BERLIN – The Sinepuxent Questers formally concluded nearly three decades of support for historic preservation this month.
After 28 years of raising money to give to local preservation projects, dwindling membership prompted the Sinepuxent Questers to disband. The group is a local chapter of Questers International.
The chapter’s 13 members were presented with a citation from Delegate Mary Beth Carozza as they gathered a final time this week. Carol Rose, representing Carozza, said the chapter was being recognized for its philanthropic efforts through the years.
“This has made a huge impact in our community,” Rose said.
The group was formed in 1989 by a handful of local residents interested in promoting historic preservation.
“You just don’t want to see certain things torn down,” said Mardi Davis, who joined the group in 1990.
Members of the group hosted numerous fundraisers, ranging from bake sales to golf tournaments, to raise money to give to historic preservation projects. During the past 28 years Sinepuxent Questers provided local projects with $82,527. The biggest project was St. Martin’s Church, where the Questers’ donation of $50,850 funded general repairs as well as work on the pews. Davis says seeing repairs made at historic sites like the 1756 church has been rewarding. Eileen Martin, president of the Questers, agreed.
“It’s just the preservation spirit in all of us,” she said.
Martin said that while she’d only been in the group the past 11 years, some of its members had given decades to the cause.
“They all love preserving different buildings throughout Worcester County,” she said. “I’m impressed with what they did.”
In addition to supporting St. Martin’s Church, the group has given donations to the Costen House in Pocomoke, the Calvin B. Taylor Museum in Berlin, the Germantown Schoolhouse in Berlin and the museum and freight station in Girdletree. The group also supports the International Scholarship Fund as well as statewide Questers projects.
“Everything they’ve done has been good and it’s just a nice group of people,” member Therese Vezza said.
Rose, who serves on the board of the Taylor House Museum, has seen the significance of the Questers’ work.
“I know firsthand from being at the Taylor House how important the contributions of all the Questers groups are to maintaining our museum,” she said. “It’s priceless. It enables us to do so much more.”
Rose pointed out that there were four historic sites in Berlin alone—St. Martin’s Church (1756), the Taylor House (1832), the Rackliffe House (1740) and the Germantown School.
“Educating our young children in the county schools about our rich history in Worcester County is extremely important,” she said.
Financial support from the Questers enables the caretakers of those historic sites to maintain them.
“Your contributions to our community are very important,” Rose said.
While Davis says the dwindling and aging membership of the Sinepuxent Questers prompted the decision to disband, members who remain interested in the cause can join other area chapters of the organization.
