For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Montgomery County Councilmember George Leventhal, who chairs the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee and serves as a member of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, has invited members of the Montgomery Planning Board, planning staff and community members to the launch on Tuesday, Feb. 23, of a new online map to commemorate African American sites throughout the County. The debut coincides with the County’s celebration of Black History Month.
The launch is scheduled for approximately 1 p.m. as part of the Council’s regular session in the Third Floor Hearing Room at the Council Office Building in Rockville at 100 Maryland Ave. The map demonstration will follow the Council’s presentation of a proclamation recognizing Black History Month.
The Council meeting will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery (Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN and Channel 30 on Verizon) and will be streamed live via the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8.
The Planning Board and its staff worked with Councilmember Leventhal to create the online map of African American sites included in the County’s formal register of architecturally and historically significant buildings and places. Each map site includes a photograph, a description of the site and links to foster an appreciation of each location.
“The goal of this online resource is to raise awareness about the rich and storied past of the County’s historic African American communities and buildings,” said Councilmember Leventhal, who initiated this project. “It is my hope that this tool will encourage our community to learn more about the County’s African American history in an accessible, easy and interesting way. Thanks to former Councilmember Cherri Branson, who now serves as the director of the County’s Office of Procurement, for proposing to create this resource and the Planning Board and planning staff for working with us to make this map a reality for our residents.”
The planning staff mapped two dozen historic African American sites in the first phase of this project. The locations included are not an exhaustive compilation of all significant African American sites in the County. More locations will be added after community feedback is received and additional sites are identified and evaluated.
“We are pleased to partner with Councilmember Leventhal on this project,” said Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson. “Our Historic Preservation Office, along with our GIS team and the Department of Parks Cultural Resources Stewardship section, have worked hard to begin developing a historically accurate and visually appealing resource in the hopes that the information will make an impact on Montgomery County residents and visitors.”
The online map can be found at http://tinyurl.com/zctxhct.
The historically designated sites in the County that are on the map include: