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of the greenhouse or "hothouse." In fact, the Orangery at Hampton was called a green-
house until the latter part of the 19th century.
Hampton's classically-inspired Orangerie is a reconstruction of the c.1820 Greek re-
vival structure which burned in 1928, leaving only the north and west brick walls. The
specialized structure was built to house citrus and other tender fruits which could not
survive a Maryland winter out-of-doors. Rarely seen in early America, only one original
orangery is known to exist today.
Lemons and oranges, cultivated in the Mediterranean by the first century A.D., were
initially brought to America by the Spanish, who introduced them to the Indians of
Florida in the 15th century. During the mid-19th century, the Orangery at Hampton
housed one of the finest citrus collections in the United States. The Ridgelys encircled
the Great Terrace with over 40 lemon and orange trees, potted in tubs and panelled
boxes. These plants were transferred to the Orangery during the winter months. Addi-
tionally, grapes were grown on the interior walls in espaliered fashion.
The Orangery was heated by solar energy through the full-length windows on the south
and east sides, and by a hypocaust, a type of wood-burning furnace, in the west-side shed.
The hypocaust provided heat through flues which ran under the floor, radiating heat
around the perimeter of the room and up the chimney.
Ice House This structure is considered contemporary with the Mansion at Hampton and was used to store
ice for use in the summer months.
On the north side of the Mansion is an ice house with a domed brick ceiling, field-
stone side walls and an underground vaulted passageway. The central cylindrical cham-
ber is almost 34 feet deep. Here the Ridgelys stored ice, which had been cut from nearby
ponds in the winter and packed in straw, for use in the summer. Construction of the ice
house was contemporary with the building of the Mansion.
The eastern perimeter of the Mansion was flanked by several dependencies. Those
which exist today include a late-18th century shed and privy, and a 19th century privy.
The locations of the privies, which had multiple seating, were changed as necessary,
although they were constructed with clean-out traps in the rear.
Also present on the eastern perimeter are a 20th century garage and a late-18th
century smokehouse. Meat houses, a fish house (perhaps with a holding pond), a cider
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