“Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum owes its very existence to archaeology.  Mrs. Patterson was excited by the dozens of archaeological sites present on her farm, and wanted to see them preserved, so she donated the property to the State.  The mission of the new park was to explore the history of the people who have lived in this region for the last 12,000 years.”

-from the Jefferson Patterson
Park & Museum website

“Our research means nothing if we don't share our discoveries with the public. We do this through books and reports which are for sale at the Visitor Center, through public lectures, and perhaps most importantly, through our Public Archaeology Program. This program allows volunteers to help archaeologists excavate an actual site, or to work with artifacts in the MAC Lab. If you like to feel the past in your hands, JPPM is the place to be!”

-from the Jefferson Patterson
Park & Museum website

Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Maryland

Website:  http://www.jefpat.org

Located just 45 minutes south of the Washington Capital Beltway in Calvert County, Maryland, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum is a state history and archeology museum exploring the changing cultures and environment of the Chesapeake Bay region of the past 12,000 years. The park and museum are part of the State of Maryland’s Historical Trust agency.

Geography and History

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum is a 544-acre park located along 2.5 miles of the Patuxtent River and St. Leonard Creek in Calvert County, Maryland. Archeological surveys of the property have revealed over 70 sites spanning 9,000 years of human history. Research also has revealed this site to have been the home of Maryland’s first Attorney General, Richard Smith, and his descendant, Margaret Mackall Smith, wife of President Zachary Taylor. During the War of 1812, the largest naval battle in Maryland’s history took place here. The Park is now home to a state history and archeology museum that explores the changing cultures and environment of the Chesapeake Bay region over the past 12,000 years.

Archeology and Public Interpretation

Visitors can investigate thousands of years of human history by touring archeological sites and trails, acres of working farmland, restored farm buildings and museum exhibits, and by attending educational programs. More than 70 archeological sites have been identified, from the prehistoric period 9,000 years ago through the Colonial period, and including the site of the 1814 Battle of St. Leonard Creek, the largest naval engagement in Maryland's history.

The Visitor Center contains museum exhibits, a hands-on Discovery Room for children, and the Show Barn Museum Shop. The Farm exhibit building houses a regional collection of Southern Maryland farm equipment, including a 20,000-pound steam traction engine. Three trails take visitors through a mixed hardwood forest or to open fields along the Patuxent River where visitors can see archeologists’ interpretation of 17th-century life at the site.

In 1996, JPPM began offering its Public Archeology Program. Each summer, volunteers are given the opportunity to assist Park archeologists in the excavation of actual sites. The public is invited to help excavate or screen for artifacts, or to just watch the work in progress. During the rest of the year, there are opportunities to work in the Maryland Archeological Conservation Lab, or to participate in occasional weekend digs. Lab experiences include washing, labeling, counting, and identifying artifacts, assisting in their conservation, or entering data into a computer.

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An Inspiring Guide

I. Introduction

II. Overview of the Program

III. Meeting the Mission

IV. The Public Meaning of Archeological Heritage

V. Archeology and Interpretation

VI. Study Tour of Parks

VII. Interpretive Products

VIII. Credits

IX. References

X. Resources and Links

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