Edmonston in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Adam F. Plummer
1819-1905
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 24, 2013
1. Adam F. Plummer Marker
Adam Francis Plummer Founder of Present Day Edmonston
Born into slavery to the powerful Calvert Family, literate and educated Adam Francis Plummer rose to become the foreman for Charles Benedict Calvert (founder of the University of Maryland and member of Congress). Working on the nearby Riversdale plantation, he kept a diary of family life and attempted several escapes without success. At the close of the Civil War, Plummer and his wife Emily set out to reunite his family after several had been sold to the deep south during slavery.
In 1870 Plummer purchased 10 acres on the south end of the plantation (present-day Edmonston) to establish a settlement for his newly freed family. With an expertise in horticulture and a fondness for roses, he named the community Mt. Rose after the gardens established here.
A century later Adam Francis Plummer became a figure of major historical significance when his diary was found to be the only diary of any slave in U.S. history. The diary is now in the care of the Smithsonian.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 38° 57.093′ N, 76° 56.04′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The City of Hyattsville (approx. 0.3 miles away); Route One, Our Hometown Main Street (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Hyattsville National Historic District (approx. half a mile away); This Demiculverin (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Riversdale Dependency (approx. 0.6 miles away); Signs of War (approx. 0.6 miles away); Betty's Garden (approx. 0.6 miles away); Welcome to the Riversdale Garden (approx. 0.6 miles away).
Also see . . . Adam Francis Plummer: Champion of faith, family and freedom. Washington Times website entry (Submitted on April 17, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 24, 2013
2. Adam F. Plummer Marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 24, 2013
3. Adam F. Plummer
and the Inscription
and the Inscription
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 24, 2013
4. Patriarch Adam Francis Plummer Family
Patriarch Adam Francis Plummer surrounded by his family outside his home, Mount Rose. Standing, left to right , Robert Francis, Nellie Arnold, Margaret Jane, Nicholas Saunders. Sitting, Sarah Miranda, Adam Francis, Henry Vinton, Margaret's daughter, Nellie. Photo from a display in the Riversdale Visitor's Center
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 24, 2013
5. The Plummer Family
Emily and Adam; Sarah Miranda, Church founder, wife and mother; Henry Vinton, First African American Army Chaplain; Elias Cupid Quincy, Shoolteacher and church worker; Julia Ann Caroline Maria, seamstress, nurse and wife; Nicholas Saunders, Coachman; Marjory Ellen Rose, Died in infancy; Margaret Jane, Wife, mother, and housekeeper for her father; Nellie Arnold Author and Schoolteacher; Robert Francis PharmacistPoster in the Riversdale Dependency
Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,516 times since then and 122 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 25, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
