Whitehurst Residents Celebrate Community’s Golden Anniversary

Tucked away at the end of Arundel Beach Road is a pristine and tranquil peninsula on the Magothy River. The more than 30 acres were once owned by the famed local poet Folger McKinsey, who sold the property to Arundel Reality in 1909, just prior to his death in 1910. Over the next nine years, Edward J. Gallagher purchased the property in parcels, and in 1938, the entire area was purchased by James Whitehurst.

For many years, the property was sprinkled with summer beach cottages, where longtime resident Ron Renoff remembers visiting his grandparents’ cottage in the early 1990s. His father acquired the homestead in 1940, and in 1999, he became the third generation in his family to call Whitehurst home. “I can also say I knew Mrs. Whitehurst!” Renoff boasted. “As kids, my family would drive down from Roland Park in Baltimore and relax along the water’s edge. The Magothy at that time was one of the most serene and beautiful places to go; it still is today.”

In 1964, James Whitehurst entered into a contract with Magothy Developers, and by the spring of 1966, the builder’s first homes were constructed at the value of $25,000 to $40,000.

To celebrate Whitehurst’s 50th year as a community, current and former residents gathered in July to reminiscence about the past, view cardboard displays about the community, swim and enjoy one another’s company. But mostly, they told stories.

Don Fisher moved to Whitehurst in 1967. He said that, in addition to the beautiful land, Whitehurst residents share a special bond that includes many social events and a strong camaraderie.

EB Malarkey is one of the community’s historians. He and Earl Walker maintain the Whitehurst history in a timeline. Malarkey, who purchased his Whitehurst home in 1968, said, “The surroundings, the people and the tremendous community spirit are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

The community’s bond is legendary. Malarkey remembers when the residents didn’t have the resources to hire people to do many of the tasks needed by the community. “When the pier needed to be re-boarded, we asked the people, ‘Who can help?’” he added. “And just like that, there were plenty of people on the pier getting the work done. If someone was unable to do the physical stuff, they brought drinks and food. We do things together.”

When there is an emergency, lifelong resident Kathy Evans Brennan said, “We know our neighbors really well, so during emergencies we know who to check on.”

Brennan recalled how, during the aftermath of a hurricane, “one side of the street had lost power, so people ran power cords across the road so that everyone had power.

“Ironically, just after power was restored, the other side lost it!” Brennan added. “So we just turned the cables around and ran the power the other way until it was restored for everyone.”

John Roros has been a relative newcomer to the area since purchasing his Whitehurst home in 2010. He’s also the current homeowners association president. Standing on the upper deck of the recently renovated yacht clubhouse, Roros surveyed the property that now includes 75 boat slips and 270-degree water views, and he smiled as if to say he’s home.

Brennan is one of 19 decedents from early Whitehurst residents to buy back into the neighborhood. “My kids are already talking about who’s going to the house!” she said.

The Whitehurst lineage is so strong that a family tree was one of the exhibits on display during the anniversary celebration. With properties changing ownership on average only once every 23 years, buyers new to Whitehurst will need to be quick to experience all that this community has to offer.