About the Maryland Historical Trust

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The Maryland Historical Trust (Trust) is a state agency dedicated to preserving and interpreting the legacy of Maryland’s past.  Through research, conservation and education, the Trust assists the people of Maryland in understanding their historical and cultural heritage.  The Trust is an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning and serves as Maryland’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. 

The Trust was created in May of 1961 as a quasi-public corporation for the purpose of accepting and maintaining gifts of property and for assisting and encouraging preservation activities throughout the state.  Funding was provided by the State and leadership was provided by a Board of Trustees which still exists today.  Over the next few years, a survey and inventory program was initiated and financial assistance programs including state-funded grants and loans were developed.

In 1966, Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act which created the National Register of Historic Places, established grant programs for restoration projects and survey activity, and required review of federally involved projects for impacts on historic properties.  The Act also established a system of state liaison officers to administer these federal programs.  In Maryland, then Governor Spiro Agnew appointed the Trust’s Director as the State Liaison Officer in 1967 and the Trust became the state historic preservation office (SHPO). 

Over time, the Trust’s mission has grown to include the review of state undertakings on historic properties, assistance to non-state historical and cultural museums, cultural conservation, underwater archeology, and heritage tourism activities.  Programs of the Trust include the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (JPPM) located in Calvert County, Maryland.  This 560-acre property was donated to the State of Maryland in trust to the Maryland Historical Trust on June 16, 1983 by Mrs. Jefferson Patterson to be a passive recreation, education, and research facility.   Today, JPPM is home to the State Museum of Archeology and the award-winning Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory. 

There are four principal operating units within the Trust:

• The Office of Preservation Planning & Museum Programs (PPMP) conducts outreach, planning and heritage tourism development activities and provides financial and technical assistance to local governments, nonprofit organizations and individuals through the Maryland Heritage Areas program, the Museum Assistance Program, the Non-Capital grant program, the Certified Local Government Program, the Archeology Assistance Program, and the Maryland Historical Trust Press.
• The Office of Preservation Services (OPS) is responsible for State and federal regulatory reviews and provides technical and financial assistance for restoration and rehabilitation projects.  It houses the Trust’s Easement, Rehabilitation Tax Credit, Capital Historic Preservation Grant and Loan, and Maryland Maritime Archeology programs, as well as the review of projects funded, permitted or licensed by State and federal agencies for compliance with State and federal laws.
• The Office of Research Survey and Registration (ORSR) provides assistance to advance research, documentation, evaluation, and retrieval of information about Maryland’s historical and cultural resources.  It administers the architectural and archeological research and survey programs, the National Register program, the Roadside Historic Marker Program, the MHT GIS, the MHT Library and Archive and the Cultural Conservation program.
• Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum preserves, researches, and interprets the diverse cultures of the Chesapeake Bay region and houses the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility for studying, preserving and storing the artifacts of Maryland’s heritage.

The Maryland Historical Trust also provides professional staff and administrative support for the following State Commissions, Boards, and Committees:

• Maryland Advisory Committee on Archeology
• Burial Sites and Objects Review Committee
• Commission on the History and Legacy of Slavery in Maryland
• Commission on Military Monuments
• Commission on Public Art
• Commission on War of 1812
• Consulting Committee on the National Register of Historic Places
• Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum Advisory Committee
• Maryland Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
• Maryland Heritage Areas Authority

The State Historic Preservation Officer also serves as a de-facto member of the following State Commissions, Boards, and Committees:

• State House Trust
• Government House Trust