About the Project
The Historic Preservation Office was awarded a FY2021 non-capital grant of $24,000 by the Maryland Historical Trust, part of the Maryland Department of Planning.
The grant will allow the Historic Preservation Office to hire a consultant to identify historical and cultural resources associated with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Montgomery County. The consultant will collect oral histories and identify themes related to AAPI history that may be used for future historic property designations. This is significant as AAPI heritage is not currently represented in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation, the county’s inventory of designated historic sites.
The study will begin with the founding of the county in 1776 through the present, with an emphasis on a period in the late 19th to early 21st centuries when Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the county grew significantly. The study is part of the Historic Preservation Office’s efforts to mitigate past inequities, including the exclusion of people of color from our understanding of historic significance.
Timeline
The initial grant-funded phase of this project will be completed by January 2023.
Ways to Get Involved
Sign up for our email list to stay informed of future opportunities to participate in the project. Or, send us an email to share your knowledge of the histories of AAPI people and places in Montgomery County.
Share the places associated with AAPI history and culture that are important to you
The map below is a place for residents to share places of personal and community importance, which may be homes, businesses, places of worship, neighborhoods, or any other place significant to past or present AAPI individuals and communities. This information will help the Historic Preservation Office understand and document AAPI history and historic sites in the county.
Let us know what places are important to you by adding a point on the map! Click ‘Add to this Map‘ at the top to contribute. You can also browse the sites that have already been submitted by clicking the blue “OK” button below.
Public comments collected at this stage will serve as initial feedback to help guide the consultant in this project.
View the media release for the project launch: English | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt
You can also submit a place using the form below.