A History of Rousby Hall

Elliot Kocen
Guest Speaker, January’s Brown Bag Lunch

CCHS member Elliot Kocen shared with the standing-room only crowd how he and his wife, Joan, came to live in a historic home and how he found himself being the author of A History of Rousby Hall. Joan, who was searching for a project in the 1990s, discovered the home and its Customs House, and quickly fell in love with it. Through much hard work, Elliot and Joan were able to invite friends to a Rousby Hall celebration in 2007, whereupon many wanted to know the home’s history. In what started as a page of information and steadily grew to 30 and more pages, Elliot began his journey in creating the book.

The story began when the Rousby brothers – Christopher and John–arrived in Maryland in 1666. Christopher settled on the southern shore of the Patuxent River, while John built the home known as Susquehana on the northern shore. Part of the original land grant called Eltonhead, Christopher’s property included the Customs House in which the King’s Collector would gather taxes owed by ships sailing up the river. An argument led to Christopher’s death at the hand of the tax collector, and John Rousby sailed to England to file charges but died before his return.

John Rousby II inherited the property and probably built Rousby Hall around 1730, but he died at an early age. His widow ultimately consented to marry William Fitzhugh from Virginia (after much coercion), who was a sympathizer to the Patriot cause. Fitzhugh refused to outfit British troops with supplies and, as a result, the British destroyed his home. Rousby Hall was rebuilt, and this house is the current home of Joan and Elliot.

In A History of Rousby Hall, Elliot details the lineage of the Rousby and Fitzhugh families and describes the several Rousby Halls in detail. He has included numerous images of earlier residents as well as photos of artifacts found during excavation and shoring up of the house. He and Joan invite the reader to share their home in the pages of A History of Rousby Hall, available in the CCHS Gift Shop. It’s been so popular that we’re on the third printing now! Call to make sure it’s in stock!

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About calverthistory

The Calvert County Historical Society, Inc. was founded in 1953 by a small group of concerned Calvert County residents. On May 5, 1954, articles of incorporation were made part of the public record which stated that the main purpose of the Society was to further the collection of historical data and records concerned with Calvert County and other materials bearing on the history of the State and Nation, including private letters, documents, manuscripts, early events and acts as recorded in structures and works of public and private nature. From a newly established Headquarters Room on site at Linden, visitors can find a wealth of valuable early county history. Gifts to the Society over the years have been varied and interesting, and have made important contributions to the understanding of the uniqueness and richness of the County's history. The research library continues to grow in volume and diversity. Family papers describing first person accounts of historical events, wills, family Bibles, original manuscripts, photographs, published histories and a growing video library are but a small part of the collection. Portraits, pieces of furniture and artifacts have also been entrusted to the Society's care. Beyond the collections, the Society's broad mission included establishing a roadside marker program as early as 1956. The first committee found only three historical markers placed by the State Roads Commission. Today, there are twenty nine and the effort continues. A primary goal of the Society was the publishing of a History of Calvert County. In April of 1959, Charles F. Stein presented his manuscript for review and acceptance. A second edition was published as a bicentennial project. (1977)

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One Response to A History of Rousby Hall

John William Garten says:

April 4, 2012 at 8:32 pm

At one point my grandparents Harry and Mary Ethel Sanner Olsen lived in a farmhouse on the Rousby Hall Property along with my Mother and Aunts and Uncles (way before I was even thought of). They (and a few other nearby children) were known as the “Rousby Kids” and they took the school boat to school because the roads were either too bad or non-existent. In winter my Aunt Elva kept the pot-bellied stove on the boat fired up. My Great-grandfather was John M Olsen/Olson who built the first house in Avondale/Johnstown. I was named after 3 great-grandfathers named John (including John Olson) and 1 named William. This is the first that I have heard that Rousby Hall was restored. My Aunt Anne Olsen Stamper (89, living in Florida)is probably the only one left who knows the Olsen-Rousby Hall story. My mothers first boyfriend lived on the Drum Point Lighthouse.