Maryland's Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area gets over $400,000 for projects in Sharpsburg, Catoctin Furnace, more – Tri-State Alert

12 July 2024- Governor Wes Moore today announced 87 matching grant awards totaling $5.19 million for Maryland nonprofits, local jurisdictions, and heritage tourism organizations by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. Grant funding will support heritage tourism projects and activities and expand economic development and tourism-related jobs across Maryland.

“Our history is our power,” said Gov. Moore. “By prioritizing heritage tourism, we aren’t just investing in local economies, we are also empowering Marylanders to find their own strength in our collective past. These projects will make Maryland more competitive, support a diverse array of new partnerships, and enrich the lives of both visitors and residents alike.”

The Heritage Areas Program provides $2.4 billion in annual economic benefit and MHAA grants generate $319.8 million in state and local taxes while supporting 33,815 full- and part-time jobs annually. Organizations that will receive awards include museums, parks, historic sites, schools and other educational institutions, as well as other entities that steward and celebrate the unique cultural and natural resources located within one of 13 certified Maryland Heritage Areas.

“The Maryland Heritage Areas Program is a deeply important cultural and economic asset to the state, contributing immeasurably to our collective and individual senses of place, identity, and revealing the stories of all of its people within a broader socio-political context,” said Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Rebecca L. Flora. “I am extremely proud of the FY25 Maryland Heritage Areas Program grantees who embody and celebrate our shared history and heritage by telling the stories of Maryland’s diverse communities in authentic and engaging ways. Their success in doing so creates and preserves a vibrant array of authentic places that people love to visit, which drives cultural tourism, and the sustainable growth of the Maryland economy.” 

All 24 jurisdictions have at least part of one state-certified heritage area within their boundaries. Heritage areas foster broad public-private partnerships to preserve and enhance Maryland’s historic sites and towns, unspoiled natural landscapes, diverse histories, and enduring traditions. Maryland’s heritage areas contribute to the state’s economy by preserving and enhancing the places that attract local and out-of-state tourists. 

The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority is an independent unit of government chaired by Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Rebecca Flora and is administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. Since 1996, the authority has awarded more than $73 million dollars in grants and helped leverage more than $1.65 billion in non-state funding for heritage tourism projects and activities in the state’s 13 certified heritage areas. 

Locally, Washington County belongs to the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, along with Frederick and Carroll Counties. Spanning from Antietam, Gettysburg in PA, Monocacy, South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and more locations, the historical trail goes through multiple states to show the area’s key positioning during the war between the states.

Organizations getting state funding include the American Battlefield Trust, Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Community Foundation of Carroll County, National Museum of Civil War Medicine, and other groups. In total, $419,217 will go towards nine different projects ranging from cemetery singe, to museum upgrades, to acquisitions of the Hagerstown Pike I Tract at the Antietam Battlefield. You can find the full list of projects here.