Since 1931, Preservation Maryland has been making history by saving history – and your membership pledge will allow us to continue that 87 year legacy! Here are four reasons to support Preservation Maryland with a membership pledge today:
The ca. 1840 historic Shafer Farm on the Preservation Training Center day of service, 2017.
1. Preserving Threatened Historic Places Across the State
When we launched our Six-to-Fix program, the goal was to work with partners around the state to save threatened and endangered historic places. Preservation is tough, challenging, and complex work– but with a little grit and determination, we have been successful in turning retreat into advance. To date, this work has generated nearly a $13-to-$1 return on our donor’s investment; put another way, we’ve attracted nearly $2 million in outside funds and services for these projects at a cost of around $150,000 to Preservation Maryland.
Senator Cardin at the Phillips Packing Plant, MD, 2017.
2. Saving the Federal Historic Tax Credit
In late 2017, preservationists feared the absolute worst. The federal historic tax credit – the critical underpinning of over $2 billion in historic rehabilitation investment in Maryland alone – was on the chopping block. The staff of Preservation Maryland swung into action, launching one of the largest federal advocacy campaigns since our founding. The organization worked closely with the office of United States Senator Ben Cardin who worked with members on both sides of the aisle and played a major role in saving the credit.
3. Dramatically Increasing State Funding for Preservation
For nearly a decade, the State of Maryland failed to fund most of the traditional grant programs that make our work possible. In early 2017, we worked to get the first appropriation of funds in almost ten years to the state’s architectural survey/research and capital grant programs. Not satisfied, in 2018 we worked to increase funding over last year’s levels! Our advocacy secured additional funding for Non-Capital Grants, Maryland Heritage Areas, Program Open Space, and will provide for a brand new to-be-launched history museum grant program. None of this legislative success would have been possible without the financial support of our members who keep us on the ground in Annapolis making the case for Maryland’s history.
Antietam Creek Kayak group on the 155th anniversary of the battle.
4. Connecting People to Places and Resources
Whether online, in print, on-air, or in person – we are determined to connect with Marylanders of all stripes. We’ve launched an award-winning weekly podcast, PreserveCast. Our growing online contractor directory, PreserveList, provides the platform for historic property owners to connect with the resources they need to care for the places they love. Our dynamic and constantly updated website welcomed over 110,000 unique visitors in 2017. We also kicked-off a brand new Pop-Up Office program to take our staff into the field and provide hands-on support in rural communities. Together, we are reaching more Marylanders every day.