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Here's “What's New!”
at the Maryland Historical Trust....
 The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland are hosting a series of public forums across the State for residents to share their thoughts and ideas on future growth in the state. Six Smart Growth Listening Sessions, planned for September, will take place (Baltimore Metropolitan, Washington Suburban, Southern Maryland, Lower Eastern Shore, Upper Eastern Shore and Western Maryland) and are open to all citizens. The Listening Sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate diverse public input on a variety of growth-related topics including, smart sustainable growth; growth and a healthy environment; regional development; historic preservation; transportation and growth; and growth and schools. Moderated by community leaders, these sessions are designed like town hall meetings with open discussion on these important matters. For dates, locations, and more information, see the Listening Sessions flyer or visit the Listening Sessions website.
 Historic District Commissions are asked over and over again to approve the use of substitute materials and/or allow replacements. Commission responses to these requests need to proceed from a position of purpose and authority. To assist in making these decisions, the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions is presenting a workshop entitled “Substitute Materials and Replacements: Why We Say No, When to Say Yes,” to be held in three locations (9/6–Brookeville Academy; 9/20–Washington College; 10/4–Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum). For more information and registration details, see the MAHDC workshop flyer.
The Maryland Historical Trust, in conjunction with the Maryland Humanities Council, the State Highway Administration, and Preservation Maryland, announces a series of Grants Workshops to be held in September. All workshops are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be held at the following locations:
• September 18: Dorchester County Historical Society, 902 La Grange Avenue, Cambridge, MD 21613 (410-228-7953)
• September 25: Calvert Marine Museum, 14200 Solomon’s Island Road, Solomon’s Island, MD 20688 (410-326-2042)
• September 29: The Lustine Center, 5710 Baltimore Avenue (Route 1), Hyattsville, MD 20781 (301-634-8667)
(Please note: All FY2009 MHT grant recipients are required to attend one of these workshops from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a briefing on grant administration requirements.)
 Applications are now being accepted in a new recognition program of the Preserve America initiative — Preserve America Stewards — which will honor exemplary volunteer efforts at historic resources around the country. Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, announced the new program at the Preserve America Presidential Awards ceremony on May 12 at the White House. The program will recognize stewardship programs that have demonstrated a successful use of volunteer time and commitment in order to help care for our cultural heritage. Government entities (federal, tribal, state, or local), non-profit organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply to have their programs recognized. The application form and guidance is available on the Preserve America website.
 Since enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, archeological resource management studies have proliferated in Maryland. Consideration and treatment of archeological resources have become increasingly sophisticated, and voluminous data on the archeological record has been amassed; unfortunately, this data is often inaccessible and not widely disseminated, buried in “grey literature.” To address these shortcomings, the Maryland Historical Trust (in its role as State Historic Preservation Office) has embarked on an ambitious, multi-year program to synthesize Maryland’s archeological data. The project will examine Phase II and Phase III investigations undertaken during the past four decades, cull out the most important findings of those studies, and organize the archeological data in searchable databases. In 2007, the MHT Board of Trustees provided initial funding of $90,000 to launch the project, and the research work is now underway. For a more detailed look at MHT’s archeological synthesis project, click here.
 The “card catalog” of the Maryland Historical Trust Library is now publicly accessible online. The Trust's library—with more than 10,000 volumes—is the State’s principal repository for information relating to Maryland’s architectural, archeological, and cultural heritage. The following types of resources are available to researchers: books, journals, site-specific reports, historic maps, written and photographic documentation about Maryland’s architectural and archeological sites, oral histories which capture the State’s cultural traditions through written transcripts as well as audio and video recordings, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and architectural drawings. Browse the catalog now.
 In 1979, Edward P. Alexander's Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums was hailed as a much-needed addition to the museum literature. In combining the history of museums since the eighteenth century with a detailed examination of the function of museums and museum workers in modern society, it served as an essential resource for those seeking to enter to the museum profession and for established professionals looking for an expanded understanding of their own discipline.
Now, MHT Museum Advancement Program Director Mary Alexander has produced a newly revised edition of the classic text, bringing it the twenty-first century with coverage of emerging trends, resources, and challenges. New material also includes a discussion of the children's museum as a distinct type of institution and an exploration of the role computers play in both outreach and traditional in-person visits. For information on how to order this book, see the AltaMira Press website.
 Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory Director Patricia M. Samford's new book, Subfloor Pits and the Archaeology of Slavery in Colonial Virginia, has just been published by the Univeristy of Alabama Press. Subfloor pits were a common characteristic of Virginia slave quarters. Samford reveals a wealth of data on these features based on her examination of 103 examples dating from the 17th through mid-19th centuries. The most common explanations of the functions of these pits are as storage places for personal belongings or root vegetables, and some contextual and ethnohistoric data suggest they may have served as West Africa-style shrines. Based on her study, Samford hypothesizes how West African cultural traditions were maintained and transformed in the Virginia Chesapeake. For information on how to order this book, see the University of Alabama Press website.
 MHT and the Maryland State Highway Administration received a 2007 Partnerships with a Public Entity Award at the recent National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) annual meeting in Washington, DC. The award recognizes the partnership the two agencies have forged, which has helped the agencies fulfill their respective historic preservation responsibilities and advance preservation efforts throughout Maryland.
J. Rodney Little (Second from right), Maryland State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and MHT Director, and Bruce Grey (Second from left), Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Director of Project Planning, received the award from Jay D. Vogt (Left), NCSHPO President and South Dakota SHPO, and James McConaha (Right), NCSHPO Treasurer and New Hampshire SHPO.
For more about the award, please see this Press Release.
Last updated: August 19, 2008
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