Zekiah Swamp

The name is recorded in English and French from the 17th century for the swamp, river, and local Algonquian band. ==History==

Maryland was formed as an English colony in 1634. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, the Province of Maryland was established by Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore as a haven for Roman Catholic Englishmen. Much of Zekiah Swamp is now thickly wooded and very swampy, but during the colonial period it was a center of activity for the growing colony. A courthouse was built in 1674 and archaeologists believe they have found the location of a "summer house" constructed by colonial governor Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore. The courthouse was built in 1674 at Moore's Lodge. It served as the Charles County courthouse until 1727 when the county government was moved to Port Tobacco. Early maps included a drawing of the courthouse. The drawing has allowed historians to know exactly what it looked like despite being unable to find its precise location for many years. Booth entered the swamp after treatment by Dr. Samuel Mudd for the broken leg he suffered escaping Ford's Theater. A Black tobacco farmer guided Booth and his co-conspirator David Herold through the swamp to the home of a Confederate sympathizer, Samuel Cox. Cox led Booth and Herold to Thomas A. Jones who helped them the rest of the way through the Zekiah Swamp and across the Potomac River to Virginia. ==Ecology==

Zekiah Swamp is a greenway. Greenways are often long, narrow strips of undeveloped land that are surrounded by urban, suburban or agricultural development. A tributary of the Potomac River, the swamp is of braided stream, stretching the length of Charles County. Most of the forests and marshes have since been destroyed by development. Zekiah Swamp Natural Environment Area is one of the few places in Charles County to be undisturbed. It is considered to be one of the "most important ecological areas on the East Coast" by the Smithsonian Institution. Sediment buildup in the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay will be slowed or prevented by the protection of plant life in the swamps. The plants work to absorb much of the runoff that would otherwise pollute the waters. ==Recreational use==

Although the Zekiah Swamp Natural Environment Area is primarily owned by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, it isn't managed for recreation. As a result, there are no paved public access roads, parking areas, or scenic overlooks. Nor are there marked or developed trails, picnic areas, campsites, or visitor centers. Nonetheless, a limited level of recreational use is still possible. In connection with its Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail system, the U.S. National Park Service notes that access is possible by way of the intersection of U.S. Highway 301 and SR 234 (Budds Creek Road). Traveling east from that point on SR 234, one comes to Penn's Hill Road/Allen’s Fresh Road. Following Allen's Fresh Road south at mile 23.2, there is a dirt road on the west side that leads through the swamp and woods to Allen's Fresh Run of the Wicomico River. This is suitable for driving or walking. Other sight-seeing or photo opportunities are possible with brief stops along the shoulder of SR 234 where it passes through the Natural Environment Area. Similar possibilities exist to the north on SR 6 (Charles Street) that runs between La Plata and Charlotte Hall. ==References==