Sotterley

AeroPark Farmer's Market
2023-11-19 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | SMC Regional Airport
Historic Sotterley is sponsoring the AeroPark Farmer’s Market, but you don’t need a plane to visit! Drive, bike, or walk in to get fresh goods and produce. All businesses selling at our Airport Farmer’s Market are local small businesses that sell products that they have grown or produced themselves. When you shop local, up to 68% of the money you spend stays in the community, so come help support the wonderful entrepreneurs that make Maryland unique. The market runs from 9am – 1pm and is located indoors so you can enjoy watching the planes go by while shopping rain or shine!
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:

Free State Ciders
Olivin’s Oils & Vinegar
Mully’s Brewery
Intoxi-cake-tion
Zekiah Farms
The Garden (Mushrooms)
Black Pointe – Chocolatier
Beachin Bay Bakery
Muzzy’s Wine Jelly
Sotterley (Growing for Good) sweet potatoes
Bird Dog Bistro (hot food & coffee)
Tobacco Barn Distillery
Bella’s Bones Dog Treats
Nativo C&S (Spices)
Charlotte Stone (cocoa reindeer stocking stuffers)

Talking and Walking Common Ground: The Next Generation
2023-11-01 19:00 | MD
Talking and Walking Common Ground: the Next Generation, will take place on Wednesday, November 1st at 7:00pm, and this event will be held in partnership with St. Mary’s College of Maryland. It will be an amazing way to end our Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives series for 2024, and we have chosen the date of November 1st since it is also commemorated as Emancipation Day in the State of Maryland.

Our final installment of the “Talking and Walking Common Ground” series will bring a diverse panel together to talk about how the work of talking and walking common ground can be carried out by the next generation. Some topics covered will include: how do we create stakeholders within the younger generations? What new issues or challenges will the next generation face? How must the work and mission shift in the future to ensure success? Our panelists will include Jerry Gabriel, Associate Professor of English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Caitlyn Hunter, Associate Professor of English at College of Southern Maryland, Jaelon Moaney, Co-Founder of The Needle’s Eye Academy and commissioner of the Maryland Commission of African American History and Culture, Ashlyn Conley, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Student, and Phoebe Tate, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Student.

This event is not only part of Sotterley Presents, it is also part of our Common Ground Initiative. The theme of “Talking and Walking Common Ground” was chosen for 2024 after the video of the same title was created last year and shown on our Day of Unity in 2022. The video can still be viewed on our Common Ground Initiative page: https://sotterley.org/common-ground

As part of our speaker series events this year, we held two other “Talking and Walking Common Ground” events. The first was a virtual film screening hosted by St. Mary’s County Library followed by a panel of descendants who gave their perspectives on Sotterley’s work and their connections with the site. The second was “Talking and Walking Common Ground: A Shared Vision in Action” where a panel of museum leadership discussed their journeys toward providing a more honest and inclusive history. This included their challenges, successes, and their site’s inclusion of descendants in this important work.

The event will take place in a recital hall at the Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. This is a free event for the public, but advance registration is requested as seating is limited. Walk-ins will be accepted if seating allows, but please check back to see if the event has been filled.

Register Here!

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives with Jay Fleming
2023-10-18 19:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
October 18, 2023 – Join Maryland based photographer Jay Fleming as he presents photographs and stories from his books Working the water and Island Life and his photography on the Chesapeake Bay. Fleming will also share images from his water based photography workshops that he runs on the Chesapeake Bay out of his studio on Kent Island.
Jay Fleming’s second book, Island Life, is a visual narrative of the environment, communities and commercial fisheries of Smith Island, Maryland and Tangier Island, Virginia—the last inhabited offshore islands in the Chesapeake Bay. Although less than 15 miles of water separate Smith and Tangier from the mainland, centuries of isolation have preserved the unique way of life of these island communities, making them feel worlds apart from the life most of us know.
​​​​​​​Since his first trip to the islands in 2009, Fleming has seen remarkable changes to the islands’ landscape and communities. Cemeteries are washing into the water, acres of marshland are disappearing and the populations are in decline. Fleming felt a sense of urgency to document the islands’ iconic working waterfronts, as the very forces that sustain them also threaten to take them away. Equal parts informative and aesthetically pleasing, Island Life reveals the beauty and the perils of a life dependent upon the rhythms of the tide and the harvest of the Chesapeake Bay.
​​​​​​​Jay Fleming is a photographer and writer who documents the complex interactions between humans and their natural environment. Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Jay grew up with an affinity for the water. He discovered his passion for photography at the age of 13 with a hand-me-down 35mm film camera. In 2015, Jay turned his attention to photography full time in 2015 after working in the field of fisheries and seafood marketing. Since then, Jay has published two photography books – Working the Water and Island Life, he operates two workboats while leading water based photography workshops on the Chesapeake Bay and manages his studio on Kent Island, Maryland.

This event will be HYBRID, meaning you can join us virtually or in person. You can register for either here:
Register to join virtually
Register to join in-person

Buy Jay Fleming’s Books:
Working the Water
Island Life

AeroPark Farmer's Market
2023-10-15 08:00 - 17:00, 2023-09-17 09:00 - 13:00, 2023-08-20 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Historic Sotterley is sponsoring the AeroPark Farmer’s Market, but you don’t need a plane to visit! Drive, bike, or walk in to get fresh goods and produce. All businesses selling at our Airport Farmer’s Market are local small businesses that sell products that they have grown or produced themselves. When you shop local, up to 68% of the money you spend stays in the community, so come help support the wonderful entrepreneurs that make Maryland unique. The market runs from 9am – 1pm and is located indoors so you can enjoy watching the planes go by while shopping rain or shine!
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:
TBD

Southern Maryland Heritage Festival
2023-10-08 12:00 - 17:00, 2023-10-07 12:00 - 17:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
October 7th & 8th – Historic Sotterley is proud to announce a NEW event: the Southern Maryland Heritage Festival. This festival is a celebration of Southern Maryland food, culture, history, and the people that make it unique. The two-day event will feature music, heritage demos and exhibits, food trucks, artisan vendors, family activities, and so much more.
Music & Entertainment – Music is part of our heritage! Enjoy a range of country, rock, gospel, jazz at various stages around the site. So much to choose from! Local comedy acts for kids and adults will also be featured in various locations on site.
Heritage Demos & Exhibits – Check out demonstrations and exhibits from Southern Maryland businesses and organizations, such as blacksmithing, quilting, bee keeping, antique tractor demos and more!
Food and Artisan Vendors – Shop one-of-a-kind hand-crafted goods made by local artisans, and enjoy fabulous food from local favorites!
Beer & Wine – Brews on tap and wine will be available at two locations on site, including our historic Barn (bring your ID!)
Kids Corner – Your little ones will enjoy games, and other family -friendly activities
Wagon Rides – Take a scenic ride through Historic Sotterley on a wagon hauled by our new tractor
Open House Tours – Explore some areas of our Manor House and learn some history from our experienced docents

We will be running a food drive for St. Mary’s Caring Kitchen during this event! Please bring only nonperishable food items that have not expired. Donations can be dropped off at the donation table next to admissions as guests are entering the event – no need to carry them around!

Ticket Pricing
Two-Day Entrance (adults only): $40 in advance, $50 at the gate
Adults: $25 in advance, $30 at the gate
Members: $20
Youth (13-17): $10
Children (12 & under): FREE
Ticket purchase can be used for a one-day entry on Saturday or Sunday and covers entry to the event only. Food & drink will be available for purchase. If you would like to attend both days you can purchase a second ticket. Not a member, not a problem! Click here to join us and become a member today!
Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs & blankets, but NO coolers or pets will be allowed at the event!
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

FULL EVENT PROGRAM

Birding the Fields and Trails of Sotterley
2023-09-30 08:00 - 11:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Join us for a fall excursion to this scenic and historic Patuxent River property, sponsored jointly by SMAS and Historic Sotterley. Bald Eagles, migrant songbirds and lingering meadowlarks and sparrows can be found via Sotterley’s trails and river views.
The walk starts promptly at 8:00 am, please arrive 10-15 minutes prior in the parking lot in front of the Visitor Center. Please bring with you binoculars and a field guide (don’t worry if you don’t have). Suggested to wear comfortable walking shoes and attire weather appropriate. For all levels of birdwatchers.

There is no group limit or registration needed, just show up ready to go birding!

Specialty Tour - Medical History at Historic Sotterley: Herbs, Lancets, Bone Saws, Vaccinations, Antibiotics, Oh My!
2023-09-29 17:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
September 29, 2023 – What was it like to experience treatment of illness or injury in the past? How did the practice of medicine develop in our region? While touring the manor house, slave dwelling, and gardens, take the journey from medicinal herbs, blood-letting, patent medicines, lessons of sanitation learned during warfare, crude surgical techniques, and unsettling realities of medical research to the regulation of medical practice and development of effective prevention and treatment of deadly infections. Join docent Dr. Marcia Coe for a tour highlighting medical history as it relates to the people of Sotterley during 1699-1961.
Recommended for ages 16 & older. Walking and standing required. The historic house is not ADA compliant.
Advance reservations required – please no walk-ins. Tour is limited to 18 people.
It is advised to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your tour. Please proceed to the Visitor Center to Check-in upon arrival.

Purchase Tickets Here!

Homeschool Day Nature Walk
2023-09-15 10:30 - 12:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
September 15th, 2023 – The Sierra Club Southern Maryland Group will be partnering with Historic Sotterley for a family-friendly homeschool day activity. From 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, kids can take a nature walk exploring the grounds of Sotterley and learning about local ecosystem. Afterwards, children will have the opportunity to create their own artistic masterpiece depicting the gardens of Sotterley.
The event is $5 per person, but guided tours will be available for an additional purchase if families wish to extend their stay and learn about Sotterley’s history.

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives with David Moulton
2023-09-13 19:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
September 13, 2023 – Saving Grassland Birds in Sotterley’s Hayfields
David Moulton, founder of Saving Southern Maryland’s Grassland Birds, will discuss the role Sotterley has played in finding ways to bale hay while trying not to harm baby birds at the same time. Some of our most beloved species of grassland birds, such as the Eastern Meadowlark, nest only in large hay fields during May and June – often conflicting directly with the spring hay harvest. What can be done? With Sotterley’s property manager, Joe Goldsmith, David has undertaken a series of experiments to demonstrate that by altering harvest techniques, timing and patterns, Southern Maryland hay farmers can often maintain their haying operations while significantly increasing the reproductive success of the birds. He will outline their findings and share ideas about maintaining our agricultural heritage and conserving our threatened wildlife.
David Moulton has been an avid birder since he was a boy in Massachusetts, where he accompanied his dad to such birding hotspots as Plum Island, Cape Ann and the Great Meadows of Concord. He moved to Washington, DC to attend law school at Georgetown and to pursue a professional career working on energy, environment and climate policy in the US House of Representatives. Now in retirement, David devotes much of his time to saving habitat for birds. In 2020, he initiated a nonprofit demonstration project in St. Mary’s County – Saving Southern Maryland’s Grassland Birds. This project experiments with bird-friendly hay mowing techniques that can lessen the mortality of grassland birds during the breeding season. Through the “Grassland Ambassadors” at the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, he is hoping to reduce the decline of hayfield-nesting birds with the cooperation of conservation-minded landowners.
David has served as the field trip coordinator for the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, a board member of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, and is currently a member of the Administrative Board of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. After six decades-worth of hours in the field, he can report a Life List for North American species that tops 700 species.

This event will be in-person only. We request that you register in advance here:
Register for FREE Here!

Day of Unity and Healing – Beyond Color: The Power of Connection
2023-08-19 10:00 - 12:30 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Historic Sotterley’s Day of Unity and Healing is a Descendant planned event that remembers and celebrates our complete American Heritage and all Descendants through leadership, education, history and the arts.
This year’s event, Beyond Color: The Power of Connection, will be held on August 19, 2023 from 10:00am to 12:30pm. One of the first steps to healing is understanding the truth about our history and building bridges of understanding to move forward and create a better community and country. The event will feature a keynote from Rev. Lawrence Ellis Walker, Sr., speakers, music, a performance by Washington Revels Jubilee Voices, brief video screenings, and a UNESCO Remembrance Ceremony. After the event, guests can visit the historic barn for a display of Documentary Story Quilts and walk through Historic Sotterley’s exhibits.
“It starts with every individual being open to listening and learning. We can’t change our history, but we can reflect, learn, and heal to build a better tomorrow.” – Gwen Bankins and Jan Briscoe Descendants and Historic Sotterley Board Trustees

This event is free and open to the public, but we request that attendees register in advance.
Register HERE

Event Attractions:
The Washington Revels Jubilee Voices ensemble will present songs and stories of struggle and perseverance, trials and triumphs expressed through acapella music, drama and dance
On display will be Documentary Story Quilts by Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither which reflect the personal stories of life experiences of other people, places and events that keep connections to our American Heritage capture and record oral histories and memories that bring and eye and ear to humanitarian concerns.
Presenters: Daryl Hinman, Lucille Walker, Common Groove Band, Shamika Renee, Janice Walthour, Dorothy Waters
Artist Nicole Stewart will unveil the first few portraits of the Historic Sotterley Descendants Portrait Project
Descendants: Dante Eubanks, Kelsey Bush, Jan Briscoe, Gwen Bankins, Jerome Spears, Angela Wilson
UNESCO Remembrance Ceremony, Return Passage Highlights
Video: Walking and Talking Common Ground

**Please note, we will not have morning guided tours due to this event. Guided tours will resume at 1pm.**

The Importance of Bees - Family Friendly Activities
2023-08-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
August 18, 2023 – Join us from 10:30-12:00 for a family friendly activity. Melanie, a Historic Sotterley intern and apprentice with the Teacher Academy Program, will lead a story time and hands on craft. Bea, a Historic Sotterley intern and student at St. Mary’s Ryken, will talk about her experiences as a beekeeper. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn about one of our most important pollinators and ask questions to one of the people who works with them.

Activity will take place under the riverside portico of the manor house and the cost is the $5/person grounds fee and check in is at the museum shop.

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives with Richard Bell
2023-07-19 19:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Join us for a talk with Dr. Richard Bell, the author of Stolen, a new book that tells the incredible story of five boys whose courage forever changed the fight against slavery in America.
​​​​​​​Philadelphia, 1825: five young, free black boys fall into the clutches of the most fearsome gang of kidnappers and slavers in the United States. Lured onto a small ship with the promise of food and pay, they are instead met with blindfolds, ropes, and knives. Over four long months, their kidnappers drive them overland into the Cotton Kingdom to be sold as slaves. Determined to resist, the boys form a tight brotherhood as they struggle to free themselves and find their way home.
Their ordeal—an odyssey that takes them from the Philadelphia waterfront to the marshes of Mississippi and then onward still—shines a glaring spotlight on the Reverse Underground Railroad, a black market network of human traffickers and slave traders who stole away thousands of legally free African Americans from their families in order to fuel slavery’s rapid expansion in the decades before the Civil War.
​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. 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 and the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. He serves as a Trustee of the Maryland Center for History and Culture and as a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
This event is HYBRID, meaning it is available both in person or online. You can register for EITHER in-person or virtual attendance:

Register For In-Person Attendance Here!
Register for Virtual Attendance Here!

AeroPark Farmer's Market
2023-07-16 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Historic Sotterley is sponsoring the AeroPark Farmer’s Market, but you don’t need a plane to visit! Drive, bike, or walk in to get fresh goods and produce. All businesses selling at our Airport Farmer’s Market are local small businesses that sell products that they have grown or produced themselves. When you shop local, up to 68% of the money you spend stays in the community, so come help support the wonderful entrepreneurs that make Maryland unique. The market runs from 9am – 1pm and is located indoors so you can enjoy watching the planes go by while shopping rain or shine!
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:

Free State Ciders
Olivin’s Oils & Vinegar
Mully’s Brewery
Intoxi-cake-tion
Zekiah Farms
Olga’s Treats
Unforgoatable Goods
Dixon Family Farm
Boon Doggie Farm
Beez Kneez Ice Cream
Achterberg Acres Farm
The Garden (Mushrooms)
Black Pointe – Chocolatier
Beachin Bay Bakery
Juice Buzz
Muzzy’s Wine Jelly
Sotterley (Growing for Good) sweet potatoes
Bird Dog Bistro (hot food & coffee)
Mia Moore
Tobacco Barn Distillery

Scales & Tails Program
2023-07-15 10:00 - 13:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Join us on site for family fun this summer with a Scales & Tails event! This event is being brought to us by Samantha Warby from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to introduce our visitors to some of the wild and wonderful creatures that live right in our back yards. Learn about all friends scaley and their incredibly important roles in our environment!

The program will be open to everyone that visits us between 10am and 1pm and is included in our $5 per person grounds fee.

Talking and Walking Common Ground: A Shared Vision in Action
2023-06-21 19:00 | Virtual
Historic Sotterley is proud to host another installment in its 2023 Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives on June 21st with “Talking and Walking Common Ground: A Shared Vision in Action”. This virtual event will feature a panel discussion of museum leadership from James Madison’s Montpelier, Riversdale House Museum, and Historic Sotterley as they discuss their site’s journeys toward providing a more honest and inclusive history. They will talk about their challenges, their successes, and their sites’ inclusion of descendants in this important work.
The panel will include Elizabeth Chew, Senior Director of Museum Programs and Chief Curator of James Madison’s Montpelier, Maya Davis, Executive Director of the Riversdale House Museum, and Nancy Easterling, Executive Director of Historic Sotterley. All three of these historic museum sites have experienced ongoing transformations in how their history and stories are interpreted. The journey has not always been easy, and each site has had to face unique challenges as well as shared ones, but these museums represent a growing movement dedicated to providing a more holistic and honest view into our shared past, as well as creating ways to find Common Ground.
Elizabeth Chew, Ph.D. is the Senior Director of Museum Programs and Chief Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier, where she oversees the Curatorial, Education, and Research departments. She has worked at museums and historic sites since 1985. At Montpelier she has overseen the excavation and reconstruction of six slave dwellings and work buildings, the creation of the exhibition The Mere Distinction of Colour, winner of six national awards, and the National Summit on Teaching Slavery. As curator at Monticello for thirteen years, she was instrumental in expanding interpretation to include women, slavery, and domestic work.
Maya Davis is the Director of the Riversdale House Museum, the former 19th Century Plantation home of George and Rosalie Calvert, as well as generations of enslaved families held in bondage. Prior to her arrival at Riversdale, Maya was the Research Archivist and Legislative Liaison at the Maryland State Archive where she consulted on statewide projects that documented, interpreted, and preserved African American History and Culture and facilitated discussions on state legislation and prepared statements for contemplated legislation.

Register Here!

AeroPark Farmer's Market
2023-06-18 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Historic Sotterley is sponsoring the AeroPark Farmer’s Market, but you don’t need a plane to visit! Drive, bike, or walk in to get fresh goods and produce. All businesses selling at our Airport Farmer’s Market are local small businesses that sell products that they have grown or produced themselves. When you shop local, up to 68% of the money you spend stays in the community, so come help support the wonderful entrepreneurs that make Maryland unique. The market runs from 9am – 1pm and is located indoors so you can enjoy watching the planes go by while shopping rain or shine!
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:

Free State Ciders
Olivin’s Oils & Vinegar
Mully’s Brewery
Intoxi-cake-tion
Zekiah Farms
Olga’s Treats
Unforgoatable Goods
Dixon Family Farm
Boon Doggie Farm
Beez Kneez Ice Cream
Achterberg Acres Farm
The Garden (Mushrooms)
Black Pointe – Chocolatier
Beachin Bay Bakery
Sotterley (Growing for Good) sweet/regular potatoes?
Bird Dog Bistro (food & coffee)
Mia Moore

Paper Rocket Launching with the Robobees and GrowingSTEMS
2023-06-17 10:30 - 13:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Join us at Historic Sotterley for a perfect family fun activity! The Robobees and GrowingSTEMS will be on site to build and launch paper rockets with you. They’ll also be doing demos with some of the robots that they’ve designed and built. This event happens the day before Father’s Day, making it a great chance for Dads and kids to learn together about science and engineering – or just launch cool stuff into the air!

The activity is available to everyone and is included in our $5 per person grounds fee.

Juneteenth Weekend Tours
2023-06-15 - 2023-06-18 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
In honor of Juneteenth, Historic Sotterley will offer guided tours focusing on stories of strength and resilience. Learn about how over the centuries, the enslaved at Sotterley resisted against slavery, how they maintained strength and identity when it had been denied to them, how they built families and communities, and discover how many took their freedom, and what life was like at Sotterley after the abolition of slavery.
Tours will run from Thursday, June 15th until Sunday June 18th.
Note: We will be closed on Juneteenth, Monday, June 19th.

Tour Times
Thursday – Saturday
10:30 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm
Sunday
Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm

Pricing
Adults: $10
Senior: $9
Youth: $6
Children: FREE
*** Half-Priced Admission for everyone on Father’s Day 6/18 ***

Denim and Diamonds Gala
2023-06-10 18:00 - 22:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
You’re invited to Sotterley’s Denim & Diamonds Gala! From JR’s Southfork in Dallas to John Dutton’s ranch in Yellowstone, western get-togethers have a style of their own. Break out your favorite hat, boots, denim, and sparkling diamonds for food, fun, and laughter at Historic Sotterley. 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!
Event takes place RAIN or SHINE. Reservations are non-refundable.
Wear your boots and hats but please leave your sidearms at home!
All proceeds directly support Sotterley’s educational programming and preservation efforts. We estimate fair market value of this ticket to be $60. Your charitable contribution is $65.

Purchase Gala Tickets Here!
Ticket sales end May 31st, buy now so you don’t miss out!

Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives with Imani Black
2023-05-24 19:00 | Virtual
Our next installment of Sotterley Presents: People and Perspectives will take place virtually on May 24th. The seafood industry has rapidly grown over the last few decades, while natural seafood resources have slowly decreased. Imani Black, founder of Minorities in Aquaculture, will explore the opportunities presented by aquaculture, farming seafood like oysters in a sustainable way.
Imani Black was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Chestertown. She has always had a passion for restoration and conservation since she was a young girl and found great interest in the rapidly growing shellfish aquaculture industry, after completing an aquaculture training program at Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2016. Since then, Imani has worked on oyster farms, nurseries and hatcheries along the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland. From 2018 to 2020, she was the Assistant Hatchery Manager for Hoopers Island Oyster Company, having the opportunity to work in all aspects of shellfish growout.
Through her love for her career, Imani founded Minorities In Aquaculture, a nonprofit organization that strives to empower and support women of color in the aquaculture industry by educating women of traditional watermen legacy and heritage in coastal communities while providing opportunities such as paid internship, technical skills training and career development resources in the new wave of commercial fisheries. In addition to developing the nonprofit, Imani is also pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science researching the historical minority engagement in commercial fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay.

Register Here!

AeroPark Farmer's Market
2023-05-21 09:00 - 13:00 | SMC Regional Airport
Historic Sotterley is sponsoring the AeroPark Farmer’s Market, but you don’t need a plane to visit! Drive, bike, or walk in to get fresh goods and produce. All businesses selling at our Airport Farmer’s Market are local small businesses that sell products that they have grown or produced themselves. When you shop local, up to 68% of the money you spend stays in the community, so come help support the wonderful entrepreneurs that make Maryland unique. The market runs from 9am – 1pm and is located indoors so you can enjoy watching the planes go by while shopping rain or shine!
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:

Free State Ciders
Olivin’s Oils & Vinegar
Mully’s Brewery
Intoxi-cake-tion
Zekiah Farms
Olga’s Treats
Unforgoatable Goods
Dixon Family Farm
Boon Doggie Farm
Beez Kneez Ice Cream
Achterberg Acres Farm
The Garden (Mushrooms)
Black Pointe Chocolatier
Beachin Bay Bakery
Juice Buzz
Muzzy’s Wine Jelly
Historic Sotterley (Growing for Good)
Bird Dog Bistro (Food & Coffee)

Half-Priced Specialty Tours for Mother's Day
2023-05-14 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Looking to spend time with your mom this Mother’s Day? Spend the day at Historic Sotterley!
Historic Sotterley will be hosting “Women of Sotterley” specialty tours on Sunday, May 14, in honor of Mother’s Day. Tours will be offered at half-price so you can spend quality time together without breaking the bank. As always, members can enjoy the tour for free!
Tours will run hourly from 12:00 – 4:00pm (12:00, 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00pm inclusive). Tickets can be purchased at Sotterley’s Visitor Center on the day of the tour or reserved in advance by calling Sotterley’s office at 301-373-2280.
Historic Sotterley’s guided tours allow visitors an intimate perspective of the lives and cultures of those that owned, lived, and worked in the historic Manor House, enslaved or free, over three centuries of American history. This specialty tour will focus on the women of Sotterley, from Rebecca Bowles, the second wife of Sotterley’s first owner, to Ruth Barber, one of Sotterley’s last residents. Visitors will learn about how these women influenced Sotterley’s history and set the course for its future.
The tour is on the ground floor spaces and is approximately 45-60 minutes in length. The 18th Century Manor House doorways may not accommodate all wheelchairs or walkers in some rooms of the house. Please call in advance for full access details.
After the tour, Sotterley offers a museum gift shop, beautiful trails, expansive gardens, access to a quiet creek, and additional exhibits to explore and learn from. Tour attendees are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy all that the grounds have to offer with their mom. Historic Sotterley is a “Leave No Trace” site, so please be prepared to pack out any trash and leftover food when you leave.

Heritage Healing Prayer Circle
2023-05-06 09:00 - 10:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Join us on Saturday, May 6th, at 9:00 a.m. as we come together to pray for all Descendants’ journeys to understand and connect with their ancestors at historic sites, and to honor their ancestors’ memories and learn from their experiences. This event seeks to release the pain of past wounds, aid in forgiveness, and provide inspiration to move forward with courage while exploring the lives, traditions, of those who lived on the land before us.
We are holding this prayer circle at the beginning of our guided tour season to honor the memory of those who came to Historic Sotterley during the middle passage and remember the lives of those who perished on the journey. This event is free and open to the public, but if you’d like to stay and purchase a guided or self-guided tour of Sotterley after the event, you are welcome to do so at the Visitor Center.

Historic Sotterley is proud to be a UNESCO Site of Memory for the Routes of the Enslaved, Middle Passage Port Marker’s Project Site, and a partner in the Return Passage Initiative.

Garden Guild Plant Sale
2023-04-30 12:00 - 15:00, 2023-04-29 09:00 - 14:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Whispers from the Water: Ancestral Memories from the Clotilda
2023-04-29 13:30 - 17:00 | St. Mary’s College of Maryland Dodge Performing Arts Center – Main Auditorium, 47855 College Drive, Saint Mary's City, MD, 20686, United States
On April 29, 2022, St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Historic Sotterley are partnering to present a screening of the powerful 2022 Netflix film, “Descendant,” to our community. The screening will be followed by a panel that will discuss the film, how it showcases previously undiscovered historical findings, as well as the long-lasting negative economic, environmental and social impacts the slave trade continues to have on Africatown and our nation.
Set in the small Alabama community of Africatown, the documentary follows the descendants of the survivors of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. On July 9, 1860, more than 100 captive Africans were illicitly brought to the shores of Mobile, Alabama, under cover of darkness. The international slave trade had been made illegal in the US in 1808, but human trafficker Timothy Meaher made a bet that he could get around the law with his ship. After the illegal voyage, the ship was burned and scuttled in Mobile Cay in an attempt to destroy the evidence. Today, the residents of Africatown, just north of Mobile, count the Clotilda survivors among their ancestors. Uncovering the truth about the Clotilda, which was a centuries-old open secret, was pursued by marine archaeologists to confirm the ship’s existence and bring its stories to the surface.
The panel will feature Jocelyn Davis, a direct descendant of Clotilda survivor Charlie Lewis and lifelong resident of Africatown, as well as Kamau Sadiki who was featured in the documentary for his work as a member of the dive team Divers with a Purpose and who is the President of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers that identified the Clotilda. Joining the panel will be Dr. Susan Langley, the Maryland State Underwater Archaeologist and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland; Dr. Liza Gijanto, Associate Professor of Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland; Kelsy Bush, Historic Sotterley Descendant and Board Member as well as the Community Affairs Liaison of St. Mary’s College of Maryland; and Gwen Bankins, Historic Sotterley Descendant and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
The event will be held in the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Nancy R. & Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center, 47855 College Dr., St. Mary’s City, MD with doors opening at 1:00 pm. The film begins at 1:30 pm, followed by an intermission and then the panel discussion approximately at 3:45 p.m. This event is being held free of charge to our community, though tickets are required.

Register Here

Photo of Kamau Sadiki courtesy of Wayne Lawrence.

What's Soaring at Sotterley - Bird Walk
2023-04-23 08:00 - 11:00 | Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States
Celebrate Earth Day weekend with a bird walk at this scenic and historic Patuxent River property as the annual surge of migrating birds begins throughout St. Mary’s County. Nesting Bald Eagles, migrating warblers, meadowlarks, woodpeckers, and waterfowl can all be found via Sotterley’s farm roads and trails. From Rt. 235, go north on Sotterley Road, turn right through the gates to the gravel parking lot on the Sotterley historic property. 15-person maximum. RSVP at moulton.davidh@gmail.com or 240-278-4473.
