Funding from The National Park Service, part of $10 million awarded from the Semiquincentennial Grant Program commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

Preservation Maryland today announced it has been awarded $747,216 in funding from the National Park Service to preserve the historic Rock Run Mill, a contributing resource to the Lower Deer Creek Valley National Historic District, located within Susquehanna State Park in Havre De Grace, Maryland.

The Maryland Park Service (Maryland Department of Natural Resources) and Preservation Maryland will partner on the project; work will result in restoration of the roof, windows, doors, masonry, and structural components of the late 18th-century mill, as well as site work to protect the foundation from flood damage.   

“Preservation Maryland is committed to revitalizing Maryland communities and preserving their unique history,” said Preservation Maryland President & CEO Nicholas Redding. “This grant, one of the largest received in the organization’s 90+-year history, allows us to preserve an early piece of our nation’s story. We’re thrilled to partner with the Maryland Park Service to preserve the structure as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.”

Preservation Maryland’s Historic Property Redevelopment Manager Laura Houston, who will be managing the project for the organization, added “Restoration of this remarkably unaltered 18th c. structure will allow it to remain a site of education for the public, a connection to our nation’s early years, and an exemplary resource for the Susquehanna State Park.”

“We’re thankful for the opportunity to work with Preservation Maryland to ensure future generations of Marylanders will continue to be able to visit this historic mill at Susquehanna State Park in Havre de Grace,” said Angela Crenshaw, Acting Superintendent of the Maryland Park Service. “We know that the mill served as a centerpiece of the community when it was operational and with this grant it will continue to serve as a centerpiece of the park.”

Built in 1797 along the banks of the Susquehanna River, the Rock Run Mill is a surviving connection to when the wheat and flour trade provided a much-needed economic foundation for the new American republic. Maryland’s Piedmont Region saw the establishment of many commercial grist mills among other early industries during the latter half of the 18th century. The appearance of these mills coincided with the Seven Years War and the American Revolution, and they signified Baltimore’s emergence as a major seaport and foreshadowed the rise of American industry in the 19th century.

“The Semiquincentennial is an opportunity for the nation to recognize and reflect on the diverse cultures, events, and places that have helped shape our country,” said?NPS Director Chuck Sams in an NPS-issued press release last week. “Through the Semiquincentennial Grant Program, the National Park Service is supporting projects that showcase the many places and stories that contributed to the evolution of the American experience.”