La Plata, MD – The Charles County Commissioners added Stagg Hall in Port Tobacco and a cemetery dating back to the 18th century to a Historic Landmark designation Tuesday, April 21.
“Stagg Hall is integral with the history of Port Tobacco, an 18th century port town,” said Beth Groth, a planner for the Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management.
Groth said the new designation would allow property owners to apply for tax credits.
“Just a clarification,” Charles County Commissioners’ President Peter Murphy [D] interjected. “Stagg Hall, we own that, so the tax credit for that property would not apply.”
“That is correct,” Groth noted. “The tax credit is for privately owned property.”
She added that properties are submitted for the Planning Commission by the Historic Preservation Committee. Once the Planning Commission approves the plan it is forwarded to the commissioners for final approval or disapproval.
Once approved, a landmark plaque is placed on or near the structure to designate its landmark status.
Stagg Hall, located in the historic site at Port Tobacco, was built in 1766 for merchant John Barnes.
The Gibbons family cemetery is located on property now in the Turtle Creek subdivision located in the Hughesville-Bryantown area. Damaged headstones are scattered throughout the cemetery.
The old graveyard was once part of Wiltshire Plains, originally patented by Thomas Crabb in 1711 and later acquired by the Turner family. Margaret D. Gibbons was a Turner by birth and lived on the property with her husband Oswell and several children in the 18th century. The Gibbons family sold the property to Henry L. Mudd in 1856.
“How much land are we talking about here?” Murphy asked.
“We’ve created 10 or 12,000 square feet on a much larger piece of open space,” said Ken Lessner of Lorenzo, Dodson and Gunnell. “There are some covenants and restrictions.
“The beauty of this,” he said, “is that we kind of stumbled over this and working with the planning department came up with this preservation plan. We decided the best thing to do is to preserve it.”
“Will this be open to the public or strictly for preservation?” Commissioner Vice President Ken Robinson [D-District 1] asked.
“Open space created this easement,” Messner replied. “My belief is that shouldn’t happen. We don’t want public to come down and walk through the open space of the neighborhood. It’s not going to be advertised on a public road. Signage will be posted at the cemetery, not on the public road,” he said.
Robinson made the motion to place the properties in historic designation with Commissioner Bobby Rucci [D-District 4] seconding the motion, which passed unanimously.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com