Weems-Botts House

The nonprofit that operates the Weems–Botts Museum and Merchant Park told the Dumfries Town Council it hopes to keep its $1-a-year lease intact through 2038, stressing that the agreement has allowed local volunteers to preserve one of Virginia’s most historic homes for five decades.

The future of one of Virginia’s oldest buildings — and a cornerstone of Dumfries’ 275-year history — is at the center of a growing dispute between the Town of Dumfries and the nonprofit that has operated it for more than half a century.