A pre-Revolutionary War brick Georgian mansion built by a branch of the influential Carroll family of Maryland stands preserved just north of I-95 in Southwest Baltimore. The mansion, known as Mount Clare Museum House, is open to visitors looking to learn some intriguing history. But, whose history? A new book argues that history was shaped as much by the black slaves who built the house and worked the land as by the white Carroll family whose wealth paid for it. The book is titled, “Ancestors of Worthy Life: Plantation Slavery and Black Heritage at Mount Clare”. Author Teresa Moyer, an archaeologist with the National Park Service, joins host SheilahKast in-studio.
Just before this interview aired, we received a response to Moyer's book from Marguerite Ayers, President of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maryland:
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Maryland (NSCDA-MD) values the history of all who have lived and worked at Mount Clare Museum House. We are proud of our almost 100 years as stewards of this important historic site. I cannot speak to what transpired in previous administrations many years ago. However, a concentrated effort has been made to present an accurate interpretation of slavery at Mount Clare. Through an application process with the National Park Service which demonstrated the research and evidence available, the site was approved and designated as a site on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom (URRNTF). This occurred over ten years ago under the NSCDA-MD's administration. A brochure was printed on slavery at Mount Clare as part of that program. In addition, the NSCDA-MD was awarded a grant from the URRNTF to sponsor workshops on slavery at Mount Clare given by noted historians and educators. A wayside marker was placed on the grounds by the NSCDA-MD about the history of the enslaved population at Mount Clare. All visitors to Mount Clare, either to the website or in person for a tour, not only hear about the story of the builder, his wife and family but also about his politics, contributions to Maryland's history, their cultural interests (botany and horticulture) such as sponsoring the training of the "father of American portrait painters", Charles Willson Peale, as well as how he obtained his wealth from an industry that was supported primarily by an enslaved population, convict labor, indentured and free labor. Objects discovered through archaeological digs revealed important artifacts that directly relate to the evidence on enslaved household residents described by scholars as originating from a West African tribe. Those artifacts were recently seized by Baltimore City from the Carroll Park Foundation. The NSCDA-MD hopes that these artifacts are returned to Mount Clare to enhance the story of the enslaved population already being told. Thanks to the Mayor of Baltimore, that is now a real possibility. Three years ago, the NSCDA-MD joined forces with the B&O Railroad Museum (B&ORRM) to provide for a more efficient and vibrant educational and operational program for Mount Clare. Since then, new exhibits on African-American history have been installed and new educational programs and school curriculum written. Just this past weekend, Black History Month programs were presented by the B&ORRM in collaboration with the NSCDA-MD that were highlighted on television and drew large crowds of African-American visitors. The NSCDA-MD remains a vibrant preservation and education organization who, in conjunction with the B&ORRM, hopes to continue our mission of interpreting ALL of Mount Clare's history from before the American Revolution to the present day. As research provides new information about the enslaved population in the area and Mount Clare, we look forward to incorporating this information in the telling of the story to our visitors.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated Mount Clare Museum House was just south of the city. It's actually within city limits. We regret the error.
