HARTFORD – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (D-2) applauded the National Park Service’s announcement today that Connecticut is being awarded more than $240,000 in Maritime Heritage Grant awards to help preserve its maritime history. The Mystic Seaport Museum will receive $49,959 for its Scrimshaw, Marine Painting, and Ship Model Preservation and Access Project. The Connecticut River Museum will receive $197,364 for its Museum Bulkhead Replacement Project. 

“This critical support will help preserve key pieces of Connecticut’s proud maritime heritage,” the lawmakers said. “The Mystic Seaport and Connecticut River Museums are true Connecticut gems, and this grant will ensure that people will continue to learn from these unique pieces of history for generations to come.” 

Program Grant awards support projects that teach about and preserve objects related to our nation’s maritime history, and are made possible through a partnership between the National Park Service and the Maritime Administration (MARAD). 

Founded in 1929, the Mystic Seaport Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum’s collection of more than two million artifacts includes more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the country. 

The Connecticut River Museum, located at the 1878 Steamboat Warehouse in Essex, plays an important role in collecting and protecting manuscripts, books, art and artifacts of regional significance. It also delivers high-quality exhibitions and educational programming to visitors and local residents alike, and each year introduces thousands of school children to the important stories of the River and its people.