About Historic Sotterley
Since it was founded in 1703, Historic Sotterley has embraced its responsibility to interpret all aspects of our shared history.
We are dedicated to being an exceptional educational and cultural resource, with a full range of formal education programs, as well as events and visitor programs. We have 94 acres with over 20 authentic structures providing a stunning backdrop for our stories. In the tradition of our ancestors, we farm sustainably, and donate most of what we grow to local food pantries. We pay it forward.
Mission
To preserve our historic structures and natural environment and use the powerful stories of our land, lives and labor to bring American history to life while serving as an educational and cultural resource.
Vision
To foster a better understanding of our world today by providing a living link to America’s complex history and legacy of slavery.
Charitable Status
Historic Sotterley, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) public charity organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Recognition & Awards
- 2012 Designated a Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Marker’s Project Site
- 2017 Maryland Sustainable Growth Award for Preservation & Conservation
- 2018 Maryland Preservation Award for Slave Cabin Exhibit dedicated to Agnes Kane Callum
- 2019 Designated a UNESCO Site of Memory for the Route of the Enslaved Peoples Project
- 2020 Maryland Preservation Award for Excellence in Public Programming for Common Ground
- 2023 Southern Maryland recognized as a National Heritage Area
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Partner Organizations
Books about Sotterley's History & People
The Barber Family: From Slavery, Through Segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement
by Donald Barber and David G. Brown
The Barber family are Sotterley Descendants, and this book tells their story against the backdrop of their challenges with post-Civil War economic decline and racism in St. Mary’s County, and the struggle for more self-reliant, prosperous, and fulfilling lives with dignity.
Available in our Museum Store!
Making a Way out of No Way: Lives of Labor, Love, and Resistance
by Merideth M. Taylor
For over 165 years, plantation owners in Southern Maryland depended on the labor of enslaved men, women, and children to bring in the tobacco crop. The photographs and stories in this book grew out of the author’s quest to understand how these people, who were subjected to a system that made every attempt to brutalize and dehumanize them, were able not only to survive but to build families and meaningful lives.
Available in our Museum Store or via Amazon!
Sotterley: Her People and Their Worlds: Three Hundred Years of a Maryland Plantation
by David G. Brown
The story of Sotterley plantation in St. Mary's County began shortly after the founding of Maryland and continued over three centuries that saw it rise from humble beginnings, prosper in the age of tobacco and slavery, endure depression, and survive three wars, only to stumble toward ruin until a generous fate brought restoration and renewed relevance for our time. Some who resided there were socially prominent, though most were not. Some were free, others enslaved. Some were white, more were black. Yet they were men and women whose stories have much to tell us about the history of southern Maryland and a maturing Chesapeake society.
Available in our Museum Store or via Amazon!
Memories of Sotterley
by Richard Knott and Shawn Knott
Memories of Sotterley, written by Richard Knott and his grandson Shawn Knott, is a rare collection of history and personal stories regarding Sotterley Plantation, from one who lived and worked there. Memories of Sotterley takes the reader back in time documenting the families that worked the farm, building construction of houses, barns and buildings at Sotterley through the 20th century from a personal perspective. It also covers Sotterley ownership, the workers that made it all happen, and much more. Loaded with rare photographs and stories, Memories of Sotterley offers a one-of-a-kind perspective of Sotterley that no other publication has ever done.
Available in our Museum Store!
George Plater of Sotterley
by David G. Brown
This well-researched biography sheds light on Maryland planter George Plater, a little-known but important figure in the founding of the new nation. David Brown gracefully tells Plater's story, bringing the master of Sotterley, his family, and his political career out of the shadows. - Jennifer A. Bryan, former head of special collections at the Maryland Historical Society
Available in our Museum Store!
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