Bel Alton in Charles County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Rich Hill
Photographed by Alvin Brockway, November 4, 2006
1. Rich Hill historical marker
Mid-18th century farm house (with alterations after 1800) was home of Col. Samuel Cox. This southern sympathizer fed and sheltered fugitives John Wilkes Booth and David E. Herold before dawn on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865 following Booth's assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Booth and Herold hid in woods until night of April 21, when Cox's foster brother, Thomas A. Jones, helped them escape across the Potomac to Virginia.
Erected 1976 by Maryland Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Booth's Escape, the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Maryland Historical Trust series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is April 16, 1854.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 38° 28.225′ N, 76° 57.984′ W. Marker was in Bel Alton, Maryland, in Charles County. It was at the intersection of Bel Alton Newton Road and Rich Hill Farm Road, on the left when traveling north on Bel Alton Newton Road. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Bel Alton MD 20611,
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Southern Maryland. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Rich Hill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Rich Hill Through the Years (about 300 feet away); Rich Hill Farm in the 19th Century: Samuel Cox and his Award-Winning Farm (about 400 feet away); Archaeology Provides a Key to the History of Rich Hill (about 400 feet away); Rich Hill Farm in the 20th Century (about 400 feet away); John Wilkes Booth and David Herold (approx. 1.2 miles away); Pine Thicket (approx. 1.2 miles away); John Wilkes Booth (approx. 1.3 miles
Photographed by Alvin Brockway, November 4, 2006
2. House belonging to Samuel Cox
Another marker is no longer nearby. Rich Hill Historic Site (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . . Booth's Escape Byway. Maryland Office of Tourism website entry (Submitted on January 16, 2019.)
Additional keywords. Booth, Lincoln, manhunt, assassination John Wilkes Booth Escape Route
Photographed by Christopher J Shelton, April 28, 2018
3. Rich Hill Marker
National Park Service, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, January 22, 2019
4. Rich Hill Marker & Rich Hill Farm Rd sign in background.
National Park Service, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, January 22, 2019
5. Rich Hill House Exterior.
Photographed by Rico Ramirez, July 15, 2024
6. Rich Hill Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2008, by Alvin Brockway of Burke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,974 times since then and 65 times this year. Last updated on July 15, 2024, by Rico Ramirez of Prince Frederick, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 1, 2008, by Alvin Brockway of Burke, Virginia. 3. submitted on August 27, 2018, by Christopher J Shelton of Indianapolis, Indiana. 4, 5. submitted on January 23, 2019. 6. submitted on July 15, 2024, by Rico Ramirez of Prince Frederick, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
