Waterfowl Festival Receives FY 2025 Historic Preservation Capital Grant 

The Waterfowl Festival Inc, is excited to announce that the Waterfowl Building (formerly the Easton Armory) will be receiving a new roof after being awarded a grant from The Maryland Historical Trust.  The Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program provides support to organizations and private citizens for preservation-related acquisition and construction projects as well as for architectural, engineering, archaeology, and consulting services needed in the development of construction projects. For FY25, the Historic Preservation Capital Grant program received 55 applications requesting over $4 million in funding. This year’s nine  grant awards range from $40,000 to $100,000. 

“This is fantastic news,” remarked Tony Kern, Waterfowl Festival Board Vice- president. “While we are proud to be the stewards of the building for the community, the maintenance and upkeep is a challenge. This award will help us preserve the integrity of the structure for future generations of Talbot County community members.”

The Armory, built in 1927, hosts dozens of community events each year including Plein Air Easton, TIS Lip Sync Battle, the Annual Frederick Douglass Birthday Dinner, First Night Talbot, and the iconic Waterfowl Festival each November. Historically, it has held political rallies, numerous civic organizations, and many pivotal events in Easton’s history. Plans to renovate the interior will be developed over the coming year based on funding and community input.

Work will begin in late summer. For more information on use of the Waterfowl building for your organization, please contact .