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Maryland Historical Trust

Mini-Grants, Loans and Tax Credits in Heritage Areas

Horse-drawn carriage displayed inside a brick archway with a red “Bel Air Stud Stable” sign and green lawn visible outside.

In addition to grant funding for projects, organizations, agencies and other local partners within Maryland’s heritage areas can benefit from mini-grants, loans and tax credits. These financial incentives are all administered differently, as described below. If you have questions, please contact program staff. 

Mini-grants in heritage areas 

Each of Maryland’s 13 heritage areas offers a mini-grant program for heritage-related non-capital projects (for example, educational programming or planning efforts) under $5,000. Visit their individual websites to learn more.  

Maryland Heritage Areas Program loans 

The Maryl - PDF 86.56 KBand Heritage Areas Program can provide loans to nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and individuals to support projects that create or improve place-based heritage resources within a heritage area.   

The amount of money you can receive depends on available funding. A loan can cover up to 50% of the total project cost, based on the applicant’s financial need.  

Refinancing is not eligible as part of the project cost. For more information, please review the program’s loan regulations - PDF 86.56 KB or contact program staff.  

Eligible projects 

Projects that may qualify for a loan include: 

  • Acquisition: buying property or buying rights to use property (such as an easement)
  • Development: repairing or altering an existing building, structure, or site; or building something new for heritage tourism
  • Rehabilitation: making a property usable again
  • Restoration: returning a property to how it looked during a specific time in history, which may include removing later additions or rebuilding missing features
  • Leasehold improvements: rehabilitation, restoration, or small construction projects on leased property, as long as the lease lasts at least as long as the loan term
  • Purchasing equipment, furnishings, or inventory 

Tax credits for historic revitalization 

Some projects may also qualify for special tax credits. Within a heritage area, you may be able to receive a Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit of up to 20% of eligible rehabilitation costs for: 

  • Properties that are individually listed or considered contributing to historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places
  • Historic buildings that are eligible for, but not officially listed on, the National Register of Historic Places
  • Non-historic buildings that the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority has certified as contributing to the importance of the heritage area 

Note: these benefits are in addition to other state tax credits available for qualified rehabilitation work on historic structures. 

For full details, please visit the Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program page.