A historic Carroll County farm that belonged to former Communist Whittaker Chambers -- who figured in one of the most sensational spy cases of the McCarthy era -- received preliminary approval for agricultural preservation yesterday.
The 202-acre farm, owned by Chambers' son, John Chambers, was among nine properties -- totaling more than 1,000 acres -- that the county planning commission recommended be included in the agricultural preservation district.
The Chambers farm drew national attention in 1948, when Chambers produced microfilm from a hollowed-out pumpkin that purportedly tied former State Department official Alger Hiss to Soviet agents. The "Pumpkin Papers" led to Hiss' conviction for perjury.
The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the county commissioners approve the nine farms and forward them to the state.
The farms are on their way to becoming agricultural preservation districts.
Pub Date: 5/19/99
