The property sits on the Rhode River about halfway between the village of Galesville and the intersection of Route 2 and Muddy Creek Road in Edgewater.
Back in 1964, when it was deeded to the Smithsonian, the then-secretary of the institution and the board of directors didn't quite know what to do with it. They thought about selling it and adding the money to their endowment.
Back then it was known as the 365-acre Java Dairy Farm, although there were no longer any cows living there.
But soon they discovered that it was a great site for studying...
| This story has expired! You can purchase the full text in our news archives. |

If you encounter other problems, please email nlundskow@capitalgazette.com and include your name, username, and any errors or messages that are displayed. The more information you can provide, the better able we will be to assist you.
In order to post or vote on a comment, you must be signed in with a hometownannapolis account.
Take a look at a summary of Commenting Guidelines.
If you encounter other problems, please email nlundskow@capitalgazette.com and include your name, username, and any errors or messages that are displayed. The more information you can provide, the better able we will be to assist you.