As part of an effort to get its fleet of historic ships and other vessels ready for the summer tourist season, the Living Classrooms Foundation last fall launched a six-month, $1 million campaign to renovate the rigging on the USS Constellation. Now complete, the “rigging renovation project” was the first comprehensive conservation of the ship’s three masts and rigging since 1999.
On Wednesday, the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) recognized the effort with a 2026 Maryland Preservation Award for Excellence in Restoration, one of 10 awards it gave this year to acknowledge outstanding achievements in preserving and promoting Maryland’s historical and cultural resources.
The award was presented on the roof of the Constellation’s education center by MHT Director Elizabeth Hughes to Steve Bountress, executive director of Historic Ships in Baltimore, a division of Living Classrooms Foundation. The award was out of the ordinary because it given for work on a floating vessel rather than a building. It was the only maritime restoration project to be recognized by the Trust this year.
Located next to Pier 1 near Pratt and Light streets, the Constellation is one of the nation’s most significant historic vessels and a sculptural centerpiece for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor development. The last sail-only warship designed and built by the U. S. Navy, it carries on the name of the USF “frigate” Constellation, which was commissioned in 1797.
The Living Classrooms Foundation launched the restoration to ensure that the vessel is in top condition for the summer. Technically considered a tall ship, it will play a prominent role during SAIL250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore presented by Northrup Grumman, a weeklong event taking place in Baltimore City and Baltimore County from June 24 to 30.
Fourteen other tall ships will sail into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor during the event and will be open for tours, as will the Constellation, to help celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. As Baltimore’s permanent tall ship, the Constellation is expected to anchor the celebration.
“Today we celebrate a major restoration effort focused on one of Baltimore’s most recognizable historic vessels,” Hughes said at the ceremony. “The USS Constellation is the last surviving Civil War-era naval vessel still afloat and one of the most important maritime landmarks in the United States. Preserving a wooden sailing ship of this scale requires constant care and highly specialized expertise, particularly when it comes to the vessel’s rigging system, which is essential to both the ship’s structural stability and its historic authenticity. “
The project involved the full removal, inspection, conservation and replacement of major rigging components on the ship. The work required careful coordination, crane-supported operations, and specialized maritime preservation skills to protect the ship’s historic fabric while returning the vessel to a safe and historically accurate condition.
Skilled riggers employed traditional maritime techniques and historically appropriate materials to ensure the project reflected the ship’s original design, function, and appearance. Beyond technical restoration, the vessel served as a “living classroom,” providing hands-on training for participants in the foundation’s Maritime Workforce Skills Training Program.
Unlike some previous restorations, the Constellation did not have to be moved to another location for the rigging renovation work to be completed. A crew of 10 worked on the project starting in November and through the winter. Two years of planning was required before the renovation began.
“What makes this restoration especially significant,” said Hughes, who also serves as Maryland’s State Historic Preservation Officer, “is the way the work was carried out in full public view. Observation areas on Pier 1 allowed students, residents and visitors to watch the restoration process firsthand and learn about the traditional trades involved in maintaining historic vessels. The project also incorporated workforce development opportunities through Living Classrooms, giving participants hands-on experience working alongside professional riggers and preservation specialists in a nationally significant project.”
The completion of the rigging renovation project, Hughes said, “ensures that USS Constellation will continue to serve as an educational resource, a centerpiece of Baltimore’s waterfront and an important symbol of Maryland’s maritime heritage for years to come, including during the upcoming SAIL250 celebrations.”
The Constellation is one of seven vessels operated by Historic Ships in Baltimore. Others are the submarine USS Torsk; Lightship Chesapeake, which for decades marked the entrance to the Chesapeake and Delaware bays; 77-year-old Chesapeake Bay buy boat Mildred Belle; the world’s only pungy schooner Lady Maryland; the iconic skipjack Sigsbee; and USCG Cutter 37, the last warship still afloat to witness the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Most of the funding for the rigging renovation project came from the State of Maryland and the rest was provided through Living Classrooms and Historic Ships fundraising efforts.
More information about Living Classrooms Foundation and Historic Ships in Baltimore is at www.livingclassrooms.org and www.historicships.org. More information about SAIL250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore is available at www.sail250md.org.
Additional MHT preservation awards
A second MHT Excellence in Restoration award went to the Euchtman House at 6807 Cross Country Boulevard, the only residence in Baltimore that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and one of only two in Maryland. Built in 1939, it’s also the state’s only example of Wright’s Usonian-style architecture, characterized by strong horizontal lines, deep roof overhangs and open interiors.
The MHT praised the owners for respecting Wright’s vision while updating the residence for contemporary living. Over six years, it said, “a careful series of focused interventions brought the house back into alignment with Wright’s original design intent. The restoration reinstated clerestory windows, recreated Wright’s original concrete flooring, added custom cypress cabinetry, and optimized circulation for daily use. The owners’ commitment to Wright’s vision earned them the 2025 Wright Spirit Award from the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, recognizing the project’s role in preserving the home as an enduring and rare landmark of American modernism.“ Ziger/Snead Architects was the project architect.
Two projects received awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation. They are:
The James E. Hooper House, 100 E. 23 St. in Baltimore City: “Following a devastating 2022 fire, federal historic tax credits helped save the 1886 Queen Anne-style James E. Hooper House, an irreplaceable piece of Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood,” the MHT stated. “Today, the building has been reimagined as a dynamic springboard for the creative economy, housing seventeen small businesses, makers, and cultural organizations. The high-standard rehabilitation proves that preserving architectural integrity is a direct investment in the local workforce, providing the infrastructure and inspiration for artists and entrepreneurs to thrive.”
Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, at 211 E. Church St. in Frederick: “The Visitation Hotel Frederick represents a masterful adaptive reuse of a circa-1850 Federal-style landmark,” the MHT stated. “Following a $30 million investment, this former convent and Civil War hospital reopened in December 2024 as downtown Frederick’s first new hotel in over fifty years. Despite significant construction challenges, the project carefully preserved many of the original site features, such as the Corinthian chapel — now transformed into a signature restaurant featuring the original pipe organ and stained glass. With over 1,200 curated artifacts on display, the hotel seamlessly integrates luxury hospitality with the site’s layered history, serving as a catalyst for the city’s economic revitalization.”
Additional state preservation awards to people and programs included:
Award for Outstanding Individual Leadership at the Local Level to Reggie Turner in Washington County. “Reggie Turner has been the driving force behind the reclamation of African American heritage in Washington County,” the MHT stated. “His leadership spans historic preservation and community revitalization, supporting both the interpretation of place and the investment needed to sustain it. Under his guidance, Hagerstown’s Jonathan Street community achieved national prominence through an initiative to interpret and preserve the neighborhood’s diverse history — as celebrated by the PBS documentary “The House on Jonathan Street.” His current work includes the multi-million-dollar rehabilitation of the Robert W. Johnson Community Center, including the restoration of its historic swimming pool and expansion of community programming.”
Award for Outstanding Organizational Leadership at the Local Level to The Durable Restoration Company in Howard County. “For decades, the Durable Restoration Company has served as a preeminent guardian of Maryland’s historic built environment,” the MHT stated. “Entrusted with iconic landmarks like the Maryland State House and Baltimore City Hall, the firm’s projects are defined by technical mastery and strict adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Beyond craftsmanship, the company champions the future of historic trades through an in-house apprenticeship program, as well as a specialized preservation department that assists clients in navigating grants, tax credits and long-term stewardship.
Award for Excellence in Public Programming and Exhibits to Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) for the US 250th GeoTour in Frederick, Carroll and Washington counties. “HCWHA has pioneered a sophisticated model for heritage tourism through its US 250th GeoTour,” the MHT stated. “Launched in September 2025 as a signature America 250 project, the initiative links over 20 historic sites across three counties via physical and virtual geocaches. By pairing digital navigation with immersive historical narratives, the GeoTour has attracted nearly 5,000 site visits and over 100 overnight stays in its inaugural months. This integration of technology and history successfully converts recreational travelers into dedicated advocates for the region’s diverse and storied past.”
Award for Excellence in Community Impact to Faye Allen Belt for the Crownsville Hospital Master Plan & Columbia Beach National Register Nomination for properties in Anne Arundel County. “Faye Allen Belt is a distinguished leader in the preservation of Maryland’s African American heritage, ‘ the MHT stated. “Drawing on deep personal ties to Crownsville Hospital, Belt galvanized former staff and descendants to help shape the Crownsville Hospital Memorial Park Master Plan, adopted by Anne Arundel County in 2025. Simultaneously, as President of the Columbia Beach Citizens Improvement Association, her grassroots outreach and oral history documentation were instrumental in Columbia Beach’s official listing as a National Register Historic District by the National Park Service. Belt’s advocacy ensures that these essential places, and their stories, remain central to the state’s historical record — and its future.
Award for Excellence in Preservation Partnerships to the Pocomoke Indian Nation and Beach to Bay Heritage Area for the History, Heritage & Homelands Trail in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. “The Pocomoke Indian Nation and Beach to Bay Heritage Area have redefined a regional heritage trail through a transformative partnership,” the MHT stated. “They redesigned 12 interpretive signs and an authoritative guidebook, replacing superficial historical references with the Pocomoke Indian Nation’s primary research and oral histories. The new History, Heritage and Homelands Trail meticulously maps tribal homelands and Indigenous landscapes before and after European contact, creating the Lower Eastern Shore’s most comprehensive guide to Native American heritage. The initiative serves as a flagship model for preservation where descendant communities lead the narrative from its inception.”
Award for Outstanding Stewardship of a Maryland Historic Trust Easement Site to the County Commissioners of Carroll County for the Union Mills Gristmill. “Carroll County’s stewardship of the Union Mills Homestead, in partnership with the Union Mills Homestead Foundation, reflects a superior model of sustained public commitment,” the MHT stated. “Since the 1970s, the County Commissioners have consistently funded critical preservation investments, including an award-winning 2023 flume restoration. Their most recent achievement — the meticulous restoration of the 1797 gristmill’s waterwheel and shaft — utilized original UK engineering drawings and master-level millwrighting, and the white oak wheel was handcrafted to historic specifications. Welcoming over 10,000 annual visitors, this working mill remains a principal interpreter of Maryland’s early industrial heritage.”
