Historic St. Mary’s City Breaks Ground on New Visitor Center
“Maryland Heritage Interpretive Center” slated to open in 2024
Historic St. Mary’s City is excited to announce they have broken ground on a new Visitor Center. Currently named the “Maryland Heritage Interpretive Center,” the building will be located next to Anne Arundel Hall (home of the HSMC Research and Collections department).
The new building will feature exhibits, an auditorium, and two changing galleries. Designed by Washington D.C. firm SmithGroup, the long term exhibition in the visitor center will tell the story of St. Mary’s City and County, beginning with the Piscataway people who lived on the land for thousands of years prior to colonization. Working with community partners, the team at HSMC, and the design firm Howard + Revis Design (H+R) have worked towards an ultimate goal of sharing the greater Maryland story, and how it has impacted the United States. Governor Larry Hogan and his administration, the Maryland General Assembly legislature, Senator Jack Bailey, Delegate Brian Crosby and (the late) Senate President Mike Miller all helped to provide resources for the updated exhibits and building.
Thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the new visitor center will feature “storyteller” digital interactives that will highlight stories of diverse people in St. Mary’s City history. The funds will also be used to enhance accessibility for these interactives, using technology to create descriptions for those who are visually impaired.
“After years of planning, it is exciting to see this latest step. Thanks to input from community partners, our team at HSMC, SmithGroup, and H+R, this building will strengthen our mission of educating the public,” says Regina Faden, Executive Director of HSMC.