“From the Archives” — Zorobabel Hill, A Fascinating Parishioner
Visitors to Saint Mary Cemetery have often wondered about the name “Zoro” Hill on a large tombstone. Zorobabel was a biblical character, an important Jew who aided his people after they returned to Jerusalem following their exile in Babylon. He is included in the genealogy of Jesus at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel.
The son of John Thomas Hill and Elvira Marriott, Zorobabel Hill (1866-1910) had a multi-faceted career. He owned and operated the Hill Perfect Cigar Manufacturing Company near Union Street. His brands included the Zoro Fine Cigars and Old Reliable Cigars. He also was a talented inventor. The Hill family was active in Alexandria’s volunteer fire companies for decades, and Zorobabel Hill recognized the need for improved warnings to the community. He invented and patented the Petty Electrical Signal Company, which manufactured street signals. The signals were credited with saving countless lives, and are a feature in the Newark, New Jersey, Fire Museum.
Hill also was a clerk at the Saint Asaph Racetrack in Saint Elmo, near the present-day Saint Rita Church. It was a gam- bling casino and horse racing track. His brother, John Marriott Hill, was the bookkeeper for the business. The racetrack became very controversial when a sheriff who strongly opposed gambling crusaded to shut it down. The Hills and the other officers in the enterprise, including some of Alexandria’s most prominent citizens, were almost convicted of crimes. Despite the racetrack controversy, Zoro Hill’s popularity did not diminish. He served as Alexandria’s police commission- er for many years, until his death in 1910. He was active in many Saint Mary parish and civic charitable activities. In his obituary, The Washington Post noted that he was an officer in the Knights of Columbus, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Young Men’s Sodality and Catholic Benevolent League. He also was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Elks, and the volunteer fire brigade. He certainly led a busy life! —
— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian
In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series in 2022. An archive of the features is located here.