HSMC Signs Int’l Agreement to Expand Education Initiatives
Pictured are John Barnes, left, chairman of the Maryland Center for History and Culture; Morris Murray, governor of the Society of the Ark and the Dove; Laura Tuck, board director, of the Colony of Avalon; Dr. John Seidel, executive director and CEO of Historic St. Mary’s City; and Adrian Jenkens, chair of trustees of Kiplin Hall and Gardens.
Historic St. Mary’s City has signed an agreement with four partners aimed at establishing a transatlantic framework for collaboration across research, education, interpretation, and programming related to the early history of Maryland and the broader Atlantic world.
The five institutions–HSMC, Maryland Center for History and Culture, Kiplin Hall and Gardens of the United Kingdom, Colony of Avalon Foundation in Canada, and the Society of The Ark and The Dove–will work together on exhibitions, archaeological research, educational initiatives, digital resource sharing, and coordinated public events, particularly in preparation for Maryland’s 400th anniversary in 2034.
“We’re very excited to formalize a productive and growing partnership between five organizations that share an important goal: exploring and interpreting for the public the early transatlantic exchanges,” said John Seidel, CEO and executive director of Historic St. Mary’s City. “These interactions helped to form our world and remain critically important today.”
“This agreement reflects our shared belief in the power of public history to connect people across borders and centuries,” said retired US Navy RADM Timothy Heely, chair of the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission. “By working together, we strengthen our ability to educate, inspire, and preserve the stories that shaped the world we live in.”
The agreement outlines areas of collaboration that include:
- Joint research in history, archaeology, and material culture
- Sharing of digital and educational resources
- Coordinated interpretive strategies and exhibitions
- Staff and student exchanges
- Planning of milestone commemorations and public events
Each partner contributes unique strengths to the collaboration:
- HSMC, the site of Maryland’s first capital and home to one of the nation’s most significant archaeological collections
- MCHC, a leading repository and storyteller of Maryland’s diverse history
- Kiplin Hall, a historic estate in North Yorkshire that bridges heritage across the Atlantic
- Colony of Avalon, a Canadian site dedicated to 17th-century colonial archaeology
- Society of The Ark and The Dove, connecting descendants of Maryland’s founding families
The agreement will remain in effect for five years with the possibility of renewal and is designed to welcome additional like-minded organizations into future collaborations.
Historic St. Mary’s City is an 835-acre living history and archaeology museum is on the site of Maryland’s first capital (1634-1695).
