BALTIMORE (December 4, 2025) — Statewide nonprofit Preservation Maryland, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), today announced the recipients of the 2025 Maryland Maritime Heritage Grant Program, awarding $200,000 to seven projects that preserve, interpret, and celebrate the state’s irreplaceable maritime history.
From the working vessels of the Chesapeake Bay to community heritage events and critical rehabilitation projects, this year’s awardees reflect the breadth and depth of Maryland’s maritime story. The competitive annual program, supported by the state’s Waterway Improvement Fund, provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations and local governments working to safeguard the traditions, structures, and cultural resources that define Maryland’s relationship to the Bay and its waterways. The program was created through 2024 legislation championed by then–Senator Sarah Elfreth, whose leadership helped ensure dedicated support for Maryland’s maritime heritage.
“Maryland’s maritime heritage is not just history—it’s a living legacy that continues to shape our communities,” said Preservation Maryland President & CEO Nicholas Redding. “We’re proud to support these projects that ensure this history remains visible, accessible, and celebrated.”
2025 Grant Awardees
• Celebrating Maritime Heritage in the Chesapeake Crossroads
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County — Programmatic Grant
Award: $36,000
Expanded public interpretation and engagement programming in the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area.
• Underground Underwater at the Tompson Quarter: An Immersive America250 Experience
Cambridge, Dorchester County — Programmatic Grant
Award: $34,000
An immersive exhibit connecting underwater archaeology with the upcoming America250 commemoration.
• Drum Point Lighthouse Rehabilitation
Solomons, Calvert County — Capital Grant
Award: $30,000
Critical preservation work on one of Southern Maryland’s most iconic Chesapeake Bay beacons.
• S.S. John W. Brown Fire Protection System
Baltimore City — Capital Grant
Award: $30,000
Upgrades to essential safety systems aboard one of the last surviving Liberty Ships.
• Talbot County Public Landings Maritime Heritage
Easton, Talbot County — Programmatic Grant
Award: $25,000
Interpretive and educational enhancements at historic public landings across Talbot County.
• Skipjack Martha Lewis Rehabilitation for U.S. Coast Guard Certification
Havre de Grace, Harford County — Capital Grant
Award: $25,000
Repairs and upgrades to return the Martha Lewis—one of the Bay’s last working skipjacks—to active certification.
• 30th Anniversary Choptank Heritage Skipjack Race
Cambridge, Dorchester County — Programmatic Grant
Award: $20,000
Support for the landmark anniversary of a signature event celebrating traditional Chesapeake workboats.
This year’s grants support projects across six counties and Baltimore City, selected from a competitive pool of 33 applications from 11 different counties and the City. Grantees combine these awards with other funding and community resources to complete their work, allowing the program’s investment to reach further and make a meaningful impact statewide.
The Maryland Maritime Heritage Grant Program will reopen for applications in 2026. More information, including program guidelines and deadlines, is available at presmd.org/marylandmaritime.