Anne Arundel's Horses - Blog

For three hundred years after the settlement of Maryland, horses would have been an integral part of everyday life for most county residents. Horse power provided a major source of energy and one of the primary means of transportation. Racing and riding were more than entertainment, recreation, and exercise; breeding and racing have been economically important since the 18th century. Armies relied on mounted cavalry as an important element of their fighting power and law enforcement used horses for mobility and crowd control. As we begin to look around us and to look back at our past, we can see that although their role has changed over the last four centuries, horses have always been a vital part of life in Anne Arundel, across the state, and in our region. Click here to learn more!

Four Rivers’ “Mythbusters” Workshop

On Tuesday, November 18, 2008, Four Rivers Heritage Area held a workshop for area interpreters and guides, aimed at “busting” some myths that continue to circulate around our sites. Below are summaries of the presentations, for ready reference.

I. “The ‘Large and Elegant Mansion of Samuel Chew’: Taking on the Myth of Virginia’s Architectural Dominance”
By Al Luckenbach, Director of the Lost Towns Project and County archaeologist

Summary: The ongoing excavations of Anne Arundel County’s Lost Towns Project at the site of the Samuel Chew family home in Fairhaven are providing evidence for one of the most spectacular brick mansions ever built in the colonial Chesapeake. In the course of excavating this once grand and elegant building, which burned down in 1772, the project uncovered a foundation measuring 66 x 66 feet or 4,356 square feet. Incredibly, a two-story brick structure with these dimensions is bigger than any known structure in the Chesapeake. It is bigger than St. Peter’s, the Governor’s Mansion in St. Mary’s, or even the Governor’s Palace at Williamsburg. These findings have been summarized in the project’s two most recent newsletters. If you are interested in learning more about this ongoing archaeological investigation or volunteering with the Lost Towns Project, please call Volunteer Coordinator Jessie Grow at 410-222-7440.

II. “What Do Molly Bannaky, Mathias Hammond, and Ben Franklin have in Common?”
By Dr. Jean Russo, Maryland State Archives and Historic Annapolis Foundation

Click here for Dr. Russo’s presentation(.pdf file)

III. “The Older the Better: What Exaggerations Tell Us about Annapolis’s History”
By Jane McWilliams, Annapolis historian

Click here for Ms. McWilliams’s presentation(.pdf file)

IV. “Whatcha talkin’ about Willis?” -- Popular Myths and Misconceptions about the Colonial Past
By Rod Cofield, Director of Interpretation at Historic London Town and Gardens

Click here for Mr. Cofield’s presentation (.pdf file)