In 2021 a mid-nineteenth century Corn House was to be moved to Rich Hill, a historic property owned by Charles County, and we had to find an area away from the house where there were no artifacts. Rich Hill-2021 We found that area and the Corn House was moved. However, while looking for an area with no artifacts, we also found an area with artifacts - mostly nineteenth century. This appears to be the location of a cabin.
In 2025 Esther Read along with CCASM members and
other volunteers returned to that site at Rich Hill to learn more about
who might have occupied this cabin that was far from the main house but
close to an old road. Rich Hill-2025 If none of the artifacts found date after 1865,
the cabin could have been a slave cabin. If a number of artifacts found
date after 1865 the cabin could have been used by formerly enslaved
people but may also have previously been a slave cabin.
In 2026 the Historical Society of Charles County received a check from the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage for the building of the Ghost Structure at the Rich Hill Cabin Site. The Ghost Structure at Rich Hill is dedicated to interpreting and preserving the historic landscape, and to honoring the lives and enduring legacy of the enslaved men, women, and children who lived and labored on this property.
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On the weekend of July 25 and 26 the units at Rich Hill were finally done! Excavation is complete; paperwork is complete; photos and drawings are complete. This weekend's crew included Claudia, Linda, Denise, Jim Gibb, Tim Doyle, and an old dig buddy Gareth Lewis. Thanks to all that helped.
Thanks to Esther for this update
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| Working on another unit |
On Monday July 20 Denise, Malinda, Rich, Caleb, Caleb's grandma Carol, and Philip joined Esther at Rich Hill. We finished excavating Unit 21. All that's left to do with that unit is the final trowel down, photos, and profiles, oh and that pesky paperwork. Now we turn to Units 18 and 19, which we partially excavated when the soil was like concrete.
Thanks to Esther for this update and the photo.
On Monday July 13 Rich and Elsie joined Esther at Rich Hill and helped her finish Unit 20 of the Ghost Structure Site. After Rich and and Elsie left, Esther worked on the feature at the base of the unit. The feature was a long trench with a post at one end of it - so it was actually two features. We thought we might have a post on Saturday because there was a lot of brick concentrated on the top of a small section of the trench. The trench itself was very shallow. Esther's thinking at this point is it was either a post and a drip line from a structure, or we could be looking at a garden fence known as a post and pale fence. These were common in the 18th and 19th century. A ditch was dug between the posts, then rails were spread horizontally between the posts, and the palings were attached vertically to the rails so that the ends went into the trench. It was primarily a way to keep animals out of the garden - or within the fenced in area. These features have been drawn, excavated, photographed, profiled, and Esther got soil samples for flotation - there was a lot of charcoal in the trench. Nothing is left in Unit 20 and now we turn to Units 19 and 21, which we partially excavated when the soil was like concrete.
Thanks to Esther for this update.
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| Piscataway point |
Saturday June 20 Esther and Rich finished digging unit 20 down to subsoil. The soil is hard - as it is everywhere in the county due to the lack of rain - but we're down almost a foot at the base of the Plow Zone in unit 20. We have to put a small 2x2 ft unit into the corner to finish out the subsoil level. We're still working on units 21 and 22. Unit 18 is almost down to the subsoil. Esther is still trying to figure out exactly where Unit 19 should go - it will be over the door post location.
Claudia and Elsie along with Aaliyah and Trevan from Advanced Agricultural General Contracting screened. There were lots of ceramics, a couple of nails - including
rosehead ones, glass, fire cracked rock and a Piscataway projectile point (Late Archaic/Early Woodland). The point was chosen as the artifact of the day.
Advanced Architectural General Contracting, the contractor for the ghost cabin, provided mid-morning snacks and lunch. Rich Hill docents Mike and Jane visited us at lunch, and we had another set of visitors in the afternoon.
Thanks to Elsie and Esther for the info and to Esther for the photo.
April 27 Esther was at Rich Hill to dig small units for the Ghost House
footers. The dig went well. We opened two units but did not finish.
We'll be going back, not sure of the dates yet. We have through the end
of July to get this done. Thanks to Ned for mowing around the units.
Melinda and Claudia helped with the set up and ran the screens. We have
three new volunteers who came out to help.
Thanks to Esther for the info.
(Note: Rich Hill still has poison ivy, and the roots may show up in
the screens. Claudia and Melinda were the only ones willing to possibly get poison ivy, and they did.)
