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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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What it Takes to get a Tree Service License

What it Takes to get a Tree Service License

No one can cut down any tree in Maryland. You must obtain a Tree Expert License.

Any professional company that works with trees and cuts down, trims, fertilizes, cables, braces and controls insects or diseases of trees require a license. This is to ensure the health and longevity of Maryland’s community of trees is protected, keeping our Maryland beautiful!

Before Applying

Must obtain:

  • Adequate and related college education plus one year experience under LTE
  • OR have three years of experience under LTE (Licensed Tree Expert)
  • Pass the exam
  • Have adequate liability and property damage insurance

Once you obtain the license, it has to be renewed after two years in December.

Arborist Organizations

There are some organizations that offer training or certifications

The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)

This certification is available to candidates with:

  • at least three years of full-time experience
  • an associate’s degree in arboriculture and two years experience
  • bachelor’s degree and one year experience
  • must pass certification exam

ISA also offers specialized certifications including aerial lifts, utilities-related tree trimming and tree climbing

The American Society of Consulting Arborist (ASCA)

This certification goes beyond tree trimming. The ASCA administers the Registered Consulting Arborist credential to offer services that include:

  • landcape planning
  • tree preservation
  • damage assessment and expert-witness testimony in civil or criminal lawsuits that involve trees.

Must be a member and attend the ASCA Consulting Academy training program. Qualified applicants will be sent a test in the form of a consulting scenario.

Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

TCIA offers a variety of training and educational materials to arborists companies who are members. After completing a few series of training, new employees will obtain all that is necessary to work safely.

TCIA also offers specialized training programs in:

  • tree care safety
  • electrical hazards
  • aerial rescue
  • ANSI 300 standards for tree care

A Company that offers tree service must be equipped to handle the job safely. If you need this service call us, we are definitely a Southern Maryland Licensed Tree Service close by.

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7 Things to think about when choosing a Tree Removal Company in St. Marys

7 Things to Think About When Choosing a Tree Removal Company  in St. Marys

Many of us think that taking down that tree is a piece of cake! Think again. In fact, it is pretty sad to mention that there has been serveral cases of deaths in St. Marys county by falling trees.

You don´t want to choose just any kind of company that offers tree service because many could just end up being just as good as you attempting a DIY.

Things to consider:

Safety

This is your first-most priority! Cutting down trees is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. If you have that feeling this company is not serious about their job, don´t even continue the conversation.

Qualifications

Make sure the employees are actually certified to climb trees. You do not want to witness a preventative injury in your backyard due to choosing a company where the workers are obviously not trained.

Equipment

Cutting down trees, especially in St. Marys requires big machines to get them down. Ask what they plan on doing to get the desired tree down to see if they really mean business.

Experience

You want a company that has a fair amount of years on their shoulders because they know the unseen dangers when getting the job done.

Aborist

Not only does an ideal tree service company clears your yard, but they can aid you in knowing about the health status of the other surrounding trees. You may be doing something that can be affecting the eco-system.

Employees

Make sure there is a mature team ready to service you the best way. You don’t want to be dealing with a one-man show to get the oak down.

Communication

A good company must have good communication skills with you and especially with their team as they work on getting big trees down. Lack of good communication can contribute to injuries.

A Tree Service Company must take their job serious. The Southern Maryland Fellers is your ” tree service,  St. Marys county”!