Legends & Lore Specialty Tour
2025-10-18 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
October 18, 2025 – Forbidden love, gambling debt, and murder… Explore the unconfirmed (but oh so fun!) legends and lore of Historic Sotterley with historian Sam Baldwin and actors Jennifer Goddard, Luke Rowe, and Michael Blackwell. This specialty tour starts with a fascinating presentation followed by a guided tour through the manor house with thrilling acted scenes. Celebrate the dramatics of the Halloween season with us!
Prior to the tour, you can enjoy a reception in our beautiful Historic Barn with refreshments and nibbles.
Recommended for ages 16 & older. Walking and standing required. The historic house is not ADA compliant.
Advance reservations required – please no walk-ins. Each tour time is limited to 20 attendees. Tour times are available at 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:15 pm.
It is advised to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your tour. Please proceed to the Historic Barn to check-in upon arrival.

Buy Tickets for Friday, October 17
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 18
Buy Tickets for Friday, October 24
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 24

Legends & Lore Specialty Tour
2025-10-24 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
October 24, 2025 – Forbidden love, gambling debt, and murder… Explore the unconfirmed (but oh so fun!) legends and lore of Historic Sotterley with historian Sam Baldwin and actors Jennifer Goddard, Luke Rowe, and Michael Blackwell. This specialty tour starts with a fascinating presentation followed by a guided tour through the manor house with thrilling acted scenes. Celebrate the dramatics of the Halloween season with us!
Prior to the tour, you can enjoy a reception in our beautiful Historic Barn with refreshments and nibbles.
Recommended for ages 16 & older. Walking and standing required. The historic house is not ADA compliant. The tour will last about an hour.
Advance reservations required – please no walk-ins. Each tour time is limited to 20 attendees. Tour times are available at 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:15 pm.
It is advised to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your tour. Please proceed to the Historic Barn to check-in upon arrival.

Buy Tickets for Friday, October 17
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 18
Buy Tickets for Friday, October 24
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 24

Legends & Lore Specialty Tour
2025-10-25 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
October 25, 2025 – Forbidden love, gambling debt, and murder… Explore the unconfirmed (but oh so fun!) legends and lore of Historic Sotterley with historian Sam Baldwin and actors Jennifer Goddard, Luke Rowe, and Michael Blackwell. This specialty tour starts with a fascinating presentation followed by a guided tour through the manor house with thrilling acted scenes. Celebrate the dramatics of the Halloween season with us!
Prior to the tour, you can enjoy a reception in our beautiful Historic Barn with refreshments and nibbles.
Recommended for ages 16 & older. Walking and standing required. The historic house is not ADA compliant. The tour will last about an hour.
Advance reservations required – please no walk-ins. Each tour time is limited to 20 attendees. Tour times are available at 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:15 pm.
It is advised to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your tour. Please proceed to the Historic Barn to check-in upon arrival.

Buy Tickets for Friday, October 17
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 18
Buy Tickets for Friday, October 24
Buy Tickets for Saturday, October 24

Emancipation Day & One Maryland One Book
2025-11-01 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
November 1, 2025 – In honor of Maryland Emancipation Day on November 1st, Historic Sotterley is partnering with Maryland Humanities and their One Maryland One Book initiative to host a full day of programming that celebrates ancestry, literature, and the power of storytelling. The event will highlight the impact of descendant voices in preserving, sharing, and interpreting ancestral histories, while inspiring others to embark on their own genealogical journeys.

One Maryland One Book brings our community together across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book. This year’s book, Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford with art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, is a work of art, history, and personal genealogy. It is the authors’ search into their family history and led them to ancestors who were some of the founders of Maryland.

Kin: Rooted in Hope can be purchased in Historic Sotterley’s Visitor Center/Museum Shop or online!

Activities will include:

A Keynote from Olivia Smith of St. Mary’s Public Library
A Sotterley Descendant Discussion Panel with Gwen Bankins, Dante Eubanks, Kelsey Bush, Tre Lancaster-Smith, and Nocola Williams, Facilitated by Merideth Taylor
Creative Writing Workshops with author Caitlyn Hunter
Living History Performances from Ms. History
A presentation and Q&A from Dave Brown, author of The Barber Family and his newest book on Agnes Kane Callum
An Open Mic for presenting poetry and creative writing

Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Aunt Titty’s Food Truck will no longer be available at the event. Although we will have some light snacks on hand, we recommend bringing a bagged lunch if you intend to stay for the entire duration of the event.

This is a free event. Registration is appreciated!
Register Here!

Schedule of Events
9:00 – Doors Open
9:30 – Program Start, Welcome from Nancy Easterling
9:40 – Keynote from Olivia Smith of St. Mary’s Public Library
9:50 – Living History Chapter 1 performance by Ms. Story
10:20 – Sotterley Descendant Panel with Gwen Bankins, Dante Eubanks, Kelsey Bush, Tre Lancaster-Smith, and Nocola Williams, Facilitated by Merideth Taylor
11:30 – Creative Writing Workshop 1 with Caitlyn Hunter
12:00 – Lunch/Free Time, Manor House Tours and Exhibits Open
1:15 – Living History Chapter 2 performance by Ms. Story
1:45 – Creative Writing Workshop 2 with Caitlyn Hunter
2:15 – Open Mic
2:45 – Presentation by Dave Brown
3:15 – Living History Chapter 3 performance by Ms. Story
3:45 – Final remarks, opportunity to purchase books and book signings

Food Drive
2025-11-07 - 2025-12-31 | MD
Calling all helping hands! The end of the year can be an incredibly stressful time for families in need, and Historic Sotterley is no stranger to the battle against food insecurity in Southern Maryland. We’re asking for your help with donations of non-perishable food items so we can support our local food pantries and soup kitchens through the difficult holiday season.
Donations are being accepted through the end of 2025 in a collection bin outside our Visitor Center. We are looking for non-perishable food items only. Please no expired items or items in glass containers.
All donations will be distributed to the network of local food pantries and soup kitchens that we support year-round through our Growing for Good program.
If you need need help identifying good items to donate, we have provided a PDF at the link below. This list is not exhaustive and we’ll happily accept other staple items you may think of.
Help us feed Southern Maryland!
Food Pantry Items

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Victoria Christopher Murray
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
November 12, 2025 – The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.
Victoria Christopher Murray joins us to discuss the book she co-authored with Marie Benedict, “The First Ladies, which tells story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.

This is a FREE hybrid event, meaning participants can join us in-person OR virtually. Registration is required.
In-person participants are welcome to join us for a pre-reception at 6:30pm with cookies and drinks.

Register Here to Attend In-Person
Register Here to Attend Virtually

​​​​​​​Victoria Christopher Murray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over 30 novels to her name, including The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies, co-written with Marie Benedict. A native New Yorker, she earned degrees from Hampton University and NYU’s Stern School of Business before self-publishing her debut novel, Temptation, which was later picked up by Time Warner and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine months. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including five NAACP Image Award nominations and a win for Stand Your Ground. Her works have garnered critical acclaim, with The Personal Librarian becoming a Good Morning America Book Club selection and The First Ladies being named Target’s 2023 Book of the Year. Several of her Seven Deadly Sins novels have been adapted into Lifetime movies, while The Personal Librarian has been optioned for a miniseries. With more than three million books in print, Murray stands as a leading figure in African American contemporary literature.

This event is made possible in part by a sponsorship from:

Winter Wonderland Wreath Workshops by the Sotterley Garden Guild
2025-12-06 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
December 6, 2025 – Have you tried DIY holiday décor projects before, but just couldn’t seem to pull it off? Great news, the Sotterley Garden Guild is offering wreath workshops on Saturday, December 6th to share their expertise! These beautiful wreaths are made with real foliage and are stunning pieces of décor that everyone will notice.
Only 16 participants per session and each session is 1 1/2 hours long.
Various times throughout the day available for you to choose from: 8:30, 10:30, 1:00 & 3:00
Make this Christmas event part of your family tradition!
Please Note: Bring your own gloves and clippers for the wreath workshops – other materials to be provided. Wreath workshops will be held in Historic Sotterley Maintenance Building. Guests are asked to arrive promptly for your workshop time and to proceed directly to the Maintenance Building across from the Visitor Center to check in. Visitors are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and to wear foot gear suitable for the conditions as the site is kept rustic, although the workshop will be held indoors.
If you experience any trouble making your reservation for a workshop, please call the office at 301-373-2280 (9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday) and we will be happy to help.
Purchase Tickets Here!

Partner Event - Historically Speaking: ​​​​​​​George Plater: St. Mary's Forgotten Patriot
2026-03-26 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Mary’s College of Maryland Daugherty-Palmer Commons, 47720 College Dr., St Mary's City, MD, 20686, United States
March 26, 2026 – David Brown, adjunct professor, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
With over thirty-three years as a Foreign Service Officer, David Brown unfolds the story of this largely unknown patriot. George Plater was born and raised at Sotterley Plantation and is counted among the earliest of Maryland’s supporters of Independence. He represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1780, and briefly served as the sixth Governor of Maryland in 1791 and 1792.
In this 250th Year of American Independence, encounter the story of a modest and, for our times, flawed man whose history deserves telling.
This event is being held live at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in partnership with the Center for the Study of Democracy and St. Mary’s County Historical Society. It is being offered as a free livestream thanks to a MD250 grant received by Historic Sotterley.

Register to attend in-person at SMCM
Register to attend virtually

The in-person portion of this event will be at:
Daugherty-Palmer Commons
St Mary’s college of Maryland
47720 College Dr.
St Mary’s City, MD 20686

Spring Break Activities
2026-03-30 - 2026-04-03 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Historic Sotterley, Southern Maryland Folklife Center, St. Mary’s County Public Library, and author Nocola Williams are partnering for a week of low-cost activities during Spring Break to keep kids active and engaged in learning while having fun on their days off. Each day is a different activity for your family to enjoy. Explore how early Marylanders used the natural resources available to them to survive and thrive.
Registration is required for each day’s activity. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are $5 per attendee per day. Monday is free thanks to St. Mary’s County Public Library and a generous donation from an anonymous donor. All activities take place from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm each day.
Please note: Parents are required to purchase a ticket and stay with their children throughout the duration of the event. Activities are recommended for ages 3 and up.

Monday – Pollinator Party! – Register Here!
Kick off the week with a celebration of pollinators! Children will meet a local author and beekeeper for a reading of Bugzee and the Bees, a story that introduces young readers to the important role pollinators play in our environment. After the story, students will rotate through hands-on learning stations. Campers will explore how pollination works, discover how bees see the world, practice the famous waggle dance, and plant pollinator-friendly seeds to take home. Along the way, they’ll learn why pollinators are so important to Southern Maryland’s ecosystems and how even kids can help protect them. Join local author and educator, Nocola Williams, the team from the St. Mary’s County Mobile Library, and educator Dorothy Birch for a fun filled day of exploration and hands-on learning opportunities.
Tuesday – Wild Food, Wild Fiber, Wild Medicine – Register Here!
We will explore the woods and fields of Sotterley plantation, learning to identify the plants and fungi that were used by Native, colonist, and enslaved peoples as food, fiber, and medicine!
Wednesday – Gardening for Good Health – Register Here!
We will explore, pot up, and take home the plants that the women of olden times grew in their gardens and used as medicine for their families!
Thursday – A Wild Year in Maryland – Register Here!
We will create a calendar of natural happenings, month by month, in this part of Maryland, when early people could harvest wild plants and catch wild animals, how they knew when to plant various seeds, and all of the secret cues that nature gives us all year!
Friday – Dyeing from Nature – Register Here!
We will use plants and other natural items to dye fabric the way people used to before commercial fabric dye was available; they dyed clothes, but we’re dyeing bandanas to take home and keep!

Partner Event—Front Porch Stories @ Lexington Park Library
2026-04-11 10:00 - 12:30 | Lexington Park Library, 71677 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Blvd, Lexington Park, 20653, United States
Registration not required, but you can register HERE for a reminder email.

An interactive training program rooted in the tradition of gathering stories in informal, welcoming spaces.

Front Porch Stories invites you to learn the fundamentals of ethnographic research and oral history methods including developing a research focus and interview guides, interviewing and recording techniques, analyzing themes, creating safe and inviting spaces, and more!
Registration is not required to attend–register to receive an email reminder, all walk-ins are welcome!

St. Mary's County History Day
2026-04-18 | Leonardtown Public Library, 23630 Hayden Farm Ln, Leonardtown, MD, 20650, United States
April 18, 2026 – St. Mary’s County History Day is a local contest affiliated with Maryland History Day and National History Day. It is a district-level contest for middle and high school students to do in-depth research and create unique projects about each year’s theme in one of five categories: paper, exhibit, documentary, website, or performance. It is a chance for students to develop critical skills that they will use throughout their schooling and careers, and winners of the district contest will advance to the state-level contest.

Students from public, private, parochial, home, and cyber schools are welcome to participate.

St. Mary’s County History Day is brought to you by Historic Sotterley, with support from with St. Mary’s County Library, Maryland Humanities, and the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.

Learn more about National History Day and register your student on our History Day website!

Contest Date: Saturday, April 18th, 2026
Deadline to Submit Project: Saturday, April 11th, 2026
Theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History
Location: Leonardtown Public Library

Other Contest Dates
State Contest Day: May 2, 2026
National Contest Day: June 14-18, 2026

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Michael Kent
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
April 22, 2026 – When the international slave trade was outlawed in 1808, other methods were tried to fill the labor void in the South. Border States like Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky began to breed slaves from the enslaved people they already owned. One such enslaved person was Jacob Broom who was owned by the Chew family from Chesapeake Beach in Calvert County. When Jacob was interviewed by a newspaper in 1890, he recalled fathering 375 children. Michael Kent joins us to discuss his book “Jacob’s Children: Black History Hidden in Plain Sight,” which discusses the horror of breeding and speculates on the plight of the children.

This is a FREE in-person event. Registration is required.
Historic Sotterley Members are invited to join us for a pre-reception at 6:30 pm with light refreshments. Not a member yet? Join here to support Historic Sotterley and get benefits!
Register Here

Michael Kent, born in Calvert County in 1957, grew up on his family’s tobacco farm before earning degrees from the University of Maryland in College Park and Baltimore. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserves’ JAG Corps and worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in both Baltimore and Prince George’s Counties. His second career emerged from a passion for preserving history: beginning with his own family’s oral traditions, he expanded his research to document the full scope of Black history in Calvert County. This work culminated in his book Mulatto: The Black History of Calvert County, now used in local public schools and widely available in libraries and online. He continues to share this history through presentations across the state.
Kent’s contributions have earned significant recognition, including the 2023 Library Foundation Award, the 2023 Republican Man of the Year Award, and an NAACP leadership award, along with a nomination for the Maryland Council for Social Studies’ 2024 Professional of the Year. He has served on the Maryland Commission for African American History and Culture under Governors O’Malley and Hogan and currently sits on the Calvert County Historic District Preservation Commission. A life member and former president of the Calvert County NAACP, Kent remains deeply engaged in preserving and interpreting the region’s history. If you’d like, I can also shape this into a brief bio suitable for a program or website.
