Frederick County resident Katherine Solenberger has donated the historically significant Boak House in the Frederick County community of Gore to Willa Cather’s Virginia, a newly formed nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the building and its surrounding land, according to a media release from the group.

“This donation marks a vital step in honoring the legacy of Willa Cather, one of America’s most celebrated authors, whose work continues to inspire readers nationwide,” the release states.

Cather, renowned for her vivid portrayals of frontier life and the American experience, was born in the Boak House, the home of her maternal grandmother Rachel Seibert Boak, on Dec. 7, 1873.

Cather spent her early childhood in Gore, formerly known as the Back Creek Valley, and was g

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