Governor Wes Moore announced 58 matching grant awards totaling $5 million through the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, supporting heritage tourism, historic preservation, museums, parks and community projects across the state. The grants are designed to promote economic growth through tourism while preserving Maryland’s cultural and historical resources.
Six Montgomery County organizations will receive a combined $507,776 for local projects:
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America: $100,000 for the Willard Log House (Charles F.M. Willard House) preservation project.
- Heritage Tourism Alliance of Montgomery County: $199,300 for its Fiscal Year 2027 management grant.
- National Capital Trolley Museum: $30,000 for Phase I rehabilitation of a portion of the lower trolley railway.
- Nature Forward: $100,000 for accessibility improvements to the Historic Carriage House First Floor Learning Center.
- Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends: $57,026 to restore the meeting house porch.
- Latvian Museum: $21,450 to produce an orientation video highlighting Latvian identity, immigration and heritage in Montgomery County.
“You cannot understand the history of America without understanding the history of our state,” Gov. Moore said. “The Maryland Heritage Areas Program grant awards ensure that the history and the culture that makes our state great is preserved through private-public partnerships that boost our local economies, while enriching and educating Marylanders and all who visit our state.”
Since its creation in 1996, the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority has approved more than $74 million in grants, leveraging more than $175 million in matching funds for projects throughout Maryland’s 13 certified heritage areas. The program generates an estimated $2.4 billion in annual economic impact, supports more than 33,800 jobs, and produces nearly $320 million in state and local tax revenue each year.
