Maryland Historical Trust: Tearing down 1930s Wheaton Park house causes 'adverse effect'

A state historical agency is raising concern about the city's plan to tear down a house in Wheaton Park as part of a plan to upgrade the landmark off Jonathan Street.

But a city official said the development is not unusual, and added it's the result of reviews necessary when using federal Community Development Block Grant funding.

Hagerstown officials have said that Wheaton Park is due for an upgrade, and the Hagerstown City Council in November agreed to proceed with a plan to invest up to $1 million in the park that includes installing a misting pad for kids and new play equipment.

The work also calls for demolishing a two-story, concrete block house that was built about 1931 and is described as a caretaker's house.

The group raising concern about demolition of the house is the Maryland Historical Trust, a group that is part of the Maryland Department of Planning and works to protect state history.

The agency goes into detail about the project in a Jan. 4 letter to Lauren Metz, planning and outreach coordinator for the city's Department of Community and Economic Development.

Metz consulted with the Maryland Historical Trust on the park plan, the letter said.

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Elizabeth Hughes, state historic preservation officer and director of the trust, said in the letter that the park is in the Hagerstown Historic District. The district is historically and architecturally significant because it was a center of transportation, manufacturing and agriculture in Western Maryland from 1870 to 1941, Hughes said.

The caretaker's house is a contributing resource to the district and tearing it down for a new parking area will have an "adverse effect," Hughes wrote.

Hughes is recommending the city re-examine the project and develop alternatives that would retain the house. She also suggests the city reach out to groups like Preservation Maryland, the Hagerstown Historic Preservation Commission or the Washington County Historical Trust for input.

City Engineer Rodney Tissue said in a phone interview that two public meetings were held in August and October to gather input from residents in the neighborhood about how they would like to see the park improved. Most people were not interested in putting more money into the house and instead wanted to see more attractions for kids, Tissue said.

City officials said previously that the house — which is now boarded up — is in poor condition. Among other problems, the copper pipes have been stolen from the building.

Jonathan Kerns, the city's community development manager, said in the same interview that consulting with the Maryland Historical Trust is a common review step when using Community Development Block Grant funding like the city is planning in the project.

Kerns said an "adverse effect" finding is common and doesn't mean the city can't proceed with demolition of the house.

Kerns said the other historical organizations Hughes is recommending the city reach out to for input might not respond.

If it is determined the house needs to be demolished, the city and the Maryland Historical Trust could enter into an agreement revolving around the history of the house, Kerns said. For example, there could be an agreement that interpretive signs are placed in the park explaining the history of the house to visitors. Or maybe maybe the agreement could stipulate that parts of the house are salvaged for another use, Kerns said.

The park upgrades, which will also include a new plaza that will act as a welcoming area at the entrance of the park, will probably begin in the summer, Tissue said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Maryland Historical Trust raises issue over Wheaton Park project