Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Ribbon Cutting Opens New Chapter for Westminster's Historic 1767 Durbin House

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Ribbon Cutting Opens New Chapter for Westminster's Historic 1767 Durbin House

Restored landmark preserves colonial history, the birth of American Methodism, and a vision for the future of Wakefield Valley Park

By Kevin Dayhoff July 28, 2026

WESTMINSTER, Md. — Nearly 260 years after William Durbin built his stone farmhouse on the Maryland frontier, community leaders gathered Tuesday afternoon, July 28, 2026, to celebrate the beginning of its next chapter.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony officially dedicated the restored 1767 Durbin House at 1000 Fenby Farm Road in Wakefield Valley Park, reopening one of Carroll County's oldest surviving homes and one of Westminster's most historically significant landmarks.

The program began at 3 p.m. with remarks by Jonathan Herman, chief contractor for the restoration project; Emily Huebner, director of operations and programs for the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area; Westminster Mayor Dr. Mona Becker; and Westminster Common Council President Tony Chiavacci.

Following the presentations, members of the Westminster Mayor and Common Council—Tony Chiavacci, Greg Pecoraro, Dan Hoff, Tom Beyard and Kevin Dayhoff—joined in cutting the ceremonial ribbon after a countdown led by Abby Gruber, Westminster's director of Recreation and Parks, who oversaw the successful completion of the multi-year restoration.

Among those attending were Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees, Carroll County Undersheriff Colonel Justin Baker, Westminster Deputy Police Chief Jason Jones, Lt. Steve Blackwell of the Westminster Police Department, Carroll County Commissioners Ken Kiler and Tom Gordon, and former Commissioner Dennis Frazier.

Although Tuesday's ceremony celebrated the completion of a restoration project, the history preserved inside the stone walls stretches back to a time before the United States existed.

The Durbin House was built in 1767—nine years before the Declaration of Independence and 22 years before George Washington was inaugurated as the nation's first president. When construction was completed, Carroll County had not yet been created, Westminster had not yet been incorporated, and Maryland remained a British colony.

According to the Historic Structure Assessment prepared for the City of Westminster in 2021 by Grove and Dall’Olio, Architects, the Durbin family's connection to the area began even earlier. Samuel Durbin and his wife, Ann Logsdon Durbin, settled near present-day Westminster during the early 1720s, when central Maryland was still considered part of the American frontier. In 1752 Samuel purchased a 150-acre tract known as Cobb's Choice, leaving 100 acres to his eldest son, William Durbin, who later built the house that still stands today.

The property remained in the Durbin family for more than a century. Following the death of Andrew Reese Durbin, the last Durbin family owner, the farm was sold in 1869 to Dr. James Billingslea. Three years later, in 1872, Benjamin Bixler purchased the property, beginning another long chapter in the history of one of Westminster's oldest farms.

Yet the importance of the Durbin House reaches well beyond its age. The home occupies a remarkable place in the history of Methodism in America.

According to the Maryland Historical Trust, "The beginnings of Methodism in America occurred in Carroll County with the establishment of a class meeting by Robert Strawbridge. William Durbin, who built this house, was a member of Strawbridge's original class. Bishop Francis Asbury visited Durbin at this house on November 22, 1772." The Trust also notes that Durbin served as a trustee of Westminster's Union Meeting House, reflecting his leadership in the young Methodist movement. The Union Meeting House was the seat of government for the area we know today as the City of Westminster, from 1790 to 1819.

The Historic Structure Assessment expands on that story, explaining that William Durbin and his wife were among the earliest converts influenced by Robert Strawbridge, the Irish lay preacher widely regarded as one of the founders of American Methodism. Their home became part of the network of early Methodist gatherings that helped spread the movement throughout the colonies. Subsequent generations of the Durbin family continued that religious legacy for decades.

That history means the Durbin House was already a center of religious life before the American Revolution, making it one of the few surviving Maryland homes that can document both colonial domestic life and the earliest years of organized Methodism in America.

Saving such an important landmark was far from certain. Emily Huebner recalled her first visit to the house with Abby Gruber in January 2020.

"When you first get the call about a historic building, you never know what that project's future will hold," Huebner said. Gruber warned her to dress for a house "in very rough shape." Wearing boots and carrying flashlights, the two explored a building occupied by raccoons, sidestepping holes in the floors while their lights illuminated graffiti. Instead of giving up, they began planning its rescue.

Working with preservation advisors, the first step became a comprehensive Historic Structure Assessment that established the roadmap for the restoration. The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area awarded an initial $25,000 grant for that study in 2020.

Additional grants followed—supporting exterior restoration, interior stabilization and rehabilitation. Huebner noted that nearly $294,000 in Heritage Area funding has now been invested in preserving the Durbin House, with the latest award supporting interpretation so visitors can better understand the site's extraordinary history.

"The Durbin House has lived many lives in the centuries since it was first built and it has served many purposes," Huebner said. "This remarkable preservation project has ensured that it will continue to serve this community in years to come."

The restoration also represents another milestone in Westminster's transformation of the former Wakefield Valley Golf Club, that Westminster Councilmember Greg Pecoraro has explained as a ‘legacy’ issue. In February 2016, Westminster acquired approximately 187 acres of the former golf course through the donation of developer Richard Kress, creating what is now Wakefield Valley Park. The property has since become the city's largest park while preserving open space, protecting water resources and safeguarding one of Carroll County's most significant historic structures.

For city officials and preservationists alike, Tuesday's ribbon cutting represented much more than the reopening of an old building. It celebrated nearly three centuries of local history—from frontier settlement and colonial life to the birth of American Methodism, from a family that helped shape early Westminster to a modern community determined to preserve its heritage.

Perhaps Huebner summarized it best. "The raccoons are gone," she said, "but the house is still standing and looking better than ever, and soon it will be telling its own story—which is part of all of our story, the history and meaning of this place."

For a house that stood before there was a United States, that story is only beginning to be told.

Published: Westminster Patch: https://patch.com/maryland/westminster/ribbon-cutting-opens-new-chapter-westminsters-historic-1767-durbin-house

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