Hollywood, MD – It seems only fitting that Historic Sotterley Plantation should dedicate its new slave cabin exhibit to the memory of Agnes Kane Callum.
“When she first came to Sotterley as a visitor back in the 1980s, she paid her $2 admittance fee, but she realized that the tour guide gave all kinds of information on the house, but no one talked about the slave cabin at the edge of the woods,” said Anna Harrison, marketing director for Historic Sotterley. “A lot of what we know is from her research.”
Kane Callum was the descendant of slaves and through her research traced her family back to the plantation on the shores of the Patuxent River.
“Her research not only revealed a lot about her own family, but it also opened up a lot of doors for African-American families throughout Southern Maryland,” Harrison noted. “We are on the verge of not only another change to our site, but a change to how Southern Maryland history should be interpreted.”
Kane Callum poured volumes of hours into her research and through the help and guidance of former St. Mary’s County Circuit Court Judge John Hanson Briscoe—whose family at one time owned the historic property—virtually rewrote the hidden chapters of the site.
The changes to Sotterley’s site interpretation have been slow (over 20 years in the making) but they are finally at a turning point, with a permanent testament to the tireless work of Agnes Kane Callum and Judge John Hanson Briscoe.
“She donated hours of research to Sotterley so that we would have the ability to speak on the story of her family and others that were enslaved here,” Harrison noted. “As a member of our Board of Trustees, she fought to keep our doors open when Sotterley was listed as one of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites in the nation because she wanted to ensure that the stories of her ancestors were told. Her genealogy research not only brought her family’s history to light, but also the history of other African-American families, whose histories had been obscured by time.”
Historic Sotterley will honor Kane Callum’s contributions Friday, April 21 at the site beginning at 10:30 a.m., when the exhibit will be dedicated to the memory of her story, and how she served as a trustee to fight for Sotterley to be saved when its doors almost closed.
RSVPs are appreciated.
Discussion and tours of the site will be held Saturday, April 22 (Discussion “How to speak about slavery with any age,” 2-3 p.m.) and tours from 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. On Sunday, April 23, the discussion will focus on “Religion and Slavery, Past and Present,” at 2-3 p.m., with tours held 12, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Tours will have a special focus on Sotterley’s African-American story.
For information and RSVPs call 301-373-2280.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com