SNOW HILL, Md. -- At 301 Willow Street sits an old and abandoned house. In a past life, it was home to African-Americans who worked on the banks of the Pocomoke River.
Over the years though, the building has sat neglected and now is in desperate need of repair. Overgrown with vines, the outside is not what you would call pretty. Take a look inside and it doesn't get much better, which is why the property is now at a crossroads.
"It needs someone to come and either, frankly, tear it down and start fresh or do something nice to rehab it," said Rick Pollitt, Snow Hill's town manager.
The town has tried selling the property, but as of May 1st, 2024, they haven't had much luck. That's when, according to Pollitt, town leaders drew inspiration from outside of Snow Hill limits.
"I got thinking about the Charles Chipman Center in Salisbury," said Pollitt. "I'm very familiar with them, Dr. Chipman and his legacy, the Chipman Cultural Center."
So the new hope in town is to turn the building on Willow Street into Snow Hill's own version of the Chipman Cultural Center.
"We think it's a good opportunity to make that connection to our African-American heritage and it could be a living tribute going forward," said Pollitt.
Keyina Voyles has lived on Willow Street for a number of years, and she said would love to see the piece of forgotten history get some much needed TLC. She also thinks a new cultural and heritage center would fill a void.
"I was telling my friends not too long ago, instead of traveling far to see museums and stuff it would be nice if there was one in town that we could go to and see," said Voyles.
If the town sells the property, it would have to be bid out and its future would be up in the air. But Pollitt said there is an idea to partner with the Snow Hill African-American Heritage Society.
If that happens, the possibility of the building turning into a heritage center is a lot more likely.
