Main Street Maryland Frequently Asked Questions
This information was last updated on May 9, 2025.
Application and designation eligibility
You can check the Visit a Main Street page for a full list of designated Main Street Maryland communities.
The time that it takes to become a designated Main Street Maryland community varies depending on the community's readiness.
The application process to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) can take 6 months to a year.
Newly designated communities can take anywhere from 1 to 2 years to meet the National Main Street Center’s standards for accreditation.
For communities interested in applying to Main Street Maryland, we recommend spending time:
Assessing readiness
Immersing in the Main Street Approach
Gathering stakeholders including local government leaders
Visiting established Main Streets
Determining your goals for the program
After you’ve considered these, Main Street Maryland staff would like to hear from you.
An application for Designation may be completed and submitted by a local government (municipality or county) or nonprofit organization that has local government support. Maryland cities or towns meeting the following criteria are eligible for MSM designation:
A minimum population of 1,000 based on the most recent U.S. Census survey.
Must be a designated Sustainable Community approved by the State of Maryland.
Must have a defined central business district with a significant number of historic commercial buildings.
Boundaries of the proposed Main Street area must be within a Priority Funding Area as determined by the Maryland Department of Planning.
Demonstrate a commitment to employ a local Main Street Manager.
Demonstrate a commitment to support a local Main Street program budget.
Demonstrate a commitment to organize and maintain volunteer committees made up of public and private sector individuals .
To learn more about the NMSC, please visit their website at mainstreet.org. There you will learn more about their impact and find helpful information about their national conference.
Historic Preservation and design are essential components of the Main Street Maryland Program. Many older commercial districts throughout Maryland have suffered from a legacy of disinvestment. Maintaining a community’s rich historical and cultural character begins with keeping the buildings and structures that line its streets.
Quality of place remains a key factor in where people choose to live, and businesses choose to open their doors. Historic Preservation is a platform for positive rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects.
Yes, Main Street Maryland offers a variety of training opportunities to communities accepted in our program and varies based on which tier the community is in. Training varies from classroom style instruction to virtual meetings and recorded presentations. There are also a variety of topical resource documents/manuals available.
We encourage you to contact the local Main Street Program where you live, or the closest one to your home. Our Main Street Maryland Managers typically have different volunteer positions for staffing seasonal events or to support day to day practical office operations. We hope you will consider supporting your local program in this way.
If you are unable to make contact with your local Main Street Manager, you may always reach out to our Main Street Maryland staff.
The best way to find events that are happening in your community, or others, is by referencing the individual website of your Main Street Community or by following their social media.
Program resources, training, and community engagement
To learn more about the NMSC, please visit their website at mainstreet.org. There you will learn more about their impact and find helpful information about their national conference.
Historic Preservation and design are essential components of the Main Street Maryland Program. Many older commercial districts throughout Maryland have suffered from a legacy of disinvestment. Maintaining a community’s rich historical and cultural character begins with keeping the buildings and structures that line its streets.
Quality of place remains a key factor in where people choose to live, and businesses choose to open their doors. Historic Preservation is a platform for positive rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects.
Yes, Main Street Maryland offers a variety of training opportunities to communities accepted in our program and varies based on which tier the community is in. Training varies from classroom style instruction to virtual meetings and recorded presentations. There are also a variety of topical resource documents/manuals available.
We encourage you to contact the local Main Street Program where you live, or the closest one to your home. Our Main Street Maryland Managers typically have different volunteer positions for staffing seasonal events or to support day to day practical office operations. We hope you will consider supporting your local program in this way.
If you are unable to make contact with your local Main Street Manager, you may always reach out to our Main Street Maryland staff.
The best way to find events that are happening in your community, or others, is by referencing the individual website of your Main Street Community or by following their social media.