places to go Dorsey Chapel
Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park
10704 Brookland Rd., Glenn Dale, MD 20769 240-264-3415; TTY 301-699-2544 Rental and history tours by appointment only. Admission: $3/adults, $2/ seniors & groups, $1/ages 5-18, FREE/ages 4 & under
16801 Mount Calvert Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 301-627-1286; TTY 301-699-2544 Park grounds hours: 8 am-sunset Exhibit hours: Apr.-Oct., Saturdays, 10 am-4 pm & Sundays, 12 noon-4 pm Weekday group tours by appointment.
Dorsey Chapel is an excellent example of the small frame, meetinghouse-style church that was the focal point of the rural African American community of Brookland. Constructed in 1900, the one-room chapel was used until 1971, when the congregation merged with Perkins Chapel to form the Glenn Dale United Methodist Church. M-NCPPC acquired the vacated and deteriorating chapel in 1992 and fully restored it. It was opened to the public for tours and rentals in 1996. Capacity: 50.
Marietta House Museum 5626 Bell Station Rd., Glenn Dale, MD 20769 301-464-5291; TTY 301-699-2544 Tours by appt: First Friday of every month, 1-4 pm Admission: $3/adults, $2/seniors & groups of 10 or more, $1/students ages 5-18, FREE/ages 4 & under Library Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30-5 pm, by appointment Built in 1813 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Duvall, this federal period brick home is situated on 25 acres. A two-story addition was built in 1832. Of the original outbuildings, the Judge’s law office and root cellar remain. Marietta houses the NHRD County History Library. Marietta’s changing exhibits presently include: “Made in America,” American made items from the 20th century, “A History of Our Communities: Glenn Dale, Lincoln, Lanham and Seabrook” and “Early 20th Century Holiday Postcards.”
Montpelier Mansion 9650 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel, MD 20708 301-377-7817; TTY 301-699-2544 Guided Tours: (Mar.-Nov. only) Sundays, 12 noon, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm; Self-Guided Tours: (Year-round) Thursdays-Tuesdays, anytime between 11 am-3 pm Admission: $3/adults, $2/seniors & groups of 10 or more, $1/students ages 6-18, FREE/ages 5 & under
View our exhibit, A Confluence of Three Cultures. This exhibit interprets the archaeology of American Indians, the colonial town of Charles Town, Prince George’s County’s first seat of government, and the lives of enslaved African Americans. The public archaeology program offers hands-on volunteer opportunities.
Northampton Slave Quarters and Archaeological Park 10915 Water Port Ct., Bowie, MD 20721 (Archaeology Program) 301-627-1286; TTY 301-699-2544 Self-guided tours: daily, sunrise to sunset Features reconstructed foundations of two slave quarters of the former Northampton Plantation (1673–1860). Archaeological excavations have recovered artifacts and information about the lives of African American slaves and tenant farmers who lived there from the late 18th century - mid-20th century. Four interpretive signs describe the site’s history and ongoing research.
Patuxent Rural Life Museums at Patuxent River Park 16000 Croom Airport Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 301-627-6074; TTY 301-699-2544 Hours: Saturdays & Sundays, Apr.-Oct., 1-4 pm FREE admission Guided tours available at other times by reservation for a fee (per person): Resident $1; Non-Resident $2 A legacy of 19th and early 20th century life, featuring three museums, a late 19th century log cabin, blacksmith shop, and a 1923 Sears Catalog house. The W. Henry Duvall Tool Museum has implements, household items, and trade tools from the past. The Tobacco Farming Museum includes exhibits about the history of tobacco in Maryland. The “Working the River” museum features exhibits on hunting, trapping and fishing on the Patuxent. Call for informa-
tion about: living history demonstrations & volunteer opportunities.
Ridgeley Rosenwald School 8507 Central Ave., Capitol Heights, MD 20743 240-264-3415; TTY 301-699-2544 Hours: Wednesdays, 10 am-2 pm; fourth Sunday of the month, 1-4 pm, and group tours by appointment.
Once a thriving plantation, Montpelier is one of the finest examples of 18th c. Georgian architecture in Maryland. The house was built c. 1783 by Major Thomas Snowden shortly after his marriage to Ann Ridgely. Although limited documentation is available about daily operations, enslaved Africans and indentured servants provided the labor as field hands and skilled craftsmen at the plantation and the Patuxent Ironworks. Montpelier hosted many famous individuals, including George and Martha Washington and Abigail Adams. Montpelier is fully restored and furnished as it might have been in 1830. The grounds boast an original 18th c. summerhouse, one of only two surviving in the U.S. on its original site. The mansion is available for weddings, receptions, and meetings. Capacity: 85. Call for informa-
tion about: Jun. 28 Research Café: African American Genealogy Jul. 16-Aug. 9 Blast-in-the-Past: A Hands-On History Playground
Ridgeley School opened in 1927 as Colored School No. 1 in Election District 13 and was located in central Prince George’s County in the African American community of Ridgely. A recipient of a Rosenwald Fund grant, the school was one of nearly 5,000 Rosenwald Schools built in the south for African American children.
16 • M-NCPPC, SUMMER 2014 GUIDE TO PARKS AND RECREATION
Riversdale House Museum 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park, MD 20737 301-864-0420; TTY 301-699-2544 Walk-in tours: Fridays & Sundays, on the quarter hour, 12:15-3:15 pm (Group tours anytime by appointment.) Admission: $3/adults, $2/seniors & groups, $1/ages 5-18, FREE/ages 4 & under This elegant Federal era manor house, a National Historic Landmark, was home to Belgian immigrant Rosalie Stier, who married George Calvert, a descendant of Maryland’s founding family. The restored dependency building features an exhibit on the African American Plummer family and open-hearth cooking demonstrations on selected Sundays, March through November. The Visitor Center highlights the history and archaeology of the estate. Mansion available for rental for meetings and special events. Jun. 15 Meet Caroline Abbott! Jun. 15 Father’s Day Tours Jul. 2, 16, 30 Jazz on the Lawn & Aug. 13 Jul. 14-18 Hands-On History Accomplishment Bootcamp (Week I) Jul. 21-25 Hands-On History Accomplishment Bootcamp (Week II) Aug. 22 John Bull Roast
Seabrook Schoolhouse 6116 Seabrook Rd., Seabrook, MD 20706 301-464-5291; TTY 301-699-2544 Hours: First Friday of the month, 11 am-3 pm, and group tours by appointment. Admission: $3/adults, $2/seniors & groups, $1/ages 5-18, FREE/ages 4 & under Seabrook School, built in 1896, is one of the earliest one-room schoolhouses still surviving in Prince George’s County. Serving students until it closed in 1953, the building was constructed by residents of the Seabrook railroad community on a lot provided by Thomas Seabrook. In the 1990s, The Seabrook Civic Association gave the school to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which restored it and opened it to the public in 2002. On-site exhibits focus on the history of Seabrook School and education in Prince George’s County.
Surratt House Museum 9118 Brandywine Rd., Clinton, MD 20735 301-868-1121; TTY 301-699-2544 www.surrattmuseum.org Hours: Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, 11 am-3 pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 12 noon-4 pm; and group tours by appointment. Admission: $3/adults, $2/seniors & groups, $1/ages 5-18, FREE/ages 4 & under Built in 1852 as a family home, tavern, hostelry, and post office, this site gained significance when the Surratt family became involved in the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Guided tours include costumed docents, visitors center, and gift shop. Research library available by appointment. Inquire about off-site bus tours offered throughout the year. Curriculum-based school programs available. Jun. 7-8 Lecture/Display: Death Comes a Knocking: Mourning Rituals of the Civil War Jun. 17 American Treasures Bus Tour to Oaks, PA Jul. 12-13 Salute to the Military Open House Aug. 9 Lecture: Sister Soldiers of the Civil War