By Jennifer J. Babiarz (Anne Arundel County), C. Jane Cox (Anne Arundel County), and Lisa H. Robbins (Lost Towns Project consultant) In 2022, The Lost Towns Project, Inc., in collaboration with the Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning’s Cultural Resources Section, began a county-wide study—documenting and contextualizing architectural and archaeological sites representing African American ..read more

By Steven X. Lee, Independent Historian In the ‘War of 1812’, when the British again sought claim of its former American Colonies, Maryland was a major scene. But among its many chronicles, outside of the focus of enslavement, acknowledgement of the patriotism and participation of Maryland’s free African Americans, has been relatively unknown. Indeed, it ..read more

Robert W. Johnson Community Center – Washington County ($150,000) | Sponsor: Robert W. Johnson Community Center, Inc. Funding will help restore the Robert W. Johnson Community Center – founded as a school for Black children in 1888 before becoming a Black YMCA in 1947 – so it can continue to be a place for community ..read more

MHT is excited to announce the FY2024 recipients of our Historic Preservation Non-Capital grants! Funded through the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Financing Fund, this grant program supports a wide variety of research, survey, planning, and educational activities involving architectural, archaeological, or cultural resources.  This year, a total of $300,000 is being awarded to non-profit organizations and universities for an ..read more

By Dr. Matthew D. McKnight, Chief Archaeologist Inspired by a desire to celebrate and acknowledge Native American Heritage Day, I was approached by a few MHT staffers to write a blog post highlighting some of our work related to Indigenous cultures in Maryland. While the entire archaeology team is frequently involved in research projects that ..read more

By Dr. Brenna Spray, MHT Outreach Coordinator In honor of International Underground Railroad Month, we want to share some of the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) easement sites included in the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom, an effort that aims to “honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight ..read more

By David Pierson, First and Franklin Presbyterian Church Elder  A History of First Presbyterian and Franklin Street Presbyterian Churches  The First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1761 by families who came to Baltimore Towne from the Pennsylvania frontier to escape the terrors of the French and Indian War. They were merchants, physicians, farmers, and builders ..read more

Lauren Schiszik, M.H.P., Historic Preservation Planner and Staff Archaeologist, Baltimore City Department of Planning The term “privy” means a secret and is often used as a colloquial term for outhouses. While the rough wooden outhouses are long gone from people’s backyards in Baltimore City and Maryland, the brick- or wood-lined pits that were used to ..read more

By Dr. Susan Langley, State Underwater Archaeologist How time flies; it doesn’t seem so long ago that the Maryland Maritime Archaeology Program was celebrating its 30th anniversary and now here we are at 35 already!  We will be kicking off the celebration with the launch of a citizen science opportunity; the Shipwreck Tagging Archaeological Management ..read more

By Dr. Brenna Spray, Outreach Coordinator Today is International Women’s Day and we are shining a spotlight on world-renowned conservator and paint analyst, Dr. Susan Buck! Susan has worked in the field of paint and finishes analysis since 1991 and completed her PhD in Art Conservation Research at the University of Delaware in 2003 where ..read more