Rich Hill (Bel Alton, Maryland)

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Rich Hill
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LocationNortheast of Bel Alton on Bel Alton-Newtown Rd., Bel Alton, Maryland
Coordinates 38°28′54″N76°57′3″W / 38.48167°N 76.95083°W / 38.48167; -76.95083 Coordinates: 38°28′54″N76°57′3″W / 38.48167°N 76.95083°W / 38.48167; -76.95083
Area15 acres (6.1 ha)
Built1825 (1825)
NRHP reference No. 75000885 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 12, 1975

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. [2]

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. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. J. Richard Rivoire (May 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rich Hill" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved 2016-01-01.