Hart Benton Holton

Hart Benton Holton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 5th district
In office
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded byAndrew Grant Chapman
Succeeded byBarnes Compton
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the Howard County district
In office
1862–1867
Personal details
Born(1835-10-13)October 13, 1835
near Elkton, Maryland, U.S.
DiedJanuary 4, 1907(1907-01-04) (aged 71)
Resting placeLoudon Park Cemetery
PartyUnconditional Union
Republican
Spouse
Pamelia A. Gary
(m. 1861)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • educator

Hart Benton Holton (October 13, 1835 – January 4, 1907) was an American politician from Maryland. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a member of the Maryland Senate.

Early life

Hart Benton Holton was born on October 13, 1835, near Elkton, Maryland, to Mary (née Alexander) and John Holton.[1][2] His father emigrated from Ireland and his mother emigrated from Scotland.[3] He attended common schools, including Blair High School in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He also attended Hopewell Academy of Chester, Pennsylvania.[1][2]

Career

Holton moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1857 and taught school in Alberton, Maryland, from 1857 to 1873.[1][2] He was also affiliated with the cotton manufacturing industry and mills in Alberton and was employed by James S. Gary.[2][3]

Holton was a Republican. During the Civil War, he advocated for the Union cause. He served as a Unconditional Union member of the Maryland Senate, representing Howard County, from 1862 to 1867.[1][2] He advocated for the passage of the charter of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad and the State Agricultural Association.[2][3] He later moved to Woodlawn, Maryland in 1873, where he engaged in the raising of blooded horses.[1][3] He was elected from the fifth district of Maryland as a Republican to the Forty-eighth Congress, and served from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1885.[1] In 1883, he ran as the Republican nominee for the governorship of Maryland, but lost to Robert Milligan McLane.[2] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1884 to the Forty-ninth Congress and retired from public life, at which point he took up an interest in raising horses.[1]

Personal life

Holton married Pamelia A. Gary, daughter of James S. Gary and sister of Postmaster General James Albert Gary, on August 27, 1861.[2][3] In 1876, he purchased his 430 acres (170 ha) Meadows home on Dogwood Road near Woodlawn.[2][3] He purchased the stallion Orange Blossom for US$12,000 and took care of it on his property. He later purchased the stallion Bradstreet.[3] He was a member of the Gentlemen's Driving Club and served as a judge at club races.[3]

Holton died of a heart ailment at his Meadows home in Woodlawn on January 4, 1907. He was interred in Loudon Park Cemetery of Baltimore, Maryland.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Holton, Hart Benton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Hart B. Holton". The Oxford Press. January 10, 1907. p. 5. Retrieved February 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Death of H. B. Holton". The Baltimore Sun. January 5, 1907. p. 7. Retrieved February 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon