Riversdale Historical Society

Riversdale Historical Society Today, this architectural gem has been restored to reflect the lifestyle of the Calverts in the early 19th century.

Riversdale, an elegant Federal home, was constructed between 1801 and 1807 for Henri Stier, a Flemish aristocrat, and completed by his daughter Rosalie and her husband George Calvert, grandson of the fifth Lord Baltimore. Archaeology, archival records, and oral histories are used to provide modern-day visitors with a better understanding of 19th century life. Rosalie Calvert's letters are used to

piece together the life of a gentry-class woman living in rural Maryland. Adam Francis Plummer, an enslaved man owned by the Calverts, wrote a rare first-person account of slavery. Their stories have been preserved and are retold at Riversdale. The museum is open to the public for docent-guided tours and for a variety of special events. It may also be rented for weddings, receptions, luncheons, and business meetings. The Riversdale Historical Society, a volunteer organization, works with M-NCPPC staff to preserve the cultural heritage of Riversdale and maintain the mansion as an historic house. This page is run by the Riversdale Historical Society. For more information, visit us at www.riversdale.org or http://history.pgparks.com

We're not yolking around. Today is National Egg Day! An egg-celent way to celebrate would be to try out this recipe from...
06/03/2026

We're not yolking around. Today is National Egg Day! An egg-celent way to celebrate would be to try out this recipe from 1824. Let us know if it's all it's cracked up to be! 🥚

Join us next Wednesday for the Summer Concert featuring Downtown Tumbao. Bring your lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, an...
06/03/2026

Join us next Wednesday for the Summer Concert featuring Downtown Tumbao. Bring your lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, and enjoy a relaxing evening of live outdoor music.

This concert series is generously sponsored by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Town of Riverdale Park.

Event Details
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Rain date: Thursday, June 11, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Today is National Pen Pal Day! Do you have a pen pal? When is the last time you sent a handwritten letter? One of the wa...
06/01/2026

Today is National Pen Pal Day!

Do you have a pen pal? When is the last time you sent a handwritten letter? One of the ways we have learned so much about what life was like at Riversdale is through the handwritten documents (letters, diaries, log books, receipts, etc.) that the residents left behind and passed down through their families. What are we leaving behind to be remembered by? Slow down today, pick up a pen, and reconnect with someone via a handwritten letter. 🖋

Today is World Parrot Day 🦜 We found some parrots hanging out in the trees in Jan Brueghel the Elder's "The Entry of the...
05/31/2026

Today is World Parrot Day 🦜

We found some parrots hanging out in the trees in Jan Brueghel the Elder's "The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark"(1613)!

Henri J. Stier owned the original painting and brought it along with 62 other works of art to America when he emigrated. His daughter, Rosalie, kept the artworks safe at the newly-built Riversdale until her father requested that she send them to him once he returned to Belgium. Roughly a year after the artworks left Riversdale in 1816, they were put up for public auction in Antwerp. Stier purchased twenty of his favorites for his private art collection. Eventually, Jan Brueghel's "The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark" worked its way through several private collections before ending up at the Getty Museum in California. There is now a reproduction of this painting hanging above the fireplace in the parlor at Riversdale.

Brueghel's work serves as a visual menagerie in which exotic and native species exist harmoniously, painted with remarkable detail and accuracy. In 1606, Brueghel was appointed court painter for the Archduke Albert of Austria and the Infanta Isabella of Spain, who cultivated a menagerie in Brussels, giving the artist access to live animal models from around the globe.

in 1841, Adam Francis Plummer married Emily Saunders in Washington, DC. Adam began his diary that day. It wasn't until...
05/30/2026

in 1841, Adam Francis Plummer married Emily Saunders in Washington, DC.
Adam began his diary that day. It wasn't until 1863 that the married couple would live together under the same roof.

Enslaved on two different plantations, Adam spent 10 years traveling 8 miles to visit his wife and children on weekends. When Emily was sold and relocated even farther away, Adam's visits became more infrequent. In 1863, Emily and several of her children were jailed while trying to escape to Baltimore. They were discharged from custody, and Adam took them to Riversdale on Dec 9, 1863. After the Civil War ended, Adam and Emily were finally reunited with all nine of their children.

In 1870, the Plummers moved into their home, called Mount Rose, which was located on 10 acres of land in present-day Edmonston. This home was were Emily died in 1876 and Adam died in 1905.

Free produce! 🌱🫜🍒 We have a little extra harvest to share from the gardens today. We have radishes, turnips, kale, aspar...
05/28/2026

Free produce! 🌱🫜🍒

We have a little extra harvest to share from the gardens today. We have radishes, turnips, kale, asparagus, Swiss chard, and sour cherries available for you to pick up.

The extras are on a table next to the dependency kitchen today (to keep the ants away from the cherries). Please bring your own container/bag to take the produce home. They will be out until they are gone or until tomorrow morning. There may even be some left when you come to the concert tonight at 7. 🎶

Just a gentle reminder - please do not pick any produce or flowers from the Riversdale gardens. When we have a surplus, we are happy to share. Keep an eye on our social media to see what's available to pick up!

*** UPDATE*** Due to the weather, the concert has been postponed until tomorrow, Thursday May 28 at 7 PMJoin the Riversd...
05/27/2026

*** UPDATE*** Due to the weather, the concert has been postponed until tomorrow, Thursday May 28 at 7 PM

Join the Riversdale Historic Site and Museum this evening for the Summer Concert featuring Spice Cake, "the dynamic blues and jazz duo of Yaya Patterson and Miles Spicer!" Bring your lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, and enjoy a relaxing night of live music outdoors.

This concert series is generously sponsored by the Maryland State Arts Council and the Town of Riverdale Park.

Rain date: Thursday, May 28, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM


Mystery item answer!Did you guess a mustard spoon? That's what it is!This silver gilt spoon was created in England in 18...
05/26/2026

Mystery item answer!

Did you guess a mustard spoon? That's what it is!

This silver gilt spoon was created in England in 1815 by silversmith Samuel Hennell (b. 1778). The spoon is undecorated but the bowl of the spoon is gilt. Mustard spoons for cruet sets were frequently gilded, particularly on the bowl, to prevent the silver from etching or corroding due to the acidic vinegar in the mustard.

A cruet set is a grouping of small condiment bottles held together in a stand or frame. On this example, the cut glass bottles with the glass stopper tops would have held liquid condiments such as oil, vinegar and soy while the bottles with pierced silver mounts contained dry seasonings such as pepper, salt or sugar. The small lidded pot in the set is a mustard pot, which would have held mustard paste. Mustard pots were not introduced until approximately 1720, when the commercial manufacturing of mustard paste began. Prior to this, mustard was served from a caster in its powdered form. By 1760, mustard paste had become the norm and mustard pots had replaced the mustard caster as part of the essential cruet set.

This mustard spoon was purchased, as part of the cruet set, for Riversdale by the Maryland Questers.

Mystery ItemThis item could have been found in the butler’s pantry or in the dining room of Riversdale in the early 1800...
05/26/2026

Mystery Item

This item could have been found in the butler’s pantry or in the dining room of Riversdale in the early 1800s. It had a very specific purpose. The spoon is silver, but the bowl of the spoon is gilt. It measures about 4 inches in length. What do you think it was used to serve? Give us your best guess!

We'll post the answer later today.

Memorial Day 🇺🇸 Have a safe and relaxing day while remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Th...
05/25/2026

Memorial Day 🇺🇸

Have a safe and relaxing day while remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

The Riversdale Historical Site and Museum offices are closed today.

Address

4811 Riverdale Road
Riverdale Park, MD
20737

Telephone

+13018640420

Website

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