"It is our pleasure to recognize the outstanding achievements of so many wonderful people and organizations and their service to heritage and historic preservation across Maryland. We especially appreciate the creativity and commitment of those who have had to persevere during this difficult time, and we look forward to experiencing these sites and programs virtually and, soon, in person," said Laura Davis Mears, Chairman of MHT’s Board of Trustees. 

The following people, places, and programs were recognized with 2021 awards: 

Hagerstown Underground Railroad Trail (Washington County). This self-guided walking trail, based on research by Hood College professor Dr. Emilie Amt, connects sites to histories of enslavement and liberation, detailing the stories of freedom-seekers and the people who helped them. The trail is also available online and as a mobile app. 
(Excellence in Media and Publications) 

Ballot and Beyond: Maryland’s Women’s History Podcast and Online Exhibit 
(Statewide). Sparked by the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Ballot & Beyond project team used 21st-century tools and an inclusive historic approach to elevate the history of Maryland’s suffragists and their lasting legacies. The result is a free, on-demand podcast series and multi-media website that illuminates remarkable Maryland women in 55 episodes. 
(Excellence in Media and Publications) 

“Five Minute Histories” by Baltimore Heritage, Inc. (Baltimore City) In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore Heritage created “Five Minute Histories” videos to engage the public virtually. Each short, unscripted video covers a different historic place in Baltimore, and the series has become wildly successful. More than 100 videos have been produced, touching viewers in Baltimore, Maryland, and around the world. 
(Excellence in Public Programming)    

The Black Vote Mural Project (Anne Arundel County). Responding to the 2020 Black History Month theme "African Americans and the Vote,” the Banneker–Douglass Museum launched The Black Vote Mural Project, a public exhibit that explores the intersection of public art, Black voices, and civil rights with sixteen murals that transform the interior galleries of the museum, as well as public programming. 
(Excellence in Community Engagement) 

Union Brothers Furniture Building (Baltimore City). The Union Brothers Furniture building was constructed in three distinct sections between 1923 and 1955, illustrating the rapid expansion of the company as well as the evolution of manufacturing facilities in the early-to-mid 20th century. The project benefited from federal, state, and local historic rehabilitation tax credits, ensuring commitment to the highest preservation standards, and successfully incorporates several green design approaches. 
(Excellence in Historic Preservation and Sustainable Design)   

Historic Rocky Springs Chapel, Inc. for Rocky Springs School House (Frederick County). Built in 1839, the one-room Rocky Springs School House is a rare reminder of Maryland's first attempt at a uniform system of primary school education. This project stabilized the building and carefully recorded details to inform the next phase of the project, the building’s restoration and reuse as a public center for historical interpretation and research. 
(Excellence in Institutional Rehabilitation)  

Hannelore B. Quigley, James J. Demma, Esq., and the Haiti Cemetery Association for Haiti Cemetery (Montgomery County). Haiti Cemetery opened in the 1880s to serve the kinship community of Haiti, descended primarily from the free and enslaved people who first settled there in the 19th century. The efforts of Ms. Quigley and Mr. Demma, together with members of the Crutchfield family, overcame the cemetery’s legal and financial burdens and led to the formation of the Haiti Cemetery Association, composed primarily of community members dedicated to maintenance and the future of this important historic place. 
(Project Excellence: Preservation Partnerships) 

A. Hoen & Co. Lithograph Center for Neighborhood Innovation (Baltimore City). Established in Baltimore in 1835, Hoen & Company was the oldest continuously operating lithographer in the United States and an economic driver in its East Baltimore community. This mixed-use development of the campus exemplifies the power of historic preservation and sustainable design to transform abandoned neighborhood anchors. 
(Project Excellence: Community Impact) 

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)/Sang Run State Park for Sang Run Election House (Garrett County). Dating to approximately 1872, the Sang Run Election House is a rare surviving example of voting locations that once existed to serve rural areas. Maryland DNR Engineering and Construction staff collaborated with a team from the Maryland Park Service and nearby State Parks to assess the building and create and implement a plan to return it to its original appearance. 
(Outstanding Stewardship by a Government Agency)   

Friends of Clifton Mansion for the Clifton Mansion Dining Room 
(Baltimore City). With CivicWorks, the building tenant, the Friends of Clifton Mansion, Inc., completed a major exterior rehabilitation of the property and are currently undertaking a room-by-room approach to interior restoration. Most recently, the Friends funded and managed the painstaking restoration of the octagonal dining room, built in 1812 and redecorated by philanthropist Johns Hopkins in the Victorian style. 
(Outstanding Stewardship of an MHT Easement Property) 

J.O.K. Walsh (Caroline County). As President of the Caroline County Historical Society for over 31 years, J.O.K. Walsh has collaborated with government, small businesses, nonprofits, and private donors to preserve four centuries of the history, buildings, landscapes, and cultural heritage of diverse populations in the county. 
(Outstanding Individual Leadership at the Local Level)