Saving Rich Hill

[L Verge]

I'm afraid that it needs about $1.5 million in loving care. The Charles County Historical Society had a well-known restoration architect inspect it before accepting the responsibility, and that's the figure he came up with. They have also decided to "rehabilitate" instead of "restore" in order to save money -- and also to avoid the time-consuming process of getting approvals for everything from the Maryland Historical Trust.

I know from experience that getting approvals from them is a chore - even though necessary from the oversight perspective. Surratt House has an easement with them and is subject to inspection on a yearly basis. In fact, we just passed our latest one with glowing comments.

Another downside of Rich Hill's situation is that the owner destroyed all the 19th-century features of the house back in 1976, when he restored it as a Bicentennial project. The house dates before the Revolution, and its owner was one of the doctors who tended to the dying George Washington; but the house is much better known for its connection to Booth and Herold. The house that they saw in the dark was much larger than what was there in the 1700s. Those 19th-century appendages actually gave the house more character.

Current plans call for offices on the second floor and a small, county history museum on the ground floor. I have been asked to give advice from time to time, so I will pass on news to the students of the assassination when possible.