But despite a heated local debate over the fate of the house, the decision ultimately rests on the state, which owns the land in question.With tales of harpooning a shark weighing more than 900 pounds in the waters of City Dock to a former president docking there, the little house once known as a resort for watermen along the East Coast is at risk as the National Sailing Hall of Fame eyes the property as the site for its museum of maritime history.

"I think it's very important the house be preserved," said Bryan J. Miller, a downtown resident, community activist and member of the Friends of William H. Burtis Foundation. "It is the sole remaining building from the whole Hell Point neighborhood."

And he's not alone in that thinking. As of late, many supporters have stepped up to voice their concern over the preservation of the house. Saying they are not opposed to the National Sailing Hall of Fame idea, just the proposed location.

The century-old building is the sixth location Sailing Hall officials have looked at. They say it's the best fit - waterfront property in a highly visible, tourist section of downtown.

Lee Tawney, executive director of the Sailing Hall of Fame, said the key selling point on the location is the waterfront property.

"The fact is that it's part of the business community and downtown Annapolis, it's the center of tourism for Annapolis," he said of the waterfront. "We're still working through the process and part of it now is votes from the City Council."

It's not as if Sailing Hall officials are ignoring the key issue. The group has looked at several other sites, including the city's recreation center downtown, the second floor of the Helly Hanson building on Main Street and even the David Taylor property across the Severn River. Still, they come back to the City Dock location, saying the site best meets the needs of the proposed museum.

It also has been suggested to incorporate the Burtis House into the fabric of the sailing museum. But the building would have to be raised above the flood plain and thousands of dollars worth of restorations put into it.

Historical spot

Considered one of the last links to Hell Point, a working class watermen's neighborhood, the Burtis family owned the Prince George Street property from 1882 until it was sold to the state in 1971.

Bill Powell, the great-great-grandson of William H. Burtis, and his wife Mary, have been fighting to save the house since a feasibility study released in December called for the building to be razed. The study was commissioned by the Sailing Hall of Fame.

The property currently is under the control the state and used as a base for Natural Resources Police.

Lillie T. Burtis, the widow of the grandson of William H. Burtis, the original owner of the house, conveyed the deed to the state for only a few dollars, Mrs. Powell said.

And Mrs. Powell said it was done to keep the city from claiming the property and developing the waterfront space into a parking garage in the late 1960s.

She recalled hearing fish tales about William H. Burits harpooning a 900-pound shark in the waters in 1897, donating the fish oil to the local blacksmith.

"Anything we tell you we can back it up, or else we wouldn't tell you," Mr. Powell said with a chuckle.

A constable in the Oyster Navy, Burtis also was a Union soldier in the Civil War, Mrs. Powell said. He died in the house in 1910 at the age of 78.

"This is a family that helped build Annapolis," Mrs. Powell said. "They are part of what built the city and made it what it is."

Edward Burtis, the eldest son, ran the historic Market House from 1904 until his death in 1924, according to "Gone to Market" by local author Ginger Doyel. His widow, Ella Burtis, took over the market only three days later and would continue as head mistress for 14 years.

"The city is destroying its own historic district by not taking any of their own history into account," Mr. Powell said.

Why now?

But some wonder why the house didn't receive too much attention until the Sailing Hall of Fame announced plans to build there.

William Schmickle, the former head of the city's Historic Preservation Commission and an Annapolis inn owner, said in the seven years he spent on the HPC, no one ever brought any concerns on the Burtis House to him.

But Mr. Schmickle said he sees this as an opportunity for Annapolis to move forward, saying the city needs to secure the Sailing Hall.

"I think that historic districts aren't just about the past," Mr. Schmickle said. "We're not just caretakers. But the consequence has been as Annapolis has made the transition from an oyster fishery to becoming the center of recreational and competitive sailing.

"We're not a museum," he said of the city. "We're a growing tree and every year we add rings of growth to that tree. We want to keep adding rings and we want them to be wonderful representations of what we were at the time they were added."

Mr. Miller noted the building's adaptive use.

"Although it was deeded to the state, it was used adaptively," Mr. Miller said. "Maybe the house wasn't used that well, but it was serving a purpose and historic buildings often wind up serving like that."

He compared the adaptive use of the Burtis House with that of the Paca House, which previously served as a hotel. The Paca house was incorporated into the Carvel Hall Hotel in the early 1900s. The Historic Annapolis Foundation saved the house in the 1960s and opened it to the public in 1973.

"If it's not going to serve as the headquarters for the DNR, then it would make sense to take a look at restoring the house and the area down there," Mr. Miller said. "It serves as the sole remaining historic link to City Dock."

Mr. Schmickle, who also owns the Flag House Inn downtown said the district needs the Sailing Hall to compete with edge city development in Parole.

He said he's seen tourism drop off recently and he thinks the museum could bring about economic growth.

"The Sailing Hall of Fame is rooted in what has made Annapolis what it is today," Mr. Schmickle said. "It is exactly the kind of thing we need. We don't need an IMAX theater or some kind of amusement - the Sailing Hall of Fame is what we need."

The saving grace?

Alderman Richard Israel, D-Ward 1, has said he would not vote on approving the site of the museum without seeing some type of plan for the site and has expressed concern about it not being subject to the city's historic preservation guidelines as state property.

Mr. Israel also has introduced legislation to the City Council supporting the National Sailing Hall of Fame, but asked the Burtis House not be demolished in the process.

"I think we should celebrate all of our maritime history," he said. "I think they should look at other sites and want to be seen as offering alternatives. I favor the Sailing Hall of Fame, but it is up to the state to decide if the Burtis property should be used."

As a compromise, Mr. Israel suggested hall officials look to the city's recreation center at the corner of St. Mary's and Compromise streets, as well as a city-owned parking lot by Fawcett's Boat Supply.

"They should look at other sites," he said. "I want to be seen as offering alternatives."

In an effort to save the historic property, the Friends of William H. Burtis foundation was formed by the Powells and is continuing to take shape as a board of directors is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, Mr. Miller said.

The group seeks to save the house from demolition and eventually restore it as a maritime museum.

"The plan is to really appeal to a wide variety of people, represent the people of Annapolis," he said. "Everyone we've talked to is very positive about the idea of having the organization to preserve the house."

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nyoung@capitalgazette.com

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Printed headline: 'Preservation quandary'