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Nonprofit seeks state funding to buy Denton property for Frederick Douglass‑era visitor center
Summary
Terrence Bailey of the Bailey Groesier Family Foundation asked the commissioners to support a project to buy and renovate a historic house in Denton into an Anna Murray/Anna Marie Douglas visitor center; he said roughly $400,000 is pledged and staff advised him to coordinate permitting and health‑department review.
Terrence Bailey, representing the Bailey Groesier Family Foundation, addressed the board during the closing public comment period to introduce a proposed Anna Murray visitor center in Denton tied to Frederick Douglass history.
Bailey said the project has approximately $400,000 in commitments, including a $150,000 local match for property purchase and $250,000 from an African American preservation trust for renovations. He said the property at 24872 Meeting House Road has been under contract about 18 months and that the state Board of Public Works would consider the project the following day. "We're gonna gut the place out, take it back to, like, 1830 or whatnot, and it's gonna be a museum and visitor center for Frederick Douglass' wife," Bailey said.
Commissioners and staff advised Bailey to coordinate early with permitting and state agencies: the county lacks municipal water and sewer at that address, so the Maryland Department of the Environment and the local health department must be involved for well and septic issues. Staff also noted the Maryland rehabilitation code provides some flexibility when rehabbing older structures.
Bailey said the foundation is seeking a coordinator to navigate permitting and construction and that the project hopes to be part of a larger regional Frederick Douglass bicentennial effort in February.
The board welcomed the introduction and advised Bailey to return with project documentation, bid requirements and any formal requests for county assistance or approvals.
