BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Hampton NHS

MD -- Hampton NHS:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. HAMP_131027_006.JPG: Captain Charles Ridgely 1733-1790 Patriot Builder of Hampton and owner Northampton Iron Works, supplier to American Revolutionary forces Maryland Line Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution 1984
2. HAMP_131027_012.JPG: Future visitor center
3. HAMP_131027_014.JPG: Hampton: An American Story This land was once part of one of the largest estates in Maryland -- and one of the most impressive. The Ridgely family owned Hampton Plantation for more than 200 years, and their home and many farm buildings have changed little since the mid 19th century. This property weathered the growing pains of the nation from colonial times through World War II. Here you can experience American history through the architecture, original objects, and stories of those who lived and worked on the site.
4. HAMP_131027_019.JPG: The Mansion, completed 1790 Ridgely's Pride: Hampton is the "show-place" of Maryland. There is certainly nothing like it, south of Mason and Dixon's line. -- JC Carpenter, from Appleton's Journal, May 8, 1875 When Captain Charles Ridgely's country neighbors saw him erecting a "palace in the wilderness" in the 1780s, they called it "Ridgely's Folly." The mansion before you, modeled on the great country houses of Britain, was a great source of pride for the first master of Hampton. When completed in 1790, it was one of the largest private residences in America, an impressive sight for all who visited. The imposing building was a physical expression of the success of the entrepreneur for whom it was built. As you walk through this site, try to image how the buildings were viewed by the owners, paid laborers, and enslaved. The mansion was located at the highest point on the property. The cupola atop the mansion, an ornamental feature that also served to improve ventilation and cooling of the interior, provided a perfect vantage point for family and guests to view the extensive property below.
5. HAMP_131027_029.JPG: Icehouse, c 1790: Ice Cream in July: Having ice in summertime was a real luxury in the early 19th century. Storing enough ice to last throughout the summer was a true feat. A large icehouse was a sign of wealth, and originally there were two such structures at Hampton. Although it looks like a grassy mound from the outside, take the steps to view the elaborate underground vault that allowed the Ridgelys to serve ice cream in July.
6. HAMP_131027_073.JPG: Oranges in January: Orangery, originally constructed ca 1830s. Destroyed by fire 1926, reconstructed 1976. It was not possible to grow fresh oranges and lemons outside in Maryland, as delicate fruit trees could not survive the winter. The Ridgely family, however, enjoyed the luxury of having fruit on their table all winter long. To protect their treasured citrus plants, they built a specialized greenhouse called an orangery. Designed to resemble a Greek temple, the building was heated by the sun through the glass panels on the south and east sides and by a hypocaust furnace. In summer, the potted citrus trees were placed around the garden paths. "It has been truly said of Hampton that it expresses more grandeur than any other place in America.... The formal terraces of exquisitely kept grass, the long rows of superb lemon and orange trees, with the adjacent orangerie and the foreign air of the house, quite disturb one's ideas of republican American." -- Henry W. Sargent in A.J. Downing's "A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening," 1839 The orangery was heated by a hypocaust, a heating system first used by the ancient Romans. A wood-burning furnace at one end produced heat, which ran through flues under the floor of the building and radiated around the room's perimeter.
7. HAMP_131027_098.JPG: A Romance with Nature: The Falling Garden: Gardens and Parterres, ca 1785-1904 The jewel of Hampton's cultural landscape and the focus of Ridgely family horticultural pursuits for 150 years is the Falling Garden. Constructed under Charles Ridgely "The Builder" in the 1780s, the Falling Garden was one of the largest earthmoving projects in America. The terraces were planted with geometric gardens called parterres from the French meaning "on the ground." Originally laid out by 1810, they are attributed to William Booth, a renowned designer of the period. In the mid-19th century, Eliza Ridgely, third Mistress of Hampton, transformed the Falling Garden. Her gardening legacy remains apparent, with the creation of the Victorian Carpet Bedding displayed by Parterre II, in the plantings of many trees throughout the site, and in the construction of a number of outbuildings including several greenhouses. Professional gardeners supervised the planting and maintenance with workers, paid and enslaved, supplying the labor. The parterre designs you see before you are the same layout as those documented in plans and photographs in the late 19th century. Parterre I, shown in this 1879 photograph, retained its original geometric configuration through seven generations of the Ridgely family. The other parterres changed following the influences of gardening trends of the day.
8. HAMP_131027_128.JPG: Thoroughbreds at Hampton: Some of the finest Thoroughbred horses in the country lived in the stable to your left. Horses with names such as "Grey Medely," "Post Boy" and "Tuckahoe" enhanced the reputation and purses of their owners. As founding members of the Baltimore Jockey Club and longstanding horse breeders, the Ridgelys and other prominent families helped establish the equestrian tradition that still exists in Maryland today. Prized racehorses were treasured, and their impressive stable to your left was originally stuccoed to resemble the mansion, highlighting the affinity between the master and his horse. In the mid-19th century, John Ridgely, who was particularly interested in swift carriage horses, added the second stable adjacent and a carriage house, now gone. The Ridgelys traveled frequently, whether into town or on lengthy journeys. Some of the carriages used on these trips are on view.
9. HAMP_131027_133.JPG: Caleche About 1870 The ladies of Hampton enjoyed this open carriage. Its unusually light build suited them particularly.
10. HAMP_131027_137.JPG: Caleche -- Coach About 1850 This convertible carriage bearing the family crest transported the owners of Hampton in dignity and style. John R. Lawrence built it for them in New York City at a cost of about $1,000.
11. HAMP_131027_158.JPG: The Cream of Hampton: The ingenious design of this building enabled the Ridgelys to produce fine dairy products here for 150 years. Built into the ground to maintain coolness, the structure is also shaded by low-hanging eaves. Inside you will see a natural refrigeration system. Cool water from a nearby spring bubbles to the ground and runs through a tap into a trough that surrounds the dairy floor. Workers set urns of milk and tubs of butter into the cold water to keep them from spoiling. in the early years fresh milk, cream, and butter were luxuries mainly supplied for the master's table. Hampton's dairy products were sold commercially and helped support the estate. The Ridgely's famous Alderney and Jersey cows were kept in a large stone barn, which one stood beyond the Long Barn in front of you. Fences encircled the area to keep the animals from straying. If you visited the dairy in the 19th century, you would have seen women hauling heavy milk pails on yokes and churning cream into butter. In the 20th century, mainly men were fired to run the dairy.
12. HAMP_131027_171.JPG: 1 lb. milk pail + 12-3/4 lbs. (1-1/2 gal.) milk = 13-3/4 lbs. Total Weight (Today, U.S. cows average 6.2 gallons of milk daily)
13. HAMP_131027_197.JPG: A Slave Village Slave/Workers Quarters, ca 1855 To our eyes, the stone facades and decorative woodwork that adorn these buildings seem at odds with their use as slave quarters. But the entire farm site -- based on a popular European architectural concept called ferme ornee (ornamental farm) -- was intentionally designed to look like a picturesque village. Such ornamentation offered the Ridgelys a more pleasing view from the mansion. The living quarters were located in the center of the farm, in close proximity to places of work. Enslaved families often large and the space was likely crowded. Most slaves had few personal possessions, and children likely slept on a straw mattress on the floor. After Emancipation, these buildings housed tenant farmers. This photograph shows the quarters as they looked in 1897 when tenant farmers resided here. Ashes, used for making soap, were collected in the small stone house to the left. Some of the tenant farmers had been or were descended from slaves on the estate.
14. HAMP_131027_202.JPG: A Farmer's Home: This room is furnished to suggest a tenant farmer's house at the turn of the 20th century. Old and second-hand furniture, some originally used in the mansion, is combined with inexpensive newer pieces in a sparsely furnished setting that reflects the marginal nature of a tenant family's existence. It is not known whether or not the Ridgelys provided any household goods for their tenants as they had for their overseers before the Civil War.
15. HAMP_131027_204.JPG: Persistence of Racism: After the Civil War ended in 1865, most tenant farmers were African-American, many of them former slaves. But from the 1870s to the 1890s the composition of Maryland's tenant farmers gradually shifted from African-American to predominantly white. Some land owners resented the fact that their former slaves were now free. Some were simply prejudiced. They were more likely to rent land to white farmers and more likely to sell land to newly arrived white immigrants, with cash in hand.
16. HAMP_131027_207.JPG: What Do We Do Now? Maryland formally ended slavery with its new state Constitution in 1864. Freedom brought its own difficult challenges. Freed slaves had few assets and little or no education. Most were illiterate. With farming skills from their years of enslavement, many entered contracts with land owners and former masters as tenant farmers or share croppers. Tenant farmers paid rent for land and tools and kept their profits. Sharecroppers didn't pay rent but gave land owners a share of their crop. Both arrangements often placed the farmer in debt to the landowner as the precarious conditions of farming -- drought, flood, and pests -- kept profits very low or nonexistent.
17. HAMP_131027_210.JPG: The Ornamental Farm: Once slave quarters, this building and the adjacent one were built a few years before the Civil War. These stone buildings and others on the Home Farm were designed in a decorative style combining beauty with function, called ferme ornee (ornamental farm). In this fashion, farm buildings were embellished to appear like a picturesque village. The buildings composed a pleasant view from the mansion up the hill.
18. HAMP_131027_213.JPG: Tenant Farming: Baltimore City and surrounding towns depended on farms such as Hampton to feed growing populations. Yet tenant farming was a break-even endeavor at best. When slavery ended, the agricultural workforce fluctuated, as workers sought better conditions elsewhere. These factors, along with the costs of a farm manager, seeds, and tools, diminished the farm's success. As crop prices fell through the early 1900s, many farmers in Maryland, including the Ridgelys, sold their land for residential development.
19. HAMP_131027_216.JPG: Changing Landscapes & Lifestyles: After Maryland abolished slavery in 1864, racist attitudes lingers. Poor working-class whites saw free African-Americans as competitors for jobs. Many technological advances in the years after the Civil War, such as steam powered equipment, meant fewer people were needed to farm the same amount of land. Farm jobs in this largely rural area paid far less than factory work in Baltimore. Laws prevented full equality and African-Americans lived with a constant threat of violence. Almost 20 years after the Civil War, many African-Americans worked as tenants or laborers on their former owner's farms.
20. HAMP_131027_230.JPG: What Will I Wear Today? Women: Working outdoors and indoors, in all seasons, the enslaved at Hampton typically were given new clothes twice a year, usually in late autumn and late spring.
21. HAMP_131027_232.JPG: What Will I Wear Today? Men: Working outdoors and indoors, in all seasons, the enslaved at Hampton typically were given new clothes twice a year, usually in late autumn and late spring.
22. HAMP_131027_235.JPG: The Value of a Person: What was the value of an enslaved person? Some slave holders preferred the young and women who could bear children. Others sought out slaves with specialized skills such as those in animal husbandry, cooking and blacksmithing. Their value in dollars is shown in the prices paid to purchase slaves and the rewards offered for the return of runaways. Can you place a dollar amount on your own value or on the value of a family member?
23. HAMP_131027_238.JPG: Jim aged 40 black and slave for life, good farm hand and driving well. Marty aged 19 well made heavy and active said to be good for almost anything. Fanny aged 25 dark yellow, good house servant and cook and has 2 children 2 and 4 years of age. Henry aged 13 smart, active boy, yellow and slave for life.
24. HAMP_131027_241.JPG: What They Wore Farm Men in 1835: * 1 shirt * 1 pair trousers * 1 pair new stockings * 1 pair footed stockings * 1 jacket A later record shows that they received a hat, regular shirt, trousers, stockings and pantaloons. Farm Women in 1835: * 1 frock (dress) * 2 handkerchiefs * 1 new pair of stockings * 1 pair of footed stockings * petticoats and jacket Aprons, blankets, shawls, chemises and shirts were also given in subsequent years.
25. HAMP_131027_243.JPG: Lives of the Enslaved: Enslaved families lived in this building. Here a family came together and experienced some privacy. Although the quarters are unusually sturdy, their location next to the overseer's house severely restricted the occupants' activities. Slavery denied individuals the liberty to choose how to live their lives, where to live, how to raise their children and even the ability to protect their loved ones.
26. HAMP_131027_247.JPG: Escaping from Hampton: While we don't know if people escaping Hampton used the Underground Railroad, we do know that this network assisted the enslaved. It included whites, free and enslaved blacks, American Indians, Quakers, known as "Friends," Methodists and Baptists. Not a literal railroad, the network hid, guided, fed and in all ways helped thousands escape to freedom. Around 76 people escaped Hampton, possibly encouraged by its close proximity to the free state of Pennsylvania and to a large free black community in Baltimore City, or simply by their desire to leave at any cost. Based on records of jail fees and costs in retrieving runaways, we know that many failed. Those brought back risked severe physical punishment.
27. HAMP_131027_249.JPG: A letter from Walter Bowie to Charles Carnan Ridgely dated February 20, 1796: "Mr. Bartan has been so fortunate as to get your man and I have no doubt will get him safe home. I could wish if it is possible... that you have instructions not to whip him, as he appears to be truly penitent for transgression. He very much laments the parting from his wife and says he will stay with you if you purchase his wife..."
28. HAMP_131027_253.JPG: What's In a Name? How was an enslaved person named? Did their families name them or did the Ridgelys? The different types of names of the Hampton enslaved tell a story. None of the slaves likely came directly from Africa yet some had the African names Gamboe, Mingo and Juba. Was this an attempt to hold on to their African culture? Greco-Roman names of Ceasar, Vulcan and Hercules reflect the influence and attitudes of their white owners, and the Biblical names Moses and Abraham show a religious influence. Some names referred to family relationships, such as "Lucy's Dan." Other names were descriptive such as "Big Charlotte," "Old Dan" and "Yellow Harry." How do these illustrate the owners' attitude toward the slaves?
29. HAMP_131027_262.JPG: Families Lived Here: For the families who lived here, the cabin did not have separate bedrooms, kitchens, living areas, or personal spaces. In the winter people likely slept near the cooking fire. In the summer they may have cooked outdoors. Based on estate records we knew the enslaved were provided corn, herring, and bacon, a died supplemented with produce from their own gardens. Food was a significant element of family life as individuals often came together to prepare and eat the evening meal.
30. HAMP_131027_265.JPG: Slavery At Hampton: Hampton was one of the largest slave holding estates in Maryland. While over 75% of slave owners nationwide had fewer than ten slaves, the Ridgleys had hundreds. Charles Carnan Ridgely, governor of Maryland and owner of Hampton, owned over 300 slaves at his death in 1829. Influenced by a devoutly religious daughter, in his will he manumitted, or freed, many of his enslaved population in one of the largest manumissions in Maryland. His son John Carnan Ridgely purchased more than 60 enslaved individuals but freed only one. In 1860, the Ridgelys owned 61 people and were the second largest slave holders in Baltimore County.
31. HAMP_131027_272.JPG: Who Lived Here? Built before the Civil War, this log cabin had many uses over the decades. Archaeological and structure research, along with documentary evidence, provide clues to the building's history. It is representative of wooden slave cabins of the era. At Hampton, they were referred to as "log cabins" in tax records. This cabin may have been a storehouse or workshop before becoming a residence in the early 1900s.
32. HAMP_131027_273.JPG: Bondage was Bondage: The enslaved comprised the majority of Hampton's labor force for over 70 years. Indentured servants, British prisoners of war, and paid laborers worked alongside the enslaved, mostly on the farm or for the estate's Iron Furnace. Skilled workers, such as blacksmiths or jockeys, obtained higher status. Slaves with marketable skills such as blacksmithing and carpentry could earn money with their owner's permission. While all -- enslaved, prisoners and indentured servants -- worked under difficult conditions, only the enslaved faced perpetual bondage.
33. HAMP_131027_276.JPG: Lives Revealed in Fragments: Laws prohibited the enslaved from learning to read or write. The amount of work they had to perform left little spare time. As a result, we know little about these people from our own words. What we know is filtered through the eyes of the Ridgelys, the people who enslaved them. Diaries, letters, memoirs, account books, inventories, manumission records and runaway slave notices reveal bits and pieces of information: ages, names, family relationships, trades, physical appearances, the clothes they wore, and the food they ate.
34. HAMP_131027_279.JPG: Two Worlds: Side by Side: The prosperity of Hampton estate, one of the largest in late 18th and early 19th century America, was the result of the labor of many individuals, among them were enslaved African-Americans. Atop the hill overlooking the Home Farm, the family mansion was only a few minutes walk from quarters housing the people that made the family's lifestyle and comfort possible. The enslaved, along with indentured and paid servants, labored on the farm, at the estate's iron furnace and forges, and in the mansion. They performed most of the labor required to run this enormous enterprise.
35. HAMP_131027_285.JPG: The View from Below: Hampton Home Farm, as it might have looked, ca 1850-1870: From this part of the farm, you have an ideal view of the Ridgely mansion. The imposing structure on the hill would have inspired different emotions among the various people on the estate. The Ridgelys owned many farms, scattered across thousands of acres. This site was called the Home Farm probably because it was closest to the family residence. The crops and animals raised on this land directly supported life in the Ridgely household. Over time, Ridgely lands were given to descendents or sold to other individuals who worked them. This site preserves the core of Hampton's agrarian past. Many buildings at the Home Farm have been lost, however, a number remain. Surviving structures include the Lower House, Dairy, Corn Crib (foundation only), Mule Barn, Long House Granary, Slave and Tenant Farmers' Quarters, and Ash House.
36. HAMP_131027_293.JPG: Architecture of the Lower House: The Lower House is the oldest structure at Hampton. The oldest room (section A) dates to the mid-18th century. Each Hampton master made major or minor additions and renovations of the house. The greatest changes occurred in the 19th century when the Ridgelys added a new kitchen (section D). The Ridgelys made another large addition (section E) in the late 1940s in preparation for the family's return to the house.
37. HAMP_131027_297.JPG: Plantation & Estate: Northampton Iron Works: Colonel Ridgely and his sons, Charles and John, organized the Northampton Furnace and Forges in 1761. Northampton required skilled and unskilled laborers -- indentured servants, slaves, and paid laborers -- to perform the work necessary to convert iron ore to pig iron, which the Ridgelys sold locally and overseas. Profits increased sharply during the American Revolution when Northampton produced camp kettles, round shot and cannon. Northampton Furnace was a highly successful enterprise that provided the majority of the Ridgely family fortune.
38. HAMP_131027_303.JPG: The People: Indentured Servants of Hampton: Indentured servants represented the majority of the earliest labor force at Hampton. Most of the servants came from Britain either as immigrants paying off the cost of their passage or as convicts, and served their time at the ironworks. Indentured servitude ceased around 1790 when slavery emerged as the preferred labor source.
39. HAMP_131027_305.JPG: The People: The Ridgely Family at the Lower House (1770s-1790): Captain Charles Ridgely may have first used the Lower House as a seasonal residence where he could be close to the ironworks. By 1783, as construction of the mansion began, Ridgely and his wife, Rebecca, moved into the Lower House until they relocated to the main house in 1788. This is the oldest room in the Lower House, and likely would have been a parlor or sitting room. The Lower House again provided a residence for the Ridgely family in the mid-20th century. Captain Charles Ridgely, ca 1765. Captain Charles Ridgely served as the first master of Hampton. He initiated the construction of "Hampton Hall" in 1783. The mansion was fully completed in 1790, the year Captain Ridgely deid. Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely, ca 1765. Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely who married Captain Charles in 1760, was herself a daughter of a prominent Maryland ironmaster. In the 1770s she took an active role in assessing the health and well-being of the indentured servants working at the forges. Architecture of the House: "Reading" a Room: How do historians determine the date of a room? Construction techniques and styles reflect different eras as well as the skill of the craftspeople. In this room, the exclusive use of hand-wrought nails, early floor with random width boards, and hand-hewn post and beam frame are all indicators of 18th century construction. The large hole above the fireplace was added in the 1840s to accommodate a flue for a stove.
40. HAMP_131027_308.JPG: The People: Enslaved Workers at Hampton: Enslaved people lived and worked at Hampton Estate from the 18th-century until emancipation in 1864. Enslaved workers provided labor at the ironworks, on the plantation, and in the mansion. By 1825, the Ridgelys owned nearly 350 people, one of Maryland's largest slave populations. Many lived as family units in slave quarters throughout the property. Charles Carnan Ridgely freed many of his enslaved laborers by his 1829 will. Much of the wealth and success achieved at Hampton resulted from the years of labor by enslaved people.
41. HAMP_131027_313.JPG: Plantation & Estate: The Ironmaking Process: The ironmaking process required extensive natural resources and human labor. Charcoal was burned to heat a blast furnace to very high temperatures. Limestone acted as a fluxing agent, bonding with impurities to create slag. Workers fed iron ore through the top of the furnace as air was blown in from the bottom. The process produced molten metal, which was cast into pig iron. The resulting "pigs" or pieces of iron were used to make commercial products.
42. HAMP_131027_327.JPG: Children of Hampton: For over 200 years, Ridgely children, cousins, and friends, as well as children of slaves, servants, and tenant farmers lived, played, learned, and worked on the Hampton Estate. The photographs below offer glimpses of young people at Hampton. How were the children of Hampton different from children today? How are they the similar?
43. HAMP_131027_332.JPG: Changing Boundaries of the Hampton Estate The Ridgelys owned Hampton Estate for over 200 years. This map shows the changing boundaries of Ridgely land over time and across the region.
44. HAMP_131027_335.JPG: Discover Life at Hampton
45. HAMP_131027_347.JPG: Masters and Mistresses of Hampton
46. HAMP_131027_355.JPG: Aerial View of Hampton, ca 1925
47. HAMP_131027_359.JPG: Enslaved Domestic Workers: Nancy Davis with Eliza Ridgely Enslaved domestic workers filled a number of roles inside the mansion. Nancy Davis, pictured, was a beloved nursemaid and the only former slave buried in the Ridgely Family cemetery.
48. HAMP_131027_363.JPG: Gardeners: Gardeners in Parterre: Paid gardeners were responsible for maintaining the grounds throughout the generations. The head gardener, a position requiring special knowledge, was highly regarded and might reside on the property.
49. HAMP_131027_365.JPG: Butlers: Butler in Dining Room: Butlers were in charge of the domestic staff and were responsible for ensuring the family's daily routine and numerous social events ran smoothly.
50. HAMP_131027_368.JPG: Paid Servants: Mary (servant) and Servant with Wheelbarrow: Servants, paid and enslaved, filled domestic roles at the mansion. They served in a variety of positions including nannies, waiters, cooks, housekeepers, and general laborers. The Ridgelys once employed a French chef and an English governess.
51. HAMP_131027_371.JPG: Ironmarkers: Molding Pig Iron: Iron workers manned the Northampton furnace and forges. The difficult work required both skilled and unskilled laborers.
52. HAMP_131027_375.JPG: Field Workers: Howard and Joe Lewis, 1936: Field workers -- first enslaved people, and later hired laborers and tenant farmers -- tended to the many acres cultivated at Hampton. The workers primarily harvested hay and grains.
53. HAMP_131027_377.JPG: Dairymen: Dariyman [sic] in Front of Dairy: The primary day workers on the estate until the 20th century were women; subsequently dairymen cared for the herd of Jersey cows and prepared milk and butter for the estate and for sale in town.
54. HAMP_131027_380.JPG: Grooms: Brian the Groom with Horse: The Ridgelys owned horses to work on the farm and pull carriages, but also for breeding, tracing, riding, and hunting. Grooms cared for the Ridgely's horses and tack.
55. HAMP_131027_385.JPG: Jockeys: Jockey in the Stable: The Ridgelys had a passion for horse racing. In 1805, Charles Carnan Ridgely built a large stable near the mansion. At this period the jockeys were often slaves.
56. HAMP_131027_389.JPG: Tenant Farmers: Tenant Farmers or Hampton Property: The Ridgelys rented land to tenants in the mid 19th century following the Civil War. Tenants paid for the use of land with either shares of their crop or by cash payments.
57. HAMP_131027_392.JPG: Blacksmiths: Blacksmith in the Shop: Blacksmiths also worked at the farm crafting everyday necessities like horseshoes, nails, and other hardware.
58. HAMP_131027_396.JPG: Enslaved Workers: "Perry Hall from the Northwest", Francis Guy, ca 1805: The field hands seen here worked at the large estate owned by a brother-in-law of Charles Carnan Ridgely. At Hampton, enslaved workers labored at both Northampton Ironworks and on the plantation where they worked in the fields and at the mansion until Emancipation in 1864.
59. HAMP_131027_398.JPG: Orchard Workers: Workers Pressing Cider: The Ridgelys owned 722 apple trees by 1773. Orchards were an important feature of the estate since before the American Revolution. Orchard workers harvested the fruit for use at the mansion and sale at market. Cider was also an important product from the orchards.
60. HAMP_131027_402.JPG: Indentured Servants: Workers at Charcoal Pit: Indentured servants primarily worked at the Northampton Ironworks, but some also worked around the estate in various skilled and unskilled positions. By 1800, slavery had eclipsed indentured servitude as the primary source of labor for Hampton.
61. HAMP_131027_413.JPG: Ridgely Family 1949-1978 at the Hampton Lower House Just as Charles and Rebecca Ridgely lived in the Lower House in the late 18th century, John Ridgely Jr. and his wife, Jane, moved into the Lower House after selling the mansion in 1948. John Ridgely III and his wife, Lillian, had also lived in the Lower House for a short time in the early 1940s. After John Ridgely Jr., died in 1959, Jane lived in the Lower House until her death in 1978. 14 acres of the property was subsequently purchased by the National Park Service. Architecture of the House: Home Again: The Ridgelys built a large addition and made interior improvements to the Lower House prior to moving in 1948. They increased the living space by nearly 25 percent and brought many pieces of furniture from the mansion. The Lower House as the John Ridgelys experienced it was far different from when Charles and Rebecca lived there. Today, the original wood paneling from the mid 18th century can be seen for the first time in over 200 years. Plantation & Estate: The Changing Estate: The Hampton Development Company was established in 1929 by John Ridgely Jr., to market and develop the property of the Home Farm. Little was sold during the depression and some agricultural production continued. After World War II and the sale of the mansion to the Avalon Foundation, sales of the Home Farm land began in earnest and a suburban community began to emerge.
62. HAMP_131027_426.JPG: Home Farm Core of Hampton Estate Following the death of Charles Ridgely in 1872, his son John Ridgely inherited only 1,000 acres of the Home Farm. Visitors today can enjoy 63 of those acres, the core of the Home Farm. It once supported life at the mansion for foodstuffs both for the family's consumption and for sale. The acreage included cultivated fields, pastures, orchards, and vegetable gardens with a dairy, barns, and numerous other buildings. The People: Tenant Farmers: After the Civil War, the Ridgelys rented out increasing amounts of land. Tenant farmers either paid the Ridgelys in shares of their crop or in monthly cash payments. Tenant farmers and their families became members of the wide community of people living and working on Hampton land. Plantation & Estate: Products of the Home Farm: Captain John and Helen Ridgely took particular interest in the livestock at the Home Farm. John supervised the care and improvement of the valuable herd of Jersey cows. Helen managed the farm poultry production, keeping detailed records. The Hampton orchards continued at this time to produce quantities of apples and cider for sale.
63. HAMP_131027_434.JPG: Overseer at Hampton Farm: For much of Hampton's history, the Lower House provided a home and office for the estate's overseer. This room would have been the overseer's office. The overseer managed the farm's laborers and day-to-day operations. The large bell that hangs in the cupola of the Lower House is rung from this room. It could be heard across the farm to signify the start and end of the working day. The People: The Overseer & Enslaved Workers: Overseers varied in their skill as managers and their treatment of enslaved workers. A number of enslaved individuals at Hampton attempted escape. The overseer would have been held responsible for seeking the return of such valuable property. Though some plantations had African-American farm managers, the known overseers at Hampton were white. Plantation & Estate: Managing the Estate: The overseer operated at the hub of the estate, connecting the Ridgelys to the daily operations and output on the farm. He reporter to the Ridgelys regarding planting and harvesting, crop yield, and agricultural sales. During the 19th century, the Home Farm produced mixed grains and fruit from extensive orchards. Cattle, pigs, and chickens were raised for food and extensive dairy herds provided milk and butter.
64. HAMP_131027_443.JPG: Architecture of the House: As you move throughout the home, look for evidence of the architectural features described below. What other features do you notice? Lath and Plaster: Used mostly for interior walls, lath, or thin wood strips, is nailed across wall studs. Plaster is applied to the wall and forced between the laths. This technique. common before modern drywall, requires a skilled craftsman. Mortise and Tenon Joint: Woodworkers have used the mortise and tenon joint for thousands of years to join pieces of wood. A mortise, or open cavity, is cut into a piece of wood. The end of the other piece, the tenon, fits closely into the mortise, securing both pieces together. The joint is simple, but strong. Staircase: The second floor of the house is not open to the public. Historically, the upstairs included bedrooms and a bathroom. Today, the space houses park offices.
65. HAMP_131027_447.JPG: Welcome to the Lower House at Hampton: Colonel Charles Ridgely purchased 1,500 acres, called Northampton, in 1745. The entrepreneurial pursuits of the Ridgely family over the next two hundred years carried the property through expansion and decline. The Lower House, the center of the home farm, has stood witness to this history. The Lower House represents the other side of life at Hampton and reflects the interrelationship between the Ridgely Family and the hundreds of individuals who worked to support their endeavor. As you tour the house, learn more about the people, the architecture, and the plantation and estate at Hampton. The People: The home farm existed as its own interdependent community of Ridgely family members, indentured servants, enslaved workers, servants, professional craftsmen, tenant farmers, and countless others. The hundreds of people who lived and worked at Hampton contributed to its success. Follow the People icon throughout the Lower House to learn more about life at Hampton Estate. Plantation & Estate: The Ridgelys' business pursuits used the resources of the region to serve local and national markets. The Lower House and its surrounding outbuildings were the hub for many of these endeavors. Follow the Plantation and Estate icon to learn more about the daily operations of the Hampton Estate. Architecture of the House: The Lower House is an example of 18th-century architecture and construction techniques. The location, size, and designs of the Lower House, in relation to the mansion and surrounding outbuildings, offer clues to social hierarchies at the estate. Follow the Architecture icon to learn more about the design and construction of the Lower House.
66. HAMP_131027_458.JPG: Making Pig Iron: Workers moved pig iron from the furnace to the forges, where it was converted into bars and places. These could be sold as raw material or made into a variety of objects, such household goods like firebacks and andirons.
67. HAMP_131027_490.JPG: The Lower House: Lower House, constructed ca 1745, with later additions in the 100s to ca 1950 This building, historically referred to as the "Lower House" by the Ridgely family, served a variety of purposes. Originally, Hampton's first master, Captain Charles Ridgely, lived in this house before the mansion was completed. In the 19th century, the building served primarily as a residence for the farm manager or overseer. Close to both fields and farm slaves, it was "lower" in many respects: the overseer was lower in social standing than the estate owner and his quarters were located geographically lower than the mansion. Activities of the Home Farm were managed from this building. When Hampton became a National Historic Site in 1948, John Ridgely Jr., the last owner of the estate, moved from the mansion back here to the Lower House. The bell (ca 1850) atop the Lower House called the enslaved into and out of the field. On a large estate like Hampton, overseers were often caught between the demands of the masters and the needs of the workers. Hampton's overseers were a diverse group of men, including some who were relatives. Most stayed on about ten years.
68. HAMP_131027_509.JPG: Note the gnaw hole in the door
69. HAMP_131027_522.JPG: Another door, another gnaw hole
70. HAMP_131027_525.JPG: A view of the inside of the barn, taken through the gnaw hole
71. HAMP_131027_531.JPG: Corn Culture: Mule Barn, constructed 1855; Corncrib ca 1845, destroyed by fire, 1989 There were lots of mouths to feed on large plantations like Hampton and this made corn an all-important crop. Hard or "dent" corn was used as feed for livestock and ground into cornmeal for slaves as well as for the Ridgelys' pantry. Most importantly, corn was sold for profit. The cornfields here once extended for thousands of acres. The ears were husked and stored in the corncrib to dry. You can tell how large the corncrib was based on the size of the foundation before you -- it held thousands of ears. Once dry, the corn would be shelled and taken to the mill for grinding. Plowing the cornfields was backbreaking labor. Slaves and tenant farmers used mules, housed in the barn seen nearby, to pull plows. These sure-footed workhorses were the "tractors" of the 19th century. "Corn is justly regarded as the national crop of the United States. Its money value is double that of hay, threefold that of wheat, and fourfold that of cotton." -- Report, Commissioner of Agriculture, Washington, 1862 A view of the corncrib and corn shocks from the Farm Road, ca 1897. The mule barn and corncrib were located near the cornfields to make planting, harvesting, and processing easier. At harvest time, slaves from nearby plantations came to help husk corn and haul ears to the crib. Husking parties were festive events, with competition, music, and storytelling.
72. HAMP_131027_666.JPG: Greenhouse #2, circa 1840. Heating pipes and a furnace were installed in this greenhouse for all-season plant care and propagation. Gardening supplies and a work area were located in the small rear section. The glass frames are 20th century replacements.
73. HAMP_131027_711.JPG: In Memoriam: Cemetery, Egyptian Revival Vault, ca 1815 This gated cemetery, where generations of Ridgelys are buried, is still in use by the family. Feel free to enter and walk among the tombstones and monuments, but show proper respect. Notice the family vault at center, the names and inscriptions on the graves, and the various sculptures that mark them. One grave has a little stone lamb, the resting place of a young son of Charles Ridgely, fourth master of Hampton. Large families and limited medical knowledge meant early death was a sad aspect of everyday life, one the Ridgelys shared with their slaves and servants. To your left, in the oval stand of trees, is the pet cemetery, where several of the Ridgely's treasured Chesapeake Bay retrievers and other animals rest. A slave cemetery is believed to have been in the general area, location uncertain. On a cold day in December 1867, a service for Hampton Mistress Eliza Ridgely was held in the mansion's Great Hall. Mr. Hoff, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, delivered the eulogy. Afterwards, mourners followed her casket to this site.
Wikipedia Description: Hampton National Historic Site
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hampton National Historic Site, in the Hampton area north of Towson, Maryland, United States, preserves a remnant of a vast 18th century estate including a Georgian manor house, gardens and grounds, and original stone slave quarters. The estate was owned by the Ridgely family for seven generations, from 1745 to 1948. The Hampton Mansion or manor house, once known locally as the "Hampton House", was the largest private home in America when it was completed in 1790 and is considered today to be one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the U.S. Its furnishings, together with the estate's slave quarters and other preserved structures, provide a comprehensive insight into late 18th century and early 19th century life of the landowning aristocracy. Hampton is the first site selected as a National Historical Site by the U.S. National Park Service for its architectural significance.

In addition to the mansion and slave quarters, visitors today may tour the overseer's house and grounds. Hampton National Historic Site is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Baltimore at 535 Hampton Lane, near interchange #27B of the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) and Dulaney Valley Road (Maryland Route 146).

History:

1700s:

The property now known as the Hampton estate was originally part of a land grant called Northampton given to Col. Henry Darnall (c. 1645–1711), a relative of Lord Baltimore. His heirs sold the land on April 2, 1745, to Col. Charles Ridgely (1702–1772), a tobacco farmer and trader. The bill of sale records that the property included "...houses, tobacco houses (tobacco barns), stables, gardens, and orchards". By the late 1750s, Hampton extended to more than 10,000 acres (4,047 ha) and included an ironworks. His son, Captain Charles Ridgely (1733–1790), expanded the family business considerably, including gristmills, apple orchards, and stone quarries. During the American Revolutionary War, the ironworks was a significant source of income for the Ridgelys. In 1783, Capt. Ridgely began construction of the main house, or Hampton Mansion. When it was completed in 1790, the Hampton Mansion was the largest private home in the United States. When Capt. Ridgely died that same year, his nephew Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829) became the second master of Hampton. An avid horseman, Charles Carnan began raising Thoroughbred horses at Hampton, where he had a racetrack installed. A 1799 advertisement promotes the stud services of his racehorse "Grey Medley". Another of Ridgely's Hampton-raised racehorses at the time, "Post Boy", won the Washington City Jockey Club cup.

1800s:

Under Charles Carnan Ridgely, Hampton reached its peak of 25,000 acres (39 sq mi/101 km�) in the 1820s. The mansion overlooked a grand estate of orchards, ironworks, coal mining, marble quarries, mills, and mercantile interests. The vast farm produced corn, beef cattle, dairy products, hogs, and horses. In 1820, an orangery was built on the grounds. Charles Carnan Ridgely served as the governor of the state of Maryland (1816–1819).

When Governor Ridgely died in 1829, he freed Hampton's more than 300 slaves in his will. The Hampton estate was split among various heirs, with his son, John Carnan Ridgely (1790–1867), inheriting the mansion and 4,500 acres (18 km�). The ironworks closed and thereafter the Ridgelys' income was primarily derived from farming, investments, and their stone quarries. Eliza Ridgely (1803–1867), his wife and the subject of Thomas Sully's famous portrait painting, Lady with a Harp, purchased many artworks and furnishings for the mansion. She was noted as a horticulturist, and had successively larger and more elaborate terraced gardens cultivated on the grounds, with a large variety of flowers and shrubs grown in the estate's greenhouses and tended by some of the 60 slaves purchased by John Carnan Ridgely. By the mid-19th century, the Hampton estate had one of the most extensive collections of citrus trees in the U.S.

As the Civil War raged across the farmlands of Maryland and Pennsylvania at the Battle of Antietam (1862) and the Battle of Gettysburg (1863), the Ridgelys' Hampton estate remained untouched. Although Maryland, as a border state, was exempted from U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the state legislature eliminated slavery in 1864. With the end of slavery, Hampton began to decline. A number of the former slaves continued to work at Hampton as paid household servants and other hired hands worked the farm. With the deaths of John and Eliza in 1867, their son Charles became the next master of Hampton. The mansion and the remaining 1,000 acres (4.0 km�) were subsequently inherited upon Charles' death in 1872 by Captain John Ridgely (1851–1938).

1900s:

As nearby Baltimore grew and local agriculture declined, the Ridgelys found it increasingly difficult to maintain the property. Beginning in the 1920s and accelerating in the 1930s, Captain John Ridgely sold off large portions of the estate for suburban housing development, now known as the Hampton community. The Hampton Mansion remained in the Ridgely family until 1948, when John Ridgely, Jr. (1882–1959), moved to the smaller Farm House on the property and the Mansion was acquired by the Avalon Foundation (now part of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation). The last generation of Ridgelys to live at the mansion was John Ridgely III (1911–1990) and his wife Lillian (1908-1996).

It was designated a National Historic Site by the Secretary of the Interior on June 22, 1948, the first site to be so selected on the basis of its architectural significance. Beginning in May, 1949, Hampton Mansion was opened to the public in the care of Preservation Maryland for the next thirty years (1949-1979). On October 15, 1966, Hampton was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since October, 1979, it has been operated and managed by the National Park Service.

2000–present:

Starting in January 2005, the mansion closed for almost three years as it underwent a major restoration project. It re-opened to the public on November 30, 2007. As part of the 2005-2007 renovations, the drawing room and two bedchambers were completely refurbished. The drawing room's furnishings were extensively researched to reflect accurately the Mansion in the 1830-1860 period. The ornate cupola atop the mansion was restored, including the spherical ornament above the cupola, which was refinished in gold leaf. The Park Service's chief ranger for the Hampton National Historic Site said afterwards of the $3 million in renovations, "I don't think the mansion has ever looked better".

"Preservation Maryland", a statewide preservation advocacy organization, conferred its Stewardship Award in 2007 on the Hampton National Historic Site for refurnishing the mansion's rooms with historical accuracy while unobtrusively installing modern fire suppression and climate control systems.

Currently:

The remaining 63-acre (25 ha) estate, straddling Hampton Lane, is managed by the National Park Service. In addition to the mansion itself, visitors may view nine surviving original structures built during the 1790s to mid-19th century period:

* Farm House - the residence of the farm manager or overseer, a portion is believed to predate the Ridgelys' purchase of the property in 1745. After the last Ridgely family member (John Ridgely Jr.) vacated the mansion in 1948, he and his wife Jane lived here.
* Two slave quarters built of stone, now provided with interpretive exhibits on slave life.
* Dairy, built of stone before 1800.
* Mule barn, built of stone c. 1845.
* Long house/granary.
* Ash house, wooden log building, and dovecote.

Self-guided tours may be made of the grounds during hours when the park is open to the public, including the farm, formal garden, family cemetery, and two stables built of stone for Thoroughbred horses. A replica of the original orangery (built in 1824) may also be toured. One surviving 34 ft (10.4m)–deep underground icehouse is visible near the mansion, but not open to visitors. The Park Service provides ample free parking, a gift shop, and wheelchair accessibility at the mansion. Chamber music and harpsichord performances are occasionally presented in the mansion's ornate "great hall".

The local community actively supports the site's preservation through a friends' group, "Historic Hampton Incorporated", which has assisted the National Park Service in achieving historical accuracy and interpretive potential of the interiors.

The Tea Room controversy:

When the Hampton estate first opened to the public in 1949, the mansion's kitchen was converted into a small restaurant. Known as the Tea Room, it was operated by a concessionaire for the next 50 years, serving lunches featuring Hampton Imperial Crab (backfin lump meat from the blue crab, baked and seasoned with spices) and other Chesapeake Bay seafood delicacies, served with a glass of sherry. A local newspaper columnist described the Tea Room as "offering gentility...a fireplace nearly as big as a wall and mullioned windows with sills that are nearly 2 feet thick. The view is rolling lawns...".

When the Tea Room was closed by the National Park Service on January 1, 1999, officials said they did so because of the potential fire hazard posed by operating a kitchen in the main park building and the possibility of insect or rodent damage to historic items in the mansion. While it "may be a pleasant place to enjoy a meal...that is clearly less important than the need to preserve Hampton's buildings, objects and landscapes for future generations", the Park Service stated. Officials of Preservation Maryland said they were "disappointed" by the restaurant's closure, saying it helped attract visitors to the historic site. The former chairwoman of the Hampton women's committee—which raises money for various projects at Hampton—also criticized the decision. Since 2006, the women's group has renewed efforts to have the Tea Room re-opened, saying it would draw more visitors and repeat business from locals to the park. A Park Service spokesman was quoted as saying in October, 2006, that "The mansion is not going to be the site of any food operation", but has made no further comment since then.
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