B & O Railroad Museum

THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM WILL UNDERTAKE A 36-MONTH PROJECT TO RESTORE AND INTERPRET ITS NO. 3316 'WASHINGTON' TAVERN-OBSERVATION CAR BUILT BY THE PULLMAN COMPANY IN 1949. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE A CONSERVED AND STABILIZED EXTERIOR FOR PUBLIC VIEW AND A CONSERVED, STABILIZED, AND RESTORED INTERIOR FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BOARD AND GO INSIDE THE CAR AND AN INTERPRETIVE SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF STREAMLINER RAILROADING ON EVERYDAY AMERICANS. NEW EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RAILROAD CAR, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO AND EXPERIENCES WITH RAILROADING.

THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM WILL RESTORE AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN NO. 1 (AFT1), THE LOCOMOTIVE THAT PULLED THE FREEDOM TRAIN AROUND THE COUNTRY FROM 1975 TO 1976 TO COMMEMORATE THE UNITED STATES BICENTENNIAL. THE MUSEUM’S RESTORATION AND CURATORIAL TEAMS WILL PARTNER WITH A CONSULTING FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN RAILROAD AND LOCOMOTIVE PROJECT PLANNING AND REPAIR, TO UNDERTAKE ASBESTOS ABATEMENT AND RESTORATION OF THE AFT1. MUSEUM STAFF WILL PREPARE A NEW COVERED PLATFORM TO BETTER PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE AFT1 AND INSTALL INTERPRETATIVE PANELS TO COMMUNICATE THE HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOCOMOTIVE TO THE PUBLIC.  ONCE COMPLETE, THE MUSEUM WILL FEATURE THE AFT1 IN UPCOMING EVENTS CELEBRATING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM WILL SUPPORT ITS “RESTORE BALTIMORE” PROGRAM, A 6-MONTH PAID WORK-AND-LEARN PROGRAM OFFERED WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY (CCBC) THAT USES THE MUSEUM’S CAMPUS AS A SCHOOL FOR TRAINING UNEMPLOYED AND UNDER-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS IN SOUTHWEST BALTIMORE. OVER THE 2-YEAR PROJECT, 20 STUDENTS WILL EARN CERTIFICATIONS AND GAIN REAL-WORLD TRADE SKILLS BY WORKING ON APPLIED PROJECTS ON THE B&O MUSEUM’S CAMPUS, THEREBY DEVELOPING SKILLS AND A PORTFOLIO OF COMPLETED PROJECTS TO SHOWCASE TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS. PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO RECEIVE ADVANCED CAREER SERVICES TRAINING, CAREER COUNSELING, AND JOB PLACEMENT SUPPORT, WITH THE GOAL OF MOVING BALTIMOREANS INTO FAMILY-SUPPORTING WAGE JOBS WHILE ALSO FURTHERING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MUSEUM’S CAMPUS.

RAILS TO FREEDOM: NEW RESEARCH AND INTERPRETATION ON THE B&O RAILROAD'S ROLE IN THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD [THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM HAS DEFINITIVELY DOCUMENTED THAT FREEDOM SEEKERS USED THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD AS PART OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THE PURPOSE OF THE REQUESTED FUNDING IS TO FINISH OUR PROJECT, STARTED IN JANUARY 2020, ON THIS NEWLY DOCUMENTED HISTORY WITH PUBLIC INTERPRETATION AND EXHIBITION IN THE HISTORIC PASSENGER DEPOT AT MT. CLARE STATION, A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK IN BALTIMORE. THE FUNDING WILL ADDITIONALLY ASSURE THE MUSEUM IS NOT FORCED TO FURLOUGH STAFF AS A RESULT OF THE CONTINUED FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC ON THE MUSEUM'S REVENUE AND ATTENDANCE. THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE MUSEUM'S FINANCIAL RECOVERY FROM COVID AND FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY.] [PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RAILROAD ORAL ARCHIVES PROJECT AT THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM WILL UNDERTAKE AN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT TO INTERPRET AND SHARE UNTOLD HISTORIES OF THE RAILWAY'S ROLE IN THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD EFFORTS. AS A PART OF THE PROJECT, B&O WILL TRANSFORM THE MT. CLARE PASSENGER DEPOT INTO EXHIBITION SPACE; EXPAND SCHOOL PROGRAMS THROUGH VIRTUAL TOURS, FIELDTRIPS, AND TRAVELING PROGRAMS; AND ADAPT A FREE SUMMER PROGRAM TO INCLUDE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HISTORY. THE MUSEUM WILL RECRUIT THREE GRADUATE STUDENT INTERNS FROM MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, A HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY, TO HELP DEVELOP THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD PROJECT. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RAILROAD ORAL ARCHIVES PROJECT WILL PROVIDE VISITORS WITH AN IMMERSIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE PROJECT SHOULD HELP VISITORS BETTER UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FREEDOM SEEKERS THAT PASSED THROUGH THE SITE. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY FROM COVID AND FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MUSEUM. MOREOVER, THE INTENTIONAL RECRUITMENT OF STUDENTS FROM A MAJOR HBCU IN THE BALTIMORE AREA WILL INCREASE THE REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN B&O PROGRAMS AND PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH PAID OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN. B&O WILL RETAIN EIGHT CURRENT STAFF MEMBERS AND RECRUIT THREE-PART TIME GRADUATE STUDENTS TO HELP DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE GENERAL PUBLIC, MUSEUM VISITORS, RESEARCHERS, STAFF, AND STUDENT INTERNS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT'S INTERPRETATION OF UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HISTORY, PARTICULARLY THE ROLE OF B&O RAILROAD'S ROLE IN THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE RECIPIENT DOES NOT INTEND TO SUBAWARD FUNDS.]

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

DISCRETIONARY

DISCRETIONARY

THE B&O RAILROAD MUSEUM IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ITS WEBSITE AND BRING THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES ONLINE IN A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATABASE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESEARCHERS. THE MUSEUM WILL ALSO UPDATE ITS OUTDATED TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE IMPROVED VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING, ESPECIALLY FOR STUDENTS LEARNING FROM HOME DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE MUSEUM WILL HIRE AND TRAIN STUDENT INTERNS TO REVIEW, REVISE, AND PUBLISH THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS DATA ONLINE DURING THIS ONE-YEAR PROJECT. THE MUSEUM WILL SELECT ITEMS FROM ALL AREAS OF ITS DIVERSE HOLDINGS, INCLUDING THE LOCOMOTIVE AND TRAIN CAR COLLECTION, RAILROADING OBJECTS AND EQUIPMENT, B&O RAILROAD COMPANY CORPORATE RECORDS, MAPS AND TECHNICAL DRAWINGS, MANUSCRIPTS, AUDIOVISUAL RECORDINGS, ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS, RARE BOOKS, AND ARTWORK.