State awards $367,715 in grant funding for the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area

The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) announced matching grants totaling $367,715 for Patapsco Valley Heritage Area non-profits and local jurisdictions.

The grant funds support heritage tourism projects and activities that draw visitors and expand economic development and tourism-related opportunities in the Patapsco Valley Funded projects in the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area include:

• Howard County Conservancy, “Carriage House Adaptive ReUse”- $50,000
• Catonsville Rails to Trails, “The Catonsville Cycling Connection” -$50,000
• Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, “Simpkins Industry Site, Park Infrastructure” – $75,000
• Chesapeake Conservancy, “Enhancing the Park Experience Through Bilingual Interpreters”- $50,000
• Patapsco Heritage Greenway, “Festival del Rio Patapsco” -$5,000

In addition, Patapsco Heritage Greenway received a management grant for $100,000, a block grant for $25,000, and a Marketing Grant for $12,715.

PHG’s marketing grant will be dedicated to promoting the sites within the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area, highlighting the heritage tourism opportunities available for visitors. All funds from the Block Grant will be used for mini-grants to Patapsco Valley Heritage Area partners and stakeholders.

Also, the Patapsco Heritage Greenway (PHG) is proud to announce that the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area (PVHA) is officially expanding by approximately 12 square miles and will now include portions along the Patapsco River from the Carroll County line to the Baltimore city line.

The expansion also encompasses key sites on both the Baltimore and Howard County sides of the river including the Diggs-Johnson Museum, Howard County Conservancy’s Mount Pleasant, a portion of the Korean Way, Granite Historic District, and Guinness Open Gate Brewery.

Organizations located within the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area have access to support in the form of sponsorships, mini-grants (up to $5,000), non-capital grants (up to $50,000) and capital grants (up to $100,000) via PHG from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.