Last updated: September 11, 2025
Place
Handsell
Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance
Quick Facts
Location:
4837 Indiantown Rd, Vienna, MD 21869
Significance:
Handsell preserves the intertwined Native American, African American, and European histories of the Chicone village site in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Designation:
National Register of Historic Places; Chesapeake Gateways Network Site
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
5 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Pets Allowed, Picnic Table, Restroom
At Handsell, history comes to life through the stories of three cultures who shaped this land along the Nanticoke River. For centuries, the Chicone village was the largest Native American settlement on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Visitors can step inside a reconstructed longhouse, explore the gardens, and walk trails that follow the rhythms of the land.
Inside the restored 18th-century brick manor house, you’ll see period rooms and exhibits that bring to life the stories of European settlers and the African Americans, both enslaved and free, who lived and worked here. The Memorial to the Enslaved honors more than 210 individuals whose labor shaped Handsell, while films and oral histories share personal accounts from sharecropper families who called this place home into the 20th century.
Throughout the year, special events, festivals, and folklife demonstrations invite you to try traditional crafts, taste historic recipes, and experience the rhythms of life in another time. The surrounding landscape offers quiet moments for reflection and a chance to appreciate the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s natural beauty.
Whether you come for a guided tour, a hands-on program, or a peaceful walk, Handsell offers an unforgettable connection to the people, cultures, and landscapes that have shaped this corner of the Chesapeake for over 300 years. Learn more about this Chesapeake Gateways Network Site on their website.