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Preservation Trust seeks three new historic markers in Salisbury, citing local sites and matching grants
Summary
The Preservation Trust proposed three new city historic markers (Camp Wallace, Humphrey's Pond, Handy's Landing) and said the project relies on matching grants and local donations; the Trust aims to place signs before Maryland 250 if approvals and landowner permissions are secured.
Alita Davis, president of the Preservation Trust, told the Salisbury City Council the Trust plans three new historic markers inside the city as part of a Heritage Tourism partnership with county tourism and the Civil War Trails program. "If they're not marked soon, nobody's going to know these places existed," Davis said, urging prompt approvals and fundraising.
The initial phase would include a marker for Camp Wallace (historically also called Camp Upton), a marker near the former Humphrey's Pond site on Court Street, and a marker at Handy's Landing, Davis said. The Trust already installed a Frederick Douglass bronze marker and expects the new signs to be cast aluminum for long-term durability. Davis said some locations will require landowner permission before markers can be installed.
Davis described how the project has relied on local donations and matching grants. She cited a $5,000 Beach-to-Bay matching grant used on earlier work and said the group must often raise additional funds to meet matching requirements. The Trust plans to place the first three Salisbury signs before Maryland 250 if the city and property owners grant the necessary approvals and the signmaker's production schedule permits.
Council members asked questions about exact historic locations, local place-name variants (Humphrey's Pond versus Johnson's Lake) and the site's visibility to pedestrians. Davis said the Trust will post signs on its website and include them on the Eastern Shore historic trail mapping for visitors. She also said the Trust leaves donor recognition space on signs to acknowledge contributors.
The presentation concluded with council members thanking the Trust for its work and encouraging coordination to secure permissions and funding. The project will return to staff and council for any required approvals and site clearances.
