Surratt House - Parks and Recreation

Surratt House
Museum
A PAGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY
JANUARY – DECEMBER 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
istoric Surratt House has
national significance
due to its role in the dramatic events surrounding
the Lincoln assassination
conspiracy. Built for the
Surratt family in 1852,
the house served not
only as their home, but
Mary Surratt
as a tavern, public dining
room, and hotel for traveling gentlemen. Outside, the house
was the focal point of a 300-acre plantation. A livery stable
and nearby blacksmith shop serviced travelers; and in 1854,
a post office was added to the tavern, serving the new area of
“Surrattsville” with Mr. Surratt serving as postmaster until his
death in 1862. The tavern was also the official polling place for
the Ninth Election District, created in 1854.
In the fall of 1864, tragedy began to hit the Surratts.
Faced with financial difficulties, Mary Surratt rented her country home and moved to 541 H Street in Washington. Here she
opened a boardinghouse. Her oldest son was in the Confederate Army, and her youngest had become a Confederate courier. He was recruited by John
Wilkes Booth into a plot to
kidnap President Lincoln.
Various conspirators, including Booth, frequented the
boardinghouse; and weapons
and supplies were stored at
the Surrattsville home.
When the kidnap plotfailed, Booth turned to asassination, stopping at Surratt
House to retrieve the weapons
and supplies. In the ensuing
federal dragnet, Mary Surratt was arrested, tried, and convicted as a conspirator. While her son fled the country, she
was sent to the gallows. Her guilt or innocence continues to
be hotly debated. A visit to Surratt House in present-day
Clinton, Maryland, relives this tragic history.
Waiting to guide you through historic
Surratt House will be docents in authentic dress of the
1860s. These guides are members of The Surratt Society, a
volunteer affiliate of the museum with worldwide membership. The Society presents a wide range of unique special
events and exhibits, portraying the cultural history of the
mid-19th century.
For further information on tours and special events, or to
become a member of The Surratt Society, please call
301-868-1121.
The Surratt Society offers bus tours over the John Wilkes Booth
escape route in April and September each year. Reservations
are required.
COVER PHOTO: BUDDY SECOR
Surratt House
Calendar
of
Events
Museum
Januar y – December 2016
The Full Story: Maryland, The Surratts, and
the Crime of the Century—An Exhibition
J anuary 13– D ecember 11
W ednesdays – F ridays , 11 am – 3 pm S aturdays & S undays , 12 noon – 4 pm
Tours through historic Surratt
House are summarized at the
end with an exhibit reflecting
the role of Maryland in the
conflict, the choices made by
the Surratt family, and the
after-effects on the family and
the nation. Regular tour admission price. No reservations required.
Civil War Soul Sisters: Civil War Era African
American Women Who Published
S aturday , F ebruary 27, 4
pm Biographies, essays, autobiographies, cookbooks, children’s
books, poetry, and speeches—over seventy-five published
works by African American women during the Civil War, an
era when it was illegal for the
vast majority of black Americans to learn to read or write.
Lavonda Broadnax, a digital
project coordinator with
the Library of Congress, will
speak on the accomplishments
of these women. Free. Arrive
early, limited seating.
Through the Eyes (and Pen) of Julia Wilbur
S aturday , M arch 19, 4
pm
In 1862, Julia Wilbur came to Alexandria,
Virginia, as a relief worker on behalf of
the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society.
She started out with no clear idea of what
she would do or where she would live.
What led her to come, a woman alone
in the midst of the Civil War? What did
she try to accomplish and with whom? And how do we know?
Paula Tarnapol Whitacre discovered excerpts from Wilbur’s
pocket diaries while doing research on Union hospitals in
Alexandria. She has since transcribed, annotated, and written
an introduction for a book on this revealing set of diaries.
Free. Arrive early, limited seating.
Seventeenth Annual Symposium
Lincoln Assassination Studies: New Faces
& Fresh Perspectives
A pril 8 –10
What is new to learn about the
people and events surrounding the Crime of the Century?
Hear what current researchers
and authors in the field have
to say. What spurs new generations into further studies? Who
were some of those who were
touched outside the spotlight of the key players?
How grand was Booth’s plan? Also included
are off-site bus tours and a dinner program.
Reservation and payment required in advance.
Cost: $175/person—bus tours priced separately.
John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours
S aturdays , A pril 16, 23, & 30, 7
am
–7
pm
Follow the trail of President Lincoln’s assassin from Ford’s
Theatre in Washington, D.C. to his death near Port Royal,
Virginia. Relax and enjoy the history and scenery on this
12-hour, fully narrated bus tour. Reservation and payment
required in advance. Cost: $85/person.
Forty Years of Keeping History Alive
S unday , M ay 1, 12
noon
–4
pm
Join in the festivities as Surratt House
Museum marks its 40th Anniversary as
a public house museum. Free tours of
the historic house, visitors’ center, and
research center. Refreshments and gift
shop sales.
Chillin’ While Colored: 19th-Century
African American Places of Leisure
S aturday , M ay 14, 4
pm
Independent historian and community
outreach coordinator for the District of
Columbia Office of Planning’s Historic
Preservation Division, Patsy Fletcher
will explore four types of vacation leisure places enjoyed by African Americans in the 19th century with an emphasis on specific sites
in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Free. Arrive early, limited seating.
Explore What’s New in Gettysburg
T uesday , J une 7, 8
am – 6 pm
Surratt House is on the road again in search of new and fascinating places to visit. Sometimes what is old is new again. Join
us as we visit the new museums of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania,
and enjoy lunch at the Historic Dobbin House Restaurant.
Reservation and payment required in advance. Cost: $90/person
From Belles to Battleaxes:
Women of Civil War Richmond
S aturday , A ugust 13, 4
pm
Kelly Hancock, Education Program
Coordinator at the Museum of the
Confederacy, shares the stories of
the daring spies, devoted nurses,
star-crossed lovers, and captivating
socialites of Civil War Richmond—
women from across the South who all ended up in the capital
of the Confederacy. Free. Arrive early, limited seating.
John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours
S aturdays , S eptember 10, 17 & 24, 7
am
–7
pm
Follow the trail of President Lincoln’s
assassin from Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. to his death near Port Royal,
Virginia. Relax and enjoy the history and
scenery on this 12-hour, fully narrated
bus tour. Reservation and payment required
in advance. Cost: $85/per person
When Words Fail, Music Speaks
S aturday , O ctober 8, 4
pm
During our most difficult times, it is music
that truly reflects our inner-most feelings.
Learn how the four years of the American
Civil War can be heard simply in the music
of that era. Listen to the Susquehanna
Travellers as they expertly play songs that
echo the emotions of the time. Free.
Arrive early, limited seating.
The 54th Massachusetts, After Glory
S aturday , N ovember 5, 4
pm
After four years of fighting, the Civil War finally comes to an
end, and the soldiers return home. But what about the men
who had the most to risk—the United States Colored Troops?
Join Bernie Siler, a member of the current 54th Massachusetts,
as he discusses the personal lives and legacy of the USCT.
Free. Arrive early, limited seating.
May the Merry Bells Keep Ringing,
Happy Holidays to You!
N ovember 30 – D ecember 11
W ednesdays –F ridays , 11 am – 3 pm
S aturdays & S undays , 12 noon – 4
pm
Share the love of the holidays with your
local museum family amid period decorations, special exhibits,
treats, and seasonal histories. Receive a holiday discount in the
museum shop and sample cider and cookies. Special activities
to be announced. Regular tour admission.
S
Surratt House Museum
9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, Maryland 20735
Directions: From the Capital Beltway (I-95) take
Exit 7A, Branch Avenue/Route 5 South. Follow Branch
Avenue 3.5 miles and bear right onto Woodyard Road
(Route 223). At the end of the exit ramp, turn right and
go one mile to the second traffic light. Turn left onto
Brandywine Road. Surratt House will be immediately on
your left. Follow the fence line to the visitors’ center
parking lot. Tours begin inside the visitors’ center.
Walk-in Tours Available with Costumed Guides
January 13–December 11, 2016
Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, 11 am –3 pm*
Saturdays & Sundays, 12 noon– 4 pm*
* Curriculum-based school tours and programs available
by appointment.
Admission Fees
Adults $3, Seniors $2, Children $1 (subject to change)
Gift Shop open during tour hours.
James O. Hall Research Center available by
appointment 301-868-6185
Information
301-868-1121; TTY 301-699-2544
www.pgparks.com
Ask about our special, off-site bus tours to places of
interest along the East Coast, theatre trips, etc.
The Department of Parks and Recreation encourages and supports the
participation of individuals with disabilities. Register at least a minimum of
two weeks in advance of the program start date to request and receive a
disability accommodation.
Surratt House Museum is owned
and operated by The Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Commission,
department of Parks and Recreation,
Prince George’s County, Natural and
Historical Resources Division.
PPC-PR-NHRD-11/2016