Upcoming HP Capital Grant Workshops REGISTER NOW for the remaining FY23 Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program webinars & in-person workshop! Attendance is free, but you must register to participate.   Applications will be available online beginning February 1, 2023 and will be due March 15, 2023. Visit the program web page for more information.

FY 2024 MHAA Grant Round is Live The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) FY 2024 grant materials for heritage tourism capital and non-capital projects are now available, including a newly revised and streamlined application! Over $5 million in grant funding will be available for heritage tourism and education projects across Maryland’s 13 heritage areas. Begin the first step in the application process by completing the Intent to Apply form (due January 31, 2023) on the MHAA website and mark your calendar to attend one of several virtual and in-person information sessions. Contact Andrew Arvizu or Martha Waldron with any questions.

A New Plan in the New Year

By Elizabeth Hughes, Maryland Historical Trust Director

Beginning in early 2023, MHT will embark on a new statewide planning effort to help align Maryland’s efforts in historic preservation and cultural heritage toward shared goals. The current plan, PreserveMaryland II, has served us well - even through a pandemic! As we begin to prepare for a new planning cycle, I wanted to reflect on some of the accomplishments under the current plan and invite your feedback as we begin to look at setting goals for the future.

• Since 2019, we have dramatically bolstered our online content and public engagement, adding a new Instagram account and YouTube channel to our already growing Facebook audience, which allows us to share educational videos on-demand with a much broader audience. MHT and MHAA, which MHT staffs, have launched efforts to increase the participation of historically marginalized and underserved constituents in our programs, especially our financial incentives. We look forward to building on these foundations and continuing to increase access and participation for all Marylanders in the next iteration of the statewide plan. (Goal 1: Connect with Broader Audiences)
• MHT has continued to make enhancements to its grants programs to improve accessibility and ease of use by streamlining forms and requirements. By popular request, MHAA and the Certified Local Government Program eliminated cash match requirements, which will foster a more diverse pool of grant applicants. The Maryland General Assembly recently endorsed the work of the African American Heritage Preservation Program, which MHT co-administers with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC), by increasing the program’s authorization from $1 million to $5 million. With MCAAHC, MHT also helped produce a report on the needs and opportunities facing African American cemeteries in the state, which includes recommendations for additional support for historic Black cemeteries. (Goal 2: Improve the Framework for Preservation)
• MHT’s Historic Preservation Non-Capital Grant Program and supplementary funding through the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Community grants have helped expand and update documentation on cultural properties prioritized in PreserveMaryland II. Since the plan launched, MHT and its partners have funded new research on women’s suffrage, LGBTQ heritage, indigenous sites, Asian American communities, the African American Civil Rights legacy in Baltimore, and more. Archaeological and architectural research has also focused on sites threatened by climate change in Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore. (Goal 3: Expand and Update Documentation)
• While Covid-19 interrupted some of the strategies for increased networking and training opportunities, MHT continued to build its training offerings, including public archaeology and the revamped Architectural Fieldwork Symposium, and moved to engage more stakeholders virtually. New efforts included a National Alliance of Preservation Commissions training for Certified Local Governments statewide, as well as quarterly listening sessions on different topics, which allowed for peer-to-peer exchange. With a new outreach coordinator position, we look forward to relaunching more and varied in-person programming in 2023, including MHT Roadshows. (Goal 4: Build Capacity and Strengthen Networks)
• MHT continues to collaborate with sister agencies and other partners to protect and restore historic and cultural sites. Since PreserveMaryland launched, senior staff from MHT have worked closely with the Department of General Services on the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Maryland State House, and MHT archaeologists have worked on land held by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration and the Department of Natural Resources to conduct assessments and protect sites from looters. MHT also participates in interagency planning efforts, such as the Maryland Commission on Climate Change’s Adaptation and Resiliency Working Group. (Goal 5: Collaborate Toward Shared Objectives)

Black Walnut Point, one of the oldest surviving buildings on Smith Island. Photo by Paul B. Touart

As we begin to prepare for a new planning cycle, I wanted to reflect on some of the accomplishments under the current plan and invite your feedback as we begin to look at setting new goals for the future. There will be many more opportunities to engage in 2023! In the meantime, best wishes for the holiday season.

MHT Press Holiday Book Sale Hurry before it's too late! The MHT Press Holiday Book Sale offers up to 60% off on most titles in their inventory. Titles cover everything from architecture to archaeology, but all focus on the Maryland we know and love. Ends December 31st, so get your orders in soon. You can download the form here.

OUR HISTORY, OUR HERITAGE: BLOG ROUND-UP