Absolon Kent

TOWSON, Md. — Today’s visit to the Hampton National Historic Site showcased the estate of the Ridgely family, highlighting their wealth and influence from the late 18th century through the mid-20th century. The site features an opulent Georgian mansion, beautifully maintained formal gardens, agricultural fields, and various outbuildings, including slave quarters. Guided tours display the mansion's lavish interiors, one of the largest private homes in America when completed in 1790, along with historical artifacts and period furnishings. Reflecting broader themes of American history such as slavery, industry, and the nation's changing landscape, this site offers a glimpse into the lives of the Ridgely family and the enslaved individuals who lived and worked there.

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MANASSAS, Va. — The Manassas National Battlefield Park features several sites that chronicle the events and actions of the Civil War in and around the Manassas area.

Portici was the plantation house of Francis Lewis and served as the Confederate headquarters during the First Battle of Manassas. The surrounding grounds were the site of the 1861-1862 winter encampment for a brigade of Confederate troops. On Aug. 30, 1862, during the Second Battle of Manassas, Union cavalry stopped the Confederate cavalry as they sought to cut off the Union army's line of retreat.

Located on "Hazel Plain," the two-and-a-half-story frame farmhouse of Benjamin Chinn and his family overlooked the Warrenton Turnpike and Young's Branch. During both battles of Manassas, the plantation was engulfed by war and witnessed some of the heaviest fighting.

In 1860, the crossroads hamlet of Sudley Springs consisted of fewer than a dozen households but featured a prosperous mill, a prominent church, and a hotel for visitors attracted to the mineral waters of a nearby spring. During the Second Battle of Manassas, on Aug. 29, 1862, Federal troops repeatedly attacked Stonewall Jackson's left flank in this area, and only darkness prevented a fatal collapse of the Confederates. Today, only the Sudley Church remains as a testament to times past.

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PORT TOBACCO, Md. — Haberdeventure Plantation was the home of Thomas Stone, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

The curved five-part brick house was built on the 442-acre property Stone purchased from his uncle, Daniel Jenifer, in 1770. The main house, surrounded by gardens and scenic landscapes, reflects the Georgian architectural style typical of the period.

Today, this historic site offers guided tours of the mansion, trails leading to the Stone Family Cemetery, and outbuildings including the horse and tobacco barns, the corn crib, and the tenant house.

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#TodaysAdventure #AmericasNationalParks #MyDMV #GetOutside #OutdoorAdventures #JustMe #KENTCANDO

WASHINGTON — There is nothing like doing two of your favorite things at the same time; spending time with family and enjoying live baseball at the ballpark. The weather was perfect and although the Braves didn't pull out the win, I couldn't ask for better company on a Saturday afternoon.

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