Plantation Preservation & Inclusive Interpretation: Behind the Scenes at Riversdale House Museum

 My name is Stephen Toth and I am an undergraduate history major in my senior year here at UMBC. This semester, I am interning at Riversdale House Museum in Riverdale Park, Maryland, a historic house museum owned and operated by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC.) I have been part of the volunteer team since September 2024,working in the roles of Tour Guide and Visitor Support Assistant. In these roles I either give tours of the house or work the front desk of the visitor center, greeting visitors as they arrive and giving a brief introduction to the history of the site. 

Riversdale House was constructed between 1801 and 1807 at the behest of Henri Stier, a wealthy Belgian aristocrat who had fled to the United States due to threats to the security of the wealthy during the French Revolution. Stier returned to Belgium following the conclusion of the Revolution in 1805 and entrusted his daughter Rosalie Stier Calvert with overseeing the construction of the remainder of the house. Much of what is known about life at Riversdale in this period is drawn from the extensive writings of Rosalie Stier Calvert, which were compiled by Margaret Law Callcott in 1991 under the title Mistress of Riversdale: The Plantation Letters of Rosalie Stier Calvert, 1795-1821. After Rosalie’s death in 1821, the plantation remained in the Calvert family until 1887 when it was sold to developers who created the town of Riverdale Park which surrounds the grounds of the house today. The house itself went through a series of owners until it was acquired by M-NCPPC in 1949, though it did not open in its present format as a museum until 1993.

When discussing the story of Riversdale, it is also critical to mention that enslaved labor was used in the construction of the home along with the daily tasks of agricultural and domestic labor. Before the 2020s, much of the interpretive content was centered around the Stier and Calvert families. With the increased public focus on the role of slavery in shaping our nation in recent years, the interpretation at Riversdale has evolved to become more inclusive of the stories of the approximately 55 enslaved people who lived and worked on the grounds. This process is ongoing, and it is very exciting to see and be a part of these changes. I look forward to sharing more stories about my time here at Riversdale with you all. 

A mariachi band performs on the front steps of the Riversdale House as part of a Hispanic Heritage Month Community Day event on September 14, 2025.