The Friends of Rich Hill is a committee of the Historical Society of Charles County and as such has its own mission statement:
Educate the public about the local and national history of Rich Hill;
Raise funds for the rehabilitation and furnishing of Rich Hill;
Provide updates on the progress of the site’s rehabilitation;
Host special events for members of the Friends of Rich Hill;
Sponsor public awareness events;
Develop partnerships with other organizations;
And record pertinent information, documents, and photographs as part of the Historic Sites file at the Southern Maryland Studies Center, College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus.
Shaping a Better Future
The Friends of Rich Hill is committed to making Rich Hill a lively, engaging, and provocative resource that will help citizens discover their connections to the past and each other and recognize that history is a tool for understanding the present to shape a better future.
With volunteer research, the Friends of Rich Hill are digging deep into the past of Rich Hill using as many original sources as available. With the advent of online digital documents and archives, discoveries and “Eureka” moments can happen at any time. Newspaper accounts, court proceedings, land records, wills, and probates to name a few, help lift the curtain on shared experiences.
Charles County and Rich Hill are a microcosm of our national heritage. Some are painful to review, and some is joyful in its outcomes. In the ever changing fast paced landscape today, where news is almost reported before it happens, and bypassed onto some new sound bite, Rich Hill will be a place to gather. Rich Hill will be a place to assemble citizens and address their thoughts, to collaborate and value equity, and democracy, and pursue lifelong learning.
Tours
Tours at Historic Rich Hill will focus on five interpretive themes: Dr. Gustavus Brown, the builder; Samuel Cox and the role Rich Hill played following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln; the Enslaved African-Americans of Rich Hill: From Slavery’s Shadow to Freedom’s Light; Architecture and Archaeology at Historic Rich Hill
A Museum for All
The Historical Society of Charles County continues to promote Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion in all our activities in Programs by encouraging all ethnicities to attend our programs; by reaching out to partner with diverse organizations and through the programing of speakers and presentations which focus on our diverse history.
We are a member of Museums4All, which promotes diversity, equity, access, and inclusion for all.
“Museums for All is a national, branded access program that encourages individuals of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. It is open to participation by any type of museum — including art, history, natural history/anthropology, and general museums, children’s museums, science centers, planetariums, nature centers, historic houses/sites, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and arboretums.”
“Museums for All is an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency based in Washington, DC. The initiative is administered by the Association of Children’s Museums through a cooperative agreement with IMLS.”
Partners of Rich Hill
The African-American Heritage Society of Charles County
The Charles County Archaeological Society
The Charles County Garden Club
The Charles County Historic Preservation Commission
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Society
Maryland Society of Colonial Wars
Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriot Park
The Port Tobacco Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
The Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco
The Southern Maryland Civil War Roundtable
The St. Mary’s County Historical Society
The Surratt Society The Thomas Stone Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution The Wallace Bowling Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Website & Donations
For more information about Rich Hill, including its rehabilitation, plans for opening, and future operating hours, please visit our website: richhillfriends.org
To donate to Historic Rich Hill,
Please mail checks to:
Friends of Rich Hill
PO Box 2806
La Plata, MD 20646 Or to our PayPal account:
Rich Hill is on the National Register of Historic Places
and a member of the Southern Maryland Equity in History Coalition
“Rich Hill reminds us that the past is more complex, painful, and difficult to understand, the study of history can help us discover our shared past and build a stronger more resilient community.”
There must be value in all Friends of Rich Hill does. Friends of Rich Hill with the Historical Society of Charles County, strives to create bold experiences that will explore and elevate our shared heritage and connect, enhance, and enrich our humanity.
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