Interviews in this series were conducted by Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Chelsea Kelly, Naturalist A rose to show our appreciation to all medical professionals. Thank you for all that you do. We are grateful. COVID-19 has brought waves of uncertainty throughout many communities. Historic London Town would like to take this time to record the voices of some in our community who have been deeply affected. In this series, we interviewed community members to gain their insight on how they have been affected by this global event. In today’s #CommunityConnection, we’re talking with an Intensive Care Nurse who wishes to remain anonymous. Watch an Inspirational Video: 100th COVID-19 Patient Going Home They have asked to include this inspiring video of the 100th COVID-19 patient being released from St. Agnes! What do you love about your job? I love being able to get paid to care for people, to do my best to treat their physical and emotional well-being. I love being involved with organ donor services, and the miracle of regeneration of life. I also enjoy providing palliative care and supporting families and patients who are moving on from this plane of existence. What is the biggest challenge of your job? A big challenge for me is seeing ongoing suffering of patients who have a poor prognosis, and the chance that their poor quality of life will persist for the rest of their days, and however long that may be. Our emotional attitude towards death and medicine as Americans I think is problematic and causes pain and suffering for both family and patients. What is the hardest part of the COVID-19 situation? There is a lot to be frustrated with in this pandemic. I find it heartbreaking that patients cannot be with their family members for support, because of high risk of contamination. I'm terrified that reusing PPE will cause harm to myself or my work family, and I am conflicted as a nurse when I can't rush to a patients' side who is in trouble, but have to take the extra minutes to make sure I am protected. When this all ends what are you most looking forward to? It's difficult to look forward considering the future is so unpredictable. However, I look forward to having more tools to fight this infection, and for a vaccine to become available. I look forward to seeing my friends and family again when it's safe to do so. What can people do to help your community? A lot of people have donated food, and even other household items like toilet paper and diapers. It is so deeply appreciated. My coworkers and I are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from the community. Donate to St. Agnes Hospital here. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Especially the eternally divine heirlooms, the Gallicas and the Damasks. Modern roses are plentiful to choose from when it comes to color and shape, but when it comes to fragrance, they aren't even close in comparison to the old world charms. Longevity of the petals, repeat blooms throughout spring and summer and bold colors seem to be the key for hybrid's success. Also, increased shelf life for transit from grower to a florist's refrigerator and then to the customers coffee table are key. But have you ever smelled the roses you buy at the florist? They surely don't fit the quote "Stop and smell the roses," rather they seem to fit "Most bang for your buck." A rose isn't a true rose if it doesn't have its soul: its eternal fragrance. Old world charms - heirloom roses as they are referred to - aren't ample in the trade, but they are certainly available for sale with specific growers. Two deeply fragrant old world charms growing at London Town, amongst the many modern hybrid roses ar, Rosa gallica var. officinalis and the Rosa damascena that have been around for thousands of years. Rosa gallica var. offcinallis "R. gallica var. officinalis is also known as the apothecary rose. The oldest of old garden roses it appears in the ancestry of most other roses". Check out the following for a comprehensive list of varieties: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id118/id118.pdf Rosa x damascena "Rosa × damascena is a cultivated flower that is no longer found growing wild. Its origin was by tradition the Middle East, but recent genetic tests indicate that it is a hybrid of R. moschata x R. gallica". Source David Austin Roses at London Town Using roses in the garden is easy, based on your priority of fragrance, color, repeat blooms, size, climbing or dwarf habit. There are ample to choose from. In fact, you can even find roses suited to grow in large planters. But if you want a mix of all, then I would suggest growing David Austin roses. They might be expensive, but that's a rose in a garden you would certainly stop and admire. Dwarf roses at London Town But there truly isn't a match to heirloom roses. It is not only their fragrance, but they are also more disease resistant, prolific in blooms (even though some have single bloom period), carefree and some can even take the shade. The Greeks, Romans, Persians and Egyptians all grew the heirloom roses and extensively used them for their aromatic essential oils. One breath of a wild rose is deeply soulful to certainly make you stop and smell the roses. Heirloom roses fragrance will take you back in time and see nature as it was mean to be before the hybridizing industry took over and changed the rose forever. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

London Town & Arundel Rivers Federation Rod Cofield, Executive Director of Historic London Town and Gardens, informally talks with Jesse Iliff, Riverkeeper for Arundel Rivers Federation, about the history and environment of the South River. The South River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. London Town began as a colonial port town on the South River. Today, it's a non-profit museum and gardens in Edgewater, Maryland. The South River is one of the rivers that the non-profit Arundel Rivers Federation monitors and helps restore. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

We are grief-stricken with the news from across America that has occurred these past few days and weeks. The legitimate pain and suffering felt by our fellow Americans has, once again, come to the fore. We can not ignore the centuries of racial injustice that has created these protests. This is a violent, unhealed wound in our country that started in 1619 with twenty unnamed Africans being forced into slavery in Virginia. Though some gains have been made during the past few decades, the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the many, many others who preceded them show us that we as a nation have much more to do to heal this wound. London Town is a site that was complicit in perpetuating this pain. People of African descent were sold here. Families were ripped apart. An unspeakable tragedy occurred here. That tragedy still affects us now. Our sincerest hope today is that we can somehow help heal this wound. But first, we have to acknowledge it. We stand in solidarity with those who are protesting centuries of racial injustice. We support those who are working tirelessly to bring about a better world. We believe in them. And we know it can be done.

Researched and written by Rachel Rabinowitz, Collections Manager and Visitor Services Coordinator, Claire Goode, Living History Specialist, and Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator Guess what the mysterious object from our collections is and learn the truth behind it. This is the third in a series of short videos focusing on our historic collections. See the first one here. And the second one here. Can you guess them all? Spoiler Alert! The Answer is Below The video features what are called loo chips. Many different card games in the colonial era required fish, fiche, chips, or counters. These tokens denoted value, enabling players to keep track of their winnings. These chips were also used for games like whist or quadrille. They were imported from China and were often made of mother of pearl. Loo chips (1987.15)- Gift of the London Town Public House Assembly For More Information Learn more at the resources below: https://collection.maas.museum/object/188307?fbclid=IwAR3Il7Z8pw5bgnbJ3jEPfByow8zFpjz8iGFm6hk0F3LOyTt1PiSB86z6QFw https://www.wopc.co.uk/history/whist/gaming-counters?fbclid=IwAR2nNQKYZOZA-qApTL_dPtLTqZtJFPPlZLUaiJIC_gAkhlKFhx8Yhx8bswI https://www.parlettgames.uk/histocs/quadrill.html?fbclid=IwAR2XCcYjFj7ybQEXP5hPdEAFxrffaHVB05C9WC7rQTB5K0X4yu1NJC3OWho https://www.google.com/books/edition/Outlines_of_the_Globe_The_view_of_India/yZNaAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mother%20of%20pearl%20counters&pg=PA283&printsec=frontcover&fbclid=IwAR35TO0VC0UJ332GKkuavdSNwwdb5QOPIH7MD8KekibdlNUjOD5PhdyM92A\ https://archive.org/details/shorttreatiseong00hoyliala/page/n6/mode/2up Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Welcome back to another "A Sin and A Secret." Mix yourself a drink based on a colonial recipe and then curl with a completely true, completely salacious story. Enjoy a new #ASinAndASecret post every week. Read more in the series here. The Mysterious Hail Storm On the evening of September 29, 1769, London Town residents received quite a shock. A dark cloud poured “cakes” of ice across the area. Windows were smashed, birds were killed, and crops destroyed. The storm began out of the west at John Hesselius' house, “Primrose Hill,” just south of Spa Creek. (Today it is just south of Hilltop Lane across from Truxton Park.) The window panes on the west side and upper floor of Primrose Hill were smashed, “and many Windows in London-Town greatly damaged.” The storm then traveled south through London Town. A country resident described the event saying, “A great Quantity of Hail-Stones fell, or rather Cakes of Ice, as they were flat and oblong, many of them Five or Six inches in Circumference.” Crops of corn were cut down, “Dunghill Fowls, Partridges, Doves, and other smaller Birds, have been since found dead.” The hail storm came surprisingly during a dry season. While London Town was bruised by the strange event, Annapolis was largely spared from the destruction of the storm. They experienced little more than rain and strong wind. Quite fittingly, we have chosen to pair this story with the drink, a Hailstorm, a derivative of the Mint Julep, both of which were enjoyed in the colonial era. Depending on how much brandy you add, it'll either be a mint julep, hailstorm, or even a snowstorm! Hailstorm (Mint Julep) Silver of Pewter Mug ½ teaspoon granulated sugar Water Fresh mint leaves Ice Bourbon whiskey Brandy Use a silver mug Add ½ teaspoon granulated sugar Add enough water to make paste frosting Grind fresh mint leaves into paste Fill mug up to the top with finely scraped ice Add bourbon whiskey pouring it through the ice Stir with spoon until mug is frosted Top with sprigs of fresh mint To make this drink into a Snowstorm – add a dash of brandy on top To make this drink into a Hailstorm – add a more generous dash of brandy Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here Select Drink Recipe Sources for the Series: Alderman, Clifford Lindsey, "Of Drinks & Drinkers," Early American Life, December 1975, pgs 87-88, 91 - 93 Bullock, Helen, The Williamsburg Art of Cookery or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion: Being a Collection of Upwards of Five Hundred of the Most Ancient and Approv'd Recipes in Virginia Cookery, Colonial Williamsburg and Dietz Press: Richmond, VA, 1938 Carr, Eve, "Home-Grown Treats," Mid-Atlantic Country, December, 1986 pgs. 34 - 35, 58 Gaspee Days Committee, www.gaspee.org/colonialrecipes.html Mackin, Jeanne, "Flowing Bowl," Americana, pgs. 39 - 41 Stief, Frederick Philip, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry in Maryland, Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, MD, 1932 Tilp, Frederick, "Tips on Tippling from Tidewater Maryland," Maryland Magazine, 1978, pgs. 14 - 17

Interviews in this series were conducted by Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Chelsea Kelly, Naturalist COVID-19 has brought waves of uncertainty throughout many communities. Historic London Town would like to take this time to record the voices of some in our community who have been deeply affected. In this series, we interviewed community members to gain their insight on how they have been affected by this global event. In today’s #CommunityConnection, we’re talking to Karalyn Mulligan, LCPC, Domestic Violence Coordinator with the University of Maryland, Capital Region Health What do you love about your job? I love being able to help someone during a time of crisis, and I feel incredibly blessed to play a part in someone’s healing. I also do a fair amount of training/education, which is rewarding. What is the biggest challenge of your job? A better understanding of how people respond to trauma and debunking myths are consistent challenges. The truth is that victims of abuse act/react in many different ways. And there could be a million reasons why someone doesn’t talk about or leave an abusive relationship. Nobody should judge another person’s path. What is the hardest part of the COVID-19 situation? During COVID-19, we were all told to stay at home to be safe, but what if your home is the most dangerous place to be? People struggling with violence in their homes or in their relationships, may be less likely to reach out for help during COVID-19. This could be linked to someone being unable to safely connect to resources/make calls, being unable to go to the hospital, or reluctant to go because of the virus, having nowhere to go if leave and fearing the unknown. When this all ends what are you most looking forward to? I’m looking forward to more people reaching out for help and making changes to improve their safety/lives. Personally, I’m looking forward to moving freely about the community. What can people do to help your community? If you are experiencing abuse, reach out for help. There are many different forms of help and something could work for you. Domestic Violence agencies remain open during this virus. And if you know someone who is experiencing intimate partner violence, stay connected to them and offer support. Domestic Violence Resources and Hotlines National National Domestic Violence Hotline: www.thehotline.org – resources, chat feature, or call the hotline at 1 (800) 799-7233 State Resources The Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence: www.HealthandDV.org The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence: www.mnadv.org Anne Arundel County The Annapolis YWCA: www.AnnapolisYWCA.org - local resources, chat feature, or call the hotline at (410) 222-6800 Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

A Snapshot Story of a Star, a Snowbell and a Ground Orchid. Star Anise, lllicium henryi 'Henry's Star' Star as in 'Star Anise', Illicium is an unsung hero of many gardens. Illicium henryi (Henry's Star) is currently blooming at London Town in the deep woodland gardens. Its evergreen luscious dark green leaves are fragrant even more so than the fruit which is used as a condiment in cooking (Licorice flavor). As for Henry's Star, even the flowers are fragrant, aptly suiting the origin of the Latin name which means 'allurement', referring to the overall fragrance of this pant. Illiciums evolved in the cretaceous period. They are one of the dinosaurs of the flowering plants. There are only a few Illiciums in the trade and sadly even fewer species left in the wild. "Molecular as well as fossil evidence suggests this group diverged during the mid to late Cretaceous, not long after flowering plants came onto the scene. Indeed, along with Amborella and Nymphaeales, Illicium represent the three lineages that are sister to all other flowering plants alive today." Source Another quick glimpse at a May beauty of the woodland gardens is the 'Snowbell' flowers of Styrax japonicus. It is an excellent statement tree for any garden. Its droopy white bell shaped flowers are mesmerizing while on the tree or when fallen on the ground. Learn more. Leaving you with a last quick snapshot of another marvelous May beauty of London Town: the Ground Orchid. Yes, I did say Ground Orchid. It is the most stunning find in the woodland gardens around end of May at London Town. As tricky as epiphytic (growing on surface of a plant) Orchids are, ground Orchids, Bletilla sps. is one of the easiest Orchids to grow. "They have a great reputation of being the absolute easiest orchid for a beginner to grow. Unlike most tropical epiphytic orchids, this plant comes from somewhat temperate zones and grows in soil rather than on trees and require no extraordinary care to grow successfully." Source Peonies, Dogwoods, Tea Roses and many other blossoms are still filling the ornamental gardens with colors, but the woodland gardens' true mesmerizing May beauties are indeed the Snowbells, Henry's Star and the Ground Orchids. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today!

We're taking a week off from Tavern Tales to provide a different sort of historical fun! Looking for something fun and different to do for date night while stuck at home? Try out our ideas to turn your date night in into something truly historic! Many of these ideas will work whether you’re quarantining together, virtually dating over Zoom, or just want to play on your own. Prepare Your Drinks and Menu Choose a drink recipe (or more) from any of our Sin and Secret cocktail recipes. Need some menu ideas? How about choosing a recipe inspired by George and Martha Washington? Check out these great options from Mount Vernon Set the Mood Turn on this Spotify playlist to get the night started with music from the colonial period. Hosting this date night over Zoom? Download a free London Town themed background “for some ambiance.” Read A Sin and A Secret Story to Each Other A Sin and A Secret is a series of true crime and other scandalous stories. Each takes place in the London Town area (today in Edgewater, Maryland). Most take place during the colonial period. Each story is paired with a drink recipe. Try one of our favorites, like: The Highwaymen of the South River and Bumbo William Cotter: South River Pirate and Grog The Tattooed Servant and Snakebite Stealing Sheep and Lamb's Wool (Make sure to never miss a story like these by signing up for our weekly emails) Play a Game Together Learn how to make and play Nine Men’s Morris, courtesy of Historic Gunston Hall. This game was popular not just in the colonial period, but there are historical references going back to at least the Roman Era! Or try your hand at one of our History Mystery objects like in the image above. Can you guess what the object is? Watch a Colonial-Themed Movie We love the sassy and funny posts from Frock Flicks, who “rip into Hollywood’s attempt at historical costuming and talk about exactly why they’re not accurate to the eras.” Choose from their list of 18th century films. Can you spot all of the inaccuracies? Tip Your Waiter Well, okay, so we can’t exactly serve you directly, but if you’ve enjoyed your date night, we’d love to hear about it by leaving a comment below. And if you’d like to support more virtual programming like this, please consider donating any amount to our ReLeaf Fund. Thank you!

Researched and written by Rachel Rabinowitz, Collections Manager and Visitor Services Coordinator, Claire Goode, Living History Specialist, and Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator Guess what the mysterious object from our collections is and learn the truth behind it. This is the first in a new series of short videos focusing on our historic collections. Spoiler Alert! The Answer is Below The video features what's called a pounce box (also known as a pounce pot). It works like a salt shaker. You'd pour pounce powder to either prepare paper before writing on it, or afterwards to help dry the wet ink. This would help stop the ink from soaking through the paper. Pounce powder was made from different materials. One common substance was gum sandarac (resin from the the Tetraclunis articulate tree, which is similar to a Cyprus tree. The gum sandarac would be ground into a fine powder. Another substance used was pumice. The type of material used to create pounce would determine if it was used before or after writing. Gum sandarac was used before writing. It helped prevent ink from seeping into the paper. Pumice would be used afterwards to blot the ink. Our pounce box is wooden, but pounce boxes could be made from many different materials. This included metal and ceramic. Our example dates to the early 1800s, but pounce boxes were common as far back as the medieval period. Once we reopen, you'll be able to see it on display in the private room in the William Brown House. For More Information Learn more about pounce boxes at the resources below: http://openinkstandblog.com/2013/12/18/using-pounce-and-gum-sandarac-to-diminish-bleeding/ https://hob.gseis.ucla.edu/HoB_Scribes_Exhibit/HoB_Scribes_Sander.html https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pounce Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

A new series by Chelsea Kelly, naturalist, celebrating the animals you'll find at London Town! Salamanders and newts, like the Marbled Salamander (gray pattern), Spotted Salamander (yellow spots), and the Eastern Newt (yellow body), are one of the first signs of Spring, but only if you know where to look. These secretive, nocturnal amphibians usually spend most of their life under rocks and detritus to stay protected from predators. However, every spring when the rainwater collects into depressions in the ground (called vernal pools), salamanders and newts come out of their hiding places to lay their eggs. Their eggs closely resemble frog or fish eggs. It may be hard to find them, but it is a good sign when you do, as these animals are an indicator of a healthy habitat. Take care not to handle them as their skin is covered in secretions of varying toxicity. These can cause irritation if it gets in your eyes or ingested. These secretions also act as a protective coating to deter predators from making them into a meal, except for the Common Garter Snake who has built up a tolerance to their toxins over the years. Maryland hosts 23 species of these amphibians within the order Caudata. Four are considered endangered: the Green Salamander, the Eastern Tiger Salamander, the Hellbender, and the Mudpuppy. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Researched and written by Rachel Rabinowitz, Collections Manager and Visitor Services Coordinator, Claire Goode, Living History Specialist, and Teresa Marcus, Community Engagement Coordinator Guess what the mysterious object from our collections is and learn the truth behind it. This is the second in a new series of short videos focusing on our historic collections. See the first one here. Spoiler Alert! The Answer is Below The video features what's called a rushlight. A rushlight is a less expensive alternative to candles, as beeswax was expensive and those made from beef tallow turn rancid after a short time. Ours is made of iron and holds a rush—the inner part of a common plant that grows by waterways, the rush is then dipped in melted fat (typically leftover cooking grease) multiple times and then left to set. Unfortunately, like the beef tallow candles, burning kitchen grease is another unpleasant smell and dripping, burning hot fat is never a recipe for success. These lights do allow for repurposing of an abundance of cooking grease into a cheap lighting alternative, especially if the household using them rears pigs in any way. Holder, Rushlight (1974.04.03)- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Coit For More Information Learn more at the resources below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeAz_-Bl3mg https://www.britannica.com/technology/rushlight http://www.oldandinteresting.com/rushlights.aspx http://www.colonialsense.com/Antiques/Other_Antiques/Early_Lighting/Rushlights.php Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here