Ferry Hill Plantation House (Historic Structure Report, part 3)

Section 6:

Treatment and Use

Treatment Options

The Period of Significance of the Ferry Hill Plantation House must be determined before recommendations are formulated concerning its treatment and use. Several options exist for establishing the Period of Significance. With each option, there is a related approach toward treatment to allow for its interpretation. In several cases, more than one approach toward treatment exists, and these will be discussed. Finally, a number of uses that are compatible with any of the suggested Periods of Significance or treatments will be discussed. Because ultimate treatment will depend upon available funding, a phase-in of treatments and uses may be required. Where this has impact on the treatments being recommended, it will be noted.


Option One: c1828 - c1924.
The building is located within the boundaries of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Based on the park's enabling legislation, the park generally interprets the canal construction and operation from 1828 to 1924. One option for the designated Period of Significance for the Ferry Hill Plantation House is to have it coincide with this park period. Certainly the property was directly involved with events that occurred during the development and operation of the Canal. The period also includes the entire Civil War era, a significant event not only for the Canal and the Plantation, but also for the entire region and country.

One disadvantage with this designation is that it fails to include other significant aspects of the history of the house, for example the original construction or the later demise of the plantation operation. Additionally, such a designation does not correspond precisely to any of the Periods established in the property's ownership history or architectural development, as outlined in the previous section...