By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com

For the last year River Farm’s gates have been closed to the public, but that is set to change for the historic property adjacent to the Potomac River – and with a $1 million gift to boot.

After putting the property on the open market last October, the American Horticultural Society, the nonprofit headquartered on the property, has faced boardroom drama, investigations from two attorneys general and widespread community support for keeping the property open to the public. With the five AHS board members who supported the sale resigning last month, the remaining five board members announced plans to reopen the property, along with a $1 million gift from board member Marcia Zech, during a press conference on Monday.

AHS also announced Keith Tomlinson would be joining AHS as the organization’s new executive director. Tomlinson previously served as manager of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia for the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority.