In 2024, we witnessed firsthand how preservation strengthens communities, fosters economic growth, and ensures that the stories of Maryland’s past continue to inspire future generations. With nearly a dozen active Historic Property Redevelopment projects in counties across the state, The Campaign for Historic Trades’ work to create new pathways into trades careers, a record-breaking year for the Heritage Fund grant program, and new programming created, the work we accomplished together has left a lasting mark.
Join us as we reflect on some of our programmatic highlights of 2024. Together, we’re not just preserving history—we’re building a stronger Maryland for everyone.
The Campaign for Historic Trades
- Received both federal and Maryland state registration on a first-of-its-kind group apprenticeship program for in roles like deconstruction technician, historic window technician, and preservation carpenter.
- Wrapped up a two-year long project with its partner, El Centro de Conservación y Restauración de Puerto Rico (CENCOR), to translate historic trades training videos into Spanish. (pictured above).
- Attended dozens of community and recruitment events to educate attendees on The Campaign and internship opportunities.
- Named 2024 Harrison Goodall Fellow Kateri Lopez who is working on preserving adobe building traditions in New Mexico.
- Went on WYPR radio to discuss apprenticeships and how the survival of historic buildings depends on training the next generation of historic preservationists.
Preservation Initiatives, Grantmaking, and Outreach
- Held a total of 16 public programs
- 10 Legacy 250 workshops with NPS Chesapeake Gateways as we engage with communities to plan for a meaningful semiquincentennial in 2026.
- 6 Preservation Maryland workshops to educate local communities on topics around preservation.
- FY24 Heritage Fund received the most applications in a single funding cycle!
- The committee awarded 17 projects a total of $119,200 in funding.
- Preservation Maryland was awarded:
- $737,417, one of 17 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants awarded to support economic development through the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities across the country.
- A Department of Housing and Community Development grant to establish an “Assistance on Main Street” program.
- A Department of Commerce’s Maryland Alcohol Manufacturing Promotion Fund grant to fund Spirited History program to study the history of alcohol production in the state of Maryland
Historic Property Redevelopment Program
- Began work on the Burtis House in Annapolis, in preparation for structure stabilization, part of the Phase I of the Rehabilitation Plan. At the conclusion of this preliminary phase of work, the historic house will be stabilized and damage from previous flooding events will be remediated (lifted Burtis House pictured above).
- Completed the feasibility study and a full site evaluation – including civil, architectural field, and geotechnical surveys – for or the adaptive reuse of the historic jail as a center for preservation innovation. A solicitation for statements of qualifications for architectural and engineering services was released this month.
- Multiple Maryland Park Service projects underway, including a statewide Historic Structures Survey, Rock Run Mill in Harford County, and Elkridge Furnace Plank Houses in Howard County,
- Preservation Maryland was Awarded $750,000 by National Park Service for Fort Frederick Project
We also hosted our annual Phoenix Rising fundraiser, a statewide Smart Growth Workshop, sponsored the Summit of Maryland Indigenous People and Archaeologists with the Baltimore Community Archaeology Lab (BCAL) at Towson University and the Native American Liaison Committee of the Council for Maryland Archeology (CfMA), spoke out on our opposition to the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP), advocated during session, and released a special paper model series highlighting projects we’ve touched through grants, technical assistance, and our Historic Property Redevelopment Program.
This work is largely made possible by our generous donors. If you’d like to see us continue this important work across the state – and nationally via The Campaign for Historic Trades – please consider supporting our work.