After more than 10 years of a bumpy, disjointed process, the point is nearing when a decision to convert and renovate the historic Chestertown Armory into a hotel and conference center ought to be made. The time has arrived to overcome opposition and move forward.
The destructive mold infestation is real. Even if removed, it could easily reappear in a structure built on a flood plain facing Chester River. Without demolition of the newer part of the iconic armory, no hotel developer and investors would be willing to assume the risk of building where mold was prevalent.
My support of a hotel, which would include the historic front portion, comes with some sadness. During my career in the Maryland National Guard, I knew that this armory served as a staging area during World War II for citizen-soldiers from Kent and Queen Anne’s counties deployed eventually to Europe and the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
I worked with the late Lt. Gen. (MD) James F. Fretterd, the former adjutant general of Maryland, to obtain state funds to renovate the armory. Despite our efforts, I believe that developers Jay Shah and Keith Coe, representing Hersha Hospitality Trust, supported by the president of Washington College (WC)—which owns the building– Mike Sosulski, intend to build a hotel/conference center that would benefit WC and its visitors, as well as Chestertown residents and tourists.
I am convinced that the developers will respect the armory’s history by paying homage to those who served in the Guard and the 29th Infantry Division (Blue and Gray). In last week’s Spy interviews with Sosulski, Shah and Coe, the latter clearly said that the interior design of the hotel would display relics of the Guard’s illustrious past.
An open letter to the Chestertown Historic District CHC) by Philip Hoon, a local attorney, calls for a decision based “on the rule of law, not of popular opinion or institutional convenience.” Demolition issues in historic districts often attract emotional resistance.
Residents fear change despite obvious benefit to the college and its public outreach—and to the town devoid of a first-class hotel. Its owner would be sensitive to the role played by its National Guard occupants during the war against Nazi Germany. Like armories throughout Maryland, the Chestertown Armory served as a community center. A new hotel could serve the same purpose.
Names like Sergeant First Class John H. Newnam and 1st Sergeant Edward Ringgold Elburn deserve continued respect and remembrance, as they adorn the names, respectively, of the armory and drill floor.
The former Guard armories in Centreville, Denton and Cambridge epitomize repurposing at its creative best. Now the home of Wye River Upper School, the Centreville armory retained the infrastructure while employing thoughtful architecture to embody a school. The redo is impressive.
The Denton armory also converted its interior (except the drill floor ideal for athletics) into space for the Caroline County Department of Recreation. The renovation enabled the armory to remain part of the community. True also of the Centreville structure.
The Cambridge Armory is the site now of the Dorchester District Court.
The nexus between preservation and redevelopment is an imperfect one. It requires compromise. When the good outweighs the bad, then it makes sense. That is true here.
A fixation in this case on the pervasive mold and its possible remediation ignores the uncertain, if not improbable outcome. The risk is too great for any responsible developer and investors.
And Hersha is determined to preserve the armory’s history. Should the opponents succeed in blocking the project, Chestertown will be the loser. A first-class hotel will exist only as an illusory vision.
The Nike slogan comes to mind. “Just Do It.”
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. After 44 years in Easton, Howard and his wife, Liz, moved in November 2020 to Annapolis, where they live with Toby, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel who has no regal bearing, just a mellow, enticing disposition.
Michael Brunner says
“ The destructive mold infestation is real. Even if removed, it could easily reappear in a structure built on a flood plain facing the Chester River”. Is a first class hotel exempt? Will it not be built on a flood plain facing the Chester River? Non- residents should keep their opinions to themselves.
Michael Bitting says
If non residents shouldn’t have an option then most certainly the same should be true for people who don’t understand current FEMA floodplain regulations.
Howard Freedlander says
Even someone who lived 44 years on the Shore, spent time in Chestertown and knows the Newnam Armory? Thank you for your astute observation.
Michael Bitting says
Just making sure my comment was taken sarcastically. Great article Howard.
Jane E. Hukill says
Thanks for a rational end to this long debate. We do need to move on and the college will provide a thoughtful leadership for this badly needed center.
Paula B. Reeder says
Well said – the time to “just do it” is now! Chestertown and Kent County desperately need the outdated, deteriorating, mold infested armory building to be replaced with a first class riverfront hotel for the immediate and long term benefit of the Town, the College and our community at large. Enough said.
David Rinehart says
KLS Partners bought the Hersha group back In August. Outa the frying pan into the fire.
Richard Keaveney says
This project was never going to be a Hersha Hospitality project but a private project by several people, some who live here in Kent/QA County, and are/were associated with Hersha. Oh Little Town of Chestertown would NEVER meet performance benchmarks of a public hospitality group. Our investors want to preserve and enhance our little town in a respectful, professional manner
Nancy McGuire says
Mr.Freedlander,
Please help me understand how you are ” . . . convinced that the developers will respect the armory’s history . . .?
I have viewed the videos of interviews on the Spy several times. We are all quite familiar with the buzz words used to justify the proposed demolishing of the Armory. However, and as I remember, (having served on the HDC at the time of the transfer and having crawled all through the building with the National Guard representative) the HDC guidelines clearly state that approval is not given to demolish a building until plans for the replacement are presented and approved. It would seem that the “developer” would have researched his costs. Therefore, there must be plans somewhere. In fact, the college proposed an adaptive re-use years ago. Maybe those plans could be found.
The College has an incredible opportunity to be a hero in all of this. Our residents deserve the respect of knowing the full picture. Please help us understand how you are “convinced”.
Richard Keaveney says
My friend Nancy … I know with certainty that the “developers”, several of whom now make Chestertown their home or home away from home, are 1000% committed – as is college leadership – to honor the Armory history. In fact, our various brainstorming sessions over fine Chestertown lunches and dinners over the last couple of years, left me truly inspired and appreciative of its history. It also confirmed, for me, the personal character of the parties involved.
Perhaps the real heroes we need are the VERY SMALL group of citizens who are not trusting the process and parties trying to insure the vitality of our community for decades to come.
Steven Mitchell says
Maybe because I am an engineer, but I am one who seeks out facts and Mr. Freedlander’s article is devoid of all facts, but full of suppositions.
Let’s take his first statement about “the destructive mold infestation is real. Even if removed, it could easily reappear in a structure built on a flood plain facing Chester River.” What science is that based on? I have twenty years of facilities management experience and another twenty years as an environmental safety expert and I have never heard of a building so far gone with mold that it needs to be torn down. I have consulted with certified industrial hygienists and architects and none can think of a time where a building is so far gone that it needs to be demolished because of mold. In fact, the Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana had a mold issue, which was remediated and repurposed into a boutique hotel by the Kimpton chain of hotels.
The fact is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of mold remediation companies in the US that make a good living out of removing mold from buildings that have had moisture issues. This is testament to the fact that mold can be removed. If they were not able to permanently remove the mold, then people would not be purchasing their services. Once removed, the relative humidity needs to be kept below 60 percent or the problem will reoccur. I use the example of getting one’s teeth cleaned by the dentist. If you don’t brush your teeth after the cleaning, the nastiness will quickly come back.
The mold issue in the Armory is a recent issue caused by the neglect of the current owner, Washington College. This is what is know as “demolition by neglect” and is prohibited by the Chestertown Town Ordinance. As of September 2008, there was no mold in the Armory. This is a fact that is outlined in an Environmental Assessment Report of the Armory done by Earth Data, Inc. of Centreville. You can view the document on the website: savethearmory.org. Go to page 8, Section 3.7 and it outlines all of the internal environmental concerns. Mold is not there – a fact.
This document was produced for the transfer of the property to the Town of Chestertown, which sold the property to Washington College in 2012. At the time of the sale, the college had the opportunity to back out if it saw anything that concerned them. They did not and they went ahead with the sale. Fast forward 10 years and 4 college presidents later and now Washington College is claiming that the building is so far gone with mold that it needs to be demolished. They failed to mention that they have not maintained the building adequately over the last 10 years by not operating sump pumps, not sealing up broken windows and not fixing a gaping hole in the roof. That is the cause of the mold in the building, and the College and its developers should not be given a “get out of jail free card” for their obvious demolition by neglect.
Mr. Freedlander outlined many armories in Maryland that have been given a new life by their communities. There are other examples that are outline in the Facebook page “Repurpose the Chestertown Armory.” I urge people to seek the facts by reviewing this Facebook page and the savetharmory.org website.
Chestertown’s main focus is in the preservation of its historic past similar to other towns including Williamsburg, VA. Mr. Freedland, you remember Williamsburg, because you wrote and impassioned article in the Talbot Spy on February 19, 2019 about how Williamsburg must be preserved. However, now you write an article about how Chestertown’s historic past must be destroyed. I don’t understand your change of heart.
Michael Brunner says
Thank you!