Historic Sotterley Events

Saturday August 23 10:00am - 2:00pm EDT

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Day of Unity and Healing

August 23, 2025 – Join us for our annual Day of Unity and Healing. This descendant-led event centers on shared history, healing, and education by bringing together descendants and interfaith and community leaders to recognize the interconnectedness of our lives and to honestly confront Sotterley’s past and build unity. The ceremony will begin at 10:00 am and will include a bell ringing ceremony to honor the lives and sacrifices of those who came before us. After the ceremony, there will be wagon tours, open house tours, music by Casual Groove Band, a documentary quilt exhibit, archaeology updates from our community partners, and holistic health screenings. More information and an exact schedule are coming soon. If you know you’ll be joining us, please consider registering so we have an idea of attendance. Thank you! Register Here! Documentary Story Quilt Workshop12:30 pm $30/person, limited space Dr Joan M.E. Gaither will be conducting a documentary quilting workshop in the afternoon. No prior quilting experience is required. There will be an afternoon quilting workshop to provide an opportunity to learn about documentary story quilting and then you will be able to create your own quilt square using personal photographs and objects. Her documentary story quilts have been on display at each Day of Unity and Healing for the past four years. Registration is required. Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither, a native Baltimorean with a history of helping to integrate local schools and businesses during the Civil Rights Movement, is an artist, teacher, and activist. She has created 183 documentary story quilts since 2000 and continues to hold quilting workshops that encourage participants to research, capture, and visualize personal oral histories and memories. Dr. Gaither’s documentary story quilts are a one-of-a-kind creation with complex themes and depth of expression in each quilt. Each documentary story quilt uses traditional quilting fabric’s, recycled clothing, and objects relevant to each quilt theme to create vibrant and colorful quilts to illuminate historical events, places or people that have shaped American History, She has created 300 documentary story quilts since 2000. Her documentary story quilts are included in personal collections and continue to be exhibited in local and national museums, galleries, schools, and churches. Purchase Tickets Are you interested in hearing more about human migration? Visit Lexington Park Library to view the exhibit World on the Move, 250,000 Years of Human Migration, from July 21 – August 22, 2025.

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Sunday August 31 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Sweet Summer Nights at Sotterley

August 31, 2025 – Join us at Sotterley from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. to explore Nature After Dark! We’ll enjoy a night hike through the fields and forests, calling owls, looking for foxfire, identifying frog calls and all of the other cool nighttime noises. This program is be......More

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Friday September 12 5:30pm EDT

To Be Rescheduled - Agriculture at Sotterley Specialty Tour

**Due to unforeseen circumstances, this tour is being rescheduled. More information coming soon.** September 12, 2025 – Join our Interpretive Programs Manager and Farm and Grounds Manager for a specialty tour focusing on the history of farming over the centuries in Sou......More

Saturday September 13 6:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Sunset at Sotterley Gala

September 13, 2025 – Join us to enjoy golden hour views, a signature cocktail, a fabulous silent auction, and music and dancing in our beautifully remodeled barns of sotterley, all while helping preserve one of Maryland’s treasured historic landmarks. Dress in your best......More

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Saturday September 20 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Birding the Fields and Trails of Historic Sotterley

September 20, 2025 – Join us for an 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......More

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Wednesday September 24 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Franklin Robinson, Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, & Dorothea Smith

September 24, 2025 – In 2012, a massive storm ripped through Charles County, ripping a tree and waterpipe from the ground on Serenity Farm in Benedict, Maryland. Years prior, the farm’s family of owners had found a human skull buried in that same place, so the storm’s damage presented an opportunity to deep dive into the archaeology. The result was not only the recovery of a lost African American slave burial site, but Serenity Farm stepping forward as private citizens to preserve and honor both the history and the recovery of ancestry. Join us for this incredible event to watch a documentary about the discovery and hear from Franklin Robinson, owner of Serenity Farm, Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, professor of Africa-centered history at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Dorothea Smith, President of the African American Heritage Society of Charles County, as they discuss a process of discovery and preservation that closely mirrors Historic Sotterley’s own efforts. 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 to Attend In-PersonRegister to Attend VirtuallyFranklin A. Robinson, Jr. is a life-long member of St. Thomas’ Parish and has served as parish historian since 1995. An archivist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, he is also the chair of the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission in Southern Maryland. Mr. Robinson has received numerous awards for his commitment to historic preservation including The Maryland Historical Trust’s Preservation Service Award and the Prince George’s County Historical Society’s St. George’s Day Award. He is a contributor to Exhibits in Archives and Special Collections Libraries published by the Society of American Archivists. He has authored many finding aids, monographs, and was a contributing author to the award-winning The Naylors of Woodborough. He is also a professional actor, produced playwright, and adjunct faculty at George Mason University. Kathryn Barrett-Gaines is a dynamic scholar, educator, and performer whose career bridges academia, international engagement, and the arts. A Washington DC native, she holds multiple advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. from Stanford, and has earned prestigious awards like the Fulbright and Rotary scholarships for research in Uganda, where she also thrived as a musician, columnist, and media personality. Currently a tenured professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she teaches African diaspora history and promotes student civic and global involvement. Her eclectic past includes teaching at every level, publishing on Ugandan history, winning academic honors, and performing stand-up comedy at the Apollo, all while maintaining a vibrant presence in both U.S. and Ugandan cultural spaces. Dorothea Smith, a dedicated educator and civic leader, began her impactful 30-year teaching career in 1965 after earning both Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Bowie State University. A highly recognized middle school language arts instructor, she received prestigious honors such as the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award and the Charles County Teacher of the Year Award. Beyond the classroom, she served in leadership roles within the Education Association of Charles County and represented faculty at John Hanson Middle School. Since retiring, Smith has continued to shape her community through service on multiple advisory boards and organizations, including the African American Heritage Society of Charles County, the Charles County Retired School Personnel Association, and the Kiwanis Club of Waldorf, demonstrating her lifelong commitment to education and public service.

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Wednesday October 15 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT

Virtual

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Jonathan Kavalier

October 15, 2025 – Join Jonathan Kavalier, director of gardens and grounds at Dumbarton Oaks, for a virtual exploration of the gardens as he shares the design history and management over the past century, along with contemporary guiding principles that are influencing future stewardship and preservation priorities. Following a virtual tour of some garden highlights, Jonathan will present challenges and opportunities that come with historical gardening in a 21st century context, and highlight some of the work the gardeners at Dumbarton Oaks are pursuing to ensure its preservation and relevance in the next century. Jonathan has served as Director of gardens and grounds at Dumbarton Oaks since 2018, and has spent the past 25 years working in public garden management and horticulture in the Washington DC area and abroad. This is a FREE virtual event. Registration is required.Register Here!Jonathan Kavalier is director of gardens and grounds at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on preserving Beatrix Farrand’s historic design within a 21st century horticultural context. A horticulturist and self-proclaimed plant-geek, he earned a BS in horticulture and international agriculture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After several years of commercial landscape design, Kavalier managed a design & build firm in Madagascar focusing on ornamental gardens and ecological restoration using endemic Malagasy plants. From 2008-2015, Kavalier oversaw several public gardens for the Smithsonian Institution including the Enid A. Haupt, Mary Livingston Ripley, and urban bird habitat gardens, where he facilitated connections between people and plants. From 2015-2018, at the Architect of the Capitol, Kavalier led strategic planning and organizational development efforts for the Capitol Building, Capitol Grounds, the United States Botanic Garden, the Library of Congress, and the United Sates Supreme Court. He currently serves on the boards of the American Boxwood Society and Tudor Place Gardens, and is a Senior Fellow with the Partnership for Public Service.

Virtual

Wednesday November 12 7:00pm - 8:30pm EST

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Victoria Christopher Murray

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-PersonRegister Here to Attend VirtuallyVictoria 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:

Historic Sotterley, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD, 20636, United States

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Day of Unity and Healing

Sweet Summer Nights at Sotterley

To Be Rescheduled - Agriculture at Sotterley Specialty Tour

Sunset at Sotterley Gala

Birding the Fields and Trails of Historic Sotterley

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Franklin Robinson, Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, & Dorothea Smith

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Jonathan Kavalier

Sotterley Presents: People & Perspectives with Victoria Christopher Murray

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