The Friends of Warner Circle
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Opera in the Circle Returns to Warner Circle Park!
Opera in the Circle is making a return in the fall of 2021! Organized by the Friends of Warner Circle and co-hosted by the K'town Ladies Guild and the Kensington Historical Society, Opera in the Circle features a group of local, professional opera performers singing popular arias and duets. They will be led by conductor Giovanni Reggioli. The concert will take place at Warner Circle Park on Sunday, September 19th from 4:30-7:00pm. Bring your friends, family, and don’t forget your chairs, blankets and picnics. Opera in the Circle is one of many public uses of Warner Circle park in Kensington, MD. With the historic Warner Mansion at its center, the Park offers green space, gathering space, and outdoor event space through Montgomery County Parks. |
Warner Circle Park News Update!
On January 31, 2019, Washington Landmark Construction (WLC) presented a proposal for use of the buildings at Warner Circle Park to the Friends of Warner Circle, the first public presentation following its Letter of Intent to Montgomery County Parks and Planning. The process continued with a public meeting in Kensington on May 14, 2019, at which WLC's proposal was well-received.
Since then, WLC has been working with the relevant County agencies to have its proposal approved, hoping to move forward with the rehabilitation and renovation of Warner Mansion and Carriage House as condominium buildings. (Note: the building plans in the Presentation are not final or binding in any way, but were meant to illustrate the proposed usage.)
NOW, in May 2021, more than two years after the initial community meeting about the proposal, the Friends of Warner Circle and the Town of Kensington are asking the Montgomery County government to take action on this proposal before the buildings at Warner undergo further deterioration. Please read the FOWC Petition linked HERE, and sign it if you agree with the points made. You can reach FOWC with any questions or comments HERE.
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1. The WLC proposal will in no way affect public use of the Warner grounds, which is officially and for all time "Warner Circle Park." The Park is widely used for an extraordinary array of purposes and that will continue! Events like Opera in the Circle and Pumpkin Rock 'n Roll ... the proposed Reading Garden leading to Noyes Children's Library and the Noyes StoryWalks® ... fitness classes and art sessions ... these are only some of the diverse ways this land is used and enjoyed.
2. In the 16 years since Montgomery Parks acquired the Warner property, no other valid proposal has been presented. WLC, as "tenant" of the historic buildings, will be responsible for the over $5 million required to make the buildings usable - and that is money that Montgomery County has not been and will not be able to allocate.
3. The WLC proposal has the support of all stakeholders: the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission and the Maryland Historical Trust, as well as the District 18 state delegates. The Mayor and Town Council of Kensington have unanimously voiced their support for the proposal, both in a 2019 resolution and in a resolution they approved at a Town Council meeting on May 10, 2021. Following that Resolution, the Friends of Warner Circle (FOWC) has created a petition to urge County Executive Marc Elrich to sign off on the WLC proposal and move the project forward.
About the Friends: Engaging the Community to Advocate for Warner
Warner Circle Special Park sits on 4.5 acres located in the heart of the Kensington Historic District, right across the street from Noyes Children's Library. Brainard Warner, the founder of the town and of Noyes, and a significant figure in the development of Montgomery County and Washington, DC, lived with his family in the Warner Mansion.
Maryland-National Capital Parks & Planning Commission ("Parks") acquired the site in 2005-2006 through the Legacy Open Space program to preserve the historic landscape that has served as de facto public parkland for decades, and to preserve the historic buildings by providing a public benefit through their adaptive reuse.
The property is a primary resource in the Kensington Historic District, listed on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation and the National Register of Historic Places. It includes an 1893-1914 Queen Anne House and a 1914 carriage house. The site was a private residence until the late 1940s when it was converted into a nursing home. The Brainard Warner Manor is one of 117 historic structures located in Montgomery County Parks.
Since 2006, Parks has worked closely with the community to identify an appropriate use for the Warner Mansion and Carriage House and to get the word out to prospective tenants. While a tenant has not yet been found, the Friends of Warner Circle - made up of residents with a wide range of backgrounds and skills - has dedicated itself to moving the search forward. Partners in this effort include the Town of Kensington, Kensington Historical Society, Warner Reading Garden Committee, and the Noyes Children's Library Foundation.
The Friends of Warner Circle is a group of local residents who are working together to promote the beneficial future use, good stewardship, and public enjoyment of this historic cultural landscape and its buildings. You can read the Friend's Principles HERE.
If you’d like to learn more or get involved, contact the Friends of Warner Circle.
A Day in the Life of the Future Warner Circle
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The vision for Warner Circle Park is of a thriving property, restored and renovated according to accepted historic preservation principles, engaging Kensington residents and visitors through use of the Park's green space for daily activities and special events; use of public spaces in the Mansion for community meetings and social gatherings; and use of the rest of the Mansion and Carriage House for a productive purpose that is in keeping with the guidelines created by the Parks Department through community meetings. The community has already taken steps toward this vision with its Warner Reading Garden Committee; with the popular and exciting Pumpkin Rock 'n Roll event for the past three Halloweens; and with daily use by families, school groups, dog walkers, painters, Noyes patrons, and more. To get involved in making the vision a reality, click HERE to email the Friends of Warner Circle! |
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Timeline of a Community Centerpiece
Events at Warner Circle Park
"The Snowy Day" StoryWalk® Captivates Children
From February 6-March 14, 2021, the Noyes Children's Library Foundation, in partnership with Montgomery Parks, presented the children's classic "The Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats, as a StoryWalk® on the grounds of Warner Circle Park.
Storywalks® are early literacy opportunities that invite families to read a book while walking outdoors. The Snowy Day StoryWalk®, the Foundation's second after presenting The Mitten along storefronts in downtown Kensington, celebrated Black History Month and the ground-breaking work of Keats in portraying children of color in his award-winning books. The story panels included fun suggestions for physical activities, and featured The Snowy Day in English on one side, and Spanish on the other.
Children and families picked up hundreds of free Snowy Day-themed craft kits made available by the Foundation at Noyes Children's Library, right across the street from Warner. For more information, click HERE!
Families Gather for Treats in the Park!
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On Saturday, February 22, 2020, Montgomery Parks hosted "S'mores and More" at Warner Circle Park in Kensington. Families gathered around fire pits to roast marshmallows, while bringing food to donate to the Manna Food Center. Participants got to enjoy the park and learn more about the work that the Friends of Warner Circle are doing on behalf of the historic Warner Mansion. |
Second Annual Opera in the Circle a Huge Success
Photos by Tony Ventouris
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Cloudless skies and an enthusiastic crowd greeted renowned conductor Giovanni Reggioli and his amazing opera singers at the second annual Opera in the Circle, held on September 22, 2019 at the Warner Circle Park in Kensington, MD.
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First Cycling in the Circle Event a Big Hit!
Children and families flocked to Warner Circle Park on Sunday, June 30 for the first ever Cycling in the Circle event. Bike safety activities, bike decorating and bike riding were enjoyed by all!
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Please check out the Montgomery County Parks flickr album of Cycling in the Circle HERE!
Thank you to all of the fantastic volunteers and sponsors who made the Cycling in the Circle event such a hit: Town of Kensington, Montgomery County Department of Transport, Maryland-National Capital Parks Police, Montgomery County Parks, Bike Hub Rockville, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Silver Cycles, District Cycle Works, Bimodal Solutions, League of Cycling Instructors, The Ditto Group, AAA MidAtlantic and Noyes Library Foundation.
Thank you to all of the fantastic volunteers and sponsors who made the Cycling in the Circle event such a hit: Town of Kensington, Montgomery County Department of Transport, Maryland-National Capital Parks Police, Montgomery County Parks, Bike Hub Rockville, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Silver Cycles, District Cycle Works, Bimodal Solutions, League of Cycling Instructors, The Ditto Group, AAA MidAtlantic and Noyes Library Foundation.
