You don’t have to look far to find something fun, educational — or both — this Summer! Our favorite historical sites and places that thrive on learning about our own histories are offering up ways to immerse yourself in the past and take away a lesson for the present day. Here, we share a few of our favorite historic experiences in Annapolis that will carry us into the Summer Solstice of 2019:
Lunch and Learn: The Naylors of Woodborough
Join authors Frank Robinson, Jr. and Debra Naylor for their presentation on The Naylors of Woodborough, or how they turned a pile of research papers into a book. Part history, part genealogy, part narrative, The Naylors of Woodborough, is the culminating work of five researchers who collaborated to publish this Maryland family’s 350-year history using local resources. The authors traced the journey of their immigrant ancestor, George Nailor, from Yorkshire, England to colonial Maryland where he established his first farm, Woodborough. While it is a local story, the authors have taken pains to place the family in the broader context of American history. What began as a simple exercise in information gathering and sharing grew into a 304-page book. Perhaps their story will inspire you to start researching yours...at the archives!
At the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. Offered Wednesday, June 19 at noon.
From Sierra Leone to Londontown, Maryland: The 1718 Journey of the Margaret, an Eighteenth-Century Slave Ship
Join Dr. Herbert Brewer for a talk on his research into the slave ship Margaret. Its journey from London, England, to Sierra Leone, West Africa, to the Chesapeake and back to England, illustrated the complex web of commercial, political and cultural links that tied Europe, Africa, and North America together in the early eighteenth century.
Photos Courtesy of London Town, Hancock’s Resolution & Historic Annapolis
Dr. Brewer is Assistant Professor at Morgan State University and historian of the African American diaspora, slavery, and emancipation in the Atlantic world. He is the co-author of Guide to the History of Slavery in Maryland.
At Historic London Town and Gardens in Edgewater. Offered Saturday, June 22 at 10 am
Lavender Appreciation Day
For hundreds of years, over 80% of the American population lived in semi-isolation on small family farms scattered throughout the countryside. Hancock’s Resolution is one of the very few of those farms still remaining. There’s no better time to visit this historical treasure than Lavender Appreciation Day! Tour a lavender field and historic farm to learn about this fragrant and beneficial herb. Sample lavender shortbread cookies and tea, take a trivia challenge and make a lavender sachet or Tussie Mussie. Enjoy a beekeeping demonstration and tour the 1785 farmhouse during your exploration.
At Hancock’s Resolution in Pasadena. Offered on Sunday, June 23rd from 1-4 pm
Photos Courtesy of London Town, Hancock’s Resolution & Historic Annapolis
African American Experience Tour
The African American Experience Tour at the Hammond Harwood House covers the stories of enslaved men and women who built, maintained and lived in the historic 18th Century home. Three enslaved women — Mary, Matilda, and Juliet — who worked at the house in the early to mid-19th century are the focus of the tour. Other topics include how petitions for freeing certain enslaved men and women were handled, the aims of the American Colonization Society and the successes and setbacks of one early African American artist.
At Hammond Harwood House in Annapolis. Offered on Sunday, June 23 at 2 pm.
James Brice Hard Hat Tour
Photos Courtesy of London Town, Hancock’s Resolution & Historic Annapolis
The James Brice House, a Historic Annapolis property, is having a moment. A preservation moment! The House is one of the largest and most elegant of Annapolis' historic homes, and one of the most important surviving structures from colonial America. Currently undergoing a multi-year, multi-million dollar restoration, now is a special time to visit. Step under the scaffolding at the James Brice House and discover preservation in progress both inside and out of this architectural gem! Take a first-hand look at new and unexpected findings on a Hard Hat tour. Follow the work of the highly-skilled craftspeople working on this restoration project of a lifetime and learn more about the history of this special place.
At James Brice House, Annapolis. Offered on Saturday, June 29 at 10:30 am
