Grants from the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation are designed to encourage preservation at the local level by providing money for the acquisition, maintenance, and preservation of historic landmarks and memorials on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Donor Name: National Trust for Historic Preservation
State: Maryland
County: Caroline County (MD), Cecil County (MD), Dorchester County (MD), Kent County (MD), Queen Annes County (MD), Somerset County (MD), Talbot County (MD), Wicomico County (MD), Worcester County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/01/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
These grants enable local groups to respond proactively to a preservation challenge by providing funding for property acquisition, bricks and mortar preservation, and technical assistance, while building public awareness of the value of preserving the Eastern Shore’s unique heritage. The late Bartus Trew, a long-time resident of Chestertown, Maryland, and owner of historic Providence Plantation, provided a generous gift to the National Trust for Historic Preservation which established the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund.
Funding Information
Approximately $70,000 is available annually for awards. Grant applications in the range of $5,000 – $25,000 will be accepted.
Eligible Activities
Trew Providence Preservation Fund grants are awarded for preservation projects on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Examples of eligible activities may include the following:
- The acquisition of historically significant land and/or buildings
- The purchase of perpetual easements
- Restoration, rehabilitation, or preservation of historic buildings, including bricks-and-mortar construction and repair, as well as costs associated with retaining the services of professionals in the areas of architecture, engineering, preservation, land-use planning, or natural resource conservation
- Uses related to the conservation of land that contribute to the historic or cultural heritage of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
- Preservation services that directly contribute to the preservation of a specific historic or cultural site including planning, development of promotional/marketing materials, and interpretive or educational programming
- Construction or other capital improvement costs.
Eligible Expenses
- Nonprofit applicants may include staff salaries for staff members directly working on the funded project
- Fees for consultant services
- Speaker/faculty costs (honoraria, travel, and lodging), room rental for conferences
- Mailing costs for distribution of materials
- Web site development
- Materials and services such as printing, photographs, telephone, and supplies. With the exception of publications projects, these costs may not exceed 10 percent of the project budget.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be either a public agency, 501(c) (3), or other nonprofit organization to be considered eligible. Applicants that have received previous National Trust financial assistance are eligible provided that all grant requirements are current.
- No more than three grants will be awarded in any two-year period to a single grantee. Only one grant will be awarded per organization in any grant round. Only one grant will be awarded for a particular project phase.
- Only Organizational Level Preservation Leadership Forum Members, Main Street America Community Members, and Main Street America General Members are eligible to receive funding from the National Trust Preservation Fund. Organizations do not need to have an active membership to apply for a grant, but selected grantees will be required to become members prior to the release of funds.
- Your membership status will be verified by the grants office once award decisions have been made.
For more information, visit NTHP.
