Kinder Farm Park Visitor’s Center Officially Opened |
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Wednesday, 03 November 2010 19:00
By Darrell Mak After decades in the making, county officials, dignitaries, volunteers, and the pubic celebrated the dedication of Kinder Farm Park’s brand new visitor’s center at a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 30. The red and white, barn-style building with metal roofing was the result of the work of countless volunteers and collaboration among many organizations and participants. "It’s a beautiful facility," began County Executive John R. Leopold, who acknowledged many of the individuals and groups that made the new building possible. "It is amazing the things that get done through public-private partnerships." Leopold told the audience of about 200 attendees the total cost of the visitor’s center was $972,000, with 72 percent being funded by Program Open Space, an initiative started in 1969 by the Maryland General Assembly to maintain conservation of Maryland’s landscape. Program Open space is funded through a half-percent real estate transfer tax.
Leopold was particularly impressed with the woodworking incorporated into the building and, along with the audience, applauded the efforts of those involved. The center’s conference table and display cabinets were all made by the Kinder Farm Park Antique Sawmill Club, using oak trees grown at Kinder Farm Park. Each piece was milled, designed and constructed by club members. The intent of the visitor’s center is to archive information on what farm life was like in the county during the 1930s and educate the public on what life on the farm used to be like. Inside the center are offices, conference rooms, and a display area, which showcases numerous artifacts and antiques from the county during the early 20th century. "Tens of thousands of people will come to Kinder Farm Park to learn about farming of the past," said Jim Rausch, president of the Friends of Kinder Farm Park. "What a true treasure for the county this park is." Several citations were presented during the ceremony, including those from the County Executive, County Council, and Maryland General Assembly. Leopold, Rausch, County Councilwoman Cathy Vitale, and Rick Anthony, the Director of Parks and Recreation, stood together, each with golden scissors in hand to cut the ceremonial red ribbon leading to the entrance of the center. "As one of my last official acts of duty, I am excited to cut this ribbon," announced Vitale. The effort to build a visitor’s center at Kinder Farm Park has a long history. Back in June 2008, after years of planning, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved Anne Arundel County’s request for Program Open Space funding for the Kinder Park Visitor’s Center. In arranging for construction of the facility, the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks hammered out a unique agreement with the Friends of Kinder Farm Park, a non-profit group dedicated to supporting the park. The group agreed to provide volunteers to finish the building’s interior space, reducing the overall cost to the county and allowing a larger facility than what could have been possible otherwise. Actual construction of the visitor’s center took less than nine months. Back in February, Leopold hosted an "asphalt breaking" ceremony to mark the start of construction on the new center, and construction was finished by October. The completion of the visitor center is the climax of the Kinder Farm Park’s development story, a vision that was formulated almost seventeen years ago.
