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Surratt House

Museum

JANUARY – DECEMBER 2014 CALENDAR

REMEMBERING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: 1864 —THE WAR ON THE HOME FRONT

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 plot failed, Booth turned to assassination, 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.

Surratt House Museum Calendar

of

Events

Januar y – December 2014

Between the Lines: Southern Maryland in the Civil War An Exhibition J anuary 15–D ecember 14 W ednesdays –F ridays , 11 am –3 pm S aturdays & S undays , 12 noon –4

pm

Surratt House commemorates the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War with an exhibit on what life was like for the inhabitants of Southern Maryland as they were under Union occupation during the period of 1861-1865. Regular tour admission price. No reservations required.

“Fighting Old Nep: The Food Culture of Enslaved Afro-Marylanders” S aturday , F ebruary 8, 4

pm

Trace three centuries of African American culinary history from west and central African civilizations to colonial Maryland.

Join Michael Twitty as he discusses the vast influence of both enslaved and free black people on the cuisine and culture of the new world. FREE; Arrive early; very limited seating; one presentation only!

Fifteenth Annual Symposium Lincoln’s Assassination: Collateral Damage F riday – S unday , M arch 14–16 Scholars explore such topics as what imprisonment meant to the conspirators, what effects the assassination had on Mrs. Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth son Robert, and Henry and Clara Rathbone, and on-screen graveyard tours. Also included are off-site bus tours and a dinner program. Reservation and payment required in advance. Cost: $170/person – bus tours priced separately.

Southern Relief Societies S aturday , M arch 29, 4

pm

When Civil War Aid Societies are discussed, the U.S. Sanitary Commission, the Christian Commission and other northern organizations are mentioned, but what about Southern Aid Societies? Was there such a thing? Join us as retired USAF Lt. Col. Carol Randell enlightens us on the southern civilian efforts. FREE; Arrive early; limited seating.

John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours S aturdays , A pril 12, 19, 26 & M ay 3, 7:30

am – 7:30 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

Death Comes a Knocking: Mourning Rituals of the Civil War W ednesday -S unday , J une 1– 29 ( house tour only ) S aturday & S unday , J une 7 & 8, 12 noon – 4 pm ( special event weekend ) In the mid-nineteenth century, Americans observed an elaborate set of rules that governed behavior following the death of a spouse or relative. The high rate of death during the American Civil War often transformed the ways in which individuals and communities responded to death. Join us for a tour of the historic Surratt House and see mourning practices on display. FREE

Salute to the Military Open House S aturday & S unday , J uly 12 & 13, 12

noon – 4 pm

Join us to salute our active and retired military men and women. Enjoy FREE tours and sample goodies. Bring your current military I.D. and receive a discount in the museum shop and get a special gift bag.

Sister Soldiers of the Civil War S aturday , A ugust 9, 4

pm

Explore an unusual and courageous group of soldiers seldom discussed in the annals of Civil War history. Although women were forbidden by social custom and army regulations to enter military service, a surprising number of women disguised themselves as young men and “went for a soldier.”

Join Audrey ScanlanTeller as she enlightens us on the best documented of these woman combatants who were ahead of their time— and ours. FREE; Arrive early; limited seating.

John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours S aturdays , S eptember 6, 13, 20 & 27, 7:30

am – 7:30 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

On the Home Front: A Personal Expression S unday , O ctober 5, 4

pm

While the men were off fighting the war… what was happening back home? Through the use of personal family letters, historic images and poignant music, Judy Cook, international folksinger, recounts the experiences and sentiments of the families left behind to struggle on. FREE; Arrive early; limited seating.

Hollywood and the Civil War: Shenandoah S aturday , N ovember 1, 6

pm

Released in 1965, this movie tells the story of Charlie Anderson (Jimmy Stewart), a farmer in Shenandoah, Virginia, and finds himself (and his family) in the middle of the Civil War. He decides not to get involved in the war because he believes that this is not “his” war. But he eventually has to get involved when his youngest boy is taken prisoner by the North.

FREE; Arrive early; limited seating.

’Tis the Season S aturday , D ecember 14, 12

noon – 4 pm

With the onset of winter, how did Southern Maryland families prepare for the season and celebrate the holidays while enduring the hardships of the Civil War? Receive a holiday discount in the museum shop and sample cider and cookies.

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 15–December 14, 2014 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 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-10/2013