Other names: Algonquin
Sandy Hill is a high sandy hill on the western edge of Cambridge on the Choptank River. This sand deposit accumulated over thousands of years by winds blowing from the northwest down the Choptank River. Such deposits are referred to as eolian – meaning formed by wind; from Eolus, the god of wind.
Here was located a Native-American village site of the Adena Culture. During sand quarrying operations in the 1920s, a significant cache of large beautiful ceremonial blades was uncovered. Unfortunately, this important collection is in private hands.
Algonguin is a Colonial Revival style house built on this hill (7 Manito Drive) in 1895 by John Mundy. Mundy changed the name from Sandy Hill to Algonquin. It was next purchased by U.S. Senator Raynor of Maryland and used as a summer home. It was later sold to Mr. Basshor of Baltimore, whose wife was the first wife of Isaac Emerson, the originator of Bromo-Seltzer. Many of the roads at Sandy Hill are named after various Indian tribes including Nanticoke, Algonquin, Kiowa and Shawnee.
(Choptank River Cultural Resources Inventory, 1999-2002)