Oatlands to Host Vintage Baseball Game on Sunday

An 1860s vintage baseball game is scheduled to take place at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens near Leesburg on Sunday.

This is the second year that the game has been played on the property and follows the rules and customs of the early 1860s. All of the uniforms and equipment will be authentic replicas and games will be played in an open area without gloves, helmets or catching gear.

“These are real games. It’s not fake,” said Director of Programming and Education Lori Kimball. “They have a schedule and they count the wins and the losses and at the end of the year and there are play offs and champions just like modern day baseball.”

According to Kimball, Oatlands has a bit of history when it comes to the American game. Conrad Powell “Nick” Carter, grandson of George Carter, who began construction on the Oatlands mansion in 1804, was a standout player at the University of Virginia and later pitched professionally for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908.

After his short-lived major league career, Carter played on various minor league teams for five more years. In 1925 he coached in the Florida League and in 1929 the West Texas League. He died in Grasonville, MD, in 1961.

Sunday’s event will be a great opportunity to celebrate Carter and the game of baseball, Kimball said. Maryland’s Potomac Nine will play against The Old Dominions, a new team that was recently formed in Northern Virginia. Both are part of the Mid-Atlantic Vintage Baseball League, she said.

“I think it’s just really fun seeing the sport that we all know today played pretty much like it was originally,” Kimball said. “They play by the rules of 1860s but it’s really close to it s roots so its fun to see it played in that way.”

Gates will open at noon on Sunday and the game will begin at 1 p.m. The cost is $20 per car, van or motorcycle and $50 per bus. The event is family friendly and something that all age groups can enjoy. Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs or a blanket.

Mansion tours will also be available throughout the day and the fourteenth annual “Four Seasons of Oatlands” Art Show & Sale will be on display inside of the Carriage House. For more information visit Oatlands online or call 703-777-3174.