Baltimore County is seeking prospective property owners for the historic Perry Hall Mansion, a structure built in the early 1700s that was the centerpiece of a 1,000-acre estate which later became the Perry Hall community, Councilman David Marks said.
Marks, who represents Perry Hall, said the property played a significant role as the site for meetings that led to the development of the American Methodist church. Methodism was chartered in Baltimore in 1784, he said. According to the structure’s website , the mansion remained in private ownership for over two centuries. Today, the estate is condensed down to four acres in a residential neighborhood off of Belair Road near Gunpowder Falls State Park.
“It’s a historic building that is the namesake for Perry Hall and northeastern Baltimore County — the county purchased it in 2001 with the intent of stabilizing the structure,” Marks said. Sean Kief, a descendant of the previous resident, poses for a photo outside at the Perry Hall Mansion. (Jen Rynda / Baltimore Sun Media Group) Plans initially called for the property to be made into a community center, but it never came to fruition . The county is now looking for many possible options for the historic property that include private use, he said.
“[The county is] looking for ways that it could possibly part with this property, but they want to do so in a manner that is historically sensitive to this unique structure,” he said.
Baltimore County recently put out requests for proposals to see what interest there was for leasing and restoring the mansion. However, the deadline has passed with no offers made.
“They didn’t get any proposals but there were several people who are interested, but did not like the terms that were proposed,” he said.
Marks called the mansion a “culturally significant” structure and explained that it will not be demolished despite the lack of interest. The property is protected by the county from being destroyed, torn down or developed, he said.
Cameron Goodnight covers Baltimore County news for Baltimore Sun Media. Cameron has written about transportation, sports, politics and social justice for sites like The Activated People and Urban Sports Beat. A Prince George’s County native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Morgan State University in 2018.
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