The Historic London Town & Gardens Retail Nursery opens on Thursday, September 7, and will be open Thursdays and Fridays through December 8 from 10:00 am until 12:30 pm near the greenhouse. Enjoy seed packets, fall bulbs, ground covers, succulents, perennials, shrubs, and a limited selection of trees. And don't forget the unique Marshy Point Azaleas! Online sales information coming soon!

With our recent changes to the William Brown House, we have tried to make a more immersive visitor experience. One way we have done this is to improve our exhibit signage to reflect the perspectives of various historical colonial figures. For instance below, instead of listing the foods served when the William Brown House operated a tavern, we describe who was preparing the food and who was eating it.

The gardens at Historic London Town are at the peak of the spring splendor during the month of April. The garden is bursting with bright pinks, purples, and reds as the Azaleas and Rhododendron blossom, along with numerous other species. Here are some garden pics from this month:

We were happy to see that we were featured in Attraction Magazine, the good news magazine, as a #FindYourChesapeake site! Read the article here:

Director of Development and Communications Position Description The Director of Development and Communications is the primary staff person responsible for coordinating fundraising and marketing activities at London Town and Gardens. This person will also assist the Executive Director with organizational oversight. Responsibilities Collaborates with executive director on operational planning and strategy as well as board development and staff administration. Serves as managing director when director is on leave. Oversees fundraising, including stewarding and increasing membership and annual donations; planning and executing the annual benefit and targeted fundraisers; writing grant proposals and reports; working with staff and board on identifying fundraising needs, goals, and strategies; managing the customer relation management database; and creates fundraising policies, plans, calendars, and goals. Supervises marketing, including working with the press; creating ads; ensuring inclusion in online calendars; managing the website; organizing external communications in consultation with other staff; and directing London Town's social media strategy. Participates in service to the museum community and professional organizations. Perform other duties as assigned and needed. Requirements: Ability to perform all duties, with a welcoming, friendly, and professional demeanor. Ability to quickly learn and perform all duties with accuracy and efficiency. Knowledge and understanding of museum and/or public gardens principles, objectives, and practices. Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials. Ability to have multiple projects ongoing while prioritizing them to meet deadlines. Proficiency in operating Microsoft Office, customer relationship management software, website editing software, email, and ability to learn new programs. Willingness to work independently and as a team. Work Schedule: The Director of Development and Communications is considered a full-time position. The incumbent will generally work a 40-hour work week Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm. After a 30-day learning period, this position can become hybrid with 1 – 2 days offsite/telework per week and 3 – 4 days onsite. For certain programs and site-wide events throughout the year there is a need for extended hours and/or additional workdays. These hours and needs will be arranged ahead of time with the Executive Director. Employees and volunteers who work at Historic London Town and Gardens work for the London Town Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The Foundation is generally considered a small organization in terms of personnel. As such all employees and volunteers should expect to perform tasks and duties that are generally outside of their usual assignments. Desired Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required or a minimum of 4 years of experience in the field. At least 2-3 years of experience raising revenue from foundations, corporations, public entities, special events and individual donors. Experience in all forms of marketing including print, social media, and website maintenance. Experience managing grants with a proven track record of success. Strong communication and project management skills. Experience working in a collaborative organization with various internal and external stakeholders, balancing competing demands for time and priorities. Reports to: Executive Director Job Type: Full-time Compensation: $68,000 – $73,000 annually This position is considered a full-time position and is eligible for the following benefits: Retirement plan and Foundation match Foundation-paid flexible spending account ($750) 10 days of accrued annual and 7 days of personal leave each year plus paid holidays. About Historic London Town and Gardens Historic London Town and Gardens is operated by the London Town Foundation (a 501c3 nonprofit entity) on behalf of Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks. As such, our job is to ensure that we appropriately manage our historic, archaeological, and horticultural resources. We work with the Anne Arundel County government and other heritage organizations to promote London Town as an educational resource while ensuring the site’s sustainability for future visitors. How to Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to Executive Director Mickey Love at executivedirector@historiclondontown.org.

From left to right: Rododendrons and Azalea hills overlooking the South River and Bald cypress; R. 'scintillation'; R. 'County of York' The Rhododendrons of London Town are looking spectacular this bloom season! May is marvelous in the gardens, between Tree Peonies, ephemerals, Camellias (yes! they are still in bloom) and Rhododendrons, there isn't a path without a blossom gleaming down the swales and hills. The wild Azalea hills though, are the most radiant in May. None of the pictures do any justice to the spectacular 2022 bloom season. Did you know that all Azaleas are Rhododendrons but not all Rhododendrons are Azaleas? In the 'Wild Azalea Hills...series# 1' let's look at the Rhododendrons of London Town. Rhodo refers to 'rose' and dendron refers to 'tree'. In the native habitats, most Rhododendrons have a tree like habit. Wild Azaleas too have a tall shrub like habit. Elepidote (non-scaly leave) and lepidote (scaly leaves) Rhododendrons come in many colors. Some of the precious Rhododendrons that are currently adorning the Azalea hills are: R. scintillation (large showy evergreen leaves, soft pink flowers with white inner star, a classic Dexter); R. 'County of York' (creamish white with faint brown speckled inner petals, slightly fragrant); R. 'skyglow' (faint pink, smaller flowers, deeply fragrant, olive-green leaves, one of the prominent parents of most dexter varieties). R. smirnowii "Large-leaf (elepidote) evergreen rhododendrons are typically low, mound-forming shrubs. This group includes the so-called “ironclad” plants bred from R. catawbiense, R. ponticum and R. caucasicum, as well as Fortunei and Yakushimanum hybrids. Small-leaf (lepidote) rhododendrons include some of the hardiest of all evergreen plants in the genus. Deciduous and evergreen azaleas are small to medium-leaved shrubs that bear a profusion of flower trusses. They are commonly known to gardeners as azaleas."https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/rhododendron R. 'skyglow' Drainage is key for Rhododendrons and hence planting on a mound is beneficial. They don't like wet feet at all. "These plants prefer moist, well-drained, acidic soils in dappled shade and protection from afternoon sun which can scorch the leaves. They do not tolerate dense clay, so if you have clay soil, amend with organic material. The roots may rot if soil does not drain well. Plant the root ball high in the soil to help with drainage issues. Avoid overwatering and over-fertilizing. Azaleas and rhododendrons are at home as understory shrubs planted in groups in woodland or naturalized areas, or as specimens in pollinator gardens where the flowers will attract hummingbirds and bees." https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rhododendron/ If you are planning on planting any Rhododendrons in your gardens this season, check out this information on basic planting and care: https://www.rhododendron.org/planting.htm Make sure you check if the variety you pick is suitable to our plant hardiness zone 7. And if you don't have the room to grow the Rhododendrons, you can always come and enjoy them up close on the wild Azalea hills at London Town! Check out our Wild Azalea series next week to learn more about native and non-native Azaleas.

With our recent changes to the William Brown House, we have tried to make a more immersive visitor experience. One way, we have done this is by adding more items, like this Portmanteau, a colonial suitcase. Isn't it amazing how much it can fit?

In the video below, can you guess what the item being held is? It is just one of several new items that will be coming to the William Brown House when we reopen for the the 2023 spring season the weekend of April 1st. See the answer below! London Town's Puzzle Jug: A Tavern Game It is a Puzzle Jug! Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, puzzle jugs are what they sound like: jugs that are also puzzles. These ceramic containers had perforated necks, so the liquid contents could not be drunk normally, or they would spill all over the drinker. Each puzzle jug had a different solution - usually involving a built-in straw from the base of the cup up to a hole around the rim. To make matters more challenging, the cups had multiple holes, some of which needed to be blocked off for the liquid to flow. Are you getting frustrated now because you just want your ale?! Remember, whatever you do, don't tip the jug lest your grog end up in your lap! Many jugs had cheeky inscriptions taunting the drinker, like this one at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London: Puzzle jug, about 1770 – 75, Bristol, England. Museum no. 275-1896. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London "TRY HOW TO DRINK AND NOT TO SPILL AND PROVE THE UTMOST OF YOUR SKILL" Enjoy this video on how puzzle jugs were made: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/how-was-it-made-a-puzzle-jug/ Puzzle jugs were common in taverns, and the Rumney-West Tavern or other London Town taverns may have had one in their collection. Ours was made by hand at SJ Pottery, LLC in Salesville, Arkansas - it will be on display in the William Brown House starting the the weekend of April 1st. Try to figure out how it works for yourself!

In March of 2023, Get Away Mavens, a website that publishes romantic get-away itineraries highlighted Historic London Town & Gardens as an Exhilarating Thing to Do in Annapolis! See what they said about us below: 39 Exhilarating Things to Do In Annapolis MD Malerie Yolen-Cohen TOUR: Historic London Town and Gardens, Edgewater At the shoreline dead end of a residential street, you might think you’ve got the wrong directions for Historic London Town and Gardens. But keep on to what looks like a mini Plimith Plantation, and you will be duly rewarded with views, human interest stories dating back to colonial times, and some of the wildest, most amazing plants and trees you’ll ever see in this part of the USA. See the article here: https://www.getawaymavens.com/annapolis-md/

Beck, sometimes called Becky, was a 22-year-old woman living in London Town in 1770. She was enslaved by the Fergusons, along with her unnamed baby, a 20-year-old man named Abram, and a 3-year-old boy named Pomfry. It is likely that they were a family held in bondage. The Fergusons owned a tavern, ran a ferry, and operated a tailor’s shop and stay-maker’s shop. Beck was probably involved in garment-making in some fashion. Image detail from "Slave Auction" by Charles T. Webber, Cincinnati Museum Center The Fergusons owned the equipment used to make homespun: fabric created in the colonies that was coarser and lower in quality than imported fabrics. Homespun became popular in the years before the Revolution because it was viewed as patriotic by colonists who wanted to separate from Great Britain. Beck likely prepared flax, spun it into linen, and created homespun for the Fergusons’ tailor’s shop. If so, she would have been forced to make a product symbolic of “freedom” and “liberty” for those who supported the ideals of the Revolution, yet continued to enslave her. Beck’s life changed dramatically in 1770 when her enslaver, Alexander Ferguson died. His wife, Elizabeth, inherited Beck. In yet another heartbreaking example of the cruelty of slavery, Beck’s children were divided among the Ferguson’s children as Elizabeth saw fit. Beck remained enslaved by Elizabeth Ferguson until Ferguson’s death in 1799. Beck was 50 years old. She was sold to an unknown person for 19 pounds 17 shillings and 6 pence.

We are very excited to be rolling out our new additions to the William Brown House to provide a more immersive visitor experience. Improved signage provides more information about the individuals who lived here, and the things that were important to them. Recently acquired objects give visitors a chance to engage with the 18th century in new ways. William Brown House (from the perspective of the South River) Even when considering the same room, the same document, the same object: they can all tell different stories if you look at them from different perspectives. This is a house full of stories. It isn't just the story of William Brown, but the story of all the people who lived, worked, and travelled through here. Each of those people experienced the house in a different way. As visitors explore some of the new objects, they will be invited to think about what those objects could mean to different people. For free, white, male paying visitors to the tavern, an English Delft earthenware bowl full of punch might have represented a chance to sit around with friends and business associates to drink and enjoy themselves. For the free white woman who likely ran the tavern (William's wife Susannah), it might represent disappointment at not having more fashionable porcelain punch bowls. For the enslaved black woman (Sall) working down in the kitchen, it would have been just another pot to scrub, one in a huge pile of other dishes to be done. Each of these people has their own story to tell. We hope to bring some new perspectives to light with our reinterpretation. The lives of the enslaved people of London Town are often neglected in favor of the lives of literate, wealthy individuals who left accounts, wills, deeds, court cases, and letters behind. In neglecting the stories of enslaved people, we are neglecting the experiences of well over half of the population around London Town at the time of the American Revolution. Further exploring what their lives and experiences were like in this building and around town has been a major focus of our work.