Hollywood in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
How Sotterley Changed Hands
Since the origin as Bowles' Preservation by 1703, Sotterley Plantation's ownership changed numerous times. In some cases, it quietly passed to heirs; in others, it was sold or auctioned. Sotterley's size increased and decreased as owners bought and sold acreage from time to time, and as heirs divided the property. From its original 2,000 acres, Sotterley is just over 100 acres today.
After the American Revolution, maintaining large land estates became more difficult. The War of 1812 had taken its toll; Sotterley was groaning under the weight of damage and debt. Tobacco and wheat prices were falling, and silt was beginning to choke Sotterley Creek. George Plater V sold the property in 1822, to his step-uncle William Clarke Somerville, who sold it to Thomas Barber.
Emeline Dallam was Barber's stepdaughter. She and her stepsister, Lydia Barber, each received half of the plantation and its slave population when Thomas Barber died in 1826. Emeline received the Plantation House. She married a physician, Walter Briscoe, and they had 13 children at Sotterley. The Briscoes lived here longer than any other family. Their fortunes declined with the Civil War and the outlawing of slavery, on which they had depended. Walter died in 1885, Emeline in 1887. Their son, James, bought the property at auction and left it to
this page online
Wealthy New Yorker lawyer and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy Herbert Satterlee; and his wife, Louisa, who was the eldest daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, purchased Sotterley from Elizabeth Cashner in 1910. Herbert Satterlee restored the by then much-deteriorated Plantation House and outbuildings and hired manager Charles Knott to revive and operate the farm.
Herbert and Louisa's daughter, Mabel Satterlee Ingalls, a bacteriologist with a distinguished career in public health, bought Sotterley from Herbert's estate after his death in 1947. She created the foundation that was the forerunner of today's Historic Sotterley, Inc., opening Sotterley to the public in the 1960s. Mabel Ingalls was the last family owner of the Sotterley Plantation. She died in 1993.
Elizabeth Blasby was a very young bride when she married George Plater III in 1764.
Can you guess her age on her wedding day?
You'll find the answer on the "Childhood at Sotterley" sign
Erected by Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1703.
Location. 38° 22.568′ N, 76° 32.57′
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Childhood at Sotterley (here, next to this marker); Dwellings and Outbuildings (a few steps from this marker); Visitors and Correspondents (within shouting distance of this marker); Gardening at Sotterley (within shouting distance of this marker); Building a Horse Drawn Wagon (within shouting distance of this marker); Wheelwright (within shouting distance of this marker); Mabel Satterlee Ingalls (within shouting distance of this marker); Sotterley Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hollywood.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
