(12/1) As part of a Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) grant, the town has secured $9,000 to create three wayside exhibits, which, once approved, will be placed at the Town Square, Emmit House and the Doughboy Statue. The long-term goal for this project is to create a historic walking tour for visitors and even residents of the town.

This past April the Town started working on the project as the MHAA grant application was being completed. The grant application was submitted March 1, and the grant funds were awarded in July. In August, the Town had the first meeting with Ruth Bielobocky from Ion Design Firm to officially kick off the project. A site visit to Emmitsburg to view the potential sites to feature kicked off the beginning stages of design work for Bielobocky, who after visiting Emmitsburg began preliminary sketches for the overall design of the signs. Scott Grove of Grove Public Relations LLC worked as the writer and researcher for the historical content of these signs. Together, they created a formal proposal, which they brought forth to Emmitsburg’s Board of Commissioners on November 1 for discussion.

Wayside exhibits, as explained by Bielobocky, were developed by the National Park Service as a way to include photos and diagrams to interpret the resource in front of you. Wayside exhibits can act as a substitute if no ranger or docent is available to help visitors interpret a particular site. Additionally, they can become tools for tourism development.

As described by Grove, the purpose of creating these signs is to provide a basic overview and orientation of Frederick’s founding and development. Additionally, designers wanted to show how Emmitsburg is, was and continues to be a nexus of commercial transportation and historical activity. Funding obtained from Maryland Heritage asked that the signs show an emphasis on the Civil War where possible. Several of the photos depicted on the signs showcase not only the Emmitsburg during the Civil War, but also WWI and WWII.

Commissioners presented several corrections concerning grammatical errors as well as historical accuracy. All seemed on board with the idea of installing these signs, once corrected, but hope to see other areas of the town showcased as well, including Mount St. Mary’s University and the Daughters of Charity. According to Mayor Don Briggs, these three signs are just the beginning of a project that may hopefully be expanded on in the future to encompass more of Emmitsburg’s historical sites. "We have a lot of history here and would like to add more exhibits," noted Briggs.

The total project cost for all three, approximately three-foot signs, is $18,000. With the $9,000 grant from MHAA, the town is responsible for providing the remaining $9,000. $6,850 will be a cash match from the town, and $2,150 will be in-kind/staff time for research and installation.

The Town hopes the Board will give official approval at the upcoming January 7 town meeting. If everything continues as planned the Town would like the fabricated exhibits received in February 2019. A ribbon cutting ceremony would be held in early spring, most likely March or April. The grant requires the project to be complete by July 31, 2019 at the latest.