Handsell Historical Site Approved for New Facility

(VIENNA, Md) – A historic site in rural Dorchester County is moving forward with an expansion, that one volunteer is calling crucial.

The Nanticoke Historical Preservation Alliance has been waiting for a day like this after over four years of fundraising.

The alliance oversees the preservation of the Handsell House in rural Dorchester County, a house that’s been standing since the late 1700s. Now they’re moving forward with an expansion.

It’ll be called “The Three Cultures Center”.
The alliance got the approval to break ground on the new center Wednesday night from Dorchester County. The new building would give this entirely volunteer-run organization an office space to call their own.

“It will provide an office for our organization. And it provides other meeting assembly space. If we want to do workshops or lectures or talks of a historic nature,” says Historical Alliance Vice President, Midge Ingersoll.

The alliance has fund raised by asking donors to help out once a year, with the rest of the funding coming from writing grants.

And with the finish line seemingly in sight, organizers are celebrating all the possibilities.

Midge says, “It’s a very exciting time. We have a trustee board of trustees of 11 people, and we’re all volunteers. No one gets paid and we have no paid director. So this is really a labor of love for all of us, and we’re going to see it happen.”

Ground could be broken as early as November, with the alliance hoping to have it open by April.