{"id":5401,"date":"2024-02-24T21:00:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-24T21:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/historictakoma.org\/?page_id=5401"},"modified":"2026-02-03T15:57:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T15:57:07","slug":"covenant","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/historictakoma.org\/?page_id=5401","title":{"rendered":"Takoma Park Covenants Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Takoma Park Covenants Project<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Historic Takoma’s Covenant project seeks to understand and address the history of racially restrictive covenants in the City of Takoma Park, Maryland. The project consists of three principal components: (1) Locating properties with racially restrictive covenants, (2) Assisting property owners with removing those covenants, and (3) Maintaining a register of properties that have had racially restrictive covenants removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Brief History of Racially Restrictive Covenants<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Racially restrictive covenants on property began appearing in the U.S. in the late 19th century. These covenants in deeds prohibited the sale, purchase, lease and other occupancy of property by African Americans. Similar covenants target various religious and ethnic groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racial covenants became widespread in the early to mid 20th century in reaction to the Great Migration of Southern Blacks and to a Supreme Court decision that ruled that racial zoning by municipalities was unconstitutional. Racial covenants became more common after the Court validated their use in 1926. In 1948 the Supreme Court that these were unconstitutional and unenforceable. However, they remain on property records until removed.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Redlining”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Racially restrictive covenants differ from “redlining” which was the “practice of denying people access to credit because of where they live, even if they are personally qualified for loans.”2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Redlining \u2014 both as a term and a practice \u2014 is often cited as originating with the Federal Home Owners\u2019 Loan Corporation (HOLC), a government agency created during the 1930s New Deal that aided homeowners who were in default on their mortgages and in foreclosure. HOLC created a system to assess the risk of lending money for mortgage loans within particular neighborhoods in 239 cities<\/a>. Color-coded maps were created and used to decide whether properties in that area were good candidates for loans and investment. The colors \u2014 from green to blue to yellow to red \u2014 indicated the lending risk level for properties. Areas outlined in red were regarded as \u201chazardous\u201d (that is, high risk) \u2014 hence, the term \u201credlining.\u201d<\/em>3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redlining was common in many areas, but no redlining maps in Washington DC or adjacent Maryland have been found.4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Learn More<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the history of racially restrictive covenants and redlining see the Bibliography and Resources<\/a> below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racially Restrictive Covenants in Takoma Park<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first known racially restrictive covenant in Takoma Park was applied to a property in the Hillcrest subdivision<\/a> in 1911. More followed in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s including in new subdivisions such as Glaizewood Manor and Hillwood Manor where covenants covered the entire subdivisions. In other subdivisions many, but not all, properties were sold with racially restrictive covenants. In general, properties in the early Takoma Park subdivisions that were mostly created in the 1880s and 1890s by B.F. Gilbert do not have racially restrictive covenants. However, some later owners did attach these covenants to some properties in those subdivisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Montgomery County Planning Office Mapping Segregation Project<\/a><\/em> has identified racially restrictive covenants throughout the downcounty area. These are shown on the project’s interactive map<\/a>. The map shows subdivisions where racially restrictive covenants were found. Note that (as described above) in some cases entire subdivisions are covered by a declaration or deed, but often only some properties within a subdivision have a covenant. The map does not show the individual covenants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historic Takoma has compiled a list of locations<\/a> (both subdivisions and individual properties) known to have racially restrictive covenants in Takoma Park. That list can be found here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Removing Racially Restrictive Covenants<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Although no longer enforceable, racially restrictive covenants remain attached to property deeds throughout Montgomery County. The State of Maryland provides a process for property owners to remove these covenants. The removal is recorded in the county\u2019s land records, just as a sale, mortgage, right-of-way agreement, and other actions are recorded. The process does not remove the original covenant from the land record, but records that the covenant no longer applies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process for removing covenants requires filing two forms with the Montgomery County Circuit Court at no cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n