Historic London Town and Gardens Receives Grant

is set to receive a $15,000 special grant to help complete construction of its historical carpenter shop from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA).  

As one of six recipients that received money from the MHAA, the local 23-acre historical and agricultural park got a chunk of the total $247,000 designated for heritage organizations in Annapolis, Londontowne and south county, according to a news release.

Gov. Martin O’Malley stated in the release that one in 17 jobs in Maryland is in tourism—a key reason for the heritage organization grants.

“[The grants] targeted investments help preserve the best of Maryland’s historic sites and towns, unspoiled natural landscapes and enduring traditions, and in doing so create more livable and economically sustainable communities,” O’Malley said in the release.

The carpenter shop at Historic London Town and Gardens said on its website that it plans on “interpreting the carpenter shop as the functioning workshop it was during William Brown’s ownership” of the land. It will be one of the featured aspects of the historical grounds and the $15,000 grant will help finalize the project, according to the release.

The MHAA also designated $30,000 towards renovating and restoring the Wilson Farmstead Negro League’s Hot Sox baseball field in Galesville. According to a site dedicated to the Hot Sox field, the baseball diamond is still in use by local teams that carry on the tradition—one that’s been around since 1929.

The two local grant recipients are part of the “Four Rivers Heritage Area,” a region that’s received more than $2.8 million from the MHAA matching grant program since 2002.