Dec 11, 2003
Ace Donates $108,500 to Elk Landing

Associated Cecil Endeavors (ACE), a nonprofit foundation, has stepped forward several times with substantial contributions to Elk Landing. Continuing with this important support, the treasurer of the group, Helen Warburton, presented another major gift today, a check for $108,500. 

Since 2000, when the IRS recognized the Landing as a nonprofit and restoration got underway, ACE has made four major donations, totaling $291,360. This contribution allows the Landing to continue moving ahead with its ambitious plan. In a few more years, when the centuries old dwelling and historic grounds are restored, Cecil County will have a first-class 62-acre living history center, which will draw thousands of visitors to Elkton each year.

Dec 1, 2003
Hollingsworth House Walls Tested for Original Covering
By Eric F. Mease

Scientists made another unusual discovery at Elk Landing in November. Matthew Mosca, a Historic Paint Finishes Consultant with Artrifex, Limited of Baltimore, recovered samples from several walls on the first floor of the Hollingsworth House. Preliminary results show the original wall application was paint. "The walls were finished with an oil based paint" according to Mosca. "This is not too common as it was more expensive than water soluble paints (calsomine) or some wallpapers. I found a very light warm yellowish color, almost white in the parlors. The palette is very light."

Calsomine was an 18th and 19th century water based paint made of whiting (chalk and sometimes white clay), warm water, hide glue and one or more tinting pigments. As for the more common wallpaper covering, Mosca says there is some of that too in the Hollingsworth House. "There is evidence for wallpaper," Mosca reports, "but it is after the circa 1850 time period" (when the walls were restored following the 1848 fire). "The paper can be dated in a general manner based on the design and possibly other technical data, but the first step would be to remove each paper (there appear to be more than one layer of paper) and separate them."

Mosca says that wallpapers were produced in the U.S. and in Europe. "Between 1776 and 1870, most of our papers were either imported from France, or made in one of our main cities, including Baltimore. After 1870, we began to import English papers and domestic production increased dramatically."

Mosca says beyond the original paint, all other paint, most of the other paint layers were modern latex paints found on the plaster walls and ceilings. According to Historic Elk Landing Foundation President, Mike Dixon, the foundation will restore the interior walls to their original state. Mosca says this should be relatively easy. "Elk Landing will probably only have paint" (as an original layer), Mosca explains. And if it decides to restore some wallpaper, "the small area of paper could be retained under an isolated material. This is something the architect should decide."

A final report on Hollingsworth House walls will be issued early in 2004.

Individual homeowners of historic homes or just old houses can use some of the same methods used by Mr. Mosca to discover the original wall coverings on their home's walls. While he uses expensive and highly technical laboratory methods including microscopic, micro-chemical exposures, and ultraviolet light examination to run detailed analysis of his wall covering samples, Mosca says there are some less complicated things homeowners can do. "Homeowners can do some rudimentary examination," according to Mosca, "by carefully sanding down the surface to expose earlier layers and using a magnifier to get an idea of the original color."

However, Mosca urges caution. "As it is almost certain that homeowners will be exposing lead paints- that means you have to be mindful of the dust." Mosca suggests using a wet sandpaper-wet/dry type with water or mineral oil to minimize dust and do not do this if you have children under 6 years old at home." Mosca sees other drawbacks as well. "There are so many problems with the aging of early paint that it is usually not likely that the homeowners 'scratch and match' process will achieve an accurate replication of the color."

It should be noted that Mr. Mosca has more than twenty-four years of experience providing historic paint research and analysis for some of the country's most distinguished historic buildings, including: Mount Vernon; The Octagon; John Carlyle House in Alexandria, VA; the U.S. Treasury Building; Pennsylvania State Capitol Buildings; and the Hermitage near Nashville, TN.

Dec 1, 2003
Restoration Work Starts on Hollingsworth House

As autumn gave way to the colder days of winter, important restoration work started on the centuries old Hollingsworth House, a place that has withstood many bitter snow storms. Working on a contract valued at $360,000, Grubb Contractors of Rising Sun are overseeing the installation of a complete climate control system, furnishing a working electrical system, finishing the interior of the lower levels of the house, providing a handicap accessible ramp, and completing restoration work on the exterior of the structure, according to Josh Brown, the Foundation director responsible for construction oversight.

“As the Foundation continues restoring the 62-acre site, the current project substantially moves us toward completing work on this particularly building,” Brown said. Carpenters, construction workers, HVAC mechanics, engineers, painters, and architects will be at work on this long neglected place in the months ahead, he added. Once they finish next year, the largest task remaining on this building will be to complete the interior finish on the upper floor. Then the mansion will be available for use throughout the year and after dark, an indispensable step as the Landing prepares facilities, which will let it offer public programming on a regular basis.

“The work we have planned is very ambitious,” Brown noted. “When the Landing is complete, Cecil County will have a quality living history center that will draw thousands of visitors to Elkton each year. When the nonprofit started, we developed a schedule, estimating it would take 10-years to have the property open to the public on a regular basis. We are ahead of our timetable right now.”

This important phase of construction is funded by a generous donation from Associated Cecil Endeavors, a local nonprofit; a State of Maryland Bond Bill; and a grant from the Maryland Historical Trust.

November 6, 2003
Second EL Auction Coming in March, 2004
By Eric F. Mease

More artifacts from Historic Elk Landing will go on the auction block on March 29th, 2004. In fact, a plethora of documents, manuscripts, newspapers, books, and other memorabilia will greet those who attend this event at the Smyrna Opera House in Smyrna, Delaware. All of these items were found in the Historic Elk Landing Hollingsworth House as collected by members of the Hollingsworth family over the last 200 years.

Auction spokesman, Walter Moore, says there are "wonderful items" up for auction. Those items include documents signed by John Quincy Adams when our nation's sixth president was Secretary of State; reminders of a time when slavery was a way of life in Delaware and Maryland including a voucher that the possessor of the document is indeed a freedman and should not be enslaved; contracts for indentured servants, as well as newspapers articles and ads from the early 19th century. Most of the historic items at this auction have their roots in Delaware antiquity.

A catalogue listing the entire content of the auction will be available from the Smyrna Opera House sometime in mid January. A copy of the catalogue may be obtained by calling 302-653-4236. It will cost $3 for shipping and handling.

The auction will begin at 5 p.m. on March 29th preceded by a viewing of the auction items beginning at noon. The Opera House is located at the corner of south Main and South Street in Smyrna. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Historic Elk Landing Foundation.

October 26, 2003
Posthole Update
By Eric F. Mease

Just before Labor Day, Historic Elk Landing's archaeologist, Dr. James Gibb, discovered two postholes in the ground behind the Hollingsworth House. This find caused quite a stir among visitors to the Defenders Day in late August and among the members of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation. The excitement centered on the probability that the postholes represented a so-called "earthfast" structure that may have been built between 1690 and 1720. This time period predates either the Hollingsworth House or the Stone House, both of which were originally constructed in the late 18th century. Now, with further study, we are reconsidering that date range. Dr. Gibb has done more sifting of the soil around the postholes and has determined that the holes may not have been dug prior to 1760. However, they do predate the house.

"Whatever was there," Dr. Gibb says, "it was gone before the Hollingsworth House was built. The reasoning? The soils excavated for the cellar blanket the deposits on the north side of the house." We know that the Hollingsworth House cellar was excavated around 1780, so the postholes had to have been dug prior to that date. Since one method of dating archeology is by the artifacts recovered, Dr. Gibb looked at the artifacts he found. Most of them were from the latter half of the 18th century. (We found) "a few bits of historic material (domestic: very small sherds of Chinese porcelain, white salt glazed stoneware, and Creamware; architectural: small brick fragments and probable hand wrought nails) (which) indicate that the immediate area was occupied and farmed prior to the construction of the Hollingsworth House. The cellar excavation of (the house)" Dr. Gibb continues, "led to the capping of the topsoil from which those objects and prehistoric artifacts were recovered. The aforementioned artifacts all date to the 18th century. The Creamware would be typical of the last third of the 18th century; the other two anytime from the mid-18th century onward."

So, the artifacts won't allow us to push the postholes back beyond the second half of the 1700s. However, the story does not end there. In subsequent excavations, Dr. Gibb and his crew discovered "plow scars" in the ground behind the Hollingsworth House. "The plow scars... run perpendicular up to the house and, thereby, predate the 18th century construction. In short," Dr. Gibb adds, "the area was a plowed field prior to construction of Hollingsworth House. The scars are a byproduct of plowing." So while we are little disappointed that we can't establish that there were structures at Elk Landing prior to 1750, we are pushing that date back a little farther with each archaeological dig. Future digs will better determine what and who occupied Elk Landing over two centuries ago. Stay tuned.

October 26, 2003
AUCTION PROCEEDS TO HELP WITH RESTORATION

North East, MD – October 4, 2003 -- As a light rain started falling on Cecil County Bob Burkheimer gaveled the first of Elk Landing’s regional auctions to order early on a Saturday morning. The owner of North East Auction Gallery called out the bids and hammered his way through a wide assortment of twentieth century books and magazines, household goods, various collectible items, and general merchandise for the next four to five hours. When the fast-paced auction came to an end, gross receipts for the day stood at $10,651.30, the proceeds going to help with restoration work at the colonial port and plantation.

Elk Landing officials were pleased with the sale. Several experienced local dealers and representatives of the auction house noted the presence of professional buyers from outside the area and the strong prices many of the books, paper-items, and ephemera brought in. The next auction, consisting of higher quality ephemera, important signatures, photographs, books, and local history manuscripts and advertising pieces from the Delmarva Peninsula, takes place at the Smyrna (Delaware) Opera House in March 2004.

For over two hundred years, descendants of Zebulon Hollingsworth inhabited Elk Landing. The family acquired land, built at least two houses, created an economic hub, and grew in numbers and in stature as they played major roles in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. As can be imagined, the old house accumulated quite a bit of memorabilia: newspapers, photographs, letters, diaries, advertising pieces, books, art work, and household goods. But there they sat in the Hollingsworth House as the decades passed and generations came and went.

It was at this, the first of the two regional sales, that items not needed by the Foundation to interpret the history of the colonial property went up for auction. The public had an opportunity to take a step back in time, a chance to roll back the decades and see what was in this house as time went by. These pieces of Americana, some of which had not been seen in public for as much as a hundred years, were snapped up by buyers. The public will have another chance to bid on higher-quality Americana at the second auction in March 2004. In that collection are important manuscripts related to the history of Delaware, early newspapers, fine art, and documents containing the signature of John Quincy Adams. Watch our web site for additional details on the 2004 auction.

September 30, 2003
Elk Landing Auctions Excess Hollingsworth House Contents - Oct 4, 2003

For over two hundred years, the descendants of Zebulon Hollingsworth inhabited Elk Landing, South of Elkton. The family acquired land, built at least two houses, created an economic hub, and grew in numbers and in stature playing major roles in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, as well as in local government and economic development. As can be imagined, the family accumulated quite a bit of memorabilia: newspapers, photographs, letters, diaries, advertising pieces, books, art work, and household goods. And there they sat in the Historic Elk Landing Hollingsworth House as the decades passed and generations came and went.

On October 4 items not needed by the Foundation to interpret the history of the site go up for sale. The general public will have an opportunity to take a step back in time, a chance to roll back the decades and see what was in this house as time went by. These pieces of Americana, some of which have not been seen in public for a century, will be offered by R. C. Burkheimer & Associates Auction House on U.S. Route 40 in North East, Maryland. The doors open at 8 a.m with the sale beginning at 10 a.m. sharp. Proceeds benefit the Historic Elk Landing Foundation.

For more information contact Robert Burkheimer of North East Auction Galleries at 410.287.5588

September 4, 2003
Building with Cellar Discovered at Elk Landing 
By Eric F. Mease

Two structures dominate the landscape at Historic Elk Landing. One, the Stone House, was built in the late 1700s. The other, the stuccoed brick Hollingsworth house, was constructed about 1848 on a late 18th century foundations. Now, for the first time, there is physical evidence of European occupation at Elk Landing as much as one hundred years before these structures were built. The discovery of two postholes and remnants of a food storage cellar by archaeologist Dr. James Gibb came during excavations in preparation for installation of a handicapped access ramp at the rear of the Hollingsworth House. Jim found the postholes and cellar about 18 inches below the surface on the northwest corner of the house and is ecstatic about his find.

“We have evidence of a structure which predates the Hollingsworth House,” Jim says. “It was ‘earthfast’, that is, posts were placed in the ground and the building was built on top of it.” Perhaps even more importantly, Jim says is the soil around the posthole and cellar. “On top of these features, we have four or five inches of what used to be top soil,” Jim explains. “It used to be the (18th century) ground level around here which has been covered over with fill, perhaps from construction of the Hollingsworth House. That top soil and the ground beneath it have not been disturbed and who knows what artifacts we may find there.”

While Jim believes the postholes were dug and used for a structure between 1690 and 1750, he doesn’t know who built it, exactly when it was built, how large it was, how it was used, or much of anything else. However, Jim says some assumptions can be made.

“We can assume that there will be at least four posts,” Jim continues. “The maximum would be perhaps a dozen or more. And also, it’s possible the structure had ’ells’ (additions) coming off of it too. We won’t know until we do a lot more digging.” Jim says he can find out who may have built the structure by tracing ownership of the property through deeds at the Cecil County Courthouse doing a title search on the property starting with today.

“Who owned this property from now back through the original patent in the 17th century?” Jim asks. “It’s not conclusive and this could be a tenant house or slave quarter and not the house the owner lived in, but it’s a start.” The Historic Elk Landing web site can be of some help on the land ownership question. According to the site, the first land patent was issued to John Browning and Richard Nash for a 500 acre tract of land including Elk Landing in 1678. Historic Elk Landing Foundation President, Mike Dixon, says about 12 years later, Jon Hanson Steelman, a Swede, established a trading post with the Native Americans at Elk Landing.

“For decades historians and archaeologists have been searching for artifacts associated with his occupancy of the property,” Mike points out. “Now, with Dr. Gibb’s discovery of these early artifacts, perhaps we are on the verge of unearthing important new information.” Whoever built the structure, Jim says this is one of the earliest examples of postholes found in northeastern Maryland. “There has not been a lot of archaeology done up here,” Jim points out, “especially archaeology focused on the historic period and more specifically the early historic period. Even we are not here looking for postholes. We are here investigating the Hollingsworth house. This discovery was by accident.”

Mike Dixon says Jim’s discovery may impact how Elk Landing is interpreted. “The extant structures we are restoring were built in the later decades of the 18th century,” Mike explains, “but we know the Hollingsworths purchased the land in 1735. It would appear that this recent discovery will add information to this time period which will help with our interpretation of the site.”

One aspect of this discovery, which is not a mystery, is how the structure may have looked. Assuming it was a dwelling, Jim says the house would have been unobtrusive. “Walking by the house,” Jim says, “you’d see a frame building, probably horizontal siding, a chimney made of (mud and sticks) or brick, and probably a bunch of smaller buildings around it too.” Jim points out that the mud for that chimney would have come from a pit dug usually about fifty or so feet from the house. He says he would really like to find that. “(The digging) leaves an open hole in the yard,” Jim explains. “What do they do with it? They fill it with trash. We’d really like to find that because we’d like to know what they were throwing out.”

So, what now? Mike says more work is necessary. “When that will happen is hard to say,” Mike says, “since funding drives these sorts of things; but we know there is exciting new information to be unearthed within the shadows of the Hollingsworth House.”

August 18, 2003
The Red Coats are Coming!

The Historic Elk Landing Foundation will observe the 226th anniversary of the British Invasion of 1777 on Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th beginning at 10:00 a.m. both days. Join in on the invasion activities, which were a prelude to the battle of Couches Bridge in Delaware and the Battle of the Brandywine in Pennsylvania. Re-enacting the historic battle will be members of five Maryland militia regiments all converging on Elk Landing at the foot of Landing Lane south of Elkton. The units will encamp at Elk Landing and demonstrate camp living conditions as well as military displays and demonstrations of 18th century British and Colonial warfare.

Admission is free.

August 3, 2003
EL: A Busy Place
By Eric F. Mease

While most of our collective attention centered on the Jefferson letter this spring and summer, Elk Landing was a busy place playing host to several organizations, some local, and some not. About forty descendants of the Hollingsworth family dropped in at the Landing for their annual family gathering. They were checking up on the progress being made to restore their ancestral home and they made a generous donation of $1000 toward the restoration effort. While one of those all too familiar early summer rains soaked the grounds, the Hollingsworths were entertained by none other than Zebulon Hollingsworth himself, alias Gordy Johnson, for an hour and a half in the high and dry Hollingsworth House.

Less than a week later, a group of Chesapeake Bay Girl Scouts held a camp out at Elk Landing. Though the group heard a short talk about the history of the Hollingsworth site, all they wanted to hear about was the ghosts known to have, and probably still inhabiting the ancient grounds. The Girl Scouts also made a $200 donation.

And last, but certainly not least, 150 descendants of the historic Veazey (Veasey) family also paid a visit to Elk Landing and they too made a donation to the Foundation. They came from over one dozen different states, mostly in the east, southeast, and mid-western U.S. Veazey family reunion organizer and author, Anne Veazey Davis says there is a connection between the Hollingsworths and the Veazeys. “Elizabeth Hollingsworth Johnston (a young widow with two Johnston children) married James Veazey,” Anne wrote. “This younger James came to North Carolina where he owned property, etc., and then migrated to Georgia after the Revolutionary War.” Anne also noted that one of the Johnston children, and also a Hollingsworth, married another James Veazey whose branch of the family ended up in Alabama.

Elk Landing board member and secretary, Betty Giovanazi says these kinds of visits are welcomed and with good reason. “It shows that not just Elkton, but a larger local area benefits from The Landing,” Betty notes as these visitors stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and purchase other things that result in tourist dollars coming into Elkton and other parts of Cecil County.

Remember to mark your calendars for late August and early October. On August 23 - 24 Elk Landing will once again be invaded by a British force as the events of 1777 are re-enacted by area militia. Then on October 3 Elk Landing will host a Ghost Walk at The Landing. Last year over one hundred persons attended this event with a waiting list of hopeful participants. Sign up for this year’s event began almost immediately. Call 410-620-6400 or e-mail info@elklanding.org for more information.

July 23, 2003
Regional Media “Pick Up” on Elk Landing
By Eric F. Mease

While Elk Landing’s Jefferson letter has yet to sell, it has drawn much attention to the centuries old historic buildings and grounds. Now that attention has come from outside the Cecil County area. The best example is a newspaper article, which appeared in the Baltimore Sun on July 6 written by Lane Harvey Brown. Lane visited The Landing that first week in July and spoke with numerous representatives of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation as well as state historic preservationists and local monetary contributors.

In her article, Lane began by calling the geographic area where Elk Landing resides the “fertile crescent of Colonial tourism that stretches from Philadelphia to Williamsburg.” That single sentence not only locates our historic landmark, but, associates it with such prestigious sites as Philadelphia’s Independence Hall and both the historic buildings and institution that are Colonial Williamsburg.

While pointing out the significance of finding the Jefferson letter (“an unexpected hand”), Lane lists the state and local organizations which have donated essential funding to bring Elk Landing’s restoration to this point. Among them are the Maryland Historical Trust, the Associated Cecil Endeavors and the town of Elkton. She goes on to outline The Landing’s plans to restore the Hollingsworth House this year and begin work on the Stone House with proceeds from the Jefferson letter when it sells. “The foundation and town are working closely on what they hope is a seven-year plan to get the old buildings on the property ready for visitors. The next step,” Lane writes, “will be to create interpretive programming that brings to life the stories of Elk Landing.”

Lane also points out that it isn’t the Jefferson letter, which will attract future tourists. It’s the history. Paraphrasing Historic Elk Landing Foundation President Mike Dixon, Lane writes “he believes people will come to savor a little piece of the history of a merchant family who rubbed elbows with the likes of George Washington and expanded its milling, shipping and transportation businesses into some of the county’s wealthiest.” “This house was full of centuries and centuries of living,” Mike added.

The Foundation’s hope is, of course, for centuries more of exhibition, interpretation, learning, and living for the people of Elkton and beyond.

July 17, 2003
Elk Landing Acquires Land 
By Eric F. Mease

Historic Elk Landing is larger than it used to be. Twenty acres of land were recently added to the Landing by the Town of Elkton, bringing to a grand total of 62 acres administered by the Historic Elk Landing Foundation. The forty-two acres where the Hollingsworth House and the Stone House both reside were originally acquired in 1999 by the Town and leased to The Landing. Town Planner, Jeanne Minner, says those first 42 acres cost $390,500 dollars. “The Town applied for and received funding assistance from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space (POS),” Jeanne explained. “By December of 2002, (the Town of Elkton) had received a total of $341,595. The Town’s financial contribution for this acquisition was only $48,905.”

Jeanne says most of this latest purchase of 26 acres is being paid for in much the same way. “On November 25, 2002, the Town of Elkton purchased the additional 26 acres of land to the north of the existing Hollingsworth House for $715,000,” Jeanne pointed out. “Six acres were subdivided for sewer plant expansion. (This land) will be purchased with funds from water and sewer hook-up fees. The Town has requested funding from Program Open Space for the remaining twenty acres.”

Jeanne says, the state is acting quickly on that request. “So far, the Town received final approval from the state for the first $78,877,” Jeanne continues, and we “just received approval for a second installment of $100,969 from the Cecil County Parks and Recreation Board. The next step for the second installment is approval from the Cecil County Planning Commission, the Cecil County Commissioners, and finally the Maryland Board of Public Works.”

So how will Elk Landing use the land? From the town’s perspective, there will be a future Greenways connection to the municipal parkland to the north. From the Elk Landing Foundation’s perspective, the added acreage removes the development threat from the area immediately north of the site. Foundation President, Mike Dixon says the threat was real. “The owners had listed the land with a realtor,” Mike explains, “and several developers had discussed the possibility of building apartments just beyond our fence line. Of course, apartments standing a short distance from the colonial-era Hollingsworth House would have affected our ability to present a realistic program, one that convinced tourists that they had stepped back in time and left the 21st century behind.”

For the immediate future, Mike says the goal is to preserve the open space. However, “The acquisition of the additional land will, someday, allow us to construct a visitor's center at the northern tip of the property, somewhere just north of the detention center driveway. The center would include a mini-theatre for showing a video about the history of Elk Landing, an information booth and exhibits, comfort facilities, a snack bar, and a gift shop.” But, Mike continues, that’s not all. “In addition to having our visitor's center there, a small portion of the tract will contain a parking lot for the guests who will, in a few more years, be making Cecil's county seat a destination.”

Mike says “open space” will also play a significant role in the land’s use. “In between the visitor center and our historic tract of land, there will be a transitional area. As tourists walk through the 20 acre property, they will slowly ease their way from the modern-day to the colonial times, as they stroll through the appropriately landscaped acreage to reach the primary interpretive area.” 

Of course, Mike says, this is all but a dream. It all depends on adequate funding to make it reality. “Thanks to the foresight of the town,” Mike continued, “we’ve taken the first steps. The open space at Elk Landing will be used to create our vision of an old colonial port and plantation; one that once drew sailing ships, wagons, and carriages to Little Elk Creek, but in this century will soon draw modern-day tourists to the county seat.”

Historic Elk Landing is grateful to both the Town of Elkton for its initial purchase of the land, and the State of Maryland for its reimbursement to the Town.

June 21, 2003
Centuries Old House Prepares to Shine
Important New Phase of Hollingsworth House Restoration Work Announced

Right now, the 18th century Hollingsworth House at Elk Landing doesn’t have heating or air conditioning, and when darkness descends on the Elk River there is no electricity to light rooms in the once grand mansion. Too, exterior brick walls are suffering from generations of neglect, interior walls are pealing, and some parts of the structure need strengthening.

But that’s all about to change very soon, according to Josh Brown, the Foundation director responsible for construction oversight. Elk Landing just awarded a contract valued at $360,000 to Grubb Contractors of Rising Sun to install a complete climate control system, furnish a working electrical system, finish the interior of the first floor, provide a handicap accessible ramp, and complete substantial restoration work on the exterior of the house.

“As the Foundation continues restoring this historic place, the current project substantially moves us toward completing work on this particularly building,” Brown said. Soon construction workers, HVAC mechanics, architects, painters, and others will be at work on this long neglected place, he added. “Once they finish, sometime next year, the largest part of work remaining on this building will be to complete the interior finishing on the 2nd and 3rd floors.”

“The work we have planned is very ambitious,” he noted. “When the Landing is complete, Cecil County will have a quality living history center that will draw thousands of visitors each year,” he observed. “When the Foundation started, we developed an ambitious schedule, estimating it would take 10-years to have the facility open to the public on a regular schedule. We are ahead of our timetable right now.”

This important phase of development is funded by a generous donation from Associated Cecil Endeavors, a local nonprofit; a State of Maryland Bond Bill; and a grant from the Maryland Historical Trust.

June 19, 2003
The “Wonderful Opportunity” Continues
By Eric F. Mease

“We are naturally disappointed,” said Historic Elk Landing Foundation President, Mike Dixon after the foundation’s Thomas Jefferson letter did not sell at Christies of New York in June. However, Mike said this is not the end of the line for the famed letter.

We are not in a hurry,” Mike continued. “We will examine all of our options and the board will make a decision that will maximize its cash value to the foundation.”

Those options include:

• The letter could be offered at a future auction
• It could be sold to an “interested party”
• The letter could be offered to the highest bidder from the June auction.

Mike also pointed out that the letter remains a very valuable commodity. “I can recall a time when if someone had told any one of us that the document was worth a few hundred thousand dollars, not to mention a hammer price of over a half-million, we collectively would have been excited. As you probably saw in the (Cecil County) Whig photo today, when the sale closed the board price stood at $550,000. That's a lot of money, at least in my book!”

Christie’s manuscript expert, Chris Coover agrees. “The great thing is, it’s a wonderful Jefferson letter now and forever. It will never lose its historic significance. The only thing that changes is the moment to moment market, which you always try to catch at its peak. Sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t.”

So where do we go from here? Mike says Chris will be in touch with his recommendations, and the board will have to decide. Whatever the outcome, Mike says selling the Jefferson letter remains a “wonderful opportunity.”

February 19, 2003

EL Decides to Sell!
By Eric F. Mease

The Historic Elk Landing Foundation will sell its letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Delaware Baptist Association in July of 1801. Foundation President, Mike Dixon, announced the decision of the foundation board of directors at a news conference on February 13th. That decision came during a 90-minute board meeting the previous day during which the pros and cons of the proposed sale were debated among the 13 members of the board who attended the session.

The letter will be auctioned through Christie's Auction house in New York City. Christie's Manuscripts expert, Chris Coover, who originally evaluated the letter last year, also attended the February news conference and says the letter is "the most important Jefferson letter I have ever handled."

"Until about two months ago, the record (selling price) for a Jefferson letter was $720,000," Chris pointed out. "Since then, a Jefferson letter discussing the Lewis and Clark expedition reached a price of almost $1.5 million."

Mike says the decision to sell the letter was a difficult one, but in the end, the Jefferson letter just didn't fit into the historical interpretation of Elk Landing.

"It really isn't a document that addresses Elkton history," Mike explained. "So we looked at the financial opportunities (the letter would generate). Though we are far ahead of our five-year business plan, the challenges are large. We need, according to our architect, $5 million to complete phase one to get us operational. Maximizing the financial opportunities the Jefferson letter provides is one way for us to take on additional projects." Among those projects is the reconstruction of the 18th century Stone House that is in danger of collapse.

Elkton Mayor, Joseph Fisona, agreed, saying the letter just didn't fit. "The letter doesn't speak to Elkton history." The Mayor said, "the site itself really has much more historical significance to the town than the letter does." In addition, Mayor Fisona says the influx of funds from the letter have a positive impact on the tourist industry.

"This revenue from the letter will go a long way toward more restoration," Joe said, "and it will go a long way to give us the opportunity to bring tourists into the Elkton area."

To be sure, Mike says there are a number of other documents discovered at Elk Landing that will be kept and interpreted. "We're opening up letters written about the time that the British attacked Elkton (in 1813)," Mike reviewed. "There's a family Bible, penned about the time of the Stamp Act, and in that family Bible, the mother wrote, 'Levi was born this day into a world of trouble.' This came from a member of a family that had done very well under the British system, so what was she thinking?"

Chris says demand is high for this type of historic document. "There are a number of collectors who are interested in historical letters, letters of Jefferson, particularly letters with the significance that this one possesses," Chris predicted. "There are also a number of institutions with similar interests."

Finally, Mike pointed out that while the decision to sell the letter was a tough one, it really makes sense. "If this letter had been written to the owners down at Elk Landing, if it had been about our history versus Delaware," Mike explained, "I'm pretty sure we would have kept the letter. But this just isn't our story to tell."

Chris took possession of the letter and carried it to New York in preparation for the anticipated June auction. Chris says Christies will take further steps to publicize the letter with national media and potential customers to generate even more interest prior to the auction.

January 15, 2003

“Today” Meets Yesterday at EL
By Eric F. Mease

The NBC Today Show paid a visit to Elk Landing on Saturday, January 4. Inspired by a wire story generated by the Cecil Whig newspaper about our Thomas Jefferson letter, Today producers sent a three person television production crew to EL to interview letter discoverer Joanna Alford and Foundation President Mike Dixon. The remote interview in the subfreezing Hollingsworth house was scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m., but there was a problem. There wasn’t enough electrical power in the house to operate all of the equipment and the crew’s production truck, which contained a satellite up and down link as well as a mobile television studio. The crew tried to fire up the electrical generators in the truck, but to no avail. Another truck was called.

Heading up the operation at Elk Landing was field producer and University of Maryland graduate, Aaron Sasson. With a look of frustration on his face, but keeping his cool, he dialed up the Today Show control room and informed them of the delay. The live shot was put on hold. Aaron, a Florida native, residing and working out of Baltimore, patiently stood amongst the yards of cables, video camera, sound equipment, and lights. He talked about the “live shot” as he called it, and his work as a field producer. “When a larger production does a show like this, they emphasize the look and the feel of it. Lots of lights go up. We’re usually on site between two and three hours before hand.”

Aaron said except for the cold, the Hollingsworth house was a good place for a shoot. “It’s nice because there are pretty pictures we can make out of the interior of this home. The electricity is a problem, but we’ll solve that with the truck (generators) and it’ll make for a pretty picture.” As Aaron explained, “the truck” is more than an electrical generator. “The truck in this case is a one person operated vehicle that sends and receives a (satellite) signal. The truck’s dish sends the signal up into space and its captured by the control room in New York. They receive audio and video and we receive the program on our end so we can see exactly what’s going on.”

Aaron said an anchor in New York does the interview. The control room there combines the studio picture with the picture from Elk Landing so the viewer can see both the anchor and the person being interviewed at the same time. But that’s not all. “Earlier we took some shots of the room where the (Jefferson) letter was found and we took some close ups of the letter itself,” Aaron explained. “We put that material on tape, sent it to New York via satellite, and the New York control room can cut to that during the interview as well.”

So what about the cold? Does that have an affect? “Yes, yes it does,” Aaron said as he rubbed his hands together in the sub-freezing house. “My fingers tend to go numb and I can’t feel the small buttons on the camera. I can’t wear gloves either because, again, I can’t feel the buttons. So I work without gloves and when the fingers go numb, my day goes south from there!”

As for Aaron himself, this kind of project puts the bread on his table. “I shoot a lot of sports, some corporate videos, and NBC has sent me all over the world to do things just like this.” Most recently Aaron was involved in a sports program for HBO and the 9/11 one-year anniversary Today Show interviews with government officials including Colin Powell.

Just then Aaron’s cell phone rang and he had to go back to work. Finally, at 8:45, with the arrival of a second satellite truck, the interview took place. While neither Joanna nor Mike was allowed to wear a coat during the interview, they somehow managed to keep from shivering while fielding questions from New York about the now nationally famous Jefferson letter.