By JIM LAWRENCE
FALMOUTH, Va. — The former house of a local businessman and philanthropist could fall prey to the wrecking ball in the near future.
Duff McDuff Green left the remainder of his property in Falmouth to Stafford County upon his death in 2009. Along with the land were the structures that stood on that property.
One of those is the house, a two story brick building built in the early 1900s, according to records found in the county planning office.
Green bought the property in 1943 and lived here until his death.
The land around the house now a memorial county park, the future of the house has been discussed at Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. The cost of refurbishing the house is at the heart of the issue.
In a March meeting of the commission, Stafford County Parks and Recreation Administrator Christopher Hoppe stated that the cost of renovating the house into a residence is estimated at $500,000. To renovate it into office space would be $750,000-$1 million.
According to historical commissioner Richard Chichester, the county does not have the money needed to renovate the structure.
Chichester would like to see the house preserved and calls it “a historical example of a house that was built at that time.”
“I would not be in favor of knocking it down,” he said.
He and a group of others toured the house recently in considering the house’s fate.
It is possible that erecting a new structure would be a more cost effective measure.
Though the area is considered historic by the county, it is not on the National Register of Historic Places and is not protected.
History of ownership of the land is complicated. According to Al Connor, a member of the county historical society, the land belonged to John Newton in the late 17th century. The land was in their possession of quite some time.
According to records at Planning and Zoning, about 400 acres of the land was bequeathed to Mary Ball, George Washington’s mother, by her father, Joseph Ball, upon his death in 1711.
According to Planning and Zoning records, the mansion house on the property was bequeathed to Isaac Newton in 1789.
The present building was built upon the original foundation, according to records found at Planning and Zoning.
Green donated about 60 acres to the county in 1994 that is now Duff McDuff Green Memorial Park. He donated 14.5acres of riverfront land to the University of Mary Washington for the use of the school’s crew team.
He left the farm to Stafford County with the understanding that is be used for recreation.
The historical commission makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. They have no authority in determining the building’s fate.
According to Hoppe, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors is discussing park bond projects and may be discussing the property at their June 19 meeting.
