Book Description

Hampton National Historic Site in Towson, Maryland, was established in 1948 to preserve the surviving 63 acres of the vast empire built by the Ridgely family beginning in the 18th century. In its heyday, the estate covered 25,000 noncontiguous acres and included agricultural fields, orchards, livestock, quarries, mills, and ironworks. Today visitors flock to the magnificent Georgian mansion, farm manager's house, slave quarters, dairy, agricultural buildings, formal gardens, and family cemetery. The story of Hampton National Historic Site extends beyond its buildings and setting to the people who lived and worked on the estate during the 200plus years of Ridgely ownership, including the indentured servants, the enslaved, and the paid workforce. The legacy of Hampton National Historic Site is illustrated here through rich primary source material that was generated for and by the Ridgelys, including written documentation, historic images, and physical artifacts.