Amateur archaeologists to get chance to dig St. Mary’s City

Friday, July 18, 2008

This year’s Tidewater Archaeology Weekend event on July 26 and 27 will continue an exploration begun two months ago of the back yard of the home of the state’s first governor.

This is no amusement park make-believe activity.

‘‘This is the real deal,” Susan Wilkinson, HSMC’s director of marketing, said last week. ‘‘The people working with the screens are finding real artifacts, from last week or 350 years ago. You never know. That’s part of the fun.”

Participants in the weekend event will get help from ‘‘budding archaeologists,” students in this year’s field school, to examine the items recovered from the site, Wilkinson said. ‘‘It’s kind of like their final exam.” she said.

‘‘They help identify what the bits and pieces might be,” she said, which can range from animal bones to pieces of ceramic and jewelry. ‘‘They’ve found lots and lots of pipes,” she said, ‘‘like we do everywhere.”

The site that was the home of Leonard Calvert, Maryland’s first governor, when the state’s colonial period began in the 1630s was encircled and barricaded by 1645 as Pope’s Fort. It served as a gathering place for the General Assembly, and also was the home of Maryland’s fifth governor, Thomas Stone. In 1662, the colony purchased the property to use as the first official state house.

While archaeological digs at Historic St. Mary’s City have covered a lot of ground, finding foundations and cataloging coffins, the back yard of the state house is just now being examined. ‘‘This is a fresh area,” Wilkinson said.

The site will be open both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 2 p.m. walking tour and four laboratory tours each day. All living history exhibits and special activities are included in the museum entry fee of $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens, $6 for students and $3.50 for children age 6 through 12.

Call 240-895-4990 or go online to www.stmaryscity.org.

Extreme Makeover event set for July 24

The businesses participating in a recent Southern Maryland Extreme Makeover competition have announced that contest winner Lisa Garrow will be presented at 6 p.m. next Thursday, July 24, at the Woodlands Grill in California. Call 301-862-3900.

SMCAC art scholarships to be awarded Friday

Every summer the St. Mary’s County Arts Council awards up to five $1,000 scholarships to talented high school graduates. Two of these awards are made possible by the St. Mary’s County commissioners.

This year’s winners are Olivia Wilson for vocal music and Moriah Morgan for visual art. Wilson and Morgan will be presented with their awards during the River Concert tonight, Friday, July 18, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Wilson will be attending Marietta College next year, majoring in music. She wants to come back to St. Mary’s County to teach music in the public schools after she has completed her education.

Morgan’s work was recently exhibited in the state house for a year. She will be attending Hillsdale College in Michigan this fall.

The next scholarships will be given in visual arts, performing arts, theater and arts education. Application deadline is Friday, March 20, 2009. Contact the St. Mary’s County Arts Council by e-mail at smcart@verizon.net, or call 301-475-6868.

Donations soughtfor ill child’s family

Brogran Ruppert, a 7-year-old grandson of Mechanicsville resident Don Cooke, has brain stem glioma and is undergoing lengthy chemotherapy and radiation treatments for the extremely rare type of cancer.

The child’s family does not have health insurance to cover the costs of care the boy has received at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and St. Jude’s Hospital in Tennessee.

Gifts, cards and wishes may be sent toÊDon Cooke at 37978 George F. Drive, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. Donations also can be made at any PNC Bank branch to the Brogran Ruppert Fund.