Is this Gaithersburg house historic or not?

A highly-visible home at 309 N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, passed by tens of thousands of motorists each day, will be at the center of a controversy next month: Is it historic, or not? Right now, the City of Gaithersburg officially has said it is. But the property owner is asking the city's Historic District Commission, Planning Commission, and Mayor and Council to remove that designation.

While historic designation offers its own set of benefits to a property owner, most buildings are worth more if they are not designated historic. A property that can be more easily modified, renovated or even demolished is naturally worth more than one with many restrictions and the extra red tape of government approvals. This home sits on a prime piece of property on MD 355, which faces Forest Oak Cemetery.

A joint public hearing by all three city bodies on the request will be held at City Hall on September 3, 2019, at 7:30 PM. The home has been used as a business in recent decades, including as a hair salon.