Prince George's County Parks & Rec: MARIETTA HOUSE MUSEUM TO UNVEIL NEW COMMEMORATIVE “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GARDEN”

Press release from the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County:

September 30, 2021

Media Contact: Angel Waldron, 301-446-3311

Program Contact: Stacy Hawkins, 301-464-5291

MARIETTA HOUSE MUSEUM TO UNVEIL NEW COMMEMORATIVE “INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GARDEN” ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

Riverdale, MD - On October 11, 2021, 1-2pm, Marietta House Museum, operated by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, will host a small meet-and-greet event observing Indigenous Peoples Day.

Marietta will mark the holiday by unveiling a new “Indigenous Peoples Garden,” planted in summer 2021. The garden honors the history and continued traditions of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, native to present-day Prince George’s County. Artifacts found by archeologists in the area surrounding Marietta House Museum attest to their presence here prior to European colonization and development.

The local landscaping company Artistic Landscaping, Inc. helped plant a variety of local indigenous plants. The garden features a plaque bearing Marietta House Museum’s land acknowledgment statement, which reads as follows:

“Marietta House Museum acknowledges the history and continued traditions of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, who hunted, farmed, and lived on this land long before Marietta House was built.  As we consider the history of this place, take a moment to remember the many people who were forced to leave their traditional homelands.”

About the Museum

Marietta House Museum is a designated historic site operated by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). Built in 1816 for Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Duvall, the two-story brick manor house was the central feature of a 700-acre tobacco plantation. Duvall and his descendants enslaved approximately 100-200 men, women, and children throughout the nineteenth century. Today, the house is operated as a museum and education center focusing on themes of law, freedom, and civil rights in the United States. To learn more, visit https://www.mncppc.org/3072/Marietta-House-Museum.

About the Department

The M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation delivers an award-winning park system through progressive, innovative leadership and a commitment to the community and the environment in Prince George’s County. For more on the Department of Parks and Recreation, visit www.pgparks.com and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, PhotoShelter, and Instagram. The Department of Parks and Recreation encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities in all programs and services. Register at least a minimum of two weeks in advance of the program start date to request and receive a disability accommodation. 

This press release was produced by the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County. The views expressed here are the author’s own.