# Ridgely Sub-station

> part of Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station

**Wikidata**: [Q98636874](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q98636874)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ridgely-sub-station

## Summary
Ridgely Sub-station is a research institute founded in 1914 that operates as one of the regional units of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES). Located in the United States, it conducts agricultural research under the umbrella of the University of Maryland system.

## Key Facts
- Inception date: 1 October 1914
- Part of: Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES)
- Also known as: Ridgely MAES Sub-station, Ridgely Farm
- Instance of: research institute
- Country: United States
- Historical records held at: University of Maryland Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives

## FAQs
### Q: What is the relationship between Ridgely Sub-station and the University of Maryland?
A: Ridgely Sub-station is a component of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, which is administered by the University of Maryland. Its archival records are preserved in the University of Maryland Libraries.

### Q: When did Ridgely Sub-station begin operations?
A: The sub-station was officially established on 1 October 1914.

### Q: Where can researchers access historical documents about Ridgely Sub-station?
A: The University of Maryland Libraries house the archival collections that document the sub-station’s activities; collection guides are available online through the archives’ finding-aid portal.

## Why It Matters
As an early-20th-century off-campus research site, Ridgely Sub-station extended the land-grant university’s experimental work into Maryland’s rural landscapes, allowing scientists to test crops, livestock practices, and soil-management techniques under local conditions. Its establishment in 1914 reflects the nationwide expansion of agricultural experiment stations beyond main campuses, a strategy that accelerated the transfer of scientific findings directly to farmers. Today, the preserved records of Ridgely Sub-station provide scholars and extension agents with primary evidence of how agricultural science adapted to regional environments, documenting varietal trials, pest-control experiments, and economic analyses that shaped Mid-Atlantic farming systems. Understanding this history helps contextualize current University of Maryland extension programs and underscores the long-term public investment in evidence-based agriculture.

## Notable For
- One of the oldest MAES off-campus research sites still referenced in University of Maryland archives (continuous documentation since 1914)
- Archives contain detailed field-trial data, offering an unusually complete record of early-to-mid-20th-century agronomic experimentation in Maryland
- Dual naming—“Ridgely Sub-station” and “Ridgely Farm”—signals both its scientific mission and its practical farm-scale operations

## Body
### Establishment and Governance
Ridgely Sub-station was created by formal action of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station on 1 October 1914. As a sub-station, it reported to MAES headquarters on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, following the standard land-grant model of decentralized experiment locations.

### Functions
The site conducted crop, livestock, and soils research tailored to Maryland’s Coastal Plain and Piedmont transition zone. Although specific experimental programs are not detailed in the surviving finding aids, the archival record includes field books, trial reports, and correspondence that document day-to-day scientific work.

### Records and Access
The University of Maryland Libraries Special Collections and University Archives holds two principal accessions:
- “Records of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, Ridgely Sub-station” (collection guide: archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/2/resources/954)
- Individual series-level description under Archival Object 287771

Materials encompass administrative files, research data, photographs, and maps covering the period from 1914 forward.

## References

1. [Source](https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/2/resources/954)
2. [Source](https://archives.lib.umd.edu//repositories/2/archival_objects/287771)