Rally to Protect Towson Landmark Planned for Sunday

TOWSON, MD — Towson residents are banding together to advocate for the Bosley Mansion to be preserved.

The mansion, which was built in the mid 1800s, is owned by Presbyterian Home, a nonprofit that is selling the property.

At the “Take A Stand” event — planned for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28 — Councilman David Marks and a member of the Preservation Alliance will discuss the effort to designate the Bosley Mansion as a landmark.

The Greater Towson Community Association passed a motion on Aug. 18 in support of landmark protection to preserve the Bosley Mansion and its green space.

Built in the mid 1800s, the mansion is one of a few buildings of its kind remaining in the area from that time period, according to the Maryland Historical Trust. It was built by Dr. Grafton M. Bosley, who inherited much of the acreage making up west Towson and donated the land for the county's courthouse.

The Bosley Mansion, which the doctor built as his residence, was privately held until 1929 when faith-based nonprofit Presbyterian Home purchased the property for a nursing home.

After losing money in the saturated Towson nursing home market, Presbyterian Home recently decided to close the facility by early November and focus on building in Harford County, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

When a buyer emerged for the Towson property, Baltimore County was said to be first in line with a vision.
The county proposed using the campus for office space in discussions with Caves Valley, which is buying the property from Presbyterian Home, according to The Baltimore Sun.

After community members expressed concern that offices filled with county employees would congest the area with traffic, a spokesman for the county executive's office said they were no longer pursuing the property due the lack of "community consensus," according to the newspaper.

Residents said they were pleased with the decision but still planned to hold an event this weekend to raise awareness about the property's historic significant status.

"We continue to support historic preservation status for this unique and historically significant building," the Southland Hills Improvement Association said in a statement, which noted the community looks forward to collaborating with whoever develops the site to ensure its historic status is honored and it remains "consistent with the residential character of the surrounding community."

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The Take a Stand event will be at the Bosley Mansion, 400 Georgia Court, Towson, at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28. There will be children’s activities and a community photograph at 6:15 p.m. with the Bosley Mansion in the background.

The Baltimore County Landmark Preservation Commission meets at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, in the Jefferson Building at 105 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson, in room 104.

Photo of Bosley Mansion via Maryland Historical Trust.