On Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2013, the old Bunning farmhouse was a building sitting along Church Road, dilapidated and in need of many repairs.
One year later, hundreds of volunteers came to work on the property as part of a service project. In one year’s time, the farmhouse looks completely different, as it has been transformed into the Dr. James Still Historic Office Site and Education Center.
The education center was created to teach the story of Still, a former slave who became a doctor in the mid-1800s and educated himself in using plants and herbs to cure ailments. The treatment was revolutionary at the time, and Still’s office where he did much of his work sits next to the site of the education center.
Janet Carlson Giardina has been supervising the project for the historical society and is now the educational coordinator at the center.
“I can’t even describe how much time and effort has gone into this project,” Giardina said.
In June, the Medford Historical Society acquired a special use permit for the Bunning family farm, at 211 Church Road. For the next three months, volunteers donated money and time toward the restoration and beautification of the properties. Hours upon hours were spent renovating the farmhouse, both inside and out.
After three months of hard work, the Still Education Center finally opened at the Bunning farmhouse on Sept. 22.
Even though much work has been done on the site, volunteers returned to the farm and Still’s office last week to continue work on the properties.
One of the main projects last week was cleaning out the barn behind the farmhouse. Giardina said the barn will be transformed into a picnic area and education station this year. Volunteers were removing debris and dirt from inside.
Elsewhere around both properties, volunteers could be found clearing debris, raking leaves, hauling away dirt and picking up trash.
“There are a lot of people who have stepped up and done a lot of things,” Giardina said. “It’s students, it’s children, it’s adult citizens, and it hasn’t been any one group.”
Entire families and children used part of their day off to give back to the community. Giardina said the purpose of the site is to bring community togetherness and honor a great historical figure from the township.
What she believes is most important is most of the money donated to restore the site and make the education center come alive has come from individuals and families. The center has not been funded by any government entity.
“The community really came together just to make this happen, without partisanship and without one group doing it all,” she said.
The education center holds a variety of programs throughout the year. Giardina said the center has been able to bring in speakers who have waived or greatly reduced their fees. Any price charged for a program at the center is simply to cover operating expenses.
This has brought up a challenge faced by the historical society when it comes to restoring Still’s actual office at 209 Church Road. Giardina said a restoration project hasn’t begun yet because the estimated cost of the project ranges between $1 million and $2 million.
“We’ve never lost sight of what we want to do with the office,” she said.
Long-term, Giardina envisions both properties being accessible to the public and the creation of one large site that tells Still’s story.
“He chose to call Medford home, so we’re trying to keep that vision alive,” Giardina said. “Dr. Still was a loving and caring member of the Medford community.”
