The Monthly Newsletter of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society MAY 2023
| THE VIEW FROM THE LOGGIA
| Welcome to the New Tudor Hall Times!
Along with our new website, the Tudor Hall Times now comes ready to read, no longer as a PDF attachment that you have to open. Will wonders ever cease!
We've been touting the improvements to the site (encountering only small glitches thus far), including access to the Chronicles of St. Mary's (go to the bottom of the Chronicles page and click on VIEW THE CHRONICLES ONLINE!).
As of today, members have access to approximately 40,000 Obituaries Files scanned from St. Mary's County newspapers, as well as other sources. To find them, click on RESEARCH CENTER then on People under the Research Library heading. Obituaries are alphabetical within each file. Use Ctrl+F to search within the file. Unfortunately, handwritten and light copies won't show up in your search.
If you're not a member, you will miss many of the new features (such as access to the Chronicles, Obit Files and other historical and genealogical materials). All these are reserved for members only. So. . .become a member and enjoy the riches of the Historical Society and this County!
| The Gavel Has Been Passed
At the 2023 Annual Meeting and Spring Dinner, Adm. Tim Heely, USN (Ret.) was elected as the 12th President in the Historical Society's seventy-two year history. Dr. John Roache served as President since 2012. During his tenure, the Historical Society has strengthened its membership, broadened its activities, and established itself as a first-class genealogical and historical research facility for the County. Dr. Roache will remain active on the Board, moving to the role of Vice President.
Adm. Heely told members that he looks forward to continued growth and opportunity for the Society and opened the possibility of closer collaboration with other historical organizations in the County.
| Directors Elected
At the Annual Meeting and Dinner, the following Directors were elected to four year terms:
Catherine Bowes: Ms. Bowes was elected to the Board in 2021 replacing Bob Goldsmith. She serves as Chair of the Program Committee
Susan Dyer: Mrs. Dyer joined the Historical Society in 2013 and serves as Chair of the Membership Committee
Diane Mangel: Mrs. Mange. was elected to the Board in 2022 to complete the term of Don Stabile. She serves as Chair of the Marketing Committee
| Thank You!
At each Dinner, we try to name Sponsor Levels in keeping with the prevailing theme. Whatever terms we might come up with, we can't say thank you enough to the members who help support these functions.
Accordingly, we want to recognize the following sponsors of this years Annual Meeting & Spring Dinner with sincere gratitude:
GRANDPARENT Level:
Nancy Dodge
SIBLING Level:
John Sterling Houser
1st COUSIN TWICE REMOVED Level:
Carol Booker
Robert Lindblad
Robert & STacey McCartney
Kindra Rusz
SHIRT-TAIL COUSIN IN LAW Level:
Joseph & Susan Dyer
Roy Dyson
Christine Senese
| Honoring Pete Himmelheber
On May 2nd, the St Mary's County Historic Preservation Commission presented its 2023 Legacy Award to Pete Himmelheber. The  citation, which was received by Pete's widow, Lillie, read:
For enhancing the quality of life and giving local residents a greater understanding of the richness and diversity of their cultural and architectural heritage.
The ceremony was attended by many of Pete's family and friends. He is missed greatly.
| The Ark Cannon To Be Restored
The cannon which sits outside Leonardtown's Old Jail is one of the few remaining artifacts from the Ark which, along with the Dove, brought the first settlers to Maryland in 1634.
Presented to the Historical Society in 1959 by the then Provincial of the Jesuit Order, the cannon has sat outside the Old Jail and adjacent to the County Court House since 1960. Over that sixty-three year span, erosion has taken a heavy toll. Removed from the Ark, the cannon was part of the fort at St. Mary's City then was planted vertically in the ground serving as a marker on Jesuit-owned land in St. Inigoes.
The Historical Society does not want to allow this important piece of County and Maryland history to be lost forever. Through a generous grant provided by Destination Southern Maryland and the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, on May 18th the Historical Society will remove and transport the cannon to Jefferson-Patterson Memorial Park for restoration.
In addition, Historical Society volunteers led by Mr. Gene Wood will build an historically appropriate carriage in place of the brickwork on which it has been sitting.. The Board is examining alternative sites for its eventual placement that is in keeping with its history and importance.
| Over to You. . .
What are your thoughts about receiving the Tudor Hall Times in this format? We need to work on the layout a bit, to be sure. But while we think doing away with a PDF version is better, we're interested in what you have to say.
So, please, take a moment to share your thoughts with us about this newletter and the new website in general.
| |