CROWNSVILLE, Md. (June 22, 2009) — Two historical projects in southern Maryland are the recipients of a 34th Annual Maryland Preservation Award. Michael J. Sullivan, president of the Smallwood Foundation won in the Heritage Book category for Pathways to History: Charles County 1658-2008. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Hadley Exhibits, and Konvoer Construction, in conjunction with the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission, won the award for Educational Excellence for the St. John’s Site Museum in Historic St. Mary’s City.
The Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) presented the 34th Annual Maryland Preservation Awards at a ceremony on Friday May 29 in Baltimore. The award ceremony was held in conjunction with Maryland’s Annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference, sponsored by Preservation Maryland, the Maryland Department of Planning, the Maryland Historical Trust and many cosponsors.
Details of the two local award-winning projects follow.
PROJECT: Pathways to History: Charles County 1658-2008
AWARD CATEGORY: Heritage Book
RECIPIENT: Smallwood Foundation – Michael J. Sullivan, President
The Smallwood Foundation, the nonprofit organization that supports Smallwood State Park in Marbury, led the effort to gather and publish one of the most comprehensive publications on the history of Charles County in recent years. Pathways to History chronicles the important people, places, trends, and movements in Charles County’s history and was published as part of the county’s 350th anniversary festivities in 2008. The work was coordinated by production editor Annie Compton and Foundation President Mike Sullivan and Dr. Julia King, Dr. Christine Arnold-Lourie, Susan Shaffer, and numerous others contributed the interpretive essays on the county’s history.
PROJECT: St. John’s Site Museum, Historic St. Mary’s City
AWARD CATEGORY: Educational Excellence
RECIPIENTS: Historic St. Mary’s City Commission, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Hadley Exhibits, Konvoer Construction,
The St. John’s Site Museum at Historic St. Mary’s City is a $10 million exhibit that both preserves an extremely significant archeological site, and uses it to teach visitors about Chesapeake building traditions, the origins of representative government in the United States, the pursuit for racial and gender equality, and the archeological process itself. St. John’s was the site of the first meetings of the General Assembly, is where Mathias de Sousa became the first person of African descent to participate in government, where Margaret Brent became the first woman to request the vote, and was the home of several members of the Calvert family. The exhibit features a partially reconstructed 17th century heavy timber dwelling that covers the excavated remains of the house’s foundations. A significant part of the museum is a series of free-standing exhibit panels which focus on the overarching theme that Maryland’s first settlement oversaw the beginning of certain ideas, trends, and concerns that still have relevance today. The themes highlight key elements of Maryland’s heritage.
“The Maryland Historical Trust congratulates all of this Maryland Preservation Award recipients. The awards are a wonderful way for the State to recognize those individuals and organizations who have raised the standards for preservation programs across Maryland. Our grass roots partners are key players in Maryland's heritage preservation initiatives—in areas without this local leadership, our historical and cultural resources are at significant risk,” said J. Rodney Little, Director of the Maryland Historical Trust.
The Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust is appointed by the Governor and represents all parts of the state. The Maryland Historical Trust, an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Maryland's past.