Fort Carroll, Patapsco River, southeastern Baltimore County.

Fort Carroll is a 3.4 acre artificial island and abandoned fort located within the shadow of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The fort was designed by then Brevet-Colonel Robert E. Lee, and construction was started in 1848 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Lee’s supervision. The fort is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. Before it was created, the only military defensive structure between Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay was Fort McHenry. Additionally, a lighthouse (now abandoned) was built to aid navigation into Baltimore’s harbor. Though never completed and never used as a fort, the architecture is quite amazing, featuring curved granite stairs, brick archways, etc. and it originally had 350 cannon ports, a Blacksmith Shop, Carpentry Shop and a Caretakers House. In 1864, it was flooded by torrential rains and declared vulnerable and obsolete. There were subsequent uses of the fort, such as storing mines during the Spanish-American War, holding Seamen and a pistol range. Most of the steel was salvaged for the war effort and the government abandoned the fort in 1920.While there have been plans over the past ninety years to redevelop the site, nothing was able to come to fruition and it has fallen into extreme disrepair.

It is owned by Fort Carroll LLC with an Owings Mill address. Practically every type of Egret indigenous to this area has been found here. There is a lot of foliage present including large trees.

Threat: The roots of the trees will eventually break through to the support structures and foundation and this marvelous piece of history will be lost. The birds are protected during their nesting period – three months- and where would they go? The DNR is of the opinion it should just be left alone. It would be a crime to allow this to continue to deteriorate.

Solution: Encourage others such as The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Confederate and Patriotic groups, Preservation Maryland, The National Trust, DNR, Marine Architects, etc. to participate in saving Fort Carroll by setting forth a plan that, during the other nine months of the year, would eliminate the foliage that could cause structural damage and maintain it in a fashion so there would be enough brush for the birds to continue to nest there.

Fort Howard, 9600 North Point Road, Fort Howard, Maryland.

First garrisoned in 1899, Fort Howard was originally known as North Point, but was renamed in 1902 after Colonel John Eager Howard, a Baltimore philanthropist and distinguished soldier of the Maryland Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. In the 1700's, the site served as an important part of the transportation route between the Eastern Shore and the port of Baltimore. Known as the "Bulldog at Baltimore's Gate", Fort Howard was also created to protect the valued Baltimore Port. Many of the fort batteries, previously manned by Coast Artillery Corps, can still be seen, although they are now covered by dark ivy and bushes. It became the headquarters for Baltimore’s harbor defense, which included Fort Smallwood, Fort Armistead, and Fort Carroll. Fort Howard was turned over to the Veterans Administration in 1940.

Threat: The latest request for proposals calls for the construction of a continuing care retirement community, to be offered to veterans on a “preference and priority basis,” according to the new announcement. The scope of the lease is similar to one that Federal Development LLC, operating as Fort Howard Senior Living Associates, had and which was terminated in August. The VA is asking developers to submit plans to build a community-based outpatient clinic and set aside 10 acres for a state nursing home.

Solution: A civic organization of American Veterans, Fort Howard Project, has the following mission stated on their website: “… to conduct an exploratory investigation into the possibility of encouraging the VA, GSA, our elected officials and citizens to support Fort Howard into becoming a National Park and to honor all Veterans who have answered the call to defend our country.” The Fort Howard Project is having several hearings to encourage public support.

Barn at Long Island Farm, 2200 Cromwell Bridge Road, Cromwell Valley area, Maryland.

Long Island Farm has been owned continuously by the Risteau-Jenifer family for over two centuries. The barn, constructed before 1860, was likely used to store hay and livestock. Two extensions were constructed, to the southwest and northeast, when farming operations were changed from grain to milk and dairy production. The outline of the original barn can still be seen in both the inside and outside walls.

Threat: Although the Long Island Farm and its out buildings are protected as a local landmark, there are concerns about the long-term stability of the structure.

Solution: Capital funds or grants needed to restore and secure this showcase barn.

Town of Marble Hill , starting at York and Shawan Roads.

Named for the marble quarries in the area and the demarcation of the beginning of Northern Baltimore County, Marble Hill, was the area around Shawan and York Roads where once the Western Run Turnpike joined the York Turnpike. There was a general store on the NW corner which is now a BP Gas Station. There was a Queen Anne-styled house on the SW Corner, which is now a BB&T bank. The NE and SE corners, which hosted stately houses are now office buildings and a retail shopping center. There is Hunt Valley Town Centre and a brand new Chick-Fil-A present now. But there remains a glimpse of what was there is the few remaining houses – all of which have been converted to commercial use except for one which remains residential. Five of the remaining properties are very much intact with much of the original materials, but an attempt to protect them by placing them on the County Landmarks List failed when Councilman McIntire refused to move them from the Preliminary List, where they were placed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, to the Final Landmarks List.

Threat: Since these buildings are not protected, the current owners will be allowed to either demolish them or sell them to other entities which could raze them and put up a new pharmacy or box store, removing the only remaining fabric of Marble Hill.

Solution: The owners, at this point, are the only ones who can nominated these properties to the Landmarks List to not only protect them, but to make them eligible for tax credits and grant money, until the three year waiting period for third party nominations runs out.

The Rosewood Center, Rosewood Lane, Owings Mills, Maryland.

The Rosewood Center was an institution for people with developmental disabilities. Established in 1888 as the Asylum and Training School for the Feeble Minded, this institution originally admitted only white children between seven and seventeen years of age. Children were taught skills that would supposedly make them self-supporting upon their release. The hospital was integrated in 1956 and African American patients at the mentally retarded unit of Crownsville State Hospital were transferred to Rosewood. After reaching a high in the late 1960s, the patient population sharply declined as medical professionals emphasized integrating the developmentally disabled into the community. The State of Maryland closed Rosewood in 2009, and the campus is now threatened by vandals and trespassers who claim the center is haunted.

Threat: There are eight stone buildings on the original campus which are boarded up. Stevenson University has been named as Master Development of the entire property, which has several different owners. While, for the most part, these buildings appear to be structurally sound, they are in a state of disrepair. Also, it is quite likely that there would need to be an asbestos and lead paint abatement that would add to the rehabilitation costs. That being said, these buildings were made for institutional use and have many more years left in them to serve another purpose, hopefully for the University.

Solution: Funds are needed to complete a study started on the feasibility of adaptive reuse. Stevenson University is willing to work with the preservation community to come up with a viable solution. In their current master plan, this area is shown as fields and an amphitheatre – with all buildings being razed.

Built in 1925 and named for Thomas Kelso its original benefactor, the Kelso Home for Girls was an orphanage and the first new building for this organization founded in 1872. Designed by Otto Eugene Adams who was a respected architect known for various important buildings in and around Baltimore There are indications, from his approach to his work and from quotations that he gave about his work that show interest in sustainable design, embodied energy in building assemblies, and overall efficiency much the way current designers are interested in green architecture.
This building, now belonging to the Towson YMCA, has been in continual use and still is today. It houses a preschool and is a portion of the remainder of the YMCA indoor facilities.
Threat: According to the development plan, this brick structure will be razed after a new, modern YMCA is constructed on other land near the current facility.
Solution: Certainly a candidate for adaptive reuse, since it is still being used today. To put this in a landfill or salvage would be unconscionable, especially in light of the architects original mindset. The BCHT has applied for the nomination of the Kelso Home to the Preliminary Landmarks List.