The 17th century manor house where the State of Maryland was first conceived—along with the University of Maryland's role in salvaging it—is the subject of a new Maryland Public Television documentary.

Kiplin Hall: The Birthplace of Maryland, details how college architecture students, led by UMD professor David Fogle, traveled to "Maryland’s Downton Abbey" in 1987 to conduct preservation work. The northern England estate fell into decline in the 20th century and was nearly torn down in the 1950s.

Fogle founded the Maryland International Study Centre at Kiplin Hall, where he and a group of students camped out over the manor’s stables and blacksmith shop while working to restore the "gray lady.”

Thanks to their impressive progress, the British government gave the estate special historical status and made it eligible for more funding, according to MPT.

Learn more about the Calvert family, the estate, and the project to restore it in the documentary, which airs Feb. 7 at 8:30 p.m. on MPT.