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Sotterley Plantation is proud to partner with The Boeing Company in presenting Jennifer Van Horn. Her presentation entitled, “Re-Interpreting Mount Vernon’s Greenhouse Slave Quarters” will be held on Friday, September 23, 2011 at 7:00 p.m., the final presentation of this year’s Speaker Series at Sotterley. In November of 2010, Mount Vernon reopened the Greenhouse Slave Quarters after an extensive restoration. This talk will explore the new interpretation of the men’s and women’s sleeping rooms (located in wings on either side of the Greenhouse), which originally housed approximately 50 of George Washington’s male and female slaves. None of the slave cabins survive today. Much of what we know about the living conditions of Mount Vernon's slaves is due to a 1798 written account by a visitor. Mount Vernon interprets the slave cabin as home to Scilla, who lived on Dogue Run Farm with her six children. Her husband, Slammin’ Joe, lived and worked at the Mansion House farm.   

Because of the generous grant and continued support from The Boeing Company, Sotterley Plantation is able to offer this important community outreach, fulfilling its mission of serving as an educational resource and cultural venue while it seeks to preserve, interpret and research the plantation’s diverse cultures and environments through its history.  FREE to the public. Please call for reservations, as seating is limited: 301-373-2280.