Project 4 Narrative

Rewritten and hopefully more interesting.
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“It has been truly said of Hampton that it expresses more grandeur than any other place in America.” – Henry Winthrop Sargent 1859

The lustrous Georgian style mansion located in Towson, Maryland is an extravagant example of 200 years of American history. Lush gardens and elegant symmetry define a family’s flourishing success, while surviving slave quarters present significant blueprints of slave history.

The Ridgely family accumulated a vast fortune in iron. Northampton ironworks (established in 1761) mined iron ore deposits from what is today the Loch Raven Reservoir. Owner Captain Charles Ridgely (1733-1790) and wife Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely (1738-1812) saw their fortune triple, producing cannons, camp kettles, and slave chains during the American Revolutionary War.

Boasting his substantial wealth, Captain Ridgely began construction on Hampton Hall in August 1783. Fashioned after Greek and Roman buildings, the mansion is styled with classical pilasters, pediment doors and windows, and pinkish stucco.

With the closure of Northampton ironworks in 1829, Hampton turned into an agricultural estate consisting of approximately 5,000 acres. Wheat, corn and fruit orchards populated the farmland. Many enslaved Africans and indentured servants supported the task of running the agricultural empire.

Dwindled to 2,293 acres by 1843, Hampton included roughly 35 out buildings for maintaining the property. Along with the mansion, a farmhouse, orangery, icebox, stable, and burial vault contributed to the village-like setting.

Moving from the Reconstruction area (1865) into the 20^th century brought on great challenges. With declining profits from farming, the Ridgelys were unable to meet the demands of the mansion. Proposing a solution in 1929, John Ridgely Jr. (last master of Hampton) created the Hampton Development Company to sell off parcels of land.

As a consequence for selling parcels of land, encroaching suburbs threatened Hampton. Continuing financial problems also made it difficult to maintain the monumental estate. Frightened of meddling suburbs and Hampton’s deterioration, the Ridgelys sold the mansion, furnishings and remaining acres to the National Park Service in 1947.

The National Park Service embarked on a $1 million dollar renovation project in the spring of 2007. To ensure preservation of the mansion’s historical artifacts, NPS installed heating and cooling systems, and a fire suppression system. Museum-like care was given to over 7,000 objects that were emptied from the home [first time in 200 years] and catalogued.

With the mansion closed due to the renovation, two stone slave quarters opened to the public for the first time. The exhibition brought light to the daily life led by Hampton slaves and indentured servants. Visitors viewed information on their diet, clothing, family relationships, living conditions, and attempts at escape.

Renovations are constantly happening at Hampton. Each room in the mansion represents a time period during the Ridgley’s inhabitance. Extensive research is done to ensure historical accuracy. From the wallpaper to carpet, every detail is examined closely. Changes such as furniture placement are made to the rooms to account for better authenticity.To guarantee an accurate depiction of the Drawing Room, a reproduction of the original 1849 carpet was completed and installed in 2008.

With many more restoration projects in progress, Hampton’s history will stay intact for generations to come. Hampton serves as a reminder that our cultural connections run parallel. While enslaved Africans and indentured servants managed Hampton, Hampton preserved their legacies.