Open House on March 28th
INDIAN HEAD, Md. - Thursday, March 19, 2009 - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is making the historic Charles County property known as the Doncaster House available for restoration under the Resident Curatorship Program. An open house for those interested in the project is being held on Saturday, March 28, 2008, from 1-3 pm.
“The Resident-Curatorship Program is a great example of public and private partnerships,” said Bruce Alexander, Manager of Curatorships and Cultural Resources at DNR. “Curators benefit by restoring and living in a historic house on State park land, and the State benefits by preserving an important part of Maryland’s history”.
In exchange for a one dollar annual lifetime lease, curators - either individuals or organizations - agree to restore and maintain a house according to historic preservation standards and at no cost to the State. The program has helped preserve more than 40 historic buildings on State park land over the past 26 years.
Located in Doncaster State Forest in Charles County, the Doncaster House was probably built in the early part of the 20th century, possibly as an office for a logging company. The small one-bedroom house is located on the protected lands of a state forest. The house is in need of significant updating. The curatorship grounds are limited to the area in the immediate vicinity of the house.
The Resident-Curatorship Program requires curatorship proposals to represent $175,000 worth of improvements to the property, which must be completed within seven years. Certain properties may require a significantly greater investment. The curatorship is subject to regular inspection by state officials and resident-curators must open the property to the public three to five times each year.
The open house will take place at 7545 State Forest Road, Indian Head, Charles County. For more information on program policies and bid proposal guidelines, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/land/rcs or contact Bruce Alexander at 410-260-8457.