The Custom House, a present to Washington College in 1993 from a Chestertown benefactor, has recently become the home to several of WC's programs. The centers that now reside in the Water Street building include: The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, The Center for the Study of Black Culture, and the Center for Environment and Society.
Also, in the near future, the Custom House will be the home to a new figure in the Chestertown community, the Chester Riverkeeper. The job of the Riverkeeper is that of an environmental watchdog who guards the health of the river. The position is to be modeled off of "The Hudson Riverkeeper," who serves that function in New York.
As a historical part of Chestertown, the Custom House sees many visitors from outside the college, including a recent "candlelight tour" and an upcoming driving tour. Many students, however, may be unaware of the location of the Custom House, and the fact that it now houses three WC centers.
The Custom House has upsides and downsides as a place to work, according to its new occupants.
"I miss the whole academic environment up the street," said Jean Sucharewicz, the Custom House's administrative assistant. "You don't see people as often, but it's a beautiful building, a beautiful location."
Andrew Stein, administrative assistant for the Center for Environment and Society, agreed that the Custom House is a beautiful place to work. "It's pretty cool," Stein said. "Last year we were at 100 Gibson, which was nice because it was on campus. It's taking a little time to get the whole business of things up and running, but it's coming together."
Although it is not on WC's main campus, the Custom House has a long history, beautiful architecture and overlooks the Chester river and the docking place of the Sultana. On a recent balmy afternoon, Kees DeMooy, the C.V. Starr Program Manager pointed out workers and visitors on the Sultana from the Custom House's back porch: "There they are, swabbing the deck ..."
In addition to its picturesque placement, the Custom House is indeed steeped in history. According to DeMooy, the house was first built in 1755, and was expanded in 1771. The house was originally built by Thomas Ringgold, who also lived in the Hynson-Ringgold House.
The area of the house built in 1755 was restored in the 1970s when the house was still under the private ownership of late Chestertown resident Wilbur Ross Hubbard. Then, though, in "he died in 1993 and gave the Custom House to the College in his will," DeMooy explained.
"It was in reasonable shape, but everything had to be updated, including lights, heat, electricity, computer lines, sprinkler systems, and paint," DeMooy said. "The main thing was to bring the systems up -to-date."
At the time of the renovations, an artifact dig was conducted in order to preserve important historical details about the house. Members of the WC community can look forward to an upcoming planned exhibit of what was discovered, including details about the dig.
Some of the expanded section that was built in 1771 remains still today, including much of the building's basement.
In the basement, original brickwork and artifacts can be seen, such as metal bars that were used to hang cooking pots. In another section of the basement, below the actual street level, DeMooy described the scene: "meat was hung from these hooks, and there was a vent hole to release moisture."
The C.V. Starr Center is currently using the Custom House for its workplace, library and a Wednesday night film series. According to DeMooy, "In early October, we'll have a grand opening for students, faculty and staff for the whole Custom House."
The Center for Environment and Society also has big plans in its new home. "We're looking to set up a lot of good internships for students," said Stein, adding that the Center wants to help many students, not just those interested in sciences. "We want to help the full gamut. We're hoping for every student who wants an internship this summer to get one in the environmental field." For more information about the Center for Environment and Society students can visit http://ces.washcoll.edu.
The Center for the Study of Black Culture has immediate plans for its time at the Custom House as well. "I'm going to co-sponsor with Wayne Bell [the Director of the Center for Environment and Society] 'Shantey Singers,' which is about 10-20 guys, African-American men who know the area well and know its history," Crenshaw said. "That will be in November."
Crenshaw also noted that "We're going to hold some receptions at the Custom House to show faculty and students what we're doing and to get students used to the idea of walking down here."
Overall, the occupants of the Custom House had positive reactions to their new office space. "You couldn't ask for a better environment," said Sucharewicz. "It's got such a historic past and a bright future. I think students would find this fascinating . . . our door is open."
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