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Community Impact

Mission

Preserve. Protect. Connect.

Established in 1952, Historic Annapolis is the leading nonprofit preservation and history organization in Annapolis, MD. Our mission is to Preserve and Protect the historic places, objects, and stories of Maryland’s capital city, and provide engaging experiences that Connect people to the area’s diverse heritage.

Economic and Community Impact

Economic

  • Employs 40 staff members and approximately 10-20 contractors per year
  • Spends approximately $2,500,000 annually on goods and services
  • Supports Annapolis Business Association, Main Street Maryland Community, Main Street/Downtown Annapolis Partnership, and Annapolis Arts and Entertainment District

Preservation 

  • Manages 13 sites, mostly eighteenth and nineteenth-century historic properties
  • Administers the Historic Building Marker Program which has identified more than 300 architecturally significant buildings and currently holds protective easements on more than 50 properties
  • Maintains a collection of 3,000 decorative and fine arts objects, 5,000 architectural drawings and surveys, 10,000 photographs and slides, and 1,000 living plants
  • Manages an average of $250,000 a year in capital repairs and renovations to historic properties, following a Master Maintenance Plan developed as a guide
  • Serves as partner to the City of Annapolis’s Historic Preservation Commission, Preservation Maryland, and Maryland Historical Trust
  • Advocates for issues related to preserving the Historic District: Cultural Landscape Survey, Hazard Mitigation Plan, Rising Sea Level, City Dock Redevelopment Master Plan

Education

  • Serves more than 2,500 school children annually via after-school programs, tours, special events, and field trips
  • Facilitates teacher training workshops for public, private, and homeschool teachers statewide
  • Provides exhibitions, tours, lectures, special events, hands-on activities, early childhood learning, and living history performances 
  • Hosts undergraduate and graduate level interns per year to cultivate professional development in the fields of preservation, collections management, administration, and interpretation

Community

  • Works with over 330 volunteers who contribute over 9,000 hours annually (2023)
  • Hosts low-cost or free large-scale community events annually: Maryland Day (March) and 4th of July Naturalization Ceremony
  • Engages more than 950 members annually
  • Generates revenue through the rental of Historic Annapolis facilities for weddings, meetings, and special events
  • Participates in the military Blue Star Museums free and discount admission program
  • Provides updates on organization and community activities via social media, blast emails, and the WNAV radio show

Tourism

  • Tourism attracts more than 6 million out-of town visitors to Annapolis and Anne Arundel County annually (2021)
  • Directly serves more than 100,000 visitors each year via Historic Annapolis properties and programs
  • Generates an estimated $3,000,000 in heritage tourism revenue annually (100,000 visitors spending an average of $30 on dining, shopping, hotels, or another activity)
  • Serves as heritage tourism partner to Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau, the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, and Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area

Local, State, and National Accomplishments

  • Responsible for securing Colonial Annapolis Historic District designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1965
  • Helped save more than 300 historic buildings from demolition within the Historic District
  • Successfully advocated for the passage of ordinances and zoning codes that shape and protect the Annapolis Historic District 
  • Saved the William Paca House and Garden, home to one of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence; achieved National Historic Landmark designation in 1971; and opened it as a historic house museum for the public.  
  • Manages the James Brice House, one of the country’s premier examples of colonial eighteenth century architecture and a designated National Historic Landmark since 1970
  • Provides research and technical expertise to owners of properties listed in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks, and the Annapolis Historic District
  • Annapolis designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (2014)
  • Recognized by the American Alliance of Museums as an accredited organization since 1980
  • Became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2016, one of only 6 museums in Maryland recognized as an Affiliate
  • Led the discussion of the preservation-minded approach to the redevelopment of Annapolis City Dock in 2019

Museums On a National Scale (according to the American Alliance of Museums)

  • Museums support over 726,00 American jobs
  • Museums contribute $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year,   encouraging economic growth in their communities
  • Quality-of-life issues contribute significantly to decisions businesses make when choosing to relocate, including access to cultural resources and a dynamic museum community
  • Visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions, including museums, stay 53% longer and spend 36% more money than other kinds of tourists
  • Museums rank among the top three family vacation destinations
  • Trips including cultural and heritage activities comprise one of the most popular and significant segments of the travel industry, accounting for more than 23% of all domestic travel
  • 97% of Americans believe that museums are educational assets for their communities.

“What’s Your View?” Preserving Annapolis’ Historic City Dock

In January 2016, Historic Annapolis completed a series of three public outreach sessions entitled “What’s Your View? Preserving Annapolis’ Historic City Dock.” The purpose of the forums was to invite stakeholders to analyze the redevelopment of Annapolis’ City Dock area by commenting on, and contributing to, the City of Annapolis’ Cultural Landscape Survey and Hazard Mitigation Plan. Activities included a series of small group discussions, focus groups, and presentations. Topics focused on view sheds, historic buildings, city dock, economic opportunities, height and bulk zoning, and open space/public access/public art opportunities. The sessions were facilitated by Donna Ann Harris of Heritage Consulting, Inc. and funded in part by a grant from the Annapolis Preservation Services Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the City of Annapolis. For a copy of the full report, please Click Here. Any comments or questions can be directed to Karen Brown, President and CEO at karen.brown@annapolis.org.