Maryland History Lives on through $50,000 Gift Donated to the Southern Maryland Studies Center

The Southern Maryland Studies Center (SMSC) at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) La Plata Campus received a $50,000 donation from the National Society of Descendants of Lords of the Maryland Manors to support the preservation and study of records connected to colonial Maryland manors and Southern Maryland family history.

The organization, which merged with the Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America in 2024, also donated its archival records to the SMSC. The collection includes meeting minutes, annual tour materials, dedication records, correspondence, photographs, estate lists, and other documents that will help researchers examine the region’s colonial-era communities, histories, and systems connected to Maryland’s manorial past.

SMSC Archivist Mallory Haselberger said these records give insight into Maryland’s history going back to the 17^th century and a unique view of life at that time.

“We get to see the mark these individuals left on our local communities,” Haselberger said. “It’s a piece of the puzzle helping tell the story of where we call home. These records may help people discover where they came from and connect dots in their own heritage.”

The $50,000 gift to the SMSC honors the many years of dedication of Louise Turner, a member of the Society since 1966 and long-time Society Historian. Before her passing in 2023, Turner spearheaded the Society’s effort to support the SMSC through a financial donation before the Society merged with the Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America.

The Lords of the Maryland Manors was founded in 1938 by Harry Wright Newman, one of the preeminent genealogists of Southern Maryland and one of a handful of experts on regional early colonists and families who were granted manors. Following his death, his collection was donated to the SMSC in 1980s. The Harry Wright Newman Collection contains more than 100 boxes of genealogy documentation, unpublished manuscripts, and research notes covering more than 1,500 surnames, many of which are from Southern Maryland.

Frank Locke, member of the Lords of the Maryland Manors, said one of Newman’s books, The Flowering of the Maryland Palatinate, remains one of the best resources for genealogists and amateur family researchers alike.

“It is fitting that this this donation go towards preserving the memories and history of our ancestors in Southern Maryland,” Locke said. “These collections, along with the lineage papers of the ancestors of our members at the Maryland State Archives will go a long way in keeping our ancestors’ memories alive and assist many future generations.”

This donation, administered through the CSM Foundation, will support the SMSC as it preserves and maintains these irreplaceable documents. Foundation Executive Director Susan Mudd Vogel said the Society’s gift reflects the many ways community partners can invest in CSM and its mission.

“We are so grateful for this multipronged gift which brings access to Maryland’s history but also ensures the SMSC can continue their great work of keeping this history alive,” Vogel said. “The Society is setting an example of the many opportunities to become involved and support our CSM community.”

The SMSC serves as an archival repository and research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to materials that document the history and culture of Southern Maryland, including Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, as well as portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. Other genealogy-related archives at the SMSC include collections that document Southern Maryland family histories, African American history and education, local communities, rural medicine, Civil War-era records, family Bible records, photographs, family trees, surname files, and research materials connected to the region’s diverse families and lived experiences.

Collections at the SMSC are available to researchers, historians, and community members Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. - 1p.m., and by appointment. Visits can be scheduled on the SMSC website.