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23 <br />the cemetery be preserved, researched and have signage to display its <br />significance in a respectful manner. <br />The Farmstead Buildings <br />As previously noted, substantial work is underway to stabilize and secure the <br />existing farmstead ,buildings -and substantial further work will be required to <br />use the buildings as part of the park. <br />The Committee considered the role of the farmstead within the park -whether <br />the complex was seen as a group of buildings to be preserved and <br />experienced as external exhibits or whether they should be utilized as part of <br />the park facilities. <br />Engineering estimates to date indicate that the cost of renovating buildings for <br />public use such as the farmhouse and barn may run into the hundreds of <br />thousands of dollars. Future decisions about whether to commit this level of <br />resources will need to be made by the Board of County Commissioners. <br />As those discussions occur, the committee offers the following ideas about <br />the farmstead: <br />^ Keeping the farmstead as a focal point of the park is important...we <br />should not fence people out. <br />^ Consider what the historic fencing pattern might have been for the farm <br />and perhaps replicate that. It is unlikely that the house would have <br />been within the same enclosure as the barn, for example. <br />^ A sequential or gradual restoration of the outbuildings, in accordance <br />with available funds and possible uses, would be preferred. <br />^ The farmstead could represent or replicate the 1920's agricultural <br />heritage of the County, within the context of other Orange County <br />farming practices at other times. <br />^ Discuss with State and federal agency partners the potential for <br />collaboration on future farmstead exhibits and demonstration areas. <br />18 <br />