Most… Read more

Anatomy of a Baltimore Rowhouse

July 23, 2014

Baltimore rowhouses are found in neighborhoods across the city from richly ornamented three-story mansions in Bolton Hill to narrow alley houses in Fell’s Point. This guide is a resource for anyone interested in learning more about the architecture, materials and design of the Baltimore rowhouse. This resource includes excerpts from the excellent New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission… Read more

Baltimore Hardware and Building Supply Stores

March 11, 2015

Ever discover a great local hardware store and wonder why it took so long to find out that it existed? We want to make it easy to discover the great local businesses that support historic homeowners and property owners. Please share your suggestions for how we can expand and improve… Read more

Resources for Historic Churches and Religious Buildings

October 22, 2014

We are continuing to develop this resource page. Please get in touch to share ideas or resources that have been helpful to you or religious buildings in your community. Related Resources Partners for Sacred Places National Trust for Historic Preservation – Historic Houses of Worship National Trust for Historic Preservation – Insurance… Read more

Recommended Reading for Historic Home-owners

September 12, 2014

There are a wide range of resources available online and in print for historic home-owners  interested in rehabilitating or maintaining their property. This is our list of recommended resources. Do you have an idea for a resource we should add to the list? Please get in touch and let us know. How… Read more

Historic Districts in Baltimore

September 17, 2014

Most historic tax credits and grant programs from the local, state and federal government, require that your property be located within a historic district or that a property is individually designated as a landmark to be eligible for these financial incentives. What is a historic district? Historic districts can be designated by the National… Read more

Historic Tax Credits in Baltimore

November 15, 2009

What are historic tax credits? Historic tax credits are financial incentives for residential or commercial rehabilitation projects that require property-owners to follow certain preservation standards. Baltimore City has nearly 70 neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts containing over 50,000 residential and commercial buildings. Thousands of home-owners and business owners across Baltimore… Read more

How to find funding for historic preservation projects & programs

July 25, 2014

Learn more about how to fund historic preservation projects and heritage outreach programs with local, statewide and national funding opportunities. Grants Capital Grants Preservation Maryland – Heritage Fund The Preservation Maryland Heritage Fund provides direct assistance for the protection of historical and cultural resources and promotes innovative demonstration projects that can… Read more

How to improve the energy efficiency of older houses in Baltimore

October 22, 2014

Baltimore’s older houses feature many rich and unique architectural elements that are impossible to find in the homes built today. These homes were built to last and are one of the most prominent symbols of Baltimore. But they are also often missing one crucial element that is a key concern for today’s homeowner:… Read more

How to organize tours of historic buildings and neighborhoods

July 23, 2014

You can organize a heritage tour in your community! Baltimore Heritage organizes heritage tours of all kinds and in every season of the year. We organize walking tours, building tours, bike tours and bus tours. We help organize tours for educators, visitors, long-time residents and students. You can lead a tour too! Heritage… Read more

Tips for Effective Public Testimony

December 11, 2015

Here are our quick tips for effective public testimony: Introduce yourself – This sounds obvious but it is easy to forget. Start with your name! If you are testifying on behalf of a group or organization, share the name of that group and what kind of work you do. If… Read more

How to research the history of your house or neighborhood

November 26, 2013

Are you interested in learning more about the history of your house or your neighborhood? This guide provides a quick introduction on how to use archival sources to learn more about the history of Baltimore houses, buildings, and neighborhoods. Don’t miss our companion resource on digital sources for local history! Your House Has a… Read more

How to research the chain of title for your historic property

July 22, 2014

Documenting a “chain of title” through deed research is an important step in learning more about the history of any property or old house. Follow our step-by-step guide to research the chain of title for your own home. A chain of title can help you discover who lived in your house,… Read more

Baltimore Oral History

February 23, 2018

A directory of oral history recordings available in collections at the Maryland Historical Society and at the University of Baltimore, Langsdale Library. Don’t miss our collection of digital sources for local history research and our neighborhood and building research guide. If you have any comments, corrections, or additions to this… Read more

Teaching Resources for Local History and Historic Places

December 12, 2015

Resources by Topic Baltimore Heritage Explore Baltimore Heritage Battle of Baltimore Baltimore Heritage Digital Collections & Exhibits Baltimore’s Civil Rights Heritage: Educational Resources Digital Sources for Local History How to Research your House or Neighborhood Baltimore and Maryland History Lesson Plans and Teacher Guides – Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine Lesson… Read more

Resources for Historic Homeowners

October 22, 2014

Welcome to our new resource guide for historic homeowners! Please get in touch to share your ideas or suggestions for future additions or revisions. The descriptions provided in this guide are adapted from many of the resources referenced below. Revised October 22, 2014. [toc] Image credit: Home Improvement designed by kate… Read more

Baltimore City Historic Tax Credit

December 17, 2013

Update: This Baltimore City Historic Tax Credit Program was successfully renewed for two additional years in early 2014. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign for renewal! Learn more about city, state and federal historic tax credits with our comprehensive guide. Don’t forget to check out our new resources for homeowners and share… Read more