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7 Reasons to Tour Sotterley Historical Plantation

7 Reasons to Tour Sotterley

Sotterley Plantation, located in Hollywood, Maryland is an 18th century plantation that is a popular tourist destination in St. Mary’s County.
In 2000, Sotterley was designated a National Historic Landmark. It is today the only remaining Tidewater Plantation that is open to the public, with a wide range of educational activities. Note reasons why you should visit this gem of a locale!

  • MANSION TOUR:
    The Coloniel Gardens are kept in pristine condition for the pleasure of its tourists. Guided and Audio Tours offer visitors insights into the mansion and grounds and into the lives of the people who filled various roles that kept Sotterley as a functioning farm over the decades and centuries. The Plantation house and a full array of outbuildings, including 94 acres of fields, gardens and river front are in excellent condition.
  • SPECIAL ANNUAL EVENTS:
    Special Annual Events draw 9,000 visitors at various times of the year including the following: The Riverside Wine Fest, Garden Fest, The Speakers Series. Of highest recommendation is the Riverside Wine Fest! Where else can you sip wine from all over the country and soak in the sights of the water like this!
  • NATURE PRESERVE:
    Ecological zones can be viewed by visitors and which allows them to learn about the Chesapeake Bay. This beautiful plantation is situated on the Patuxent River, a teeming estuary of all sorts of flora and fauna. Many school children come here for Nature Hikes with knowledgable guides, sharing with them the wildlife that makes Southern Maryland truly unique.
  • CULTURAL HERITAGE:
    Visiting Sotterley allows the visitors to look back on the past of this nation in order to learn from it and to now celebrate a spirit of community in the present. Sotterley has survived into its fourth century now and is truly a gem of St. Mary’s county.
  • EDUCATION:
    Over 6,000 Maryland school children are provided with excellent educational field trips, teaching them about the Brackish Water, Salamanders, and Blue Heron that are the treasures of the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River.
  • WEDDINGS:

The site is an absolutely stunning ground overlooking the Patuxent River- Your premier destination to  host your wedding!

  • HISTORY:
    Let’s finish this with a History lesson to whet your appetite for whats in store!

Sotterley was initially 2,000 acres of land that was purchased in 1699 by a man by the name of James Bowles. He built a two-room house now overlooking an inlet now known as Sotterley Creek. 1703 is the approximate dating of that original two room house, making it one of the oldest museums in the nation that is a house.

Bowles made his living growing tobacco, other crops and livestock. He also gained further wealth through Government ascension. Bowles died in 1727. In 1729 his widow Jessica Bowles married George Plater. During this time Maryland went from being a colony to a state. At it’s height, Sotterley’s 7,000 acres made the Platers one of the largest landowners in Maryland.

In 1826 – Walter Hanson Stone Briscoe – a progressive doctor, continued to operate this mix cropped farm. Sotterley Wharf became a busy steamboat landing around this time.

However, between 1861 and 1865 Sotterley was affected by the Civil War. Well after the end of the Civil War, Herbert and Louisa Sotterley purchased Sotterley in 1910. It was named Sotterley in memory of an ancestors home in Suffolk, England.

Mayble Sotterly purchased the property in 1947 and gave it to the public as a gift, making the house and farms accessible to all. Sotterley continued as a farm and farm operations were overseen by Charles H. Knott, who served as farm manager around 1960.

Sotterley Farm has passed hands many times throughout the ages. The fields, creeks and main buildings leave living remembrance of the ones who worked here in the past. The people who resided here in Sotterley left a legacy that is recorded in the Plantation’s surrounding landscape.

Hopefully, you can have the opportunity to visit this beautiful St. Mary’s County Estate. If you ever need to remove trees on your St. Mary’s County Estate, contact Southern Maryland Fellers Tree Service today!

Barn, St. Mary's County, Farm, Plantation, Red Barn, Tobacco Barn

 

 

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St. Mary’s County Local Government Provides Many Resources For Residents!

The St. Mary’s County Government provides so much practical and beneficial assistance for its local residents. For those who are up in years, the Aging and Human Services Team takes care of their diverse needs including providing caring government health assistance to them. The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home is a location in which Veteran’s of War can go to see what helpful provision are made by the local and federal government for funding and support.

  • Health:

The Government also supports aged and disabled ones by giving assistance by means of the Chesapeake Shores Nursing Home. The Highways are dutifully maintained by the State Highway Association and each winter when the Snow Storms pound away residents between the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers, hard working government workers along with well respected hired locals, meticulously clear the roads for grateful residences. Along with this, during the steamy, hot summer days, scrupulous repairs are made to roads like Rt. 5 and 235 for ease of access that the loyal citizens deserve!

The health department provides service to its residents such as disease prevention and also provides building and zoning regulations. Provisions such as Percolation tests are conducted to make sure that the land is properly filtering waste water. The local government also happily sustains the local Libraries, including the Leonardtown, Lexington Park and Charlotte Hall libraries. Besides the grade schools, these are the centers for education in which young students can soak up information that will last them throughout their careers.

  • Museums and Recreation:

Museums such as the St. Clement’s Island Museum enrich the area and attract tourism. This county government office also maintains Public Transportation, including local bus shuttles in Lexington Park, allowing residents to have access to the malls and shopping centers which also bolsters business in the area!

Not to be forgotten is the Recreation and Parks department who is responsible for such initiatives as the new, long Rail Trails running from Waldorf to Lexington park. This rail trail gives visitors and locals alike, the wonderful opportunity to ride their bikes along a authentic, historic rail line spanning miles and traversing the land. Such parks as Point Lookout State Park, Cardinal Gibbons Park, Carver Heights Community Park, Cecil Park, Chancellor’s Run Regional Park, Chaptico Park, Dorsey Park, Elm’s Beach Park, Fifth District Park, Hollywood Soccer Complex, Jarboesville Park, Seventh District Park, Snow Hill Park, St. Clements Shores Park, Three Notch Trail, and Town Creek Park give St. Mary’s County and truly, Southern Maryland as a whole, a relaxing feel and a sense of shared land that refreshes those who live in this wonderful county.

  • Education:

Different Colleges are supported by the local government, such as St. Mary’s College and also the College of Southern Maryland, CSM. St. Mary’s Hospital is the beacon of health in this peninsula, a haven of care for those who need help the most.

The School Districts are known throughout the state to be high-scoring and safe for students. Schools such as Chopticon High School, Leonardtown High School, Margaret Brent Middle School, Lettie Dent Elementary School, Mechanicsville Elementary School and the Vocational School next to Leonardtown High School give students the best shot at life with so many knowledgeable teachers.

  • Tourism:

The tourism department gives those who are visiting points of interest to make their stay in beautiful Southern Maryland as enjoyable, meaningful and as interesting as possible. The Chamber of Commerce is responsible for such things as providing an equal playing field for business competition, as well as verifying business legitimacy throughout the county.

Even bus advertising is well managed by the local government, allowing the mutual benefit of promoting local home-grown businesses while also recycling money back into the resources that make the county great.

Whether you live in St. Mary’s County or are considering it, rest assured that it’s local government will give you the support you need in order to enjoy your time in this fantastic gem nested between many waters! By the way, next time you need a tree service in St. Mary’s Maryland, make sure to check out Southern Maryland Fellers Tree Service!