Rich Hill (Bel Alton, Maryland) Explained

Rich Hill
Location:Northeast of Bel Alton on Bel Alton-Newtown Rd., Bel Alton, Maryland
Coordinates:38.4817°N -76.9508°W
Added:November 12, 1975
Refnum:75000885

Rich Hill, near Bel Alton, Maryland, was owned by Colonel Samuel Cox, a Confederate sympathizer during the American Civil War. Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, Cox hid assassin John Wilkes Booth and his companion, David Herold, in a swamp near Rich Hill. Booth and Herold left the property on April 21, crossing the Potomac River in a small boat.[1]

Following Booth's capture, Cox was tried and convicted of aiding Booth, receiving a light sentence.

The house is significant in its own right, showing characteristic features of southern Maryland house construction.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rich Hill . May 1975. 2016-01-01 . J. Richard Rivoire . Maryland Historical Trust.