FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Annapolis, MD: Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County is pleased to announce grant awards from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) for four major heritage projects in Annapolis and southern Anne Arundel County. Project grant funds of $214,450 will support development of regional heritage-related projects totaling more than $859,000. All grants are fully matched at the local level, leveraging non-state funding to develop new projects, products, and activities consistent with the city-, county- and state-approved heritage area Management Plan. In addition to the four project grants, Four Rivers received $100,000 for operating and program assistance, for a total of $314,450 in MHAA funding in the heritage area for the current fiscal year.

 

MHAA funding will support the following organizations with heritage-oriented projects: The Charles Carroll House of Annapolis, Inc. received a capital grant in the amount of $100,000 for the urgent rehabilitation and stabilization of the structure and roofing of the historic house, and the replacement of aging mechanical systems. This project is designed to ensure public safety and comfort and the future sustainability of this important national historic landmark.

 

Annapolis Maritime Museum received a grant in the amount of $50,000 for the fabrication and installation of its Oysters on the Half Shell Exhibition. This installation will be the principal feature in the Bay Experience Center in the museum s newly renovated McNasby Oyster Company building. The exhibit, which is scheduled to open in March 2010, will highlight both the natural history of the oyster and the cultural history of the people who made their living in the oyster industry.

 

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) received a grant in the amount of $50,000 for a history and archaeology project focused on the Contee Mansion Ruins and Farm complex at the former Java Plantation. On designated days, members of the public will be invited to participate in the excavations. Public programming will include a website explaining the history of the Contee Farm.

 

The Anne Arundel County Trust for Historic Preservation received a grant in the amount of $14,450 for the development of a Master Plan with regard to the Chew Site, an archaeological site in Friendship, Maryland. The Master Plan will research the long-term preservation and potential development of the site as a heritage tourism destination. The Chew Site is a nationally-significant archaeological resource that will shed new light on the colonial settlement of our region.

 

The operating and program assistance grant to the Four Rivers Heritage Area supports activities such as the annual mini-grants program, the annual heritage awards, regional interpreter training, networking meetings for site directors and managers, educational workshops, online resources, and new economic development and capacity-building initiatives. For more information, please call Four Rivers Executive Director Carol Benson at 410-222-1805; for a complete list of FY2010 MHAA grants, click here.