Jerusalem Mill Village volunteers fight state DNR over lease threatening historic preservation

GUNPOWDER FALLS STATE PARK, Md. — At the heart of a Quaker village founded in 1772, Jerusalem Mill churned out flour for George Washington's army and supplied both sides during the Civil War. Thanks to the work of volunteers, it is preserved unlike any other.

"We have determined that this is the oldest, most intact mill village in the entire country," said Rich Albright, the curator and vice president of the Friends of Jerusalem Mill Village.

Now, a battle with the state's Department of Natural Resources over its current 20-year lease with the Friends of Jerusalem Mill Village threatens to upend decades of work.

At issue is the non-profit's ability to sub-lease two properties to volunteers who pay $21,000 in annual rent but also provide enhanced security and raise money for preservation.

"The $21,000 only represents the rent revenue, itself," Albright said. "In addition to the rent, the building that we're sitting in, which is the Jerusalem Mansion, is also used for events."

Those events brought in $130,000 over the last four years.

Resident Museum Director Rebecca Weber organized those events while calling the museum home until she recently moved out, facing threats of eviction by the state.

"Is it a money grab? And I think they're trying every angle that they can to figure out how to get us out of the way," Weber said.

The DNR claims it has adopted a new statewide policy to establish strict oversight of its public lands, but volunteers question its ability to do so effectively.

"There is one house in this village that was leased directly by the DNR to a private individual, and that's the only building in this village that had a legal issue as that resident had been arrested for child pornography," Albright said.

Volunteers are inviting the community to weigh in on the state's actions at a town hall scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Mountain Christian Church. They claim the dispute could ultimately erase decades of work to save Jerusalem Mill Village for generations to come.