Wednesday · January 14, 2026

Washington County Receives DHS Historic-Preservation Letter Proposing a 'No Historic Properties Affected' Finding for the Williamsport ICE Warehouse Before the Deed

reported Not yet re-checked Importance 8/10 ~2 min read 5 sources 2 actors

Correction (2026-10-26)

The earlier title and text of this entry (a same-day open-and-close of the review) are withdrawn; see the corrections record in the frontmatter. The DHS letter (Exhibit A to the State of Maryland’s complaint) is dated January 12, 2026, has the subject line “Initiation of Consultation and Finding of No Historic Properties Affected”, and asks for comments “within 30 calendar days of the date of receipt of this letter”. The Maryland Historical Trust concurred on January 29 and asked DHS for more information on February 10, 2026 (see 2026-02-10–maryland-historical-trust-asks-dhs-for-more-information-wright-road-relocation). The filename keeps “same-day-review” so existing links resolve; the framing is withdrawn. The primary-source entry is 2026-01-12–dhs-ice-section-106-letter-to-maryland-historical-trust-williamsport.

Opening paragraph

On January 14, 2026, a letter addressed to the Historic District Commission, Washington County Planning and Zoning Department was received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, per the county. It concerned an undertaking subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The DHS letter to the Maryland Historical Trust is dated January 12, 2026 and proposes a finding of no historic properties affected. The State’s complaint alleges that on January 16, 2026 ICE executed the deed to the Williamsport warehouse, without awaiting any response from the Trust (see 2026-01-16–dhs-purchases-fundrise-williamsport-md-warehouse).

What Happened / Key Facts

Date kinds: letter dated January 12; received (county) January 14; deed executed January 16 and recorded January 22, 2026 (both per the State’s complaint); Trust concurrence January 29.

The letter’s 30-day comment period runs from receipt, so it extended past the deed. The Trust’s February 10, 2026 letter says it would be able to provide “informed and updated findings regarding the complete project’s effects on historic properties” once DHS supplied more information. The complaint says, “Upon information and belief, DHS has not responded to the Maryland Historical Trust’s request for more information.”

Why This Event Matters

The checkable point is sequence: consultation initiated and a no-effect finding proposed January 12, deed executed January 16, Trust concurrence January 29, after the deed.

Research Gaps

  • The farmhouse and Taylor Farm details in earlier versions came from secondary reporting and were not re-read against the letter; see the corrections record.
  • No resident filing of the kind earlier versions described has been read.

Sources & Citations

[1] WASHINGTON COUNTY STATEMENT ON U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NOTICE CONCERNING PROPOSED ICE FACILITY — Washington County, MD (county government) · Jan 28, 2026 Tier 1
[2] Exhibit A to Complaint, State of Maryland v. Noem, No. 1:26-cv-00733 (D. Md.), Doc. 1-2: DHS letter of January 12, 2026 (RECAP copy) — U.S. District Court, D. Md. · Feb 23, 2026 Tier 1
[3] Exhibit C to Complaint, Doc. 1-4: Maryland Historical Trust letter of February 10, 2026 (RECAP copy) — U.S. District Court, D. Md. · Feb 23, 2026 Tier 1
[4] How a Maryland Farm Became a Federal Detention Warehouse — Project Salt Box (Michael Wriston) · Mar 11, 2026 Tier 2
[5] Maryland Sues to Stop ICE Detention Center, Escalating Fight Over Secretive Federal Purchase — Project Salt Box (Michael Wriston) · Feb 23, 2026 Tier 2
Tiers Tier 1 court records & gov docs · Tier 2 established outlets · Tier 3 regional & specialty press · Tier 4 opinion or single-source. Methodology →
Cite this entry
The Cascade Ledger. “Washington County Receives DHS Historic-Preservation Letter Proposing a 'No Historic Properties Affected' Finding for the Williamsport ICE Warehouse Before the Deed.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, January 14, 2026. https://capturecascade.org/event/2026-01-14--dhs-williamsport-section-106-same-day-review/