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BRYANS ROAD, Md. — From a hilltop overlooking the Potomac River, Mt. Aventine Mansion has had a front-row seat to centuries of Charles County history.
The white mansion now sits within Chapman State Park, surrounded by woods, trails and views of the river. But before the land became a public park, it was home to the Chapman family, a working plantation and a busy stretch of the Potomac.
The Chapman Family The Potomac was the heart of the Chapman family’s world for generations.
In 1751, Nathaniel Chapman established a 580-acre plantation along the river. The Chapmans were a wealthy and well-connected family with land and business interests stretching across Maryland, Virginia and the Ohio Valley. They also had ties to prominent families, including the Washingtons and Masons, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
At Mt. Aventine, their lives revolved around the river. The family grew tobacco, operated a ferry and ran a commercial fishery. The property became more than a family estate. It was a place where people, goods and boats moved through Charles County.
The Friends of Chapman State Park notes that the Chapmans remained connected ...