PIKESVILLE, Md. — What appears to be an abandoned farm house on Church Lane in Pikesville holds a lot of memories for three sisters who once called it their home.
“Bulls that used to get out and sit in the middle of Reisterstown Road,” recalled Melinda Hipsley.
“The horses have been out a few times too,” added her sister, Pam Valis.
A piece of what was once rural Baltimore County now enveloped by decades of development.
“We’ll be glad when the house is down, because no one’s ever walked in the house or lived in the house except our parents,” said Hipsley.
Baltimore County has now broken ground for a new park on the old Bowersox property preserving a rare undeveloped parcel to benefit the surrounding community.
“Our four-acre Meadow Creek Park will include a preserved greenway at Meadow Creek Church, a network of both improved and natural surface paths, a stepping stone stream crossing, (and) a nature-inspired playground,” announced Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski.
It’s part of what the county calls its ‘Program Open Space’ that forms a vast network of green spaces near waterways ultimately feeding into the Chesapeake Bay.
The county purchased the property for $432,000 and will now invest a $1 million more to transforming it into a community park of the future.
Now, a trio of sisters are prepared to let go of a piece of their past.
“My father was born in the house and he was also buried from the house so a lot of sentimental today here… an awful lot of sentimental so,” said Hipsley.
Forever mindful of their family history tied to the land, and the page, which must now be turned.
“Dad would have been thrilled that it’s just being left as open land. That’s what he wanted,” said Valis, “He just didn’t like all the development.”
“I’m glad it’s open space,” added the third sister, Karen Davis, “and I’m glad that the neighbors can enjoy it.”
