A Legacy Gift for Hill Center

Kirsten Oldenburg remembers well the neglected Old Naval Hospital building sitting forlornly on the corner of 9th and Pennsylvania Ave SE.

“When I became the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) for the local member district, we held our commission meetings in
that decrepit old building,” she says. Oldenburg, a former transportation department official, says she was pleased to see the community pull together to raise the funds to rehabilitate the building and create Hill Center. “I thought it was a great idea.”

Following the historic rehabilitation of the old hospital and its grounds, the building re-opened its doors in the fall of 2011 as Hill Center, an exciting cultural,
arts and education center with space for meetings and events. Oldenburg’s ANC resumed meeting in the new space, and a new chapter began in the life of the graceful old building and its beautiful grounds.

Hill Center has more than lived up to its promise, according to Oldenburg. In fact, to see that the ‘great idea’ continues into the future, Oldenburg has included a legacy gift to Hill Center in her will. She says that Hill Center is a unique and much needed gathering place for the community, and she hopes her bequest will help keep Hill Center accessible and available to future generations.

“Hill Center is extremely important here on Capitol Hill. There was no place like it,” she says. “In addition to cultural and educational programs, the fact that there is a place where we can come – a central spot to gather in the heart of the neighborhood – is really important to the community, and to me.”

Giving back to the community is a priority for Oldenburg, and her estate planning reflects that. She believes her legacy gift will be put to good use, to help ensure the future of Hill Center, and that’s a good feeling. “It’s like volunteering in a different way…and it’s a great way to continue to be part of the community well into the future.”

Please contact Nicky Cymrot for information about including the Old Naval Hospital-Hill Center in your will, retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policy or bank or brokerage account. (Nicky@HillCenterDC.org; 202.997.5722)