News Flash!

WASHINGTON. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, along with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman John L Nau III, announced Monday 43 Preserve America grants in 25 states totaling $2.9 million. Charles County was one of the recipients. The Deputy Secretary made the announcement on behalf of Mrs. Laura Bush, Honorary Chair of Preserve America. Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our nation’s heritage. Here are the specifics of the award:

Conspiracy! Port Tobacco and the Plot to Assassinate President Lincoln
Charles County, Maryland
$60,000
Charles County will collect information through detailed archival and archaeological research on the setting in which conspirators planned the abduction and assassination of President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson, and Secretary Seward in March 1865. The final report will provide vital information for interpretation, nomination and possible acquisition of properties in Port Tobacco related to this nationally significant event in American history.

This is the first major grant awarded to the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project, and it is important not only for its size, but for the stature it gives the project. Preserve America is a highly competitive granting program.

The Preserve America grant program, which began in 2006, is administered by the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The competitive matching grants fund Preserve America Communities, State Historic Preservation Offices, and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to support their preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning.