Hood expands its footprint on Magnolia Ave.

By Caleb Dolan //

Hood College has purchased a house at 506 Magnolia Ave. as part of a strategic effort to acquire properties near campus, according to college president, Debbie Ricker. 

The property could be used as transitional housing for new executive employees and select faculty members who need temporary housing while searching for a permanent home in the Frederick area. 

The Hood College Board of Trustees approved a resolution in 2022 directing the college administration to move forward with strategic purchases of properties around campus, Ricker said. 

“When the house came on the market, the college used its ‘strategic initiative fund’ to purchase the property,” Ricker said. 

Ricker said the house will initially serve as a temporary residence for new employees who may need additional time to find permanent housing after accepting a position at Hood. 

“The hope is to use it as executive transitional housing if we hire someone who needs to be here for a certain period of time and really needs time for a house search,” she said. “They could stay there while they look for a house.” 

Ricker said transitional housing can make the process of moving to Frederick, Maryland, easier for new employees, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the area. 

She experienced a similar situation when she joined Hood College as provost. 

Ricker said living in the house for six months while she was provost helped her learn the city of Frederick and find a practical middle ground for her job and the FBI commute of her partner, Chris.

“It was a great way to get familiar with Frederick while still being close to work,” Ricker said.

The temporary housing could be particularly useful for employees who are relocating to Frederick from outside the area, allowing them to become familiar with the community before committing to a permanent residence. 

“That transitional housing space for executive hires, sometimes for faculty hires, is sometimes what we need, so we’ll lean on the house for that for the time being, and we’ll see where we’ll go from there,” Ricker said. 

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