Hampton was once part of one of the largest and most impressive estates in Maryland. 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. Beginning with 1,500 acres purchased by Col. Charles Ridgely in 1745, the estate grew to 25,000 acres across the region by about 1829. It began as an industrial plantation serving Ridgely ironworks and evolved into an agricultural estate by the mid-19th century. The property endured the nation’s growth from colonial times through World War II, and as the Ridgely fortunes declined after the Civil War and into the 20th century, the family sold nearly all of their empire. The National Park Service now preserves 63 acres as the important core of the estate.
