An Ode to the Patuxent
For more than 320 years, Sotterley has stood looking out over the Patuxent River, the longest river running exclusively within Maryland’s borders.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Sotterley’s prime location on the Patuxent allowed it to serve as an important port along the shipping lanes of the Chesapeake Bay. It oversaw exports of familiar goods, like tobacco, corn, and lumber. It also took in imports of luxury European goods, letters from afar, and enslaved Africans. This constant exchange is a piece of the puzzle that allowed Sotterley to develop into one of the largest plantations in the Tidewater region.
Sotterley’s position overlooking the river also made it witness to major moments in American History, including in 1814, during the War of 1812, when Commodore Joshua Barney and the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla were trapped in the Patuxent by the British Fleet and driven into the shallower waters of St. Leonard Creek, directly opposite Sotterley. For more information on the more than a year of back and forth between Commodore Barney and the British Fleet right in Sotterley’s “front yard”, check out this article by the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area.
Today, the Patuxent is a much quieter river, but no less important to Historic Sotterley’s mission. We interpret its history and importance to the region, but we also strive to protect it through our sustainable farming practices and environmental stewardship.
With acres of active farm fields, safe, sustainable practices to improve our stormwater run-off and reduce the amount of nutrients and pollutants we’re adding to the Patuxent is one of our top priorities. So we worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to form a long-term management plan that includes organic farming methods like conventional tillage, moldboard plowing, and mechanical cultivation to eliminate the need for herbicide and drastically reduce our reliance on fertilizers that would otherwise run directly into the Patuxent.
Our agricultural practices tie directly into our environmental stewardship, but our stewardship is so much more. We also host many volunteer opportunities low-cost events for community members of all ages to visit Historic Sotterley and learn about our ecosystem, which is directly impacted by our proximity to the Patuxent. We have provided opportunities for visitors to learn about the incredible plants and animals that call the Patuxent and her shores their home, and hosted river clean up days to ensure less waste is making it into our beloved waterway.
Ecosystems Report Cards, a program run by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, gave the Patuxent River a health score of 28% in 2024. This represents poor ecosystem health, among the lowest in the entire Chesapeake Bay system. Agriculture isn’t the only offender in this rating; rapid development across the region has contributed significantly to pollution for decades. While the score is discouraging, it underlines the importance of our stewardship and education efforts. The more community members we can reach and get involved in learning about our local watershed, the easier it will be to make meaningful changes that improve its health.
From a powerful trade route that bolstered this site’s success to a cherished resource that we protect, the Patuxent River has always been a powerful influence on Sotterley’s history. Next time you visit, take moment to walk down past the Homestead House to the waters of Sotterley Creek where they run into the Patuxent and appreciate this incredible river that has given us so much.
More Patuxent River Facts
- The word “Patuxent” derives from an Algonquin word that has been interpreted as “water running over loose stones”
- The Patuxent River is incredibly diverse, providing home to more than 100 species of fish, and providing habitat and hunting grounds for a plethora of birds and mammals, including otters, herons, osprey, bald eagles, and even the occasional dolphin
- The Patuxent wasn’t just economically important in the colonial era, it also served as a major Native American trade route thousands of years before colonists landed