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As of January 31, 2019, the Historic Annapolis Museum and Store located at 99 Main Street will be closing temporarily to create a new and inviting space for its upcoming permanent exhibit on the history of Annapolis. The Museum will remain closed until the new exhibit opens in 2020. The Store will be relocating to its former home at 77 Main Street and re-open in early February 2019.
The Historic Annapolis Store will be hosting a “Moving Sale” in preparation for the relocation. Visit 99 Main Street before January 31st for special markdowns, discounts and clearance on all sorts of items, including many furniture pieces.
The current exhibit on display at the Historic Annapolis Museum, “Freedom Bound: Runaways of the Chesapeake,“ will also close at the 99 Main Street location on January 31st and be donated to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore. The exhibit, developed by Historic Annapolis in 2013, tells the stories of nine servants and slaves who tried to escape from forced servitude between 1728 and 1864. It was always the intention of Historic Annapolis to travel or donate the Freedom Bound exhibit and HA is very pleased to have found such a wonderful recipient and partner with the Lewis Museum, who anticipates opening the exhibit later this year.
“We are grateful that Historic Annapolis has decided to donate the exhibition to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. It will be an exciting addition to our permanent collection and enable us to tell the true stories of 18th and 19th c. Maryland slaves and servants for our visitors, especially Maryland K-12 students,” says Jackie Copeland, Interim Executive Director of the Lewis Museum.
The historic building at 99 Main Street, built circa 1791, has served as a bakery, private residence, and storefront during its existence. In the 1950s, a structural wall was accidentally demolished at 99 Main Street, and the city ordered that the building be razed. A group of Historic Annapolis board members formed Port of Annapolis, Inc. to purchase the property and finance its restoration and adaptive reuse. The initial restoration, completed in 1960, marked the beginning of the revitalization of the surrounding Annapolis waterfront and allowed the space to serve as a series of retail operations for many years. A second, more comprehensive restoration was completed in 2006 that transformed the building into a museum space for Historic Annapolis. This next phase of repairs and preservation at 99 Main Street will include upgrades and renovations to the building’s roof, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems, repairs to masonry, and restoration of windows, doors and interior plaster. These repairs will enhance the building yet again to allow this prominently-located property across from City Dock continue to serve as a community resource for history and heritage tourism exploration.