Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County is pleased to announce its 2007 mini grant awards. This matching mini grants program, made possible through financial support from the City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, leverages other funding to assist local heritage related non-profit organizations and municipalities within the heritage area to create new programs, products, and activities that preserve and enhance local historic, cultural and natural resources.

 

Organizations and projects approved for mini grant awards this year by the Four Rivers Board of Directors include:

 

• Annapolis Maritime Museum to support “Shucking & Tonging: A Day’s Work at McNasby’s,” an oral history project and component of its upcoming major exhibit, “Oysters on the Half Shell”
• Charles Carroll House of Annapolis, Inc., for development and printing of a new self guided tour brochure on the home of one of Annapolis’ signers of the Declaration of Independence
• City of Annapolis for archaeological monitoring of excavation work associated with the restoration of the Southgate Memorial Fountain; and for support of “Digging Deeper: Annapolis History Revealed,” a new walking tour brochure on five archaeological exhibits to be displayed around the City in time for the Annapolis Charter 300 commemoration in 2008
• Deale Area Historical Society for preparation of new exhibits in Deale on regional history & heritage
• Highland Beach Historical Commission for preparation of a photography exhibit, “The Scurlock Beach Connection,” based on the Smithsonian’s Scurlock Collection on life in Highland Beach, to be displayed at “Twin Oaks,” the Frederick Douglass Summer Home
• St. John’s College for preservation and display of The Last Will and Testament of Francis Scott Key, a graduate of St. John’s College, founder of its alumni association, and author of our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner
• Shady Side Rural Heritage Society for development of a new interpretive brochure and rack card, “Telling the Story of the Captain Salem Avery House”  
• West/Rhode Riverkeeper, Inc., for development of new educational outreach materials

“We are delighted to be able to help our heritage partners preserve and interpret regional history,” said Executive Director Donna Dudley, “and this year’s mini grant awards reflect the wide variety of terrific projects in our heritage area.”

 

Four Rivers is part of the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, recipient of Preserve America’s 2006 Presidential Award for heritage tourism. For more information on the Four Rivers Heritage Area--its activities and events, partners and products--please visit our newly designed website at www.fourriversheritage.org.