Maryland Historical Trust Receives $30,000 Grant
to Document Rosenwald Schools

Federal Grant Funds will Support the
Nomination of Rosenwald Schools to the
National Register of Historic Places

(March 24, 2023) CROWNSVILLE, MD – The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), a division of the Maryland Department of Planning, announced a $30,000 federal grant to support a project to nominate the Rosenwald Schools to the National Register of Historic Places. The funding was awarded by the Underrepresented Community Grant Program through the Historic Preservation Fund, which the National Park Service, Department of Interior administers. This grant program supports state, tribal, and local agencies in their efforts to increase diversity in nominations to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Rosenwald Schools tell a critically important story in the history of education. These schools received assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, created by the president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company to  construct school buildings for Black children in the early twentieth century. The foundation provided seed money, while the local Black community and county boards of education provided the majority of construction costs. In addition to funding, the Rosenwald Foundation also provided state-of-the-art architectural plans for school construction, featuring banks of windows so students could learn in a healthful environment that was well-lit and ventilated. Between 1918 and 1932, 156 Rosenwald Schools were constructed in
20 Maryland counties. Approximately 50 of these schools remain today.

This project will nominate three Rosenwald Schools to the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of our nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

“National Register listings increase awareness and provide a community an additional voice through heightened recognition of its history,” said Elizabeth Hughes, MHT Director and the State Historic Preservation Officer. “This work is particularly important because places significant to African American history are underrepresented in the National Register. The Maryland Historical Trust is committed to expanding documentation so that we can tell the full story of our history.”

MHT has previously received Underrepresented Community grant awards, which have supported projects to survey and document the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage Movement, Asian American heritage, American Indian heritage, and an update to the Chestertown Historic District. Questions or comments about this project can be directed to Jessica French, MHT Administrator of Evaluation and Registration, at jessica.french@maryland.gov.

The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) is a state agency dedicated to preserving and interpreting the legacy of Maryland’s past. Through research, conservation, and education, MHT assists the people of Maryland in understanding their historical and cultural heritage. MHT is an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning and serves as Maryland’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

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