Sotterley

Bug-a-Palooza
2022-08-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-08-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-08-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-08-15 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Become a citizen scientist with a study in insect and bugology! Have close encounters of the crawling and flying kind in Sotterley’s Tidewater environment. Discover different creatures each day from 10:00 am to 12 pm. Enjoy the rest of your day with a Sotterley signage Seek-and-Find. Check in at the Visitor Center, then meet at the Warehouse overhang to begin each day’s adventure.
Aug. 15 – Bees
Aug. 16 – Butterflies
Aug. 17 – Beetles
Aug. 18 – Crickets, Grasshoppers, and Praying Mantids
Aug. 19 – Bug Wannabees
$5 per person, 3 and under free. Suggested Ages: 4 and Up!
Sotterley members are FREE! Consider joining our Sotterley family—a $65 Family membership allows you to get into our summer programming for free, and you can also take a tour as often as you like or simply come and enjoy the grounds all year! Added bonus—you will be supporting this historic site and its important mission of preserving our past and serving our community as an exceptional cultural and educational resource.
Purchase tickets and memberships at Sotterley’s Visitor Center. No registration required.
Activities happen rain or shine. Dress for the weather! Wear walking shoes.

Airport Farmer's Market
2022-08-14 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Come shop local at the Airport Farmer’s Market for unique goods to enhance your summer meals! You don’t need an airplane to come – you can drive, walk, or bike also! There will be a bounty of locally grown and produced items to please one and all. The market runs 9am to 1pm on August 14th.
Sotterley is sponsoring this unique market at the Airport Terminal building located at 44200 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Located in St. Mary’s County, the airport is about four miles northeast of the central business district of Leonardtown.

Vendors:

Moonstruck Oysters
Dixon Family Farm
Olga’s Cakes
Olivin’s Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars
Unforgoatable goods
Beez Knees (Ice Cream!)
Boon Doggie Farm
Zekiah Farms
Intoxi-Cake-Tion
Achterberg Acres (brining seasonal produce!)
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Mully’s Brewery
Free State Ciders
Gigi’s treats
Nativo Spices & Empanadas!
Sotterley (Growing for Good)

Family Friendly Fridays
2022-07-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
It’s time to get outside and have some fun! Join us every Friday in July beginning on July 1st from 10:00am—12:00pm for a morning of fun, learning and exploration at Sotterley. Each Family Friendly Friday will have a different activity—it’s time to plan a weekly field trip to Sotterley!
Weekly activities are:
July 1st – Bird Walk! Get out in nature with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and learn about our local feathery friends with experts! Binoculars will be provided for your little ones, so just bring those inquisitive brains.
July 8th – Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) visits Sotterley to talk about the incredible work Oysters do to clean our waterways with demonstrations.
July 15th – Exhibit scavenger hunt! Learn more about Sotterley’s exhibits and history and find a little bit of treasure at the end.
July 22nd – Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum visits Sotterley with a Colonial Kitchen demonstration.
July 29th – Unfortunately, due to the repeated storms in the region, Achterberg Acres will not be able to visit us. Instead, we will be showcasing Colonial Games and offering our exhibit scavenger hunt again!
$5 per person, 3 and under free. Suggested Ages: 4 and Up!
Sotterley members are FREE! Consider joining our Sotterley family—a $65 Family membership allows you to get into our summer programming for free, and you can also take a tour as often as you like or simply come and enjoy the grounds all year! Added bonus—you will be supporting this historic site and its important mission of preserving our past and serving our community as an exceptional cultural and educational resource.
Purchase tickets and memberships at Sotterley’s Visitor Center. No registration required.
Activities happen rain or shine. Dress for the weather! Wear walking shoes.

Family Friendly Fridays
2022-07-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-07-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
It’s time to get outside and have some fun! Join us every Friday in July beginning on July 1st from 10:00am—12:00pm for a morning of fun, learning and exploration at Sotterley. Each Family Friendly Friday will have a different activity—it’s time to plan a weekly field trip to Sotterley!
Weekly activities are:
July 1st – Bird Walk! Get out in nature with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and learn about our local feathery friends with experts! Binoculars will be provided for your little ones, so just bring those inquisitive brains.
July 8th – Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) visits Sotterley to talk about the incredible work Oysters do to clean our waterways with demonstrations.
July 15th – Exhibit scavenger hunt! Learn more about Sotterley’s exhibits and history and find a little bit of treasure at the end.
July 22nd – Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum visits Sotterley with a Colonial Kitchen demonstration.
July 29th – A visit from our friends at Achterberg Acres, a vendor at the Aeropark Farmer’s Markets, to discuss their farm and how they make their Bees Wax Wraps. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about sustainability, local agriculture, and our favorite pollinators.
$5 per person, 3 and under free. Suggested Ages: 4 and Up!
Sotterley members are FREE! Consider joining our Sotterley family—a $65 Family membership allows you to get into our summer programming for free, and you can also take a tour as often as you like or simply come and enjoy the grounds all year! Added bonus—you will be supporting this historic site and its important mission of preserving our past and serving our community as an exceptional cultural and educational resource.
Purchase tickets and memberships at Sotterley’s Visitor Center. No registration required.
Activities happen rain or shine. Dress for the weather! Wear walking shoes.

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives - Remembering their Voices with Kamau Sadiki
2022-07-13 19:00 | Virtual
Kamau Sadiki
Board Member and Lead Instructor of Diving with a Purpose
Remembering Their Voices: Connecting the History and Archaeology of the São José
Paquete de Africa and the Clotilda Slave Shipwrecks
Wednesday, July 13th, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
____________________________________________________________________________
Click here to Register!
Kamau Sadiki is the immediate past President of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS). He is a lifetime NABS member and served as its Vice President from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Class of 2006 Underwater Adventure Seekers Scuba Diving Club based in Washington, DC, a founding club of NABS. He is a certified PADI Divemaster.
Kamau is a Board member and Lead Instructor with Diving With A Purpose (DWP), an international organization committed to resurrecting the stories of slave shipwrecks from the bottom of the sea through underwater archaeology documentation. DWP and Kamau was featured in the cover story of the March 2022 issue of the National Geographics magazine. He is also featured in the NatGeo podcast “Into the Depths,” which explores the work of DWP and the journey of NatGeo Explorer Tara Roberts. He participated on the field mission that confirmed the discovery of the slave ship Clotilda in the Mobile River in Alabama, the last slave ship to bring captured Africans into the USA. He was a member of the dive team that documented the slave shipwreck Sâo José Paquete de Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, the first slave ship documented in which captured was aboard during the wrecking event. He has worked on multiple shipwreck sites around Mozambique Island, Mozambique, and shipwrecks in the NOAA Thunder Bay, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries and Biscayne National Marine Park off the southern Florida coast and in St. John, United States Virgin Islands. In August 2015, he was a member of the first underwater archaeology field team to document a Tuskegee Airmen P-39 Airacobra airplane that crashed in Lake Huron, one of five that crashed in the lake during WWII training.
This presentation is made possible by the generous support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Maryland Heritage Area Authority.
Photo of Kamau Sadiki credited to Wayne Lawrence/NatGeo
FREE WEBINAR for the public – Advance registration required.
Click here to Register!

Airport Farmer's Market
2022-07-10 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Come shop local at the Airport Farmer’s Market for unique goods to make your summer barbecues rock! You don’t need an airplane to come – you can drive, walk, or bike also! There will be a bounty of locally grown and produced items to please one and all. The market runs 9am to 1pm on July 10th.
Sotterley is sponsoring this unique market at the Airport Terminal building located at 44200 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Located in St. Mary’s County, the airport is about four miles northeast of the central business district of Leonardtown.

Vendors:

Moonstruck Oysters
Dixon Family Farm
Olga’s Cakes
Olivin’s Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars
Unforgoatable goods
Beez Knees (Ice Cream – New Vendor!)
Boon Doggie Farm
Zekiah Farms
Intoxi-Cake-Tion
Achterberg Acres
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Free State Ciders
Gigi’s Treats
Nativo Spices
No Guarantees Bakery
Sotterley (Growing for Good)
Blue Wind (Black Pointe Chocolatier)
Gatos Tacos – Food Truck
Mully’s Brewery – Local craft beer

Family Friendly Fridays
2022-07-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
It’s time to get outside and have some fun! Join us every Friday in July beginning on July 1st from 10:00am—12:00pm for a morning of fun, learning and exploration at Sotterley. Each Family Friendly Friday will have a different activity—it’s time to plan a weekly field trip to Sotterley!
Weekly activities are:
July 1st – Bird Walk! Get out in nature with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and learn about our local feathery friends with experts! Binoculars will be provided for your little ones, so just bring those inquisitive brains.
July 8th – Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) visits Sotterley to talk about the incredible work Oysters do to clean our waterways with demonstrations.
July 15th – Exhibit scavenger hunt! Learn more about Sotterley’s exhibits and history and find a little bit of treasure at the end.
July 22nd – Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum visits Sotterley with a Colonial Kitchen demonstration.
July 29th – More information coming
$5 per person, 3 and under free. Suggested Ages: 4 and Up!
Sotterley members are FREE! Consider joining our Sotterley family—a $65 Family membership allows you to get into our summer programming for free, and you can also take a tour as often as you like or simply come and enjoy the grounds all year! Added bonus—you will be supporting this historic site and its important mission of preserving our past and serving our community as an exceptional cultural and educational resource.
Purchase tickets and memberships at Sotterley’s Visitor Center. No registration required.
Activities happen rain or shine. Dress for the weather! Wear walking shoes.

Family Friendly Fridays
2022-07-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
It’s time to get outside and have some fun! Join us every Friday in July beginning on July 1st from 10:00am—12:00pm for a morning of fun, learning and exploration at Sotterley. Each Family Friendly Friday will have a different activity—it’s time to plan a weekly field trip to Sotterley!
Weekly activities are:
July 1st – Bird Walk! Get out in nature with the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and learn about our local feathery friends with experts! Binoculars will be provided for your little ones, so just bring those inquisitive brains.
July 8th – Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL) visits Sotterley to talk about the incredible work Oysters do to clean our waterways with demonstrations.
July 15th – More information coming
July 22nd – Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum visits Sotterley with a Colonial Kitchen demonstration.
July 29th – More information coming
$5 per person, 3 and under free. Suggested Ages: 4 and Up!
Sotterley members are FREE! Consider joining our Sotterley family—a $65 Family membership allows you to get into our summer programming for free, and you can also take a tour as often as you like or simply come and enjoy the grounds all year! Added bonus—you will be supporting this historic site and its important mission of preserving our past and serving our community as an exceptional cultural and educational resource.
Purchase tickets and memberships at Sotterley’s Visitor Center. No registration required.
Activities happen rain or shine. Dress for the weather! Wear walking shoes.

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives - What We Commemorate on Juneteenth with Richard Bell
2022-06-15 19:00 | Virtual
Dr. Richard Bell
Professor of History and the University of Maryland
What We Commemorate on Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
____________________________________________________________________________
Click here to Register!
Over the course of four years, enslaved people worked to turn the Civil War into a freedom war. Slowly but surely, they pushed President Abraham Lincoln and his commanders in the field toward embracing emancipation as a war aim and to compel them to take the giant steps forward needed to abolish slavery once and for all. On June 19, 1865, the federal government finally met that objective, declaring slavery dead across the country. This momentous event marked a new birth of freedom—an occasion we now commemorate as Juneteenth.
​​
Dr. Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and is author of the new book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which is shortlisted for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. He has won more than a dozen teaching awards, including the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest honor for teaching faculty in the Maryland state system. He has held major research fellowships at Yale, Cambridge, and the Library of Congress and is the recipient of the National Endowment of the Humanities Public Scholar award. He serves as a Trustee of the Maryland Center for History and Culture, as an elected member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

This presentation is made possible by the generous support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maryland Humanities, and Maryland Heritage Area Authority.
FREE WEBINAR for the public – Advance registration required.
This year’s speaker series will be offered virtually.
Click here to Register!

Airport Farmer's Market
2022-06-12 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Come shop local at the Airport Farmer’s Market for unique gifts for the dads in your life. You don’t need an airplane to come, you can drive, walk, or bike also! There will be a bounty of locally grown and produced items to please one and all. The market runs 9am to 1pm on June 12th, just one week before Father’s Day!
Sotterley is sponsoring this unique market at the Airport Terminal building located at 44200 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Located in St. Mary’s County, the airport is about four miles northeast of the central business district of Leonardtown.

Vendors:

Moonstruck Oysters
Dixon Family Farm
Olga’s Cakes
Olivin’s Olive Oils & Balsamic Vinegars
Unforgoatable goods
Beez Knees (Ice Cream – New Vendor!)
Boon Doggie Farm
Zekiah Farms
Intoxi-Cake-Tion
Achterberg Acres
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Free State Ciders
Sotterley (Growing for Good)
Blue Wind (Black Pointe Chocolatier)
Gatos Tacos – Food Truck
Mully’s Brewery – Local craft beer

Aloha Gala
2022-06-11 18:00 - 22:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
We are thrilled to once again meet in person for our annual Gala at Sotterley!

Imagine dipping your toes into the warm waters of the Pacific and catching the scent of plumeria and hibiscus. Slip into your best tropical shirt or wind yourself into a sarong and join the Sotterley ohana for an evening celebrating Hawaii. You can enjoy island-inspired cuisine and sip on a Mai Tai while supporting Sotterley in the most fun way possible. We can’t wait to see you there!
We also invite you to join in the bidding on Live Auction treasures including private dinners, wine tastings, exotic vacation packages and more, as well as some incredible Silent Auction items!
Purchase Tickets Here
Event takes place RAIN or SHINE. Reservations are non-refundable.
Proceeds from our Gala allow Historic Sotterley to continue as an educational and cultural resource to our community. By joining us at any of our events or by becoming a member you help to make the magic happen – Thank You!

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives - Snow-Storm in August with Jefferson Morley
2022-05-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual
Jefferson Morley
Author and Investigative Reporter
Snow-Storm in August
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
____________________________________________________________________________

Click here to Register!
Author Jefferson Morley discusses his book, Snow-Storm in August, about the 1835 Snow Riot. In 1835, the city of Washington pulsed with change. As newly freed African Americans from the South poured in, free blacks outnumbered slaves for the first time. Radical notions of abolishing slavery circulated on the city’s streets, and white residents were forced to confront new ideas of what the nation’s future might look like.
On the night of August 4th, Arthur Bowen, an eighteen-year-old slave, stumbled into the bedroom where his owner, Anna Thornton, slept. He had an ax in the crook of his arm. An alarm was raised, and he ran away. Word of the incident spread rapidly, and within days, Washington’s first race riot exploded, as whites fearing a slave rebellion attacked the property of the free blacks. Residents dubbed the event the “Snow-Storm,” in reference to the central role of Beverly Snow, a flamboyant free man of color and successful restaurateur, who became the target of the mob’s rage.
Jefferson Morley is a Washington author and investigative reporter. He worked as an editor and reporter at the Washington Post and Washingtonpost.com for 15 years and served as Washington correspondent for The Nation and Salon.
Snow-Storm in August: Francis Scott Key, Washington City and the Forgotten Riot of 1835 is the second of the four books of narrative non-fiction that he has published. Morley is also the author of a trilogy of spies, namely three biographies of leading officers in the Central Intelligence Agency.
This presentation is a part of our Common Ground Initiative and made possible by grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, and Maryland Humanities.
FREE WEBINAR for the public – Advance registration required.
Click here to Register!

Half-Priced Mother's Day Tours for Moms
2022-05-08 12:00 - 15:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Give the mothers and grandmothers in your life a unique treat by bringing them to Historic Sotterley for a guided tours. On Sunday, May 8th, all guided and self-guided tours will be half-priced for moms. While on site, you can also visit the exhibits, stroll the gorgeous Colonial Revival Garden and grounds, browse and buy specialty items at our Museum Store, plan a picnic overlooking the scenic river, or take a walk on the nature trails.

If you would like to schedule your tour time in advance, please contact Sotterley by Friday, May 7th at 301-373-2280.

Mother’s Day Tour Schedule:
Noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm

Check-in at our Visitor Center.

(Dads will get their turn on Father’s Day!)

Airport Farmer's Market
2022-05-08 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Come shop local at the Airport Farmer’s Market for special gifts for the women in your life on Mother’s Day. You don’t need an airplane to come, you can drive, walk, or bike also! There will be a bounty of locally grown and produced items to please one and all. The market runs 9am to 1pm, so plenty of time to get set for the big game.
Sotterley is sponsoring this unique market at the Airport Terminal building located at 44200 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Located in St. Mary’s County, the airport is about four miles northeast of the central business district of Leonardtown.

Vendors:
Zekiah Farms
Boon Doggie Farm
Intoxi-Cake-Tion
Unforgoatable goods
Beez Knees
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Dixon Family Farm
Olivins
Unforgoatable Goods
Sotterley (Growing for Good)

NEW: Sotterley Celebrates Women!
2022-05-07 12:00 - 16:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
You thought Women’s month was over! We have a newly inspired special event planned for May 7th “Sotterley Celebrates Women!”
Celebrate the special women in your life at this exclusive event. Your ticket purchase includes a sumptuous wine and food pairing with cooking demonstration; two exquisite wine and chocolate pairings; a one-of-a-kind blended tea and cookie pairing with a tea bag to take home; and tour of the Manor House focusing on of the Women of Sotterley.
The appetizing treat and pairing will be curated and created by Blue Wind Gourmet and include Black Point Chocolate and a special tea created just for the event from The Beanery Cafe. Sotterley’s grounds will also be available to take in and enjoy, including the beautiful Colonial Revival Gardens.
Tours are limited and advance reservations are required. Tickets sales end on May 6. Time slots begin at 12:00pm, and will take place every 30 minutes until the last time slot is filled. Price per person is $40. Blue Wind will have a selection of Black Point chocolates on site for purchase while supplies last.
All events will be inside or under cover. Rain or shine, you’re guaranteed to have a good time!
Purchase Tickets Here
Please be sure to read all event information and policies before making your purchase.
Purchasers of drinking tickets must be 21 or older. Please bring a valid ID or entry to the tasting will be denied. Upon arrival, proceed towards the Visitor Center to check in.
All tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. Event is RAIN or SHINE. In the unlikely event of cancellation, all tickets will be considered a taxable donation to Historic Sotterley, Inc.
Coolers, food, drink, and pets are not allowed at this event.

Common Ground: Passage to Strength and Change Symposium
2022-04-30 10:00 - 15:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
April 29 and 30, 2022, Historic Sotterley will hold two days of on-site programing, entitled, Common Ground:Passage to Strength and Change. This symposium will feature a roundtable of some of Sotterley’s diverse descendants, a living history performance, a study of genealogy to discover unknown relatives and ancestors using DNA, and the Executive Vice-President of Content from Maryland Public Television telling his own journey using previews of yet to be released films, Becoming Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom. This program is made possible thanks to grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maryland Humanities, and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
Free registration is now open, there is limited seating! Register Here
If you are unable to make the event in-person, we are offering a virtual option. You can register to attend virtually Here. You must click “Register to All Dates Below”, WebinarJam will not allow you to register to individual sessions.
There is now a lunch option available for purchase HERE! You must purchase your lunch in advance to receive it the day of the event. You are welcome to bring a bagged lunch, if you’d prefer.

Schedule
Friday, April 29th 10 am – 12 pm
Descendant Roundtable Discussion
Join Sotterley’s diverse and distinguished group of Descendants as they discuss Sotterley’s past as it relates to their lives and the personal impact it has on them, while sharing and discussing their fears, hopes, dreams, and plans for Sotterley and our community in the future. Audience Q and A to follow.

Friday, April 29th 1 pm – 3 pm
Living History Performance
Meet Ida Bell Wells-Barnett brought to life by actor/interpreter, Shemika Renée.
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862-March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the Civil Rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Shemika Renée is a costumer, award nominated and winning actor, and First Qtr winner of Enginuity Film Festival 2017. She received a WATCH award in 2013 and Clifton Film Celebration award for makeup artist. She is the former Head Costumer and Makeup Adjunct Professor at the College of Southern Maryland. After serving as an officer in the US Air Force for five years, she decided to pursue her dreams of stage and screen. She has performed throughout the DMV to include roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Miricle Worker, A Raisin in the Sun, Doubt, A Parable, Fences, The Color Purple, Seven Guitars, August: Osage County, and Ragtime. She has done background acting work on House of Cards, The Blacklist, and VEEP. Shemika also starred in Sotterley’s live production of The Choice-Risking Your Life for Freedom from 2012-2015, and then the film version.
In addition to being the Outreach Specialist and historical interpreter at the National Colonial Farm in Accokeek, Maryland, she also travels to schools throughout Maryland bringing historical figures to life. In 2019 she wrote and starred in her own one-woman show, Ms. Story’s Living History. In 2020 she portrayed Harriet Tubman at The Capitol Building in honor of Harriet Tubman, sponsored by the then Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris.

Saturday, April 30th 10 am – 12 pm
Cornerstorn of Discovery: Uncovering Amazing Family History Using DNA with Jerome Spears
From Africa, to Australia, to the UK, and all parts in between, DNA analysis can play a critical role in what discoveries can be possible. Using a wide variety of sources and methods, Sotterley descendant and Genealogist, Mr. Jerome Spears will go completely around the fan-chart within one Southern Maryland-based family tree to reveal the rainbow of ethnicities and connections that can be found. Discussion, resource sharing, and Q and A will follow the presentation. Genealogy based door prizes will be drawn for registered in-person attendees!
Jerome Spears is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He accelerated his genealogical research efforts back in 2009. He attended Morgan State University and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii in Geography that has served him well in assisting his approach of meticulously positioning his ancestors within the historical context of place to uncover and reveal remarkable and amazing family history discoveries. In 2015 he documented the history of his eight linear ancestral families, rising out from slavery to freedom and beyond, in a national award-winning manuscript, I’ve Got Your Back. He has presented at national level conferences, including the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), RootsTech Connect and the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. In 2020 he used DNA methods to find and then successfully contact his own family’s “Kunta Kinte” from Nigeria. As a GU272, Susquehanna Plantation, and Historic Sotterley Plantation descendant, his regional focus continues to be nested in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, with compelling lings to North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama, the U. K., Ireland, Australia and the African Countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Angola, and the Congo. Spears is a retired 30-year U.S. Army veteran, who over that same period experienced some levels of success as a musician and record producer, as well as a professional boxing commentator. He is a member of Howard County’s Central Maryland Chapter of AAHGS and now adds Genealogist, family historian, lecturer, and truth-seeker to his titles as he continues to discover and speak to relatives, past and present.

Saturday, April 30th 1 pm – 3 pm
Journeys with Travis Mitchell
Travis Mitchell, the Senior Vice-President, and Chief Content Officer for Maryland Public Television will share his personal and professional journeys. Segments of the films, Becoming Fredrick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom. that are set to premiere this fall on PBS will be featured throughout his presentation.
Travis Mitchell joined Maryland Public Television in early 2020 to oversee all content created, acquired, and aired on the statewide public television network’s TV channels and online properties. Mr. Mitchell brings more than two decades of media experience to his role at MPT, having served most recently as chief content officer for University of North Carolina Television (UNC-TV). During his time with the public television station, he provided editorial vision and garnered support for UNC-TV’s educational services and programming content on its four TV channels and in its online properties. Prior to his role as chief content officer, he was a member of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees. Mr. Mitchell also served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Atlanta-based Black Family Channel, where he drove the channel’s distribution growth from availability in two cities to more than 3,600 cities, 48 states, and 31 million homes while managing affiliate sales, advertising, programming, and launching sports and news divisions. He earned an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Morgan State University and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in Philadelphia. He completed further executive education study at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Mitchell has served on the foundation board of Morgan State University and as a member of PBS Children’s Media and Education Working Group and the National Cable Television Association Policy Issues Committee. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2021 from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in recognition of his more than 25 years of service to the community as a media and non-profit executive.

Common Ground: Passage to Strength and Change Symposium
2022-04-29 10:00 - 15:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
April 29 and 30, 2022, Historic Sotterley will hold two days of on-site programing, entitled, Common Ground:Passage to Strength and Change. This symposium will feature a roundtable of some of Sotterley’s diverse descendants, a living history performance, a study of genealogy to discover unknown relatives and ancestors using DNA, and the Executive Vice-President of Content from Maryland Public Television telling his own journey using previews of yet to be released films, Becoming Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom. This program is made possible thanks to grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maryland Humanities, and Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
Free registration is now open, there is limited seating! Register Here
If you are unable to make the event in-person, we are offering a virtual option. You can register to attend virtually Here. You must click “Register to All Dates Below”, WebinarJam will not allow you to register to individual sessions.
There is now a lunch option available for purchase HERE! You must purchase your lunch in advance to receive it the day of the event. You are welcome to bring a bagged lunch, if you’d prefer.

Schedule
Friday, April 29th 10 am – 12 pm
Descendant Roundtable Discussion
Join Sotterley’s diverse and distinguished group of Descendants as they discuss Sotterley’s past as it relates to their lives and the personal impact it has on them, while sharing and discussing their fears, hopes, dreams, and plans for Sotterley and our community in the future. Audience Q and A to follow.

Friday, April 29th 1 pm – 3 pm
Living History Performance
Meet Ida Bell Wells-Barnett brought to life by actor/interpreter, Shemika Renée.
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862-March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the Civil Rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Shemika Renée is a costumer, award nominated and winning actor, and First Qtr winner of Enginuity Film Festival 2017. She received a WATCH award in 2013 and Clifton Film Celebration award for makeup artist. She is the former Head Costumer and Makeup Adjunct Professor at the College of Southern Maryland. After serving as an officer in the US Air Force for five years, she decided to pursue her dreams of stage and screen. She has performed throughout the DMV to include roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Miricle Worker, A Raisin in the Sun, Doubt, A Parable, Fences, The Color Purple, Seven Guitars, August: Osage County, and Ragtime. She has done background acting work on House of Cards, The Blacklist, and VEEP. Shemika also starred in Sotterley’s live production of The Choice-Risking Your Life for Freedom from 2012-2015, and then the film version.
In addition to being the Outreach Specialist and historical interpreter at the National Colonial Farm in Accokeek, Maryland, she also travels to schools throughout Maryland bringing historical figures to life. In 2019 she wrote and starred in her own one-woman show, Ms. Story’s Living History. In 2020 she portrayed Harriet Tubman at The Capitol Building in honor of Harriet Tubman, sponsored by the then Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee, Senator Kamala Harris.

Saturday, April 30th 10 am – 12 pm
Cornerstone of Discovery: Uncovering Amazing Family History Using DNA with Jerome Spears
From Africa, to Australia, to the UK, and all parts in between, DNA analysis can play a critical role in what discoveries can be possible. Using a wide variety of sources and methods, Sotterley descendant and Genealogist, Mr. Jerome Spears will go completely around the fan-chart within one Southern Maryland-based family tree to reveal the rainbow of ethnicities and connections that can be found. Discussion, resource sharing, and Q and A will follow the presentation. Genealogy based door prizes will be drawn for registered in-person attendees!
Jerome Spears is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He accelerated his genealogical research efforts back in 2009. He attended Morgan State University and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii in Geography that has served him well in assisting his approach of meticulously positioning his ancestors within the historical context of place to uncover and reveal remarkable and amazing family history discoveries. In 2015 he documented the history of his eight linear ancestral families, rising out from slavery to freedom and beyond, in a national award-winning manuscript, I’ve Got Your Back. He has presented at national level conferences, including the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), RootsTech Connect and the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. In 2020 he used DNA methods to find and then successfully contact his own family’s “Kunta Kinte” from Nigeria. As a GU272, Susquehanna Plantation, and Historic Sotterley Plantation descendant, his regional focus continues to be nested in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, with compelling lings to North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, Alabama, the U. K., Ireland, Australia and the African Countries of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Angola, and the Congo. Spears is a retired 30-year U.S. Army veteran, who over that same period experienced some levels of success as a musician and record producer, as well as a professional boxing commentator. He is a member of Howard County’s Central Maryland Chapter of AAHGS and now adds Genealogist, family historian, lecturer, and truth-seeker to his titles as he continues to discover and speak to relatives, past and present.

Saturday, April 30th 1 pm – 3 pm
Journeys with Travis Mitchell
Travis Mitchell, the Senior Vice-President, and Chief Content Officer for Maryland Public Television will share his personal and professional journeys. Segments of the films, Becoming Fredrick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom. that are set to premiere this fall on PBS will be featured throughout his presentation.
Travis Mitchell joined Maryland Public Television in early 2020 to oversee all content created, acquired, and aired on the statewide public television network’s TV channels and online properties. Mr. Mitchell brings more than two decades of media experience to his role at MPT, having served most recently as chief content officer for University of North Carolina Television (UNC-TV). During his time with the public television station, he provided editorial vision and garnered support for UNC-TV’s educational services and programming content on its four TV channels and in its online properties. Prior to his role as chief content officer, he was a member of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees. Mr. Mitchell also served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Atlanta-based Black Family Channel, where he drove the channel’s distribution growth from availability in two cities to more than 3,600 cities, 48 states, and 31 million homes while managing affiliate sales, advertising, programming, and launching sports and news divisions. He earned an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Morgan State University and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and education from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in Philadelphia. He completed further executive education study at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Mitchell has served on the foundation board of Morgan State University and as a member of PBS Children’s Media and Education Working Group and the National Cable Television Association Policy Issues Committee. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2021 from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in recognition of his more than 25 years of service to the community as a media and non-profit executive.

Garden Guild Plant Sale
2022-04-24 12:00 - 15:00, 2022-04-23 09:00 - 14:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Celebrating Spring with the
Historic Sotterley Garden Guild’s Plant Sale
Saturday April 23rd: 9:00 am – 2 pm
Sunday April 24th: Noon – 3 pm

Spring is just around the corner and that means it’s time for a much-anticipated event – the annual Plant Sale sponsored by the Historic Sotterley Garden Guild! The sale will take place at Sotterley for two days only – it is your chance to buy plants lovingly nurtured by the Sotterley gardeners. Have questions about your plants? Members of the Garden Guild will be on hand with the answers and to share advice. The funds raised by this all-volunteer group of gardening enthusiasts are used to maintain the beautiful Colonial Revival Garden adjacent to the Sotterley Manor House.

A community Free Plant Exchange will run on Saturday only from 9 am to noon, or until the plants run out. Do you have too many plants, or some divisions or bulbs you want to share? You can exchange your plants for other annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, etc.

The popularity of this event continues to grow, and we invite you to revel in the wonders of springtime!

Spring Break Activities: Partnering for Playing and Preservation
2022-04-15 10:30 - 16:00, 2022-04-14 10:00 - 16:00, 2022-04-13 10:00 - 16:00, 2022-04-12 10:00 - 16:00, 2022-04-11 10:00 - 16:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Sotterley is hosting a series of family friendly activities for you and your kids during Spring Break week (April 11th – 15th)! Unless otherwise noted, all activities start at 10:30.

Special event pricing for spring break is $5 per person ages 3 and up!

Monday, April 11th – Muddy Art Pottery will be on site all day (see their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/muddyartpottery/) providing demos on how to use a pottery wheel. They will also have items for sale – it’s never too early to shopping for Mother’s Day or unique Easter gifts!
Tuesday, April 12th – Destination: Imagination! Local authors Dr. Nocola Williams and Meredith Johnson will be hosting a story time in the garden along with PurePlay – a children’s activity company that promotes creativity and connectiong with nature.

10:00 AM – Pure Play will be on site. (https://pureplayeveryday.org/index.php/play-kits/)
11:00 AM – Dr. Nocola Williams will be reading her latest book “Freddie the Flounder Goes to School,” an engaging story about the adventures of a young fish. (https://www.amazon.com/Freddie-Flounder-School-Nocola-Williams-ebook/dp/B09MMR345S)
1:00 PM – Meredith Johnson will be reading her book “Just Like Daddy,” a wonderful book about the bond between parents and children. (https://www.amazon.com/Just-Like-Daddy-Meredith-Johnson/dp/1734955635)

Wednesday, April 13th – Join us for a Lego challenge! Learn about how Sotterley was constructed and then try to build your own model of Sotterley! Later this spring these models will be put on display in the museum shop for visitors to see!
Thursday, April 14th – Flying kites and Bingo! Bring a kite to fly on our beautiful grounds and take part in our Scavenger Hunt Bingo.
Friday, April 15th – Once Upon a Time in the Garden – Join us at 10:30 AM for an interactive story time with librarian Jill Hutchinson!

Airport Farmer's Market
2022-04-10 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Come shop local at the “Fly-in” Farmer’s Market for your Easter dinner or weekday meals. You don’t need an airplane to come, you can drive, walk, or bike also! There will be a bounty of locally grown and produced items to please one and all. The market runs 9am to 1pm, so plenty of time to get set for the big game.
Sotterley is sponsoring this unique market at the Airport Terminal building located at 44200 Airport Road, California, Maryland. Located in St. Mary’s County, the airport is about four miles northeast of the central business district of Leonardtown.

Vendors:
Intoxi-Cake-Tion
Olga’s Cakes
Zekiah Farms
Mully’s Brewery
Gato’s Tacos (Food Truck)
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Moonstruck Oysters
Dixon Family Farm
Sotterley (Growing for Good)
Olivins Olive Oils & Vinegars
Free State Ciders

Growing for Good - Potato Planting Day
2022-04-02 09:00 - 12:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Sign Up Here
An opportunity to help your community… get out of the house and help your neighbors in need all while safely maintaining social distancing!
Volunteers who enjoy the great outdoors, don’t mind getting dirty, and want to help others are asked to join us for another planting extravaganza at Historic Sotterley, as part of our “Growing for Good” program! We are continuing the challenging work of sustainably farming the land. What we produce at Sotterley supports those in need in partnership with local food pantries.
One planting session on two different dates to choose from: 9:00 am and 12:30 pm. Perfect oppotunity for your Girl Scout OR Boy Scout troops to meet volunteer requirements! This is a family-friendly event – we invite anyone 5 and older to help plant.
Treats provided.
Please sign up in advance so we know how many volunteers to expect.
Plan to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your start time and check-in at the Farm Building next to the Visitor Center.
We highly recommend hats, gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, shoes and clothes you are not afraid to get dirty!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kim Husick at officemanager@sotterley.org or 301-373-2280 x. 1105
