Ash House

The ash house is a reminder of the work that went into place to keep villages of enslaved people on plantations as self sufficient as possible.

• The ash house is a small stone structure located between the log house and the stone slave quarters. The structure is hollowed out and the area where a small door would be shows what the inside of the structure looks like.

Corn Crib Foundations

The corn crib foundations are a physical reminder of the many structures that kept a large plantation operation, like Hampton's, efficiently running.

• The corn crib foundations are located next to an open field that is planted annually. the foundations feature three long rows of stone pieces capped and stabilized together.

Domestic Service Cluster

The historic support structures next to the Hampton Mansion

• A cluster of small, white, wooden buildings.

Dovecote

The dovecotes is an example of historic preservation and repurposing. They are the public restrooms on the farm side of the park.

• The dovecote is a small one story wood structure painted white. There are two doors leading to restrooms. The left door is the men's restroom and the right door is the women's restroom. In between the doors is a black metal bike rack.

Enslavement Quarters

Hampton enslaved roughly 700 people over its history. These slave quarters are a surviving reminder of the horrific practice that was used to help the Ridgely's gain and retain their wealth for so many years.

• The two standing enslavement quarters buildings are made of stone with wooden roofs. The buildings at two stories tall. They sit perpendicular to one another and each building has two units that families would live in. The first slave quarters building has exhibits about the enslaved people of Hampton, the second contains information on tenant farmers that worked the farms after slavery was over.

Farm Lane

The Hampton farm lane is the main point of transportation for the farm side of the park.

• The farm line is made up of white gavel. When traveling from Hampton Lane to Saint Francis Road, on the left is a small field that in the summer is planted with historic crops, and on the right are historic farm buildings.

Farm Side

An overview of what the farm side of Hampton NHS has to offer.

• The farm side of Hampton NHS sits down hill from the mansion side. From the parking lot looking towards the mansion side there is a stone mule barn. To the left is a cluster of buildings including the wooden overseer's house and stone slave quarters. going down a farm lane towards the mansion there is a field on the right and on the left there is small dairy and a stone long barn.

Formal Gardens

The Hampton gardens historically showed off the Ridgely family's wealth and power. Today they provide a scenic backdrop as well as a reminder of the past.

• At the back of the mansion is an open space with a large cedar tree. from the cedar tree there are three separate 18 foot drops. Each level has a set of gardens and trees.

Hampton Mansion

The Hampton Mansion is set at the center of of the Hampton National Historic Site. The mansion is open to the public by guided tour only.

• A large three story stone mansion with two wings on either side of it, porches on the front and back, and a cupola on top. the front of the house faces down towards the farm side of the park with a large gravel driveway in front of it. The back of the house faces large decorative gardens that go down to the edge of the property.

Hampton National Historic Site

Hampton shows the anomalies of life in a Border State. While Maryland would not secede from the Union, slavery was still part of the local economy and culture. The wealthy Ridgelys were every bit as aristocratic as any cotton planters, but many of their enslaved workforce worked in industry, and nearby Baltimore had a larger free black population than enslaved.

• The 64-acre property features a mansion, farmhouse, quarters for the enslaved, dairy, and ash house. The mansion is a large three-story stone mansion with two wings on either side of it, porches on the front and back, and a cupola on top. The front of the house faces down towards the farm side of the park with a large gravel driveway in front of it. The back of the house faces large decorative gardens that go down to the edge of the property. A two story white wooden house. The house has a front porch and multiple additions on it. On top of the house is a wooden bell cupola. A white wooden picket fence surrounds the yard around the house. The two standing slave quarter buildings are made of stone with wooden roofs. The buildings at two stories tall. They sit perpendicular to one another and each building has two units that families would live in. The first slave quarters building has exhibits about the enslaved people of Hampton, the second contains information on tenant farmers that worked the farms after slavery was over. The dairy is a one story white structure that is built below ground level. A set of stone stairs lead down to the base of the structure which is made of bricks. behind the structure a small opening where spring water comes from underground can be seen. Entering the structure the water runs around the edges of the building with a large elevated floor above the water line in the center. The ash house is a small stone structure located between the log house and the stone slave quarters. The structure is hollowed out and the area where a small door would be shows what the inside of the structure looks like.

Ice House

The Hampton ice house could still be a functioning building. It is open for visitors to walk in, so long as conditions are safe.

• From the outside it appears to be a large earth mound with two doorways with metal gates leading underground. Stone steps lead under ground to a large room with stone walls. the center of the room has a large pit in the middle and is covered by a stone roof in a dome shape.

Log Cabin

The log cabin is an example of what most quarters for enslaved, and later tenet farmers would have looked like.

• The log cabin is a wooden structure with a stone foundation. The outside is painted white with tan trim. The structure is set up as a duplex with doors to the two rooms on the either side of it.

Long House Granary

The long house granary is a building still preserved by the National Park Service on the farm side of Hampton NHS.

• The long barn is a large rectangular stone building with red wooden trim. It sits not far from the dairy away from the main farm side road.

Lower House

The Lower House is where the Hampton estate started, represents the many overseer's at the height of of slavery on the plantation, and is where Ridgely family's story ends. The house is open when staffing is available.

• A two story white wooden house. The house has a front porch and multiple additions on it. On top of the house is a wooden bell cupola. A white wooden picket fence surrounds the yard around the house.

Mansion Side

The mansion side of Hampton NHS is the centerpiece of the park

• The mansion side is centered around a large three story mansion styled by Georgian architecture. Buildings around the mansion include an orangery, domestic service cluster, and stables. There is a three terraced garden in the back and a path that leads to the family cemetery.

Mule Barn

The Mule Barn is one of the more prominent buildings still located on the farm side of the park property.

• The mule barn is a two story stone building with wooden shutters and doors painted red. behind it is a gravel parking area.

Orangery

The orangery is the first structure you come to when walking towards the mansion. This reconstructed citrus fruit greenhouse today serves as public restrooms and a small conference room for special events.

• A one story white building. On the front there is a single door in the center of the buildings. In the back there are large window panels that look into a small conference room.

Ridgely Family Cemetery

The Ridgely family cemetery is the final resting place for many of the family members of the once illustrious family that used to own the Hampton plantation.

• A brick wall with an iron gate surrounds a small cemetery. Within the cemetery are several grave stones with a large stone vault in the center.

Stables

The stables are a reminder of the important horse racing history at Hampton, in Maryland, and its tradition based out of slavery.

• The two stone stables buildings sit next to each other just off the gravel path. Both buildings are two stories tall with cupolas on top. The stables on the left are regularly open for visitors to step into. behind glass are various saddles and carriages used by the Ridgely's horse industry through out the years.

Tenant Farmers' Quarters

This slave quarters building was used throughout the times of slavery and tenant farming. The exhibits today represent the era of tenant farming that followed the American Civil War.

• The two standing enslavement quarters buildings are made of stone with wooden roofs. The buildings at two stories tall. They sit perpendicular to one another and each building has two units that families would live in. The first enslavement quarters building has exhibits about the enslaved people of Hampton, the second contains information on tenant farmers that worked the farms after slavery was over.

The Dairy

The dairy was an important structure to Hampton's cow and dairy operations.

• The dairy is a one story white structure that is built below ground level. A set of stone stairs lead down to the base of the structure which is made of bricks. behind the structure a small opening where spring water comes from underground can be seen. Entering the structure the water runs around the edges of the building with a large elevated floor above the water line in the center.

Visitor Center

• Visitor Center
• The Hampton Visitor Center, historic buildings, and interpretive operations are open Thursdays - Sundays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets for mansion tours, park brochures, and passport stamps are available in the Visitor Center. Amenities include restrooms, gift shop, and a water bottle refill station.

• Mansion Tours
• Learn how you can tour the Hampton mansion!

• Bark Ranger at hampton
• Learn about best practices for visiting Hampton NHS with pets.

• Families, Farming, and Freedom Tour
• A ranger led tour of the farm side of the park.

• Picnicking at Hampton
• Learn how to picnic at Hampton NHS

• Bird Watching at Hampton
• The natural side of Hampton provides for many opportunities to spot wild life. Hampton's beautiful fields provide for a perfect backdrop for bird watching!

• Hampton Audio Tour
• Gain access to Hampton's interactive app to take a self-guided tour of the plantation!

• Become A Hampton Jr. Ranger
• Learn how to become a Hampton NHS Junior Ranger!

Farm Tour

The Hampton plantation was a fully operational site, and one of the largest in all of Maryland. Learn the stories of those forced to labor for the benefit of the rich upper class Ridgely family that owned the estate.

Mansion Side Tour

This audio tour takes guides visitors to various spots on the grounds that surround the Hampton Mansion. The tour covers 200 years of history and allows visitors to see picturesque locations.