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<br />HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION <br />Memorandum <br />Ta: Barry Jacobs, Chair, Orange County Board of Commissicners <br />From: Betsy Underwood, Chair, Historic Preservation Commission <br />Date: June 10, 2002 <br />Subject: Blackwood Farm <br />On behalf of the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) I would like to <br />thank the Board of Commissioners for recognizing the importance of the Blackwood Farm <br />as an irreplaceable local resource, and including it among the County's recent <br />acquisitions. Few other sites provide such a Zink to our architectural and agricultural <br />heritage within such a scenic setting, and we share the Agricultural Preservation Board's <br />assessment that the Blackwood Farm is a special place worthy of preservation. While our <br />appreciation of the site extends to its agricultural legacy our focus is on preserving the <br />house and supporting building complex within its rural context. <br />While the Blackwood farmhouse does not retain the integrity of the house at the Cate <br />property, it exemplifies the common evolution of many Orange County houses. Built with <br />local materials, the original core dwelling was a log structure with a sturdy stone chimney. <br />The house was enlarged two-to-three more times with a series of additions to the rear. <br />Finally during the Blackwood period of ownership, entire house was updated to reflect the <br />popular side-gable bungalow form with the addition of a large front dormer. <br />The "period of significance" for the Blackwood house is around 1920-1940 because the <br />existing building reflects the Blackwood ownership and expansion; the character of the <br />original sections of the house, which date to the 1820s and 1840s, are no longer visible <br />except for the dates in the chimneys. The early twentieth-century character of the house <br />and its outbuildings does not reduce its importance to the architectural history of Orange <br />County, however. The house tells an important story in its existing condition, in that it <br />documents the success of one local family to undertake a substantial renovation project to <br />update an older house to reflect current architectural trends. <br />The Historic Preservation Commission discussed many potential uses for the building <br />complex at theirjoint site visit in April with the Agricultural Preservation Board and the <br />Planning Board and at their May and June meetings., The HPC shared many of the APB's <br />ideas for using the property for agricultural education and rural heritage purposes, while <br />