Architects are finding surprises as masonry experts deconstruct 184-year-old buildings in Ellicott City brick by brick.After the devastating floods in 2016 and 2018, and years of problem-solving, 2024 is set to be the year of progress in Ellicott City. Masonry experts, who were called in to preserve the architecture, are deconstructing four historic buildings that sit at the bottom of lower Main Street, and 11 News got an exclusive look inside.What has been done since? The Quaker Mill Pond opens and the H7 retention pond was completed.It's all part of an effort to open up the stream as part of Howard County's Safe and Sound plan, which calls for five retention ponds and two water conveyance systems to divert water away from Main Street."This will help us alleviate a constriction over the stream channel, which has caused water to back up upstream, as well as the culver project. Once it's in, that will give us significantly more capacity to get that water out from down here on Lower Main," said architect Zach Hollenbeck, the deputy chief of the Bureau of Facilities at the Howard County Department of Public Works.The deconstruction work will lead to a widening of the channel directly under where the buildings stood. Then, the county will break ground on a tunnel that will move tens of thousands of gallons of water from the west end to the Patapsco River.The county executive provided an update on the plan to prevent another disaster as Historic Ellicott City is about to mark six years since the last flood."After the 2011, 2016 and 2018 floods, we knew that we needed to have a comprehensive, long-term approach," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said.Video below: Ellicott City flood mitigation progresses 5 years later (Story)The masonry experts are preserving everything from the granite to the ironwork from the historic structures."We have our teams working to preserve as much of the four buildings -- especially the architecture and some of the historic nature -- as possible," Ball said.The demolition has uncovered pre-Civil War-era artifacts that include a limestone façade of what was a funeral home, century-old oak and poplar wood and an intricate iron balcony. All of it is being torn down in the name of safety."When we took apart the façade, we found these cast iron columns that were embedded in the wall," Hollenbeck said. "It's challenging. So, the huge stones have to essentially be lowered down three or more stories -- one stone at a time -- and then lowered into a container and then taken up a street where we're saving them." Video below: 'It was a torrent:' Ellicott City still recovering from floodsHollenbeck said the columns haven't seen the light of day in decades."It is very bittersweet. We can't recreate history, but by salvaging these elements and using them in other areas throughout the town, we're able to tell the story of what was here, even though it can't remain here given what we've seen," Hollenbeck said.Officials anticipate crews will finish demolition in the spring, after which, the area will be turned into an outdoor space. Also, six nearby storefronts that were originally set to also be torn down will instead be renovated and returned to use."The businesses here have withstood just hell and back over the last few years, and they need the support," Hollenbeck said.