In 1790, the Ridgely family’s Hampton Mansion was the largest house in the United States. Who worked to keep this enormous estate running efficiently? Who labored in the surrounding gardens and, a little farther away, in the lucrative, but treacherous iron furnaces? Join us to hear Gregory Weidman, Curator, Hampton National Historic Site, talk about her recent research as a member of the Hampton Ethnographic Team that worked for three years to uncover and document the lives and families of those enslaved on the Hampton estate.

We are happy to help the Laurel Cemetery Memorial Task Force spread the news about their upcoming black history lecture. The task force is endeavoring to erect a permanent memorial in recognition of the thousands of African Americans interred at Historic Laurel Cemetery, to ensure the safety and stability of the site into the foreseeable future, and to educate the public about the rich history of the cemetery and the lives of those buried there.

Please join us to trace the industrial history and legacy of the Jones Falls Valley from Mt. Washington to Station North. Nathan Dennies of the Greater Hampden Heritage Alliance will cover the history of the area's factories and villages, and tell the story of the people who lived and worked here—from the grist mills of the late 18th century and the rise and fall of the textile mills in the 19th and 20th centuries, to the smaller manufacturers that took their place and the industries of today that continue the valley's long industrial tradition.