As we end the calendar year, our stakeholders know: this means that the MHAA Grant Cycle is about to begin! We understand that the MHAA grant application will look very different this year, as MHAA staff members work hard to simplify the application, after last year's stakeholders provided the feedback that the application's complexity was a significant barrier. The application and this year's process are set to be announced one week from today, on December 20.

The due date for the Intent to Apply form for the FY2024 grants will be January 31, 2023. It's time to prepare! Do you have a project in mind? Please call Carol Benson, Chesapeake Crossroads's Executive Director to discuss your project, or send an e-mail to heritage_area@aacounty.org to make an appointment for a meeting (zoom or in-person). Use our template for priority projects for our "Appendix C" document for our Five-Year Plan -- and include this project in the list! Stakeholders should all fill this out and send it back to the e-mail listed above, so we can include your priorities among our own! Questions? Please call Dr. Benson at 410-627-6018. Thanks!

Celebrate the season and join the new holiday tour of Historic Annapolis's William Paca House (186 Prince George Street, Annapolis). Bring family and friends to enjoy the elegant decorations, learn about 18th century Maryland holiday traditions, and stories of Christmases past. The guided, one-hour candlelit tour highlights how the Paca household prepared for their holiday guests. The historic home is ready to greet you with music, garlands, a sweet treat, and a take-home recipe!

Advance registration recommended, space is limited. Register for Holiday Spirit Tour: Yuletide Traditions at the William Paca House.

Cost: $15 General Admission; $10 for HA Members, Volunteers, and Military; $7 Children (3-17); Free for Children 2 and under.

This event will also be offered on the following dates:

Friday, December 16 at 4 pm

Saturday, December 17 at 4 pm

Monday, December 19 at 11 am

Monday, December 26 at 11 am

Saturday, December 17

10:30-11:30 am

Hammond-Harwood House

19 Maryland Ave, Annapolis

Families are invited to the mansion for a festive morning of holiday stories and crafts. Children will enjoy story-time amidst the splendor of the ballroom decorated for the season. After the story, children will be invited to our activity classroom where they will create holiday decorations and learn about a Dutch Christmas tradition.

Space is limited. Ticket is per child. Price: $12 | Members: Free. Register for A Dutch – American Christmas.

Saturday, December 17

11:00 am

South River Farms Park

3538 Loch Haven Dr, Edgewater

Join a ranger as we explore South River Farm Park in all its winter glory. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy and dress for the weather

Register for the Winter Solstice Hike.

Applications and nominations are due December 15!

The Small Museum Association offers funding for over ten Small Museum Association Conference scholarships the each year through the generosity of past conference organizers and attendees as well as several partner museum organizations. All scholarships cover the cost of conference registration as well as hotel and meals.

Anyone affiliated with a museum, library, historical society, or related graduate study program (e.g., Museum Studies, Public History, Library and Information Studies, Historic Preservation) is eligible for the SMA Scholarships. This includes full-time or part-time employees, board members, students, interns, and volunteers. Museum organization scholarships may have additional restrictions. Applicants will automatically be considered for the scholarships for which they qualify. Past conference attendees are encouraged to apply, but previous scholarship winners are not eligible. First time attendees and/or applicants that identify as belonging to a group historically underserved by the field are strongly encouraged to apply. Scholarships are open to residents of the United States and residents of countries that do not require a sponsored visa to visit the United States.

AASLH is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Leadership in History Awards!

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Leadership in History Awards recognize excellence and innovative achievements in projects, programs, exhibits, publications, and people in state and local history.

Award of Excellence nominations are due March 1, 2023. Contact your state or regional representatives now and review the awards guidelines so you can start preparing your application.

Save the Date: Award Nomination Webinar January 11, 2023. Join AASLH for a free webinar to learn more about this awards program and how to put together a winning nomination.

The National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has opened the Letter of Intent (LOI) period for its 2023 National Grant Program. Grants provide a range of funding from $50,000 to $150,000 for ongoing preservation activities for historic places like sites, museums and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage. Through its National Grant Program, the Action Fund supports projects focused on African American cultural heritage, including capital projects, organizational capacity-building, project planning, and programming and interpretation. There are new priorities for this grant round.

2023 Grant Priorities for the National Grant Program

• Applicants will submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for most historic sites and preservation projects.
• Applicants will submit a full grant application from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) applying for campus-wide or individual-building preservation plans.
• Applicants will submit an LOI for historic places designed by 20th-century Black architects in the Modern architecture style.

The LOIs must be submitted by Monday, December 19, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. local time. 

Do you enjoy learning about and discussing community-based projects related to history, cultural traditions, and natural resources? Would you like to participate in the distribution of State funds that help boost local economies through place-based experiences?

The Maryland Heritage Areas Program is accepting applications and nominations for grant reviewers. If you are interested (or you know someone who would be a good fit) in serving as a grant reviewer, please fill out the application/nomination form by following the link below. You will be asked about your (or your nominee’s) experience in fields related to the Maryland Heritage Areas Program. 

Note: if you currently serve on the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, one of the boards of directors for the 13 local heritage areas, or one of the grants review committees for the 13 local heritage areas, you are NOT eligible to serve on this panel. Likewise, if you are currently employed by one of the 13 local heritage areas, you are NOT eligible to serve on this panel.

Apply to be a MHAA Grant Review Panelist.

Chesapeake Crossroads is Hiring!

We are hiring! As our workload expands, the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area is looking for a part-time Contractual Coordinator, with a great opportunity for advancement for the right person! Our fast-paced, small office seeks an energetic problem-solver who is well-versed in Microsoft Office, WordPress, social media, and more.

A background in heritage programming, planning, marketing, and grants management is a plus. We seek someone highly reliable, self-motivated, detail-oriented, flexible, and a “people-person”!

Work is both virtual and in-person in our office at the Arundel Center in Downtown Annapolis. Interested candidates should send an e-mail to heritage_area@aacounty.org to receive more information. Thank you!

Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area | 410-222-1805 | heritage_area@aacounty.org | chesapeakecrossroads.org