What We Do

The Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area spurred economic development across the nation by creating an inland connection for goods from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, known as the heartland of America to the eastern seaboard. This development fueled westward expansion, a national market economy, a booming industrial manufacturing sector, and the settlement of towns, villages, and cities along the canal.

The Maritime Washington National Heritage Area tells a nationally important story of maritime heritage, from Native American canoe cultures to industrial working waterfronts, that shaped western Washington and contributes today to our development as a nation.

Historic St. Mary’s City sits along a tributary of the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County, MD and preserves the site of the first European colonization in Maryland through exhibits, walking trails, active archaeological digs, school programs and more. 18751 Hogaboom Ln, St Marys City, MD 20686 240-895-4990

The Omaha Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant occupies half of a city block along Cuming Street. Architect Albert Kahn designed the building as a Ford Model T assembly plant, which was completed in 1916. It is significant as both an example of the architectural work of Kahn and as an example of the changing manufacturing processes and the rise of the automobile. Today the Omaha Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant is better known as the Tip Top Apartment Building and office space.

Long Wharf, located at the foot of State Street in Boston, is significant for its association with the early mercantile history of the United States. From the construction of Long Wharf in 1710-21 until 1756, Boston served as the largest colonial American port and was surpassed by only New York and Philadelphia during the rest of the 1700s. It also played a role in early military history, as well as in Boston's abolition history.

The Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Area heralded a new era of trade and travel for the nation during the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. It was the economic engine that poised Illinois to become the most populous inland American state by opening trade in the region and in America’s heartland.

Since its inception in 1792, the New York Stock Exchange has played a central role in American economic development. As finance historian Margaret G. Myers points out, the Exchange originated in the 1790's "as a mechanism for handling the first Issues of government securities," and in time its quotations "became the standard of the country." It is designated a National Historic Landmark.

Built in the 1930s, the existing Kalaupapa store is the last remaining store that continues to provide groceries and supplies to residents within the settlement.

The Old Market Historic District is significant in the economic history of Omaha and is characterized by wholesale jobbing houses from the 1880s to the early twentieth century. A forward-thinking, preservation mindset sought new uses for the district’s buildings in the 1960s, and thanks to infusion of retail shops, art galleries, restaurants, and loft apartments, it is one of the most popular destinations for tourists and locals alike.

Northeast of Omaha’s central business district is the Stabrie Grocery, representing the history and evolution of the grocery business in the United States. The store served the needs of early residents that were concentrated in the surrounding dense residential neighborhoods. The use of the building shifted as the area became more industrial. Stabrie Grocery represents an excellent example of the dynamic ways a building can be used throughout the history of the city.