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Get to Know Bill the Goat

Attractions, Whats new
by Hope Stewart

Bill the Goat, the Naval Academy’s iconic mascot, is now enshrined at a new exhibit in the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center at the Naval Academy. Bill the Goat has served as the official Naval Academy mascot since the 1890 inaugural Army-Navy football game. Since the original Bill’s debut, there have been at least 37 different live goat mascots, many of which have had the honor of wearing a game-day blanket laden with the N-Star, signifying a victory over Army. The unique history of the Bills and their admiration by midshipmen and Navy...

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A Virtual Tour through the “Golden Age” of Annapolis Architecture

Attractions, News
by Hope Stewart

A Capital Beginning In 1694, The Maryland General Assembly voted to move the colony’s capital from St. Mary’s City to what was then called Anne Arundel Town. Thus was laid the foundations of Annapolis’ “golden age,” which lasted from the late 1750s to 1776. The Town Plan Governor France Nicholson created a new town plan in 1696, whose central concept of circles and squares were inspired by European urban design. The most prominent hills were reserved for buildings that represented state and church, the two pillars of colonial society – Maryland State House...

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An Interview with Elaine Rice Bachmann, Deputy State Archivist

Interviews, News
by Hope Stewart

Some exciting plans are in the works for new displays and exhibits at the State House. Hope Stewart of Four Rivers interviewed Elaine Rice Bachmann, Deputy State Archivist and Secretary of the State House Trust (and past honoree as Four Rivers Heritage Professional of the Year in 2015), to learn more about the history and future of the Maryland State House. Do you find visitors to be aware of the significance of the State House as a local heritage destination? The Maryland State House attracts around 200,000 visitors every year. We’d like...

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5 Dog Friendly Heritage Sites in the Four Rivers Area

Attractions, Whats new
by Hope Stewart

1. Historic London Town and Gardens 839 Londontown Rd, Edgewater, (410) 222-1919 Discover the once “lost town” of London Town, a National Historic Landmark with reconstructed colonial buildings. Bring your family (and dogs) to also enjoy scenic river views, 10 acres of woodland and ornamental gardens and a Sound and Sensory Garden for kids. Leashed dogs are welcome in the gardens, but they must be under their owner's control at all times. If you’re looking for more dog friendly fun, July 30 is “Dog Night” at London Town. Enjoy a concert from 5:00...

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Heritage and Cultural Entrepreneurship – A Study in Value Creation

Partner Resources
by Hope Stewart

Our colleague, Hope Stewart, wrote this post in July 2020, and it is still useful today. In a previous post about Cultural Entrepreneurship, we introduced the concept as a way for history and heritage practitioners to meet their mission through employing creative and innovative business approaches to resource development.  In this post we will specifically explore Heritage Entrepreneurship as another aspect of Cultural Entrepreneurship. Heritage Entrepreneurship focuses on the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage resources, while identifying market opportunities to create value for those resources. Since all of this may...

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Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Awards Matching Grants Totaling $219,000 to Local Heritage Organizations

Grant Awards, News, Press Release
by Carol Benson

Annapolis, MD: Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County joins the Hogan Administration in announcing 4 new grants totaling $219,000 to local Annapolis and Anne Arundel County non-profit organizations by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA). The 4 local grants are among 50 matching grants totaling $2.695 million that were awarded to Maryland non-profits, local jurisdictions and other heritage tourism organizations including museums, and historic preservation, natural resources, cultural, and educational organizations. ...

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Cultural Entrepreneurship – A New Blog Series

Partner Resources
by Hope Stewart

Four Rivers' Interim Program Director, Hope Stewart, is sharing her expertise on "Cultural Entrepreneurship" with us this summer in a new series of posts for non-profit boards, staff, and other stakeholders. When non-profits discuss their biggest challenges, they are almost always related to funding. There’s a lot to get done and never enough available resources to make it all happen. This can be especially true for organizations working in the heritage and historic preservation fields. Most non-profit missions (hopefully) have an eventual end-goal in mind, such as increased access to education,...

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An Interview with Joann Vaughan, Arts Community Leader

Interviews, News
by Carol Benson

This year marked the debut of “Annapolis Arts Week,” a collaborative effort among businesses and local arts groups including Paint Annapolis, the Annapolis Food and Wine Festival, and other accompanying exhibits and block parties. To get a perspective on the week’s popular appeal, Hope from Four Rivers talked to Joann Vaughan, Executive Director of the Maryland Federation of Art, about the “Paint Annapolis” event -- its place in the community, and her vision for its future....

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Pop-Up Heritage Session Tips on “Preserving Digital Prints”

Partner Resources
by Carol Benson

On June 6, Maria Day, Director of Special Collections and Conservation at Maryland State Archives, launched Four Rivers Heritage Area’s “Pop-Up Heritage” series with her lecture on “Preserving Digital Prints: Protecting Your Photos and Ink jet Documents from the 1980s to Now.” Maria shared with the audience her advice for preserving digitally-printed photographs created within the past 30 years. Did you think digital prints were a relatively new concern? As Maria showed in her talk, many of the photographs in your collection are probably digital prints. Although the process of digital...

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