Prince George's County Historical Society

05/16/2026

The DeMarr Library will be closed tomorrow, May 16, due to insufficient staffing. Sorry for the inconvenience.

05/16/2026

Join the Society at the County’s We the People 250 Block Party. Hope to see you there on May 30!!

05/05/2026

May is Preservation Month! As we kick off a month of celebration, check out our latest guest blog about the Woodville School in Prince George’s County! The blog was written by architectural historian Daria Gasparini of Robinson and Associates, who worked with the Cedar Haven Civic Association on the Patuxent River Inc. on a non-capital grant-funded project to document African American heritage in the Aquasco area.

https://mdhistoricaltrust.wordpress.com/2026/05/01/documenting-aquascos-african-american-heritage/
Stay tuned this month as we highlight award-winning preservation projects across Maryland.

05/04/2026

03/10/2026

During World War II, Fort Washington was home to the Adjutant General’s School. The school’s job was to train soldiers to run the Army’s administrative work. In 1942, the school accepted its first women, future officers in the Women’s Army Corps. Their training lasted several weeks and focused on human resources, paperwork, and recordkeeping. The course ended with a command‑post exercise where they practiced the skills they had learned.

The women in this photo were the first at Fort Washington to finish the course. From left to right, they are C.G. Han, Mary Lou Millilgan, Mary Sam, Beth Hunt, and Dorothy Childers. All were officers. Han was also the first woman to wear the Adjutant General School insignia.

Photo credit: US Army Women's Museum

03/10/2026

03/10/2026

In recognition of Women's History Month, join the Surratt House Museum for a conversation on how women participated in the Civil War and the events leading up to it. This lecture will be offered on two separate dates for your convenience!

🗓️First Session: March 12
⏰Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
📍Location: Virtual

🗓️Second Session: March 26
⏰Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
📍Location: Virtual

Both sessions will cover the same material, so feel free to attend whichever date works best for you. We hope you can join us! This program is free, but registration is required.

Click the link to register for the 3/12 session: https://mdpgparksweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=560155069

Click the link to register for the 3/26 session: https://mdpgparksweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/iteminfo.html?Module=AR&FMID=560155083

03/10/2026

Trailblazing mathematician Melba Roy Mouton made history right here in Prince George’s County at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She led a team of “human computers” who tracked the Echo satellites, helping millions watch them pass overhead!

Her work opened doors for future women scientists and engineers, and it all happened in our community.

Learn about other influential women in Prince George’s County at the Ridgeley Rosenwald School, Thursday–Saturday, 10 AM–2 PM.

03/10/2026

Nellie Arnold Plummer, teacher, author, and historian, played a key role in preserving her family’s story and early African American history.

On November 14, 1926, she delivered her parents’ letters to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, which were soon published in The Journal of Negro History and later in The Mind of the Negro as Reflected in Letters Written During the Crisis, 1800–1860.

In 1934, Woodson’s journal featured a three‑page sketch of her life by Edward A. Arnold, highlighting her service to her community and her support of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Arnold noted Woodson’s deep admiration for her dedication.

As we celebrate strong women this month, we honor Nellie Arnold Plummer for her contributions, including her own publication Out of the Depths or Triumph of the Cross.

To learn more about the Plummer family, visit us at Riversdale Historic Site & Museum: https://www.pgparks.com/facilities/riversdale-historic-site-museum

01/30/2026