The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), officially handed over the rehabilitated Harper City Hall/ Maryland County Administration Building to the government of Liberia, after completing five months of rehabilitation work. USAID provided a $450,000 grant to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to rehabilitate the building under its Liberia Community Infrastructure Program (LCIP).

Internal Affairs Minister Ambulai Johnson, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, USAID Mission Director Pamela White, Maryland County Senior Senator John A. Ballout, Maryland Senator Gloria Musu Scott, and Superintendent G. Gbleh bo Browne participated in the event.

The new combined City Hall and County Administration Building will house the offices of the County Superintendent, City Mayor, Development Superintendent, and other units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, County Inspector, Harper City officials, representatives of the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Lands Mines & Energy, Ministry of Finance, General Services Agency (GSA), Circuit Court, County Attorney, Magisterial Court, Gender & Development, Land Commissioner, among others.

County and City officials agreed to share one building, after the original County Administration Building was determined to be structurally unsound in 2008. The rehabilitation was carried out by a Liberian construction firm "Gilgal Engineering and construction Company" and architectural design and supervision was conducted by "ACE Planning and Consulting Group."

Repairs included renovation of roof and ceiling, supply and installation of doors, frames and windows, anti-burglar bars, electrical conduits and fixtures as well as complete rehabilitation of sewer, electrical, plumbing systems, painting of the exterior and interior of the building. Construction of a deep water well and provision of a 60 KVA generator form part of the rehabilitation package. Over 130 workers gained employment during the rehabilitation effort.

Built in the 1950s, the seat of Harper City government had also been a cultural and social center for Maryland County residents. During the prolonged Liberian civil crises (1989-2003) the building was vandalized and the Theatre destroyed. The rehabilitation of this structure could not include the theatre due to the major scale of work and resources needed to rebuild the theatre. The Harper City Hall/County Administration Building is the tenth administration building to be rehabilitated by USAID LCIP.

Buildings in Bassa, Bomi, Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, Sinoe and Gbarpolu Counties were completed over the course of 2005-2009. The total value of investment made by USAID in these 10 County Administration buildings is nearly $2M.

USAID Food for Peace-Liberia Integrated Assistance Program (LIAP) program has operated in Maryland County for several years and supports activities carried out by implementing partners CRS and SARA, a Maryland Ngo, in health and nutrition education, HIV/AIDS awareness with youth, road and bridge improvements or rehabilitation, installation of latrines and wells, and farmer training and food production in all three of Maryland's Districts: Barabo, Karluway, and Pleebo Sodoken.

Also in Pleebo, a market was constructed in Gedetar bo with an associated latrine and rehabilitation of an 11Km road linking to the market. USAID's new Core Education Skills for Liberian Youth (CESLY) continues the work of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) operating in Maryland County since 2006 and working with 39 ALP schools and communities in the eight educational districts providing support to County education officials, teacher training, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) capacity-building and developing and using instructional materials for schools.

CESLY operates the Learning Resource Center (LRC) which maintains the only free public center in Maryland County with a library and internet facility that provides an opportunity for students and teachers to have access to learning and teaching information, reading books, and a means to keep in touch with other people and places.

CESLY goal is to enable youth to gain academic or vocational skills as well as livelihood skills that will enable them to lead productive lives. While in Maryland County, US Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and USAID Mission Director Pamela White will visit Tubman University where USAID has agreed to provide a grant of $64,000 for the purchase of a server and related equipment to complete the University's information and communications technology system.