Catoctin Furnace Historical Society Inc

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - SAVE AMERICAS TREASURES GRANTS AWARDED VIA CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING PROVIDE PRESERVATION AND OR CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE TO NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND COLLECTIONS. GRANTS REQUIRE A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR, NON-FEDERAL MATCH, WHICH CAN BE CASH OR DOCUMENTED IN-KIND. THE GRANT PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (NEA), THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH), AND THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS). BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATES, TRIBES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NONPROFITS. THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO THE NONPROFIT, CATOCTIN FURNACE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, FOR STRUCTURAL REHABILITATION AND REPAIR OF THE IRONWORKER HOUSE.

CATOCTIN FURNACE IS AN EARLY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX BUILT BY THOMAS JOHNSON, MARYLAND S FIRST POST COLONIAL GOVERNOR, AND HIS BROTHERS IN THE 1770S THE JOHNSONS CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATED THE FURNACE WITH LABOR FROM MORE THAN 200 ENSLAVED INDIVIDUALS, AND THE SITE ACTIVELY INTERPRETS THE PARADOX OF THE COLONISTS QUEST FOR FREEDOM AND THEIR EMBRACE OF SLAVERY, ALONG WITH THE ROLE ENSLAVED PERSONS PLAYED IN THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY AMERICA THIS GRANT WILL SUPPORT THE STABILIZATION OF THE RUINS OF THE C 1781 IRONMASTER S MANSION AND MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC THE APPLICANT WILL PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED 14,000 IN NON FEDERAL MATCH

THE MUSEUM OF THE IRONWORKER IS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE FEW SURVIVING PRE 1800 WORKER HOUSES AT CATOCTIN FURNACE AND INTERPRETS THE PEOPLE, METHODS, AND TOOLS INVOLVED IN IRONMAKING IN EARLY AMERICA THIS GRANT WILL FUND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HVAC SYSTEM TO PROVIDE BETTER CLIMATE CONTROL FOR THE BUILDING AND ITS ARTIFACTS THE APPLICANT WILL PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED 14,000 IN NON FEDERAL MATCH

EXPANDED AND ENHANCED JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATION AT HISTORIC CATOCTIN FURNACE [THE CATOCTIN FURNACE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. (CFHS) IS SEEKING $30,000 OF FUNDING TO DESIGN, PLAN, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE EXPANDED JUNETEENTH PROGRAMMING AT CATOCTIN FURNACE FOR 2025 AS A PART OF OUR ONGOING DESCENDANT COMMUNICATION AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE. AS YOU ARE AWARE, WITH NEH FUNDING, A DESCENDANT COMMUNICATOR POSITION HAS BEEN IN PLACE DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2024 TO HELP MANAGE THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO THE AUGUST 4, 2023 SCIENCE ARTICLE AND RESULTANT MEDIA EXPOSURE. AS THAT POSITION DRAWS TO A CLOSE, THIS EXPANDED JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATION WILL CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM, COMMUNICATION, RESEARCH, AND COORDINATION WITH THE DESCENDANT COMMUNITY AND CULMINATING IN A 5TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATION AT CATOCTIN.]

DESCENDANT COMMUNICATOR POSITION FOR CATOCTIN FURNACE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. [CFHS WOULD LIKE TO UTILIZE A $30,000 NEH GRANT TO HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL TO WORK PART TIME, 20 HOURS PER WEEK, FOR A YEAR.  THE ANTICIPATED SALARY WOULD BE $30.00 PER HOUR. THIS DESCENDANT COMMUNICATOR WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE EXISTING DATABASE OF 205 PEOPLE AND ADDING TO IT. THIS POSITION WOULD REVIEW ALL EXISTING DNA AND DESCENDANT DATA COMPILED DURING THE PAST 14 MONTHS SINCE THE INITIAL RELEASE, RESPOND DIRECTLY AND RAPIDLY TO EACH NEW INQUIRY, SEND REGULAR EMAILS, MAINTAIN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE DESCENDANT GROUP, AND BE THE POINT PERSON FOR THIS INITIATIVE. THIS INCLUDES SPEAKING IN PERSON WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO THEIR SPECIFIC DNA AND GENEALOGICAL QUESTIONS. ]

HERITAGE SITE RESILIENCE: USING DIGITAL HUMANITIES AT CATOCTIN FURNACE, MARYLAND