A small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore felt that its history might be lost forever if a proposed development was built on the land surrounding its oldest home - built in 1795.

Recognizing that the concerns were rooted deeper than in one property, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Urban Dialogues and local partners engaged the town in an innovative 4-phase community design process.

As a result, the threatened property is close to becoming a public park and the community developed - with the help of the leading organizations and many volunteers - a set of strategies for responding to the town's most pressing challenges.

This book tells the story and provides the town with a roadmap for implementing the recommended strategies.