Returning to Rich Hill - 2026

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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Piscataway
point

Saturday June 20 Esther and Rich finished digging unit 20.  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 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.)