WHITEHAVEN HOTEL PROTECTION ALTERNATIVES
NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION---DRAFT FOR REVIEW
Prepared for Tom Lilly, Calvin Peacock and Jim Moore
by J. Glenn Eugster, Chesapeake Bay Program Office,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Annapolis, MD 21403
February 14, 1994
Introduction:
In the Fall of 1993 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program Office (EPA) was asked to provide technical assistance to the Whitehaven Heritage Association (WHA) to help identify alternative ways to protect, restore, conserve and maintain the assets of the community of Whitehaven, MD including the United Methodist Church and the Schoolhouse. EPA staff provide limited technical assistance to State and local governments and private groups in the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and it's watershed.
After several initial discussions, staff from EPA agreed to assist the Association with the design of a survey/ attitude assessment to seek ideas and concerns from the residents about the future of Whitehaven. In addition, staff agreed to help facilitate a discussion session at the January 22, 1994 Annual Association meeting.
During this period the WHA sought advise about historic preservation alternatives for the preservation and adaptive reuse of the Whitehaven Hotel, located adjacent to the Whitehaven Ferry on the Wicomico River. The Hotel, determined to be of state and local significance by the Maryland Historical Trust, is significant in the area of commerce because of its role in the Village of Whitehaven as a store in the 1870's and 18880's. The Hotel is also important because of its use as a hotel by traveling salesmen, or drummers, who frequented rural villages of the Eastern Shore in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
The Hotel is reportedly Whitehaven's oldest and most historic building and contributes significantly to the community's appearance and sense of place. Despite the considerable efforts of the three owners to restore and adaptively reuse the building and the property, the owners haver expressed concern that it has become difficult to continue to try to preserve the Hotel and/ or find a potential buyer.
Discussions with the owners revealed that a variety of alternatives are being considered for the Hotel including the demolition of the structure and use of the site for another building. In response to this situation EPA agreed to help the owners identify sources of public and private assistance for the possible acquisition, and/ or restoration and adaptive re-use of the hotel. The alternatives, and accompanying recommended strategy, were identified through research and from interviews with resource experts in historic preservation, private foundations, limited development strategies, transportation and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Summary and Conclusions:
The Whitehaven Hotel is a historically significant building of importance to the current owners, the community of Whitehaven, the Lower Eastern Shore, and the State of Maryland and is worthy of preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse. The owners of the Hotel have gone to considerable effort and expense to try to preserve and restore the structure but have not been
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successful to date. For a variety of reasons the owners of the building and property disagree on a single strategy for the future ownership/ restoration and use of the Hotel.
The Whitehaven Heritage Association is interested in protecting/ maintaining the assets, quality of life and sense of place of the community for current and future generations.
Considerable additional interest exists from the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Preservation Maryland, Maryland's Division of Historical and Cultural Programs and others including, private foundations, land trusts. This interest could include funds for acquisition and restoration of the property and technical advise on funding, marketing and historic restoration.
Most of the assistance which is available is on a matching basis and the community of Whitehaven is not likely to be able to raise a substantial amount of funds quickly for this purpose. Despite the lack of financial support from the community, it appears that it may be possible to raise private funds from outside sources because of the importance of the Hotel and Whitehaven.
The owners of the Hotel have agreed to hold a working meeting to identify, discuss and attempt to conceptually agree on a strategy to protect, acquire, restore and adaptively reuse the Whitehaven Hotel. The proposed meeting would include those owners willing to actively assist with this strategy, their legal advisors, a representative of the Whitehaven Heritage Association, representatives from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Maryland Division of Historical and Cultural Programs, Preservation Maryland, select private foundations and a regional land trust.
The proposed meeting could be held at the Ward Museum, or other agreeable location, and will be facilitated by EPA or another appropriate party. The results of the meeting will be briefly summarized in writing and shared with all appropriate interests. Next steps, if appropriate, will be determined and agreed upon by all parties. The meeting agenda shall include:
* A characterization of the historic, cultural, visual and community values of the Hotel.
* A brief description of the interests of the current owners.
* Significant ownership and community concerns.
* Identification and discussion of possible financial and technical public and private assistance.
* Next steps including tasks, products, time schedules and responsibilities.
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Possible Sources of Public and Private Assistance and Agency/ Organization Contacts:
Mark Edwards and Michael Day, Maryland Division of Historical and Cultural Programs/ Maryland Historical Trust. 410-514-7606
* Residential property with historic preservation assistance
--Acquisition grants
--Advise on advertising the property in preservation newsletters
* MD Historic Trust grants
--Emergency funding available; $40,000 cap/ matching basis
--An emergency proposal would get priority attention
Patrick Houck, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. 215-438-2886
* Definitely interested in purchase
--National Preservation Loan Fund for acquisition and rehabilitation for areas at risk;
5 year loan, 5-6% interest with a balloon payment at the end.
--Has to be a non-profit
Cindy Stone, Preservation Maryland. 410-685-2886
* Revolving loan fund $40,000 for non-profits
--Put together a package. Use the revolving loan as an incentive
* Market this preservation opportunity at the National level
* Check Maryland Humanities Council; Living Classrooms Foundation
Ted Deacon, Whitehaven Heritage Association. 410-873-3129
* Committed the community to raise $20,000 by July 1 for schoolhouse repairs
* Concerned about increasing tourism (see record from the Annual Association meeting)
Lucy Galoskiss, Maryland Highway Administration. 410-333-1145
* State Transportation Trust Fund a possibility. Could participate in the purchase of an easement. Hotel project must be tied to a transportation/ highway improvement project.
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Michelle Harvey, Management Institute on Business and the Environment. 202-833-6556
* Approach paper/ timber management companies for funds or materials
* Private corporations could be interested
Emily Meyers, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. 410-742-9911
* Initial conversation not encouraging. The proposal may not get attention because it "would impact a small amount of people".
Dee Floyd, Henson Foundation. 410-742-7057
* Positive response and encouraged a request for assistance. Need to submit a request for next Board of Trustees meeting.
Lewis Carman, Wicomico County Tourism. 410-548-4914
* This is area which is important but not a priority for the County. Financial pressures limit assistance.
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Recommendations:
1. MARKET THE PROPERTY NATIONALLY AS A RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OPPORTUNITY WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
--Market/ advertise the property Nationally through preservation news/ organizations
--Put together a package of assistance, funding and technical, to attract a buyer
--Raise the local share by a visible fund raising effort (ie. a workshop to discuss the effort and secure commitments).
1A. VARY THE ABOVE STRATEGY TO INCLUDE SOME TYPE OF LIMITED PUBLIC OR COMMUNITY USE
--Add to residential option a community service (eg. museum, shop, office space) to qualify the area for public assistance.
--Community acceptance of this option is essential prior to initiating the idea or action.
2. CONSIDER MODIFYING THE PROPOSED COUNTY HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION DECISION PROCESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE OWNERS, THE COMMUNITY AND POTENTIAL ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS
--The decision to designate Whitehaven as a County Historic District has created an atmosphere of tension and made cooperation increasingly more difficult. The decision could be delayed to provide a specific amount of time for the interested Hotel parties
to attempt to meet economic, community and historic preservation goals.
3. INVOLVE THE WHITEHAVEN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION/ COMMUNITY IN FUTURE DISCUSSIONS
--Local support for the future use of the Hotel is important and could be helpful in designing strategies and raising funds.
4. PUBLICIZE THE HISTORIC/ COMMUNITY PRESERVATION EFFORT TO SECURE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SUPPORT
--The efforts of the owners, community and the Whitehaven Heritage Association are impressive and the Hotel and the area is significant. The work and the goal of these efforts could attract attention and broader public and financial support. Consideration should be given to discussing this situation with a news reporter who is sensitive to Chesapeake Bay issues (ie. Tom Horton). Cooperation between the owners, the community and outside public and private service agencies and organizations can preserve the Hotel for future generations.
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5. THE KEY TO ACHIEVING ECONOMIC, COMMUNITY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION GOALS IS TO ASSEMBLE A PACKAGE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/ SERVICES THAT COULD BE USED TO FIND A BUYER FOR THE ACQUISITION, RESTORATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE HOTEL
--A meeting should be scheduled at the earliest possible opportunity to assemble the assistance/ service agreements and to detail a specific strategy for cooperation and action.
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