The winter storm that struck Rockville this weekend dumped an enormous amount snow on the City. It was one of the largest snowfalls in Maryland history, and unfortunately the massive amount of snow damaged one of Rockville’s historic buildings: the 1891 Red Brick Courthouse. On Monday morning, Montgomery County notified us of a structural failure on the east wall of the building. There was damage to the roof and sandstone cap, and several courses of brick fell to the walkway below.

The County is working diligently to address the issue. The building has been assessed and determined to be structurally sound. Crews will seal and shore up the damage, and cover the roof to prevent water infiltration.  Fortunately, no harm came to Peerless Rockville’s collections or offices. Peerless Rockville is confident that the Montgomery County Department of General Services is moving quickly to stabilize and repair the damage. We are hopeful that this incident will encourage the County to fully assess the condition of the Red Brick Courthouse’s slate roof, decorative and structural architectural elements, deterioration of the Seneca Sandstone on the structure’s primary façade, and take appropriate steps to preserve this Rockville landmark.