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.
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