HUGHESVILLE, Md. — The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area is pleased to announce that nearly $40,000 in seed grants have been awarded to heritage tourism projects in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. Funding will support parks, museums, historic sites, and other projects that attract tourists to the region and enrich the lives of residents.
The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area Seed Grant Program provides nonprofit organizations and jurisdictions within the state heritage area boundaries (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s counties) with up to $5,000 in funding to create and enhance heritage tourism projects. The support of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties have helped to make this opportunity possible.
“We call this opportunity a Seed Grant, as from a seed, larger things can grow,” said Lucille Walker, executive director of the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area. “We are both a state and national heritage area and hope to expand this Seed Grant opportunity throughout our national heritage area borders, which includes southern Prince George’s County, in the near future.”
The seed grant funding announced today follows the more than $500,000 in Maryland heritage grants for Southern Maryland announced last week by Gov. Wes Moore.
The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area’s Grant Panel selected the following ten organizations and programs to receive the 2024 Seed Grant Awards:
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum
- Interpretive and Educational Material for the Patterson Gardens – $4,000
American Chestnut Land Trust
- Interpretive Panels for the Parkers Creek Heritage Trail – $3,700
Calvert Marine Museum
- Out of the Vault – $5,000
Farm Heritage Conservancy
- Southern Maryland Quilts: A Southern Maryland Tourist Attraction – $5,000
The Historic McConchie One-Room School
- Two Documentary Productions on the history and legacy of The Historic One-Room School at the Charles County Fairgrounds – $5,000
Ivy and Pearls of Southern Maryland Community Charities, Inc.
- Juneteenth Cultural Heritage Day – $5,000
Friends of the St. Clement’s Island and Piney Point Museums
- Preserving St. Mary’s County’s Traditional Wood Boat Building Tools – $2,165
Historic Sotterley, Inc.
- Visitor Brochure for Historic Sotterley – $5,000
Historic St. Mary’s City
- Building a Website for the Chancellor’s Point Project – $2,200
Southern MD Equity in History Coalition / Middleham & St. Peters Parish
- Accessing the Diverse History of Southern Maryland – $2,000
