Montgomery County Council voted to historically designate century-old home in Sandy Spring symbolizing the contributions of the county’s earliest Black families to education, community building, and cultural heritage
Rockville, Md. – The Montgomery County Council voted to add the Rose-Budd House to the county’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation. The home, built circa 1912, is one of the few remaining structures from the early twentieth century that embodies the significant contributions of multiple generations of the Budd family to the growth and development of Sandy Spring’s Black community.
The designation follows unanimous recommendations from the county’s Historic Preservation Commission and the Montgomery County Planning Board, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC).
The Budd family legacy
Built circa 1912 by Perry Budd and located at 18583 Brooke Road in Sandy Spring, the Rose-Budd House has remained in the possession of his descendants among the Budd, Riggs, and Rose families. The house was nominated for historic designation at the current owners’ request, and the designation report was researched and developed by the Historic Preservation Division within the Montgomery County Planning Department, also part of The M-NCPPC. The Budd family, present in Sandy Spring since the early 1800s, were founding settlers of several of the mid-nineteenth century free Black communities in the area. Every generation of the Budd family contributed not only to key causes that empowered the growth of the Black community, but to the operations and social and physical development of the Sandy Spring Quaker lifestyle.
Perry Budd, a graduate of the Centenary Biblical Institute (now Morgan State University), was a pioneering educator in Montgomery County and a trustee of the Sharp Street School, the first school for Black children in the county. The family also played key roles in founding local churches and supporting educational institutions.
“The Rose-Budd House offers a rare and tangible record of the opportunities Black families forged within their community in Sandy Spring,” said Montgomery Planning Historic Preservation Division Chief Rebeccah Ballo. “The 113-year-old residence embodies the longstanding and historical middle-class Black community in Sandy Spring and is one of the few remaining historic resources associated with the Budd family. Preserving this home allows us to honor that legacy and ensures that the Budd family’s contributions remain part of Montgomery County’s historical narrative.”
Read the Rose-Budd House historic designation report for more details on the home and the family’s legacy.
Montgomery County’s historic designation process
Designation of resources to the Master Plan for Historic Preservation is a multi-step process that requires the review of the Historic Preservation Commission, the Planning Board, and the County Council. Members of the public can participate and comment at each step of the process. When a property is approved to be historically designated in Montgomery County, all changes to the exterior of the property must be reviewed by the HPC before issuing any permits. Designation in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation:
- Recognizes significant architectural and cultural sites.
- Protects buildings and neighborhoods from demolition.
- Manages exterior alterations to resources.
- Provides property owners with information on care, restoration, and preservation.
- Qualifies property owners for special tax benefit programs.