Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County announces eight new mini-grant awards resulting from its 2009 Mini-Grant round. Made possible for the sixth year through financial support from Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis, and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Four Rivers mini-grants assist local heritage-related non-profit organizations in developing new heritage and preservation-related programs, activities, products, and events. Mini-grant awards of up to $2,500 are available for projects within the heritage area that incorporate regional historic, cultural, and natural resources, collaborative partnerships, and the heritage area’s regional interpretive themes.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum will receive $2,500 in support of an exhibit entitled “Over The Bridge,” to be displayed in the historic, newly renovated McNasby’s Oyster Packing Co. building. The exhibit will illustrate Eastport’s unique community and its relationship to the waterways that surround it through photography and historic artifacts.

The Anne Arundel County Trust for Preservation, in partnership with The Lost Towns Archaeology Project will receive $2,500 to redesign, upgrade, and revitalize the Lost Towns website, which will be moved to the URL  www.losttownsproject.org. The new website will include cutting-edge technology including web-based video, photography, and a blog to keep visitors informed of current and past projects.

The Charles Carroll House will receive $2,500 to conduct a lecture series entitled, “Charles Carroll – Out of Place in the 21^st Century?” in conjunction with an essay contest for local students. The lectures will examine social history “through the eyes of Charles Carroll” and seek to broaden public awareness and understanding of historical and ethical issues related to Carroll’s life, values, and practices.

The Friends of the Maryland State Archives will receive $2,500 to develop and produce an interpretive brochure for visitors to the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The brochure will inform visitors of the building’s historical and architectural significance and lengthy legislative and social history in place of the building’s displaced exhibits, which will be redesigned for the newly-renovated interior.

The Historic Annapolis Foundation, in partnership with the Banneker-Douglass Museum and the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center will receive $2,375 for a day-long Black History Month seminar featuring local historians and musical performances.

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation will receive $2,500 for the development and production of a photographic tribute booklet on the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial located at City Dock in Annapolis. The booklet will educate the public about the region’s African American history and the Memorial in particular, and will encourage visitors to explore other cultural resources in our area.

St. John’s College will receive $2,500 to support a multi-media initiative on the desegregation of the school entitled “The Magnificent Seven.” The online exhibit will feature recorded interviews, photographs, and archival material to tell the story that started with the college’s first seven African American alumni. The final product will be available to the public through St. John’s website as well as at a forum hosted by the Banneker-Douglass Museum.

The United States Lighthouse Society will receive $2,500 in support of the development of an interpretive plan for exhibits at the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse and at the Annapolis Maritime Museum about this National Historic Landmark. This project will be the first step toward a more dynamic and educational history of the lighthouse for the general public.

Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County, one of Maryland’s 11 certified heritage areas, is a partnership among the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis, the town of Highland Beach, and local historic sites, heritage organizations, and heritage-related businesses, to encourage economic vitality through historic preservation and heritage tourism. For more information, please contact Executive Director Carol Benson at 410-222-1805.

On November 5th at Historic London Town and Gardens, Four Rivers held its Fifth Annual Heritage Awards ceremony, and recognized the following individuals and organizations with Heritage Awards:

Heritage Tourism Product: "Paddle Through History" Kayak Tour of the Rhode River (partnership with Smithsonian Environmental Research Center) and "Paddle Through History" Kayak Tour of Back Creek and Spa Creek (partnership with Annapolis Maritime Museum)

Honorees: Lost Towns Archaeology Project; C. Jane Cox; Jessie Grow; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; Annapolis Maritime Museum

Heritage Tourism Product: "Seeking Liberty: Annapolis, An Imagined Community" Exhibit at the Banneker-Douglass Museum, in partnership with the Historic Annapolis Foundation and the City of Annapolis

Honorees: Dr. Mark Leone, Guest Curator of the Exhibit and Director of Archaeology in Annapolis; Amelia Harris, Exhibit Designer; Banneker-Douglass Museum; Historic Annapolis Foundation; City of Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer

Heritage Partnership Award: Southgate Memorial Fountain Restoration Committee (with special recognition to Alderman Richard Israel, Chair; Mayor Ellen O. Moyer)

Heritage Professional Award: Matthew Grubbs, Discover AnnapolisTours

Legacy Award: The Spiritual Vibrations of Southern Anne Arundel County

Heritage Award: First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis (Reverend William Hathaway, Pastor)

Heritage Award: June Taft Hall, Shady Side Rural Heritage Society

Congratulations to all our deserving award recipients!

An important archaeological find from the "Archaeology in Annapolis" excavations on Fleet Street this summer, which has been featured in recent articles in the New York Times and the Capital, has been placed on display at the Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis. This find is the remains of a "bundle" that contained objects with traditional African religious significance, dated to circa 1700, which appears to reflect African ritual practices from Annapolis slaves' West African heritage. Four Rivers is proud that our own Aleithea Williams, Heritage Programs Coordinator at Four Rivers and a contract archaeologist with last summer's excavations, was the first to uncover this spectacular find, under the supervision of Matthew Cochran and the program's director, Dr. Mark P. Leone of the University of Maryland. Congratulations all around and especially to Archaeology in Annapolis, for bringing to light this revealing and unexpected find, which lay just a few feet below Fleet Street for three centuries!

The Highland Beach Historical Commission, in partnership with the Annapolis Community Bank and Annapolis Rotary Club, is proud to announce the publication of Highland Beach on the Chesapeake Bay: Maryland’s First African-American Incorporated Town. This volume will be a tribute to the 115th anniversary of the founding of Highland Beach.

This handsome 8.5" x 11" hardcover limited-edition volume will feature 160 pages of fascinating text and will be richly illustrated with over 200 captioned archival photographs, compliments of "friends of the beach" and the private collections of Highland Beach and Venice Beach residents. Many of these photographs are unpublished until now. Highland Beach on the Chesapeake Bay will be a permanent record of life in these historic communities from 1893 to 2008 that will be treasured for generations.

For more information, please contact Jean Langston, Executive Director of the Highland Beach Historical Commission, at 410-267-6960, or write to: Highland Beach Historical Commission, 3202 Wayman Ave., Highland Beach, MD 21403. With an initial printing of only 1,000 copies, don’t miss your opportunity to capture history in this commemorative volume.

The Baltimore & Annapolis Rail Trail, a segment of the East Coast Greenway, is accessible from the Jonas Green Park (just after the Naval Academy Bridge coming from downtown Annapolis). As the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to change, take an afternoon to explore this historic former railroad route. The path is relatively flat, paved in good condition, and off-road (except where it crosses intersections). Visit the East Coast Greenway website (www.greenway.org) then select "Maps" and scroll down for a good map of the B & A Trail, inlcuding where it connects to the BWI Trail that circumvents the airport. Contact Four Rivers at heritage_area@aacounty.org, or call us (410) 222-1805, to discuss your ideas for more biking initiatives in the Heritage Area.

From September 2008 through September 2009, the newly opened Wiley Bates Legacy Center, located at 1101 Smithville St., Annapolis, invites you to explore African American history with an exciting new exhibit: "Trails, Tracks, Tarmac: Lives of African-Americans in the History and Culture of Northern Anne Arundel County, 1850 to the Present". Using documentary story quilts, photos, railroad collectibles, land documents, and personal recollections on DVD, the exhibition will tell stories of African Americans contributions to the development of northern Anne Arundel County. Beginning September 6, the Bates Legacy Center will be open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 3 pm, and Sundays by appointment. Call 410-266-5004 for more information.
 

The Banneker-Douglass Museum has expanded its popular cell phone tour of artifacts and places associated with their 'Seeking Liberty: Annapolis, An Imagined Community' exhibit. The first cell phone tour was launched in March 2008. The new audio tour features twenty recorded stops highlighting significant places and events in African American and women's history in Annapolis. The cell phone tour guide is available at the Banneker-Douglass Museum and is free - the only cost is the use of your cell phone minutes as determined by your carrier. Tour participants will be guided to, among others, Reynolds Tavern, the Brice House, and the Jonas Green House where the touch of a button will reveal the fascinating history the people who onced lived or worked in these places. In addition to listening to the recorded tour, users are even able to record their own impressions or thoughts directly into their cell phones or sign up to receive email updates. For more information, contact the Banneker-Douglass Museum at 410-216-6180.

The Banneker-Douglass museum announces a new exhibit: Seaworthy: The Story of the United States Navy's Black Admirals and Their Contributions to the Nation. Prior to World War II, laws prohibited African-Americans from serving as officers in the United States Navy. It was the combined pressures of World War II, with its growing requirement for talented manpower, and the efforts of many civil rights organizations, that finally convinced President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish a new policy to enable African Americans to earn a commission in the armed forces. In the spring of 1944, thirteen African Americans were commissioned as naval officers and soon became known as the "Golden 13" because of the gold Ensign stripe they wore so proudly on their uniforms. Within a few months, the "Golden 13" were joined by Francis Wills and Harriet Pickens, the Navy's first African-American women officers.

In the years to follow many more African-American college graduates would gain their commissions through the Navy V-12 Cadet Program, Officer Candidate School, the NROTC Program, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1971, after twenty-seven years of dedicated service to the nation and exceptional performance as a leader on ships at sea and in many high visibility assignments abroad, Samuel L. Gravely, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was selected for promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral. Since then, a small but distinguished group of African-American officers have followed in his footsteps.

The exhibit will run through November 2008. The Banneker-Douglass Museum is located in the old Mount Moriah A.M.E. Church at 84 Franklin Street in Annapolis (off Church Circle in the Annapolis historic district). The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Parking is available by shuttle from the Naval Academy Stadium parking lot, and there are nearby commercial parking garages and limited on-street parking. For more information, contact the museum by telephone at (410) 216-6180, fax at (410) 974-2553, or email at BDMPrograms@mdp.state.md.us.

On Sunday, May 18, 2008, the City of Annapolis rededicated the newly restored Southgate Memorial Fountain with a celebration that included flowers, music, speakers, a dedication ceremony and a reception. Musical groups included the Church Circle Consort and members of the Annapolis Chorale, Annapolis Youth Chorus, and St. Anne s Episcopal Church, St. Philip s Episcopal Church, Asbury Methodist Church and First Baptist Church Choirs, conducted by Ernie Green. Welcoming remarks by Annapolis Mayor Ellen Moyer were followed by comments from Alderman Richard Israel and Reverend Robert Wickizer, St. Anne s Episcopal Church.

According to city sources, Dr. William Scott Southgate first came to Annapolis in 1869 to serve as rector to St. Anne s Episcopal Church. During his 30 years in Annapolis, Reverend Southgate opened a mission school on the corner of Prince George and East Streets, which subsequently served as the Jewish synagogue. He was also instrumental in founding St. Philip s Episcopal Church on Northwest Street, which served the African-American community and fostered new teachers and leaders. One of Dr. Southgate s dreams was to fund and build a fountain in the City 'to refresh horses as well as humans.' Upon his death in 1899, the City Council quickly appointed a commission to erect a fountain in Southgate s memory and to 'keep in remembrance a noble life.'

The original Southgate Memorial Fountain was designed as an 'English market cross rising out of a molded pedestal placed in an octagonal basin filled with water pouring from the mouths of two lions' and built out of limestone and marble. In its 100-year life, the fountain was enjoyed by many residents and visitors to Annapolis. In 2007, at the direction of the Mayor and with the endorsement of the City Council and approval of the Historic Preservation Commission, it was decided to restore the fountain, which had fallen into disrepair. Led by City Public Works Engineer, Lily Openshaw, monument restoration experts and trained technicians performed careful rinsing and re-pointing, repairing and resealing of the stonework and refinishing of the fountain s basin. A water-conserving circulation system was installed in the newly refurbished fountain.

Funding for the project was provided by the City of Annapolis, supplemented by grant funding from the Four Rivers Heritage Area and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. In keeping with the original spirit of private support from the community, the Southgate Memorial Fountain Restoration Committee conducted a broad-based effort garnering $25,000 toward the project. Led by Alderman Richard E. Israel and supported by Historic Annapolis Foundation, a select group of major benefactors and generous community members provided additional funding.

For the 16th year, the City of Annapolis was named a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation in association with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. To receive the award, the City met four standards including maintaining a tree board or department, a tree protection ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance. Annapolis also received the Tree City USA Growth Award for its efforts to fund tree-planting on private property. The City of Annapolis strives to cover at least 50% of its surfaces with trees.

'For Fishing, Family and Fun: Seven Decades of Communal Living by the Chesapeake Bay,' a new exhibit featuring extensive research conducted by the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society into the occupancy of the Captain Salem Avery House Museum building from 1924 to 1989 by the National Masonic Fishing and Country Club, opened on Sunday, April 27. The Museum is located at 1418 EW Shady Side Road, and there is no admission charge.

The professionally mounted exhibit features 15 panels - or Story Boards - with photographs and quotes depicting various aspects of the Club's activities. In addition to the panels, there are displays and artifacts. A catalog is available with complete exhibit text and three essays, including a memoir by Paul Foer and scholarly essays by Jeffrey T. Coster and Ilana Abramovitch. Former Shady Side Rural Heritage Society Director Janet Surrett took the lead in securing four grants to research and tell this little known but nationally significant story. For more information, call (410) 867 4486, or visit the Museum's web site, www.averyhouse.org.

The Banneker-Douglass Museum has opened its new exhibit, 'Seeking Liberty: Annapolis, an Imagined Community,' an archaeology exhibit featuring artifacts excavated in some of Annapolis' most historic sites, never before displayed in a single, comprehensive presentation. Celebrating three centuries of African American and European heritage, the Banneker-Douglass Museum is hosting this exhibition as its way of commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the signing of Annapolis Royal Charter. The exhibit investigates and celebrates the 'quest for liberty' in Annapolis. There is also a comprehensive website devoted to the exhibit, complete with an exhibit 'blog,' at http://www.bsos.umd.edu/anth/aia/seeking_liberty/.

One of the most interesting pieces in the exhibition is a piece of printer's type depicting a 'Death's Head,' which was excavated at the Jonas Green House in Annapolis and is on loan from HistoryQuest. The image was used to protest the Stamp Act in 1765.

The exhibit will run through November 29. The Banneker-Douglass Museum is located in the old Mount Moriah A.M.E. Church at 84 Franklin Street in Annapolis (off Church Circle in the Annapolis historic district). The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Parking is available by shuttle from the Naval Academy Stadium parking lot, and there are nearby commercial parking garages and limited on-street parking. For more information, contact the museum by telephone at (410) 216-6180, fax at (410) 974-2553, or email at BDMPrograms@mdp.state.md.us.

Maryland has designated 19 byways that encompass 2,487 miles of beautiful roads, which offer a taste of Maryland s scenic beauty, history and culture. Take the roads less traveled including four entirely new byways featuring nationally significant themes: the Star-Spangled Banner, Antietam Campaign, Booth s Escape and the Mason and Dixon byways. Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties are home to the newly-expanded 'Roots and Tides' Byway, that runs 47 miles from Annapolis to Plum Point and features the scenic historic South County landmarks of the Four Rivers Heritage Area.

A 176-page guidebook featuring Maryland's Byways, developed by the Maryland SHA in partnership with Maryland's office of Tourism development and the National Scenic Byways program, has just been published, and will be available free of charge to the public at Welcome Centers and other centers for visitor information.

To link to the State Highway Administration's Maryland Byways map, click here.