You are standing in front of a graphic panel titled “House History: Woodlawn.” Behind you, to your left, is a tactile 3D model of Woodlawn House. Behind you, to your right, is the information desk. 

This panel includes text and five images.

The main text reads:

HOUSE HISTORY
Woodlawn
 
You are standing in the oldest building in the Smithsonian’s collection that is still in its original location.

Woodlawn was built in 1735 for tobacco planter William Sellman and his family. The Sellmans were among the first European families to arrive in the colony of Maryland. Their descendants lived in this house until the early 1900s, when the Kirkpatrick-Howat family moved in.

In addition to these two families, enslaved African Americans, servants, and tenant farmers lived in and around this house.

Explore the exhibition to discover their stories.

HOUSE HISTORY CLUES

In 2020, the Smithsonian rehabilitated Woodlawn and transformed it into a visitor center. During the building work, architectural historians and archaeologists uncovered clues about the house and the people who lived here.

Look for images of these clues as you explore the exhibition.

There are five images on this panel, from top to bottom:

A photo of Woodlawn House, taken in 2021

An illustration of a magnifying glass next to the title “House History Clues”

A photo of chalk writing on a wooden beam in the attic

A photo of writing on the wall of the house

A photo of a red brick with the date “1735” engraved on it