Endangered Maryland 2009

1. BRUMBAUGH-KENDLE-GROVE FARMSTEAD An historic farmstead within a few hundred feet of a runway at Hagerstown Regional Airport is rankling the ire of both preservationists who want to maintain the site and county officials struggling with what they consider a security risk that also impedes future airport development. (Since the farm is contiguous to the runway, it was purchased by the Washington County Commissioners with a Federal Aviation Administration grant in 1999.) The Washington County Historical Trust wants to save the rural, western Maryland farmstead with its decorative brick Swisser barn and large 19th-century Victorian brick home surrounded by tall corn. The site is connected to early settlement and the history of agriculture in the county. While repairs are needed, Historic District Commission (HDC) members deemed the structures “remarkably sound and decidedly salvageable.” They recently requested funds from the county to stabilize the once elegant structures, which have fallen into disrepair because of neglect. However, the airport staff and FAA have submitted a demolition request. Preservationists have pointed out that, as a federal agency, the FAA is required to complete specific obligations mandated by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The groups currently stand at an impasse. “It seems inconceivable that this National Register-eligible farmstead is quietly decaying from demolition by neglect at the hands of a county government, while the airport staff and FAA continue to disregard federal law,” says Sandra Izer of the Washington County HDC, who nominated the property. Washington County Administrator Greg Murray did not return calls for comment.

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10 New Sites Worth Saving Endangered Maryland 2009 Meet the Endangered Maryland Selection Committee 1. Brumbaugh-Kendle-Grove Farmstead 2. Falkland Apartments 3. Friendship Hall Linwood Village 4. Handsell 5. High Winds Gun Club 7. The Mechanic Theatre 8. Mount Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church 9. St. Patrick's Catholic Church 10. Upton Mansion Historical Community Awards Endangered Maryland 2008 Update

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