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

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? Here's a recipe from 1824 for honey vinegar. Have you heard the say...
09/02/2026

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? Here's a recipe from 1824 for honey vinegar. Have you heard the saying: "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?" We wonder what you catch with honey vinegar.

Explore stories of resistance and freedom tied to the Underground Railroad in the Washington, D.C. region with author Je...
09/01/2026

Explore stories of resistance and freedom tied to the Underground Railroad in the Washington, D.C. region with author Jenny Masur. Learn about the courage and resourcefulness it took to aid the freedom seekers. Includes Q&A and book signing.

The event is FREE but registration is encouraged. Want to register now?
https://tinyurl.com/RegisterRiversdale

Enjoy a cooking demonstration over the open hearth while exploring the Underground Railroad through foodways and history...
08/31/2026

Enjoy a cooking demonstration over the open hearth while exploring the Underground Railroad through foodways and history. Discover how 19th-century techniques and ingredients connect to stories of resilience, resistance, and survival in a living history setting.

The event is FREE but registration is encouraged. Want to register now?
https://tinyurl.com/RegisterRiversdale

08/30/2026

Today is National Beach Day! Enjoy the sights and sounds of a summer day on the East Coast.

In the summer of 1820, the Calvert family went on a two-month journey which included Bath WV, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the Jersey Shore. They also went to New York City and on the Hudson River to Saratoga and Lake George. The trip was leisurely, with time for taking the waters at various spas along the way. The purpose of the trip was for family members to recover from bouts of diphtheria which had claimed the lives of 9-year-old Henry and 3-year-old Amelia. Of the Jersey Shore, Rosalie wrote, "I was expecting to receive much benefit from sea bathing, but it is so dangerous and disagreeable in every respect that we only stayed ten days." In ankle or calf-length bathing shifts, you can imagine the difficulty the Calvert women would have had, entering and exiting the water!

Today is National Lemon Juice Day 🍋 Even though the summer is drawing to a close, there's still time for some lemonade! ...
08/29/2026

Today is National Lemon Juice Day 🍋

Even though the summer is drawing to a close, there's still time for some lemonade! Check out this recipe, printed in 1827. Will you give it a try?

Today is  ! 🍷 Did you know there's a wine cellar at Riversdale? Rosalie Calvert's father, Henri Stier, helped keep it st...
08/28/2026

Today is ! 🍷

Did you know there's a wine cellar at Riversdale? Rosalie Calvert's father, Henri Stier, helped keep it stocked by sending casks of wine from Europe. The imported casks and kegs were then decanted into bottles before serving. In several of her letters, Rosalie Calvert asked her Belgian relatives to purchase and send her wine because the quality was superior to what she could purchase in America.

In January 1817 Rosalie wrote, "Please accept, dear father, my thanks for the cask of Ocheimer [Hocheimer] wine, which I received several weeks ago. We haven't tasted it yet, for I still haven't dared go down into the cellar [Rosalie had just given birth to her daughter Amelia] to supervise putting it in bottles and haven't wished to trust that task to other hands." Four months later Rosalie wrote, "Let me thank you again for the excellent cask of Hochheimer wine. I drink two or three glasses daily and it seems to do me good. My health is certainly better."

Cheers! 🍷

📷: Riversdale's wine cellar

 ! 🥬🥒🌶 There's extra harvest to share from the gardens today: basil, summer squash, Armenian cucumbers, kohlrabi, red ca...
08/27/2026

! 🥬🥒🌶

There's extra harvest to share from the gardens today: basil, summer squash, Armenian cucumbers, kohlrabi, red cabbage, tomatoes, snap beans, okra, eggplant, hot peppers, sweet peppers, cucamelon, & ground cherries.

They are on a table next to the Dependency kitchen. Please bring your own container/bag to take some produce home with you. They will be out until they are gone or until tomorrow morning.

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!

For National Pots de Creme Day, take a   at some of Riversdale's Tucker Porcelain! These salmon and gold pots de creme w...
08/27/2026

For National Pots de Creme Day, take a at some of Riversdale's Tucker Porcelain!

These salmon and gold pots de creme were used to serve roughly 3 oz of custard. They are part of a larger collection that originally included over 300 pieces with this intricate grape vine pattern. This set was purchased by Charles Benedict Calvert and his wife, Charlotte, in the 1830s. The Tucker Porcelain Company was based in Philadelphia and only operated from 1826-1838, making it particularly rare and valuable.

Fall will be here before we know it - get these September concert dates on your schedule!These concerts are FREE but reg...
08/26/2026

Fall will be here before we know it - get these September concert dates on your schedule!

These concerts are FREE but registration is encouraged. Want to register now?
https://tinyurl.com/RegisterRiversdale


Today is National Dog Day!  Did you know that the hunting scene on the study wallpaper features some hunting dogs? The h...
08/26/2026

Today is National Dog Day! 

Did you know that the hunting scene on the study wallpaper features some hunting dogs? The huntsmen, huntswomen, and hounds are shown on the hunt across woods, fields, and a river.

The wallpaper design wraps around the entire room, telling the story of a stag hunt in France, or "La Chasse de Compiègne". This hand-blocked wallpaper was made in Paris by Jacquemart et Benard between 1812 & 1815.

Address

4811 Riverdale Road
Riverdale Park, MD
20737

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