Kirk Ranzetta to Sign Copies of "I'm Goin' Down County"

On Monday, May 24, 2010, from 10 am to 3 pm, author Kirk Ranzetta will be available to sign copies of I’m Goin’ Down County in the St. Mary's County office of Land Use & Growth Management.

St. Mary’s County, Maryland, the “Mother County” of the State, is blessed with an architectural heritage that speaks to the history of its past residents. From the earliest colonial buildings such as Sotterley Plantation and Ocean Hall to the historic hangars and aircraft testing facilities at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the County’s historic buildings chronicle the exceptional events and the everyday lives that shaped the place that 100,000 people now call home. I’m Goin' Down County includes a historical narrative from the earliest periods of the County’s history to the present. This book weaves the churches, stores, residences, marine railways and boatbuilding shops, tobacco barns, camps, lighthouses, as well as schools into a story of how “countians” shaped, modified, and rebuilt the world around them to fit their needs. The volume also includes a detailed narrative of hundreds of historic properties located throughout the County. Profusely illustrated with black-and-white images taken of historic buildings, the book takes readers on an architectural journey through the oldest county in Maryland.

The St. Mary's County Department of Land Use and Growth Management is located at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.  For directions, click here.

For additional information, contact Grace Mary Brady at 301-475-4200 ext. 1549.

St. Mary's County Architectural Heritage Book Now Available

Documenting the unique architectural heritage of St. Mary’s County, “I’m Goin’ Down County, An Architectural Journey Through St. Mary’s County” is now available for purchase!

Coordinated as a project by the St. Mary’s County Department of Land Use and Growth Management and the Maryland Historic Trust, and written by former staff member Kirk E. Ranzetta, the 320-page hardcover book is an illustrated chronicle of the county’s historic buildings and the high-tech aircraft testing facilities located on the Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

“I’m Goin’ Down County” includes a historical narrative from the earliest periods to the present and weaves the churches, stores, residences, marine railways and boat-building shops, tobacco barns, camps, lighthouses and schools into a story of how countians shaped their community.

The volume includes over 400 photos complete with a detailed narrative of hundreds of historic properties located throughout the county. The books are available for $35 at the St. Mary’s County Department of Land Use and Growth Management Department or Bay Books located in the Wildwood Shopping Center. Copies are also available at each St. Mary’s County Library for reference. For additional information, contact Grace Mary Brady, Historic Preservation Planner, 301-475-4200, x1549 or gracie.brady@stmarysmd.com.

Local Author’s New Book about Sotterley!

Sotterley Plantation has announced the release of David G. Brown’s newly published book, Sotterley ~ Her People and Their Worlds. Generously, all of the proceeds of the publication will be donated to Sotterley Plantation. His motive: “I love the place. I want to see Sotterley succeed … to survive for future generations.”

With retirement from his long-standing career with the U.S. State Department at the beginning of the new millennium, Dave and his wife Erna adopted Southern Maryland as their second home and were introduced to Sotterley Plantation. The connection was immediate, and they dove into volunteer work. For the past decade, they have dedicated time, resources and energy to this National Historic Landmark and its mission. Brown’s impressive work experience, combined with his passion for Sotterley’s history as an Interpreter and member of the Education Committee’s Oral History Project, motivated him to write the stories of some 50 people who lived and worked at Sotterley over 300 years.

The story of Sotterley Plantation began shortly after the founding of Maryland and continued over the next three centuries. It rose from humble beginnings, prospered in the age of tobacco and slavery, endured The Great Depression, and survived three wars, only to stumble toward imminent ruin until a generous fate brought both restoration and a renewed relevance for our time. Some who resided at Sotterley were socially prominent, though many were not. Some were free, while others were enslaved. Some were white, many more were black. Yet together their stories have much to tell us about the history of Southern Maryland and a maturing Chesapeake society.

The book is $17. To order, call Sotterley Plantation at 301-373-2280 or email Kim Husick at officemanager@sotterley.org.