Student Work

Historic Site Analysis

by Philip T. McCall
for BPR 101, Introduction to Historic Preservation

For the HSA I chose Hampton National Historic Site, located between Loch Raven, and Dulaney Valley, in Baltimore County. This sixty-two acre site is maintained and administered by the National Park Service, and a federal property under the United States Department of Interior. It is particularly significant because this property was formerly the home of the Ridgley family of Baltimore, from the late 1740's until 1945 when its was deeded to the National Park Service. This family was one of the most prominent in Maryland for nearly 175 years, and its lineage has even found its way into the Maryland state government, as one of the family members served as Governor of Maryland. Its centerpiece is an extremely large: approximately 28,000 square foot, thirty-six room Georgian Mansion. This house was the focal point of 200 years of the family's history and their 25,000-acre estate. This property stretched from the Loch Raven reservoir area, miles towards the west, to the Pennsylvania line, and the south. Formerly in operation on the site were a farm, and an iron foundry, the foundations of which are still located in the reservoir of Loch Raven. The Ridgley family also produced some of the most highly regarded wine in the country at the time of the estates operation.

Hampton itself was constructed in 7 years (start to finish) and was home to six masters through its existence, all of which bore the Ridgley name. Also on the site, are the farmhouse, stables, an orangey, various farm buildings, privies, an icehouse, garden structures and a garden caretaker's cottage. To date, there are 24 known buildings still standing on site, Including the family cemetery and vault. The site is open year round except, certain holidays such as Christmas and New Years, and is closed on major federal holidays.

From my general impression, I think that the site is generally well maintained and decently interpreted. As you arrive at the site, large, yet tastefully complimentary road signs greet you. These signs mark the sites boundaries and identify it as a National Park. A state historical marker is on the roads edge, and identifies the property to passersby; a brief summary of the history of the house is also given. As you enter you are greeted by the vast open spaces of the former estate, and good parking is available. Upon heading towards the Mansion, which also houses the parks visitor hyphen, you are intercepted by a wayside that orients you with the surrounding buildings and your location. Signage indicates park restrooms and the visitor hyphen, as well as the parks main office. This signage is subdued in traditional park service manner a medium shade of brown with white trim, so as not to stand out too much.

Upon entering the visitor's hyphen, you are greeted by either a volunteer guide or a Park Ranger. The tours generally begin on the hour and tend to last forty to fifty minutes. As you proceed through the house, your tour guide notifies you that unlike many historic sites, the Mansions interior is not depicting a particular point in time. Rather, each room is depicting a significant point in the Mansion, and the family's history. The tour then proceeds from room to room on the first floor, and the guide explains the significance of that room, and the purposes it served throughout the houses life. The lives of the family and the interaction they had with the site are explained as well on the tour. Many details about daily occurrences and the family members, who lived here, are given as intricate details of the house are explained. The tour continues to the second floor and example of sleeping arrangements are shown here, for the masters of the house, as well as an example of one of the children's bedrooms Tours are not taken to the third floor or cupola due to fire code regulations.

Upon completion of the tour of the Mansion, you have the opportunity to explore the grounds and visit the farm property. While it is currently under restoration the farmhouse is closed to the public. However, its lack of signage and sometimes lack of an onsite ranger leaves many unanswered questions. This also applies to some of the outbuildings, which have signage but the descriptions are vague and as with some parts of the farm property leave unanswered questions. Nevertheless the park is embarking on an ambitious campaign to eliminate these concerns in the future as the National Park Service has mandated changes to signage in all 400+ national parks. Over all, I feel that this park is fairly well interpreted as most of the collection (90%) in the mansion is original to the house, fairly little is left to chance. As with many places, it can benefit from some change and in the future a separate visitor's center will be constructed, as there will be changes made when the farm property is opened for in house tours of the farmhouse. Improvements are still needed, but addresses for some concerns are already in the pipeline. I recommend Hampton National Historic Site to those who have a fond interest for American history and architecture. It is a (A) quality site as far as I'm concerned. See http://www.nps.gov/hamp/ for more information.