The Ellmore farmhouse is in the Floris Historic District on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites. Photo by Mercia Hobson.
Another park property has become available through the Resident Curator Program. The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is now accepting applications for the rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of the historic Ellmore Farmhouse in Frying Pan Park, at 2739 West Ox Road, Herndon.
The Resident Curator Program provides opportunity for individuals and organizations to secure long-term lease agreements in beautiful public park settings. The curator leases are without charge in exchange for a financial commitment and approved rehabilitation of the Park Authority’s underutilized historic properties. The deadline for submitting applications for the Ellmore Farmhouse is Thursday, March 14, 2019.
The Ellmore Farmhouse is a two-story, 3,300-square-foot vernacular farmhouse constructed principally of yellow pine in 1891 for Mrs. Mary W. Ellmore and her two children. Members of the Ellmore family occupied the property for more than 50 years, operating a productive dairy farm there through 1945 when the property was sold. The successive owners continued to operate a dairy farm until selling the farm in 1954. In February 2001, the Fairfax County Park Authority purchased the property for inclusion in Frying Pan Farm Park.
William Ellmore, who ran the property as a dairy farm, was a prominent local politician, serving on several boards, including the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, until his death in 1935. The house sits at the entrance of one of Fairfax County’s busiest parks, Frying Pan Farm Park, which preserves and interprets a 1920s through 1950s farm, agricultural process, rural community life and landscape with working farm demonstrations.
The Ellmore farmhouse is listed as a contributing structure within the Floris Historic District. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register on Aug. 12, 2010, by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. In addition, the Ellmore farmhouse is a contributing structure within the Floris Historic District on the Fairfax County Inventory of Historic Sites.
To identify potential lessees in the Resident Curator Program, FCPA is seeking proposals for the rehabilitation of Ellmore Farmhouse property. Curators will be determined through an open and competitive process, based on a number of criteria, including a formal proposal, demonstrated experience and competency in historic preservation techniques, financial capabilities, and the incorporation of public benefits.
Complete application forms and additional information can be found at Resident Curator Program, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/resident-curator-program.
For more information, contact Stephanie Langton, Manager, Resident Curator Program, at 703-324-8791.