Saving Rich Hill

[BettyO]

What a lovely old Colonial home - hopefully, once it is fully restored this is what it will look like.

Does anyone know if the renovation will have it appear as it did when built or as it was when Booth and Herold came through the area in 1865?

[L Verge]

I believe that it will reflect the 1865 period. Hopefully, at some point, they will be able to reconstruct the dependencies that were attached as wings at the time that Booth and Herold were there at least. They should never have been removed in the 1970s, IMO, but the then-owner was trying to take advantage of the U.S. Bicentennial incentives.

[L Verge]

I am happy to report that I received a group email today indicating that our Dave Taylor is consulting with the Charles County government and the Charles County Historical Society on the restoration of Rich Hill. Dave has been able to supply them with quite a number of photos of the site dating from the late-1800s to the 1980s. Good things are going to happen...

[Dave Taylor]

Yes, today I had a meeting out at Rich Hill with members of the Charles County Historical Society and Charles County government planning Department. It was a small group of five of us. We went inside Rich Hill and inspected the grounds. The major discussion was about what could be done between now and April 2015, 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination, which will increase interest in the site. The major rehabilitation of the house will come after that time period but there was some great discussion about spraying to kill the vines on the house, cutting and trimming down some of the trees to provide a nicer view of the house and to possibly recreate the fence that surrounded the house and is present in the 1901 Oldroyd photo. There is also talk of putting in a parking lot of sorts (likely of gravel). I made sure to mention that the parking lot should be bus accessible for the escape route tours. Everything is in the planning stages right now and this meeting was just to talk about the immediate wants for the property to capitalize on the 150th. I walked away very happy with the direction and focus of the group. As Laurie said, good things are going to happen and, luckily, there is motivation to do so quickly.

[BettyO]

Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that the "Powers that Be" are finally listening - and proud that Mr. Taylor is having his input and they are responding!

[PaigeBooth]

I'm so very glad to hear this! My family and I stopped at Rich Hill last fall as we traveled through Maryland; due to the care taker of the property, we took our pictures from a distance. It is a beautiful old house, and a crucial landmark in Booth's escape. I am so very pleased to hear the property will not be lost to weather and age, but instead be preserved as the historical landmark it is and always will be!

Dave, will the house be open for touring? Or is it just the grounds that will be renovated to be made accessible for a closer look at the house/property? Thanks for all your time and effort!

[L Verge]

Yes, today I had a meeting out at Rich Hill with members of the Charles County Historical Society and Charles County government planning Department. It was a small group of five of us. We went inside Rich Hill and inspected the grounds. The major discussion was about what could be done between now and April 2015, 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination, which will increase interest in the site. The major rehabilitation of the house will come after that time period but there was some great discussion about spraying to kill the vines on the house, cutting and trimming down some of the trees to provide a nicer view of the house and to possibly recreate the fence that surrounded the house and is present in the 1901 Oldroyd photo. There is also talk of putting in a parking lot of sorts (likely of gravel). I made sure to mention that the parking lot should be bus accessible for the escape route tours. Everything is in the planning stages right now and this meeting was just to talk about the immediate wants for the property to capitalize on the 150th. I walked away very happy with the direction and focus of the group. As Laurie said, good things are going to happen and, luckily, there is motivation to do so quickly.

Dave, slip them the word that their hometown Chaney Enterprises has been very generous with giving gravel to the Dr. Mudd parking lot over the years. I believe they could afford to support two such projects.

[Rsmyth]

Great news Dave. Tell them they can sell bricks from the chimney to raise funds like Tudor Hall. There is a big pile alongside the house.

[Dave Taylor]

Paige,

I believe the vision for the end result is to have the house rehabilitated and open at select times for visitors. In the short term, however, the main focus will be to provide access to the site and beautification to the exterior.

Laurie,

Trust me when I say that the powers that be will be in contact with you soon regarding some help and expertise they are hoping you and the Surratt Society can provide. This note about gravel would probably be appreciated.

Rich,

Great minds think alike. I said the exact same thing about the bricks when we were surveying the house today.

[Anita]

Dave, This is indeed wonderful news. Thanks for your efforts. You wrote "...The major discussion was about what could be done between now and April 2015, 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination, which will increase interest in the site."

I'd like to add that it's not too early to start a PR campaign with a series of press and Web articles that keep the public informed and updated. They could include a donation wish list of items and services needed such as Laurie's suggestion for the gravel.

[L Verge]

I'm hoping they will take my suggestion of meeting the four Booth Escape Route Tour buses that we have heading their way in September of this year. A 15-20 minute stop with a brief talk on what is planned and a prominent donation jar on display can work wonders. (If all else fails, Rich Hill is the last stop on the tour before lunch. We won't let those hungry people back on the bus until they make a donation!).

Seriously, since the 1980s, our Surratt Society has raised over $90,000 to restore the kitchen wing at Surratt House and over $10,000 to mark the graves of Edman Spangler (in conjunction with the Dr. Mudd Society), Elizabeth Keckly's grave, and that of Mrs. Surratt's lawyer, Frederick Aiken. There are still generous people out there who support historical projects.