BROOKEVILLE SCHOOLHOUSE HISTORIC RESTORATION PROJECT Winner of the 2004 Montgomery County Award for Historic Preservation. Miche Booz, AIA, a town resident also won as architect for the Schoolhouse restoration in addition to winning Outstanding Architect for 2004
Background. The Brookeville Schoolhouse is a one-room wood frame school that dates back to the 1860's and is an example of one of the few remaining schools from that era of the Montgomery County public school system. The Brookeville School was in continuous use until the early 1920's. The building was eventually converted into a residence but was later abandoned and over the ensuing years significantly deteriorated. The Town Commissioners, seeking to arrest further decay of the building with the objective of eventual restoration, began negotiating with counsel representing the estate of Dr. Howell J. Howard, Jr. concerning acquisition.		Click for photos of the restoration project.

The property was deeded over to the Town in 1997 by Juanita G. Gardner and Shirley H. Rice (co-administrators of the Howard estate) to honor Dr. Howard's wish that the building be restored by the Town in memory of his parents, Howell J. Howard, Sr. and Consuelo Howard and their dedication to the improvement, education, and well-being of African-American children in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C.

Initial Planning and Early Milestones. Following the acquisition of the school building, the Town Commissioners applied for a grant from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission for funds to develop a plan for restoration and to do line drawings of the structure. Awarded a small grant in late 1997, local architect Miche Booz was asked to do the preliminary work on the project. That work was completed but progress on the project ceased for several years. In the interim, the Town had a tarp placed over the roof to protect against water damage and several donations were received pledged toward restoration work. In 2001, a small Save the Brookeville Schoolhouse Committee (SBSC) was formed that includes Miche Booz, Suzanne Friis and Richard Allan. They are to manage the project and ultimately develop recommendations for how the restored schoolhouse will be used. The Town Commissioners also hired A.E.S. Associates of Olney to conduct a boundary survey and plat of the schoolhouse property. The SBSC organized and held a very successful and energetic "volunteer day" in November 2001 to clean out the interior of the building, do site clearing, excavate around the foundation, and meet other volunteers. Volunteers came from not only within town but also from all over the greater Olney, Sandy Spring, Brookeville area.

Restoration Moves Forward. The Town Commissioners used Miche Booz's plans, drawings, and preliminary structural observations as a basis for a grant application to the Maryland Project Open Space Program for $17,000. The Town received approval from The State's Office of Public Works in 2003. At the same time the Town has budgeted a total of $27,000 in capital funds toward the project in last year's and the 2003-2004 budget. Phase 1 of the project is expected to amount to an estimated $50,000 and to be completed by Summer 2003. Town and County building permits have been issued and restoration/construction has begun.