Around Broadneck: Broadneck residents work to preserve farmland
Hometown Annapolis
The historic Radoff-Goshen house in Cape St. Claire sits on a hill on the Broadneck Peninsula, surrounded by a forest that has sprung up since the fields were last plowed.
Although hidden from view, the 22-acre property has numerous supporters who rallied to prevent the old farmhouse from being torn down several years ago. The farm was bought decades ago by the county's Board of Education for a middle school that never materialized.
The Goshen Farm Preservation Society Inc. has a Web site (www.goshenfarm.org), a Facebook page and last month held a successful Halloween fundraiser.
The society's goal, according to board member Karen Bailey, is to restore the house and farm, preserve open space and create a living museum illustrating 18th and 19th century farm life in Anne Arundel County. GFPS was awarded a $150,000 challenge grant for historic restoration and preservation through the Maryland General Assembly in April 2008.
Less than five miles away, another group of residents have geared up to save another old farmstead. Unlike the Radoff-Goshen house, the Spriggs Farm, consisting of 54.7 acres and over 650 feet of shoreline along the Magothy River, lies in clear view.
Daily, residents of the Ulmstead Estates and Bayberry-On-The-Magothy communities pass by the farm that borders their neighborhoods. The Stonington community lies along the property's third land border.
Ruth Elizabeth Garrett Spriggs, the owner of the farm, passed away in February 2008 at the age of 100. Facing estate tax liabilities, her heirs put the entire acreage on the market in August 2008. In a healthier economy, the property would have sold instantly to a developer. The land is currently zoned R2, allowing two homes per acre, save for the environmentally restricted areas of the property.
Although helicopters bearing prospective buyers have swooped over the land, the property has not sold. Yet.
On April 19, over 80 people gathered together for a discussion and planning session regarding Spriggs Farm. Several options were discussed and laid out in the new group's July newsletter available online.
A nonprofit 501c3 organization, Spriggs Farm Preservation Foundation Inc., has been established and it, too, has a Web site (www.SaveSpriggsFarm.org), a Facebook page and videos on youtube.com.
The foundation board consists of Jack Neil of Ulmstead, president; Dough Burkhardt of Ulmstead, vice president; Suzy Sundius of Ulmstead, secretary; Andrew McCue of Bayberry, treasurer; Gortan Lindsay of Stonington; Hugh Marbury of Ulmstead; and two non-residents, Mike Slattery and Chris Delaporte.
On Oct. 11, local musician Doug Segree, who grew up in Bayberry, headlined a benefit concert and oyster roast on the Bayberry community beach in support of the foundation. Residents from Stonington and Ulmstead were invited to attend what is traditionally a Bayberry community event.
During the concert, children painted colorful "Save Spriggs Farm" T-shirts and signs.
Last week, Jack Neil, founder of a political consulting firm, walked the Spriggs property. On a beautiful autumn afternoon an eagle and an owl flew overhead, while large crows scolded noisily. Jack stopped to examine a whetstone wheel that was rusting in its frame. On previous visits, he's seen herds of deer, coyotes, foxes, rabbits and water fowl.
Jack stepped between the old sagging farmhouse, built in 1875, and some outbuildings. Drinking in the clear view of the sparkling Magothy River several hundred yards away, he said: "Let's see what we can do to preserve this open space. It's our chance to save the last farm in this area."
He said the Spriggs farmland is smaller than it once was: previous owners sold off parcels that were developed as the Ulmstead and Bayberry communities. The farm has a deep gully running through it that funnels rain runoff from Ulmstead and Stonington into the Magothy. There is a small, picturesque tidal pond and wetlands on the property.
"We are very blessed to have residents willing to pull together on this preservation effort," he said. "We're doing this for future generations."
Eight years ago, Bay Ridge residents purchased 100 acres for sale within their community and formed the Bay Land Trust to preserve the land. Each property in Bay Ridge is assessed $250 annually through a special Community Benefit District Tax that pays down the mortgage. That move is one of the options the foundation is researching.
Jack noted representatives from national and local land trusts have walked the property with foundation board members.
"The preservation of this open space will help with the water quality of the Magothy River," he said. "People chose to live in Bayberry, Ulmstead and Stonington for their amenities. If the amenities are impacted, our property values would be affected. Our backyard is the Magothy River's front yard. The challenging economy is not going to keep us from trying to preserve this space."
