Preservation Maryland

The countdown is REALLY on now. We're looking forward to seeing you at Phoenix Rising on October 17th, celebrating the accomplishments of the preservation community, including our Best of Maryland Awards presentation. As always, we'll have local food, drinks, and music in a historic setting - this year we're at The Loom at Meadow Mill. A few tickets remain and can be purchased directly below!

Preservation Maryland is soliciting proposals from qualified historic preservation professionals for a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) of the future Freedman’s State Historical Park. To be considered as eligible, respondents must meet one or more of the Professional Qualification Standards— or the equivalent—as set forth by the Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Standards and Guidelines; and have demonstrated experience in historic preservation. Preservation Maryland requests that interested parties respond to the solicitation by 4:30 P.M. ET on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024. Full RFP can be found on the blog at the link below.

Preservation Maryland has been awarded a $750,000 Semi-quincentennial grant from the National Park Service to fund a conditions assessment and critical repairs to Fort Frederick’s historic fort walls. Grants from the program’s third year support 19 historic preservation projects across nine states and are given to projects that restore and preserve sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation. “A joint effort between Preservation Maryland and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, this work will ensure this important historic site is preserved as interpretation is expanded to capture its complicated history for future visitation,” said Laura Houston, director of revitalization initiatives at Preservation Maryland. “In 2026 we will commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence – America’s 250th. As an organization we remain committed to playing an active role in this storytelling through our own programming and outreach initiatives that include not just restoring historic places, like Fort Frederick, but telling the full story of these resources in our nation’s history and looking ahead to how we contextualize and preserve over the next 250 years.”

The City of Frederick recently received grant funding from the Maryland Historical Trust to research and compile a historic context study identifying sites associated with slavery. With their partners at the African American Resources, Cultural Heritage Society of Frederick County (AARCH) and EHT Traceries, they hope to close the gap in scholarship relating to the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans and the institution of slavery in Frederick. Public input is needed to make this project a success. Please consider attending the outreach event on Tuesday, September 24th at 6 p.m.

Announcing our 2024 Best of Maryland award recipients! See who took home the President’s Leadership, Artisan, Phoenix, Gearhart, Preservation Champion, and Stewardship awards. Awards will be presented at our annual Phoenix Rising event on October 17th. We're exactly 30 days out...there is still time to purchase your tickets! https://lnkd.in/e-fqu2bB

Preservation Maryland and National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Launch Community Workshop Series to Commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary Preservation Maryland and National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways are collaborating to offer the capacity-building workshops at eight locations across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and two virtual options for those that can’t attend in person. Attendees will learn about the “who” and “how” of developing partnerships for fundraising and programming, access to real-world examples of successful local commemorative activities, and receive guidance on what to consider when planning activities. The schedule for the series of workshops is now live on the blog.

*Advocacy Alert* Preservation Maryland Opposes Route of Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project Through Historic Resources & Conserved Lands Today Preservation Maryland joined a growing number of organizations, landowners, elected officials, conservationists, and preservationists in voicing its opposition to the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). The MPRP project, which proponents describe as a “critical system enhancement” would construct an approximately 70-mile-long high-voltage electricity transmission line across Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties. It would traverse some of the most significant historic and scenic areas in Maryland’s Piedmont region, putting irreplaceable heritage sites, hundreds of acres of permanently protected farmland, locally owned agritourism businesses, and thousands of acres of public-and-private conserved lands at risk. Visit today's blog for our full statement and a series of maps depicting the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project through Baltimore, Frederick, and Carroll Counties, as well as a statewide view, and the historic resources and protected land it would impact.

We currently have two RFPs open: 1. Historic Preservation Research Soliciting proposals from qualified historians/architectural historians to conduct a comprehensive historical inquiry and produce a report on the history of alcohol production in the state of Maryland. 2. Elkridge Furnace Plank Houses Soliciting proposals from qualified firms for design-build services for the restoration of the plank houses at the Elkridge Furnace Complex, located at 5745 Furnace Ave, Elkridge, MD 21075. All RFPs can be found under the RFP tag on our blog or the "resources" dropdown on our website: https://lnkd.in/eaqMMgA6

Maryland Awards More Than $5 Million in Heritage Project Grants Governor Wes Moore announced 87 matching grant awards totaling $5.19 million for Maryland nonprofits, local jurisdictions, and heritage tourism organizations by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. Grant funding will support heritage tourism projects and activities and expand economic development and tourism-related jobs across Maryland. “The state’s 13 designated heritage areas are one of the primary tools used to encourage heritage tourism,” said Nicholas Redding, president & CEO of Preservation Maryland. “Heritage tourists stay longer and spend more than any other travelers, so an investment in Maryland Heritage Areas is an investment in an effective economic development tool and a more prosperous Maryland.”

The National Park Service(NPS) has identified opportunities to establish a national historic site and network program to preserve the legacies of Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools via its Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study. The study identifies Maryland’s San Domingo School in Wicomico County as a candidate to become a national historic site. The San Domingo School is a special piece of Maryland – and American – history, representing not only the legacy of Rosenwald Schools, but also the free Black men and women who founded the small Eastern Shore community.