Page 23 - Prince Georges - 2021 Destination Guide

Archaeological Park
(mncppc.org/3009/ Northampton-Plantation- Slave-Quarters), where archaeologists have mapped the lives of both enslaved and free African Americans from the 1790s to the 1940s.
HOMES AND ESTATES
Perhaps the most notorious house in Prince George’s County is the Surratt House Museum (surrattmuseum.org) located in Clinton, home to a family that was connected with John Wilkes Booth’s successful plot to assassinate President Lincoln. During the Civil War, it was a safe house for Confederate sympathizers.
Darnall’s Chance House Museum (pgparks. com/3055/Darnalls- Chance-House-Museum) in Upper Marlboro dates to the mid-1700s and
was home to Scottish immigrant James Wardrop, who became a successful merchant.
The Belair Mansion (cityofbowie.org/288/ Belair-Mansion) in Bowie, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built around 1745
for Provincial Governor Samuel Ogle. While you’re there, stop by the Belair Stable Museum (cityofbowie.org/289/ Belair-Stable-Museum), which highlights the accomplishments of a
thoroughbred horse stable founded by William Woodward, one of Belair Mansion’s most famous residents.
A fine example of Georgian architecture is the Montpelier Mansion (pgparks.com/3044/ Montpelier-House- Museum) in Laurel, which was built in the 1780s as a plantation for agriculture and iron production.
MUSEUMS
Prince George’s County has a deep history of innovation in aviation and spaceflight, and our museums reflect those discoveries. Aspiring
astronauts, or anyone fascinated with space exploration, will love the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (nasa.gov/ goddard)
in Greenbelt, with its interactive exhibits and scientific artifacts.
The world’s oldest continuously operating airport is in College
Park, and the College
Park Aviation Museum (collegepark aviationmuseum.com) illuminates its history with displays of original and reproduction aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Columbia Air Center Outdoor Exhibit Area (pgparks.com/3053/ Columbia-Air-Center) in Upper Marlboro preserves the history of the first
African American- owned and
operated airfield in
the state of Maryland.
Frederick Douglass Statue, National Harbor Photo by: Kaveh Sardari
FASCINATING FACT
Prince George’s
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was officially founde
d ed
on April 23, 1696
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!
experienceprincegeorges.com 21
CHECK OUT
OTHER HISTORIC SITES TO VISIT:
Billingsley Point & The Billingsley House Museum (pgparks.com/3257/Billingsley- Point) 301-627-0730
Bowie Railroad Museum
(cityofbowie.org/293/Bowie- Railroad-Museum) 301-832-7126
Dorsey Chapel (pgparks. com/3047/Dorsey-Chapel) 240-264-3415
Greenbelt Museum
(greenbeltmuseum.org) 301-507-6582
Laurel Museum
(laurelhistoricalsociety.org) 301-725-7975
Marietta House Museum
(pgparks.com/3072/Marietta- House-Museum) 301-464-5291
National Capital Radio & Television Museum (ncrtv.org) 301-390-1020
Old Greenbelt Theatre
(greenbelttheatre.org) 301-329-2034
Old Town Bowie Welcome Center
(cityofbfbowie.org/290/Old- Town-Bowie-Welcome-Center) 301-832-7126
Oxon Hill Farm at Oxon Cove
Park
k (nps.gov/oxhi/index.htm)
301-839-1176
Patuxent Rural Life Museums (pgparks.com/3021/Patuxent- Rural-Life-Museums) 301-627-6074
Poplar Hill on His Lordship’s Kindness (poplarhillonhlk.com) 301-856-0358
Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center (pgaamcc.org) 301-809-0440
Riversdale House Museum (pgparks.com/3023/Riversdale- House-Museum) 301-864-0420
Seabrook Schoolhouse (pgparks.com/3036/Seabrook- Schoolhouse) 301-464-5291
Snow Hill Manor (pgparks. com/3005/Snow-Hill-Manor) 301-725-6037