In the early 17th century, 300 English settlers traveled to the new colony of Maryland in search of new opportunities and a place where they could practice their Catholic faith in peace. They built Maryland’s first capital, St. Mary’s City, and their city thrived…until its founders fell from power in England. Soon, St. Mary’s City was abandoned and it’s wooden structures rotted. The city lay hidden under farm fields and forests until archeological efforts led to the formation of Historic St. Mary’s City, a living history center that tells the story of the fourth permanent English settlement in America.
Music in this episode is by Hesperus, from their albums An Early American Quilt and Colonial America, released on the Maggie’s Music Label.
This episode is sponsored by The Lyndhurst Group. The Lyndhurst Group is a history, museum, and nonprofit consulting firm providing community-focused engagement strategies for institutional planning, organizational assessments, and interpretive direction.
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Interested in starting a podcast at your organization? Check out my new book, Your Museum Needs a Podcast: A Step by Step Guide to Podcast on a Budget for Museums, History Organizations, and Cultural Nonprofits.
How to Listen to Museums in Strange Places
Welcome to Museums in Strange Places. I’m your host, Hannah Hethmon, a museum consultant specializing in podcasting for museums, and this is a podcast for people who love museums, stories, culture, and exploring the world.
In this season of the podcast, I’m visiting the museums of Maryland to discover what stories they hold and how they reflect and shape this state’s unique cultural identity.
You can find and follow me/the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @hannah_rfh (I love to hear from listeners FYI).
The podcast is available on all podcast players and apps, just search “Museums in Strange Places” on any podcast listening platform:
Learn More
- Historic St. Mary’s City website
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Robert Cole’s World: Agriculture and Society in Early Maryland
- Blog posts about the Witchett Reconstruction Project
- Wikipedia entry on the Yaocomico People
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“Native Americans in Maryland: A Resource Guide” from the University of Maryland
- Wikipedia entry on the Piscataway Indian Nation
- “American Indian Tribes Today” from the NPS
- “The Role of Tobacco Agriculture in Maryland“
Photos of Historic St. Mary’s City
Dr. Regina Faden, Executive Director of Historic St. Mary’s City
The reconstructed Catholic chapel
The back of the chapel as seen from the main road
A ghost frame seen from the main road
A ghost frame
The lead coffins under the chapel
Exhibit on the lead coffins discovered under the chapel
Following Donna Bird into the ordinary
Cordia’s Hope: Mark Cordia’s warehouse.
Inside the public ordinary (hotel and tavern)
Inside the public ordinary (hotel and tavern)
Inside the ordinary
Witchetts in the Woodland Indian Hamlet
Witchetts in the Woodland Indian Hamlet
Ken demonstrates working with a hide
Inside a witchett
The rebuilt Old Statehouse
A monument to Mathias d Souza
Dr. Travis Parno leads the Archeology Field School at Historic St. Mary’s City.
Archeology students working on the Old State House site
The Godiah Spray Plantation house
View of the river from the Godiah Spray Plantation
Inside the main house at the Godiah Spray Planation
Inside the main house at the Godiah Spray Planation
The herb garden at the Godiah Spray Plantation
Chicken coop at the plantation with heirloom chicken breeds
Interviewing “Isabelle Jones” about life as an indentured servant in 1688.
Interviewing “John Elton” about life as an indentured servant in 1668.
The tobacco barn at the Godiah Spray Plantation
Jeremy, the boatswain on the reproduction 17th century ship, the Maryland Dove
reproduction 17th century ship, the Maryland Dove
reproduction 17th century ship, the Maryland Dove
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