HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT - Aug 1980
HISTORICAL DATA SECTION
HAMPTON MANSION AND GARDEN, 1783-1909
HAMPTON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
TOWSON, MARYLAND
by
Charles W. Snell
Curatorial Library
Hampton National Historic Site
Denver Service Center
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior
CONTENTS
PREFACE / ix
ADMINISTRATIVE DATA - HAMPTON MANSION / 1
I.General Administrative Data / 3
A. Name and Number ofStructure / 3
B. Proposed Use of theStructure / 3
C. Justification for Such Use/ 3
D. Cooperative Agreement / 3
E. Proposed Treatment / 4
F. Archeological Investigation/ 4
G. Additional Land / 4
HISTORICAL DATA - HAMPTON MANSION / 5
II. Significance of the Mansion / 7
III. Chain of Title for the Hampton Estate, 1695-1948 / 9
IV. Construction of the Mansion, 1783-1788 / 14
A. Capt. Charles Ridgely, Mariner and Ironmaster, 1733-1790 / 14
B. Design and Designer of the Mansion / 24
C. Construction, 1783-1788 / 28
1. Contracts for Construction / 28
2. Masonry Work and Construction / 29
3. Lumber for the Mansion / 33
4. Carpenters and Other Workmen / 35
a. Jehu Howell, 1783-1787 / 36
b. William Richardson, 1783-1786 / 37
c. Carpenters for Howell & Richardson / 38
(1) Jacob Howell, 1784 / 38
(2) Robert Strawbridge, March 1784-1786 / 38
(3) Ramsey McGee, 1784-1786 / 39
(4) John McClure, 1784-1785 / 39
(5) Michael Shannon, 1784-1787 / 40
(6) John Dotson, 1785-1787 / 41
(7) Smithson and Fuller, 1786-1787 / 41
d. Carpenter's Apprentices and Helpers / 42
(1) Robert Guttery, November 1784-
February 1785 / 42
(2) George Milleman, 1786-1787 / 42
(3) Coffey, 1786-1787 / 43
(4) Richard Pearl, 1786-1787 / 43
(5) John Warner, 1786 / 43
(6) William Phillips, Turner, 1785-1788 / 44
(7) Henry Carlile, November 1787 / 44
e. Other Workmen / 45
iii
5. Exterior Stucco and Plaster Work, 1784-1787 / 46
6. Progress and Construction, 1783-1787 / 48
7. Finishing the Mansion, 1788 / 56
V. Occupancy and Maintenance of the Mansion / 60
A. Charles Carnan Ridgely and Hampton, 1790-1829 / 60
1. Charles Carnan Ridgely, Governor and General,
1760-1829 / 60
2. Paint for the Mansion, 1791 and 1796 / 65
3. Pull-Bell System, 1792 / 68
4. Masonry and Stonework, 1790-1809 / 68
5. Water for the Mansion, 1798-1799 / 70
6. Building Materials / 70
7. Ridgely's Construction Program, 1790-1829 / 72
B. John Ridgely and the Hampton Plantation, 1829-1867 / 78
1. John Ridgely of Hampton, the Builder, 1790-1867 / 78
2. Maintenance of the Mansion, 1830-1853 / 82
3. Construction of the Orangery, Greenhouse, and
Gardener's House / 86
4. Modernization of the Mansion, 1854-1859 / 87
5. Construction of New Garden Structures and a New
Stable, 1852-1857 / 91
6. Maintenance, 1860-1870 / 94
C. Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Estate, 1867-1872 / 98
1. Charles Ridgely of Hampton, 1830-1872 / 98
2. A New Road by the Mansion, 1871-1872 /104
D. John Ridgely ll and Hampton, 1872-1909 / 106
1. John Ridgely ll, 1851-1938 / 106
2. Maintenance of the Estate, 1876-1882 / 109
3. Rehabilitation of the Mansion, 1880-1882 / 113
4. Work on the Mansion, 1883-1909 / 118
5. Wiring the Mansion for Electricity, 1929 / 121
VI. Summary and Conclusions, Hampton Mansion / 122
A. Construction, 1783-1788 / 122
B. Additions and Alterations, 1789-1929 / 124
1. Painting, 1791 and 1796 / 124
2. Pull-Bell System, 1792-1865 / 125
3. Water Pipes, 1798-1799 to 1854 / 125
4. Enlargement of the East Hyphen (pantry), ca. 1820 / 125
5. Repainting of Some Rooms, 1838 / 126
6. Other Improvements / 126
7. Rehabilitation Program, 1854-1859 / 127
a. Graining of Interior Woodwork / 127
b. Wallpaper / 127
c. Painting of Exterior Wood Trim / 127
d. New Water Pipe System / 128
e. Plumbing, 1855 and 1877 / 128
f. Gas Lighting, 1857 / 128
g. Central Heating System, 1857 (?) / 128
h. Slate and Tin Roofs / 129
iv
8. Addition of Marble North Porch and Steps, 1867 / 129
9. Preparation of Measured Floor Plans, 1875 / 130
10. Second Major Rehabilitation Programs, 1880-1881 7 130
11. Repair to Hampton Furnace and Cookstove, 1882/ 131
12. Later Additions / 131
C. Other Structures at the National Historic Site / 132
1. Stable 1 7 132
2. Orangery 7 132
3. Greenhouse 2 7 133
4. Gardener's House 7 133
5. Greenhouse 1 7 134
6. Gas House, 1857 7 134
7. Stable 2--the Barn 7 134
8. Old Icehouse 7 135
9. Greenhouse and Grapery 7 135
10. New Road 7 135
11. Paint for Stable and Greenhouses 7 135
12. Repair of Greenhouses Extant in 1881 7 135
13. Historic Entrance Gate 7 136
VII. Maps and Plans of the Hampton Estate and Mansion 7 138
A. Original Construction Plans 7 138
B. 1794 Maryland Map Showing Hampton 7 138
C. Joshua Barneys Ink Map, 1843 7 138
D. John Laing Floor Plans of the Hampton Mansion, 1875 7 138
E. G. M. Hopkins Map in 1877 Atlas 7 139
F. G. W. Bromley & Co. Map, 1898 7 139
G. Laurence Hall Fowler's Plan of the First Floor, 1902 7 140
H. Laurence Hall Fowler's Garden Plan, 1902 7 140
I. Arthur Norgard's Plan of the First Floor, 1933 7 140
J. Historic American Buildings Survey Plans, 1958 7 141
VIII. Prints and Photographs of the Hampton Mansion 7 142
IX. Recommendations for Further Study 7 144
A. Physical History of the Mansion, 1886-1948 7 144
B. The Ridgely Family and the Hampton Estate, 1745-1938 7 144
C. Physical History of the Historic Structures 7 145
HISTORICAL DATA - HAMPTON GARDEN 7 147
X. Capt. Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1784-1790 7 149
XI. Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely and the Hampton Garden,
1790-1829 7 152
A. Irrigation System, 1801 7 152
B. Governor Ridgely's Chief Gardeners, 1790-1829 7 154
C. Summary of Evidence 7 156
v
XII. John Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1829-1867 / 157
A. Garden and Gardeners, 1829-1851 / 157
B. New Garden Structures, 1829-1843 / 158
C. An Andrew Jackson Downing Influence on the Garden? / 160
D. Modernization of the Garden and Its Structures,
1852-1855 / 161
E. Henry Winthrop Sargent's Description of the Hampton
Garden, 1859 / 166
XIII. Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1867-1872 / 171
XIV. John and Helen Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1872-1938 / 177
A. The Regime of Margaretta Ridgely, 1872-1900 / 177
1. Rehabilitation and Maintenance, 1876-1882 / 177
2. The Trees and Hampton, 1889 / 182
B. Helen West Stewart Ridgely and the Hampton Garden,
1901-1929 / 183
XV. Historical Maps, Plans, and Photographs of the
Hampton Garden / 188
A. Joshua Barney's Ink Map, 1843 / 188
B. Laurence Hall Fowler's Garden Plan, 1902 / 188
C. Historical Prints and Photographs / 189
MAPS AND PLANS / 191
ILLUSTRATIONS / 207
APPENDIXES / 224
BIBLIOGRAPHY / 283
vi
TABLES
1: Tax Assessment of Capt. Charles Ridgely's Properties,
March 1783 / 21
2: Cost of Carpenter Work on the Hampton Mansion,
1784-1787 / 50
3: Inventory of the Property of Charles Carnan Ridgely,
1829-1830 / 66
4: Expenditures for Modernization of the Hampton Mansion and
Garden, 1854-1859 / 92
5: John and Charles Ridgelys' Expenditures, 1830-August 1,
1870 / 99
6: List of Structures Standing in 1948 / 136
7: John Ridgely's Expenditures on the Hampton Garden,
1830-1851 / 159
8: John and Charles Ridgelys' Expenditures for Services,
1852-1870 / 165
9: Charles Ridgely's Expenditures on the Hampton Garden,
1850-1863 / 173
10: John and Charles Ridgelys' Annual Expenditures for Operation
and Building, 1857-1870 / 176
vii
PREFACE
This report has been prepared to satisfy the historical research
needs as outlined in development study package proposal 102, which
requested the preparation of a historic structure report, historical
data section, for the Hampton mansion at Hampton National Historic
Site, Towson, Maryland. The purpose of this study is to provide
documentary evidence that may facilitate the accurate restoration
and interpretation of the Hampton mansion. In addition, information
of the Hampton garden is presented in the hope that it may be of
use to the interpreters and planners who will draft plans for the
preservation and restoration of the garden.
This report is based on four weeks (June 1977) of intensive
searching in the eight collections 6f the Ridgely papers on deposit
in the Maryland Historical Society at Baltimore. The extensive
collections of Ridgely family papers comprise 138 volumes of account
books, ledgers, journals, cash books, and time books, 75
scrapbooks, and 42 boxes of papers. It is believed that all
documents in these collections relating to the physical history of the
Hampton plantation during the period 1780 to 1948 have been
examined. Notes were taken on all phases of the physical history
of all the structures on the Hampton plantation and also at
Northampton Iron Furnace during these years. Typed copies of
these research notes and transcriptions were provided to Hampton
National Historic Site and Fort McHenry National Monument and
Historic Shrine on July 25, 1977.
A number of people have greatly facilitated the research necessary
to prepare this report. Particular thanks go to superintendent
Dennis E. McGinnis, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic
Shrine and to administrative assistant Courtney Wilson, Hampton
National Historic Site. At the Maryland Historical Society, assistant
ix
manuscript librarians Drew Gruenburg, Elizabeth M. Daniels, and
Gail Malanowski cheerfully produced the hundreds of Ridgely
documents and made a number of helpful suggestions.
Finally, the writer wishes to acknowledge his debt to two National
Park Service scholars whose writings on Hampton National Historic
Site have greatly facilitated this study. The writers and their
pioneering reports are Lionel J. Bienvenu, 'Hampton and Its
Masters, 1745-1959," and Charles E. Peterson, "Notes on Hampton
Mansion (in the Hampton National Historic Site), Towson, Baltimore
County, Maryland."
It should also be noted here that the eight collections of Ridgely
papers in the Maryland Historical Society, which were uncataloged
when historian Bienvenu and architect Peterson wrote their studies,
have since been completely refiled, cataloged, and put into excellent
condition. This change, however, has rendered all citations in
both the Bienvenu and Peterson reports obsolete in terms of the
location of the listed Ridgely documents.
Charles W. Snell
administrative data - hampton mansion
I. General Administrative Data
A. Name and Number of Structure
The Hampton mansion (structure 1) at Hampton National
Historic Site is historically significant for its display of
late-Georgian architecture and its association with a large
agricultural-industrial complex. This structure is of the first order
of significance.
B. Proposed Use of the Structure
The center unit of the mansion is utilized as a museum,
open to the public, generally interpreting architectural values and a
broad range of manorial life in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
The basement is utilized as administrative space. The west wing is
used as a visitor/orientation center and library, and the east wing
and hyphen as a restaurant concession.
C. Justification for Such Use
The structure is on the list of classified structures and
the National Register of Historic Places.
D. Cooperative Agreement
Until October 1, 1979, there existed a memorandum of
agreement between the National Park Service and the Society for
the Preservation of Maryland Antiquities. The National Park
Service paid the society $100,000 per annum to provide
maintenance, interpretation, protection, and preservation at the site
under National Park Service supervision. Although the original
agreement expired December 17, 1978, it was extended until
negotiations could be completed. However, as of October 1, 1979, a
decision was made not to renew the agreement, and the National
Park Service has now assumed full responsibility for maintenance,
interpretation, protection, and preservation at the site.
3
E. Proposed Treatment
The preservation of the exterior of the structure will
require extensive rehabilitation and replacement of woodwork,
cornices, trim, window sash and frames, drains, gutters, steps,
and porticoes. The exterior of the mansion was restuccoed and
painted in fiscal year 1975; however, it will require replacement
within the next eight to ten years. Structural stabilization of the
interior support framing of the cupola was completed in fiscal year
1978, and reinforcement of the second floor framing in fiscal year
1979.
F. Archeological Investigation
Funds for archeological investigation were made available
in fiscal year 1979; the contractor was to recover data which might
be destroyed during reconstruction of the steps and to investigate
the exterior drainage system.
G. Additional Land
The Omnibus Bill of 1978 authorized the National Park
Service to purchase 14 acres of the adjoining Ridgely farm,
including several structures thereon. This purchase was
accomplished by January 1980.
4
historical data - hampton mansion
II. Significance of the Mansion
The little-altered Hampton mansion is a historic structure of
the first order of significance. Erected in 1783-1788, Hampton Hall
was one of the largest residences in the United States until the
mid-i 9th century. Its great size is matched by the monumental
qualities of its porticoes and domed cupola and by its elaboration of
detail in doorways, windows, and interior features. An outstanding
example of Georgian architecture, Hampton1 5 original late Georgian
opulence has survived to the present virtually intact and
unaltered
The Hampton mansion was built for Capt. Charles Ridgely
(1733-1790), sea captain, ironmaster, and wealthy owner of the
2,000-acre Hampton plantation. The builder was Jehu Howell,
master carpenter and amateur architect, who also acted as the
construction foreman. The mansion served as the country residence
of Captain Ridgely and his heirs from December 8, 1788, until
January 23, 1948, when the plantation house and its surrounding
structures became a part of Hampton National Historic Site.
The following are the few structural changes that have been
made to the five-part stone mansion since 1788:
1. The Hampton mansion was among the colonial style buildings in
the southern United States that were studied by the National
Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings in 1969. It was found to
have national architectural significance and classified among the 71
outstanding examples of 18th century Georgian domestic architecture
still in existence in the United States. Advisory Board on National
Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings and Monuments, Minutes of 61st
Meeting, October 6-8, 1969, pp. 35-36. The five-part Georgian
houses found to be of national architectural significance in 1969 are
listed in appendix G.
7
The south side of the east passageway, or hyphen, was
increased in depth by 10 feet about 1820.
Modern plumbing and water closets were introduced into the
west wing in 1855-1856.
Interior woodwork was grained and interior walls were papered
in 1854.1859.2
Stained glass windows were substituted for four of the original
clear windows in the main hall of the main house in 1856.
Gas lighting was introduced in 1857.
The north (front) portico steps and floor were replaced with
marble in 1867.
Electricity was introduced about 1929.~
The evidence presented in this report suggests to this writer
that in 1948 the mansion and its original outbuildings, including
those on the adjacent Hampton farm, were of first order significance
as a superb and unaltered example of a great southern slave
plantation complex of the 1850s period. The original Ridgely
furniture then in the mansion also appears to have dated largely
from this same mid-19th century period.
2. The interior woodwork was regrained and the walls were
repapered a second time in 1880-1881.
3. Central heating was introduced into the mansion at some time,
apparently in the 1850s. There was a central hot-air furnace in
the basement of the main house in July 1875, according to a plan
made at that time (see map 2).
8
III. Chain of Title for the Hampton Estate, 1695-1948
On September 28, 1695, a 1,500-acre tract of wilderness land
in Baltimore County, Maryland, considerably north of tidewater and
above the line of settlements, was taken up by Col. Henry Darnall,
a member of Lord Baltimore s council. Darnall called his new
acquisition "Northampton." Upon his death in 1711, Northampton
passed to his daughter, Anne Hill, the wife of Clement Hill of
Prince Georges County, Maryland. On April 2, 1745, Anne Hill,
then a widow, and her two sons, Clement and Henry, conveyed the
entire 1,500-acre tract that was Northampton to Col. Charles
Ridgely (the merchant) of Baltimore County for the very
respectable sum of 600 pounds sterling.2
The high price Ridgely paid for the plantation suggests that
the Darnell and Hill families had cleared many acres, put the land
under cultivation, and probably erected many useful farm buildings
between 1695 and 1745. John H. Scarff, an architect, thought that
the old "Farm House" on the Northampton estate (which would be
occupied by Capt. Charles Ridgely, the mariner, during the
construction of the mansion in 1783-1788) had been erected before
1745 and had served as the overseer's house on the Darnall-Hill
plantation .3
1. Rent Roll of Baltimore County, Calvert Papers 883, folio 205,
cited by John H. Scarff, Hampton, Baltimore County, Maryland
(Baltimore, 1948), p. 2. The December 10, 1695, survey of the
original boundaries of the estate known as Northampton is in
Collection 692, Ridgely Family Documents, Maryland Historical
Society, Baltimore. (The Ridgely Family Documents collections are
hereafter cited as Ridgely 692 [etc.], MHS; for a complete listing of
the contents of the collections, see appendix I.)
2. Land Records of Baltimore County, liber TB, no. D, Baltimore
County Courthouse, Baltimore, folio 420, cited by Scarff, p. 2.
(All Baltimore County records are hereafter cited as Land Records
[Deeds, etc.] TB(D), BCC, p. 420.)
3. Scarff, pp. 3-4.
9
In 1746 two adjoining pieces of land, "Hampton Court," a
100-acre tract, and "Oakhampton," a 440-acre estate, also came into
4
the possession of Charles Ridgely, the merchant. Ridgely had his
Northampton plantation resurveyed on January 8, 1757. The size of
the tract was found to be 1,804 acres; with the inclusion of 158
acres of vacant land, the total acreage of Northampton was
5
established at 1,962 acres.
On November 1, 1760, Col. Charles Ridgely conveyed to his
son, Capt. Charles Ridgely (the mariner), some 2,000 acres of land
in Baltimore County consisting of approximately the northern
three-fourths of the Northampton tract and all of Hampton Court,
Oakhampton, and Stone's Adventure, all of which lay together in
6
one large tract. The son was later to build the Hampton mansion
on a portion of the Northampton tract.
The March 1783 tax assessment records for Capt. Charles
Ridgely indicate that he owned 2,650 acres of land and that his
Northampton Company (an iron company) owned an additional 1 ,375
7
acres.
4. Deed for Hampton Court, July 11, 1746, Wm. Merryman and
wife and James Boring to Charles Ridgely, Deeds TB(E), BCC, p.
166, cited by Scarff, p. 2.
5. The description of the boundaries of Northampton, as
resurveyed January 8, 1757, is in Ridgely 692, MHS. The patent
for the 1,962-acre tract is dated October 19, 1758.
6. Land Records B(H), BCC, p. 420.
7. "Capt. Charles Ridgely Assessment Taken by Nicholas
Merryman, March 1783," and "Copy of the Northampton Company
Assessment Taken by Nicholas Merryman, March 1783," Ridgely
1127, MHS.
10
Capt. Charles Ridgely, the mariner, died childless in 1790.
He had wanted to keep the ownership of Northampton in the Ridgely
family, so he left his estate to his sister Achsah's son, Charles
Ridgely Carnan, with the proviso that the nephew must assume the
surname of Ridgely.8 Charles Ridgely Carnan legally became
Charles Carnan Ridgely during the 1790 session of the Maryland
general assembly; he then inherited the bulk of his uncle's estate
9
under his new name.
The subsequent owners of the Hampton mansion and estate
were as follows:
Charles Carnan Ridgely June 29, 1790,
(1760~1829)10 to July 17, 1829
John Ridgely (1790-1867) July 18, 1829,
to July 17, 1867
Charles Ridgely (1830-1872) July 18, 1867,
to March 29, 1872
John Ridgely II (1851~1938)11 March 30, 1872, to 1938
John Ridgely, Jr. (1882-1959) 1938 to January 22, 1948
8. Will of Capt. Charles Ridgely, April 7, 1787, Registry of Wills
6, BCC, p. 450.
9. Henry Ridgely Evans, Founders of the Colonial Families of
Ridgely, Dorsey, and Greenberry of Maryland (Washington, 1935W
p. 20; Scarff, p. 6.
10. Will of Charles Carnan Ridgely, April 28, 1828, Registry of
Wills 13, BCC. The Hampton estate at that time comprised about
2,000 acres, and General Ridgely owned more than 10,000 acres in
Baltimore County, according to Scarff, p. 6.
11. John Ridgely inherited the mansion and 1,000 acres known as
"the home farm" in August 1872 by a decision of the Baltimore
County Circuit Court. Newspaper clippings dated April 11, 1872
(name of newpaper not given), from a Ridgely family scrapbook,
Ridgely 1127, MHS.
11
On January 23, 1948, John Ridgely, Jr., and his wife, Jean
R. Ridgely, conveyed 43.295 acres of the Hampton estate, including
the Hampton mansion, to the United States government. The
$46,062.30 for this purchase was donated by the Avalon Foundation,
which had been founded by Ailsa Mellon-Bruce, who also
contributed funds to the foundation for this purpose.
A small parcel, approximately 1.9 acres, containing the two
Ridgely stables, was declared available for purchase in September
1952. The United States bought that parcel from John Ridgely,
Jr., for $8,000 on May 20, 1953.
Hampton National Historic Site was established by an executive
order issued by Secretary of the Interior J. A. Krug on June 22,
1948. The area now comprises 45.42 acres.
Several members of the Ridgely family who were associated
with Hampton are mentioned in this report. Their relationships are
described in the following list:
Col. Charles Ridgely, the merchant (1702-1772). Colonel
Ridgely bought the land in 1745 and established an iron
furnace with his sons Capt. Charles Ridgely and John Ridgely.
His daughters were Plaisance Goodwin, Rachel Lux, and
Achsah Carnan (Achsah Holliday at the time of her father's
death in 1772). Members of the Goodwin and Lux families were
associated with some of the Ridgely family businesses.
12. Copies of the January 23, 1948, deed for the sale of Hampton
to the United States and the June 22, 1948, order designating the
Hampton National Historic Site are in the Hampton research files at
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore
(hereafter cited as Hampton files, Fort McHenry).
12
Capt. Charles Ridgely, the mariner (1733-1790). Hampton
properties were given to him by his father in 1760. He built
the mansion in 1783-1788. His wife was Rebecca Dorsey
Ridgely (1739-1812). They were married in 1760.
Charles Ridgely Carnan (1760-1829), son of Captain Ridgely's
sister Achsah. He changed his name to Charles Carnan
Ridgely in 1790 and then inherited his uncle's property. He
was a general and a governor of Maryland. In 1782 he
married Priscilla Hill Dorsey (1762-1814), a younger sister of
Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely.
John Ridgely of Hampton, the builder (1790-1867), son of
Charles Carnan Ridgely. He inherited the property upon his
father's death in 1829 (his older brother Charles had died in
1819.) He married twice--first in 1812 to Prudence Gough
Carroll (1795-1822) and then in 1828 to Eliza Eichelberger
Ridgely (1803-1867). Eliza's name was Ridgely before she
married, but she was probably not related to the Hampton
Ridgelys.
Charles Ridgely of Hampton (1830-1872), son of John Ridgely.
His wife was Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely (1824-1904).
They were married in 1851.
John Ridgely Il (1851-1938), son of Charles Ridgely. He
married Helen West Stewart (1854-1929) in 1873.
John Ridgely, Jr. (1882-1959), son of John Ridgely II. His
first wife, Louise Humrichouse Ridgely (1883-1934), wrote some
articles on Ridgely family history. John Ridgely, Jr., and his
second wife, Jean R. Ridgely, sold the Hampton mansion to the
United States in 1948.
13 -
IV. Construction of the Mansion, 1783-1788
A. Capt. Charles Ridgely, Mariner and Ironmaster, 1733-1790
The builder of the Hampton mansion was Capt. Charles
Ridgely (1733-1790), son of Col. Charles Ridgely, the merchant, of
Baltimore County. The younger Charles Ridgely (called the mariner
to distinguish him from his father) went to sea as a youth and by
the age of 24 was the master of the snow (a square-rigged ship)
Baltimore Town. He engaged in the West Indies-London trade,
carrying tobacco to Great Britain and returning with British goods
that he sold on the eastern seaboard.
He retired from the sea in 1763 to help his father and his
brother John establish an iron furnace. He married Rebecca Dorsey
of the Belmont plantation in 1760, and the couple took up residence
in a two-story brick house, Sportsman's Hall, on Fell's Point in
Baltimore. They lived in Baltimore until 1772. As has been noted,
Colonel Ridgely, on November 1, 1760, gave his son some 2,000
acres of Baltimore County land consisting of the larger portion of
the plantation known as Northampton and all of the Hampton Court,
Oakhampton, and Stone's Adventure plantations.2
In February 1760 Colonel Ridgely acquired a tract of 100
acres of vacant land on which to erect an iron furnace and
1. William D. Hoyt, Jr., "Captain Ridgely's London Commerce, c.
1757-1774," Americana 37(April 1943):349; U.S. Department of the
Interior, National Park Service, "Hampton and Its Masters,
1745-1959," by Lionel J. Bienvenu (Baltimore, 1963), pp. 4, 6
(hereafter cited as USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its
Masters"); Capt. Charles Ridgely, Log Book of Voyages to London,
Maryland, and Virginia on the snow Baltimore Town, 1756-1758,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
2. Land Records B(4), BCC, p. 240.
14
ironworks.3 The land lay on Peterson s Run, just to the north of
and adjoining the Northampton plantation.
Colonel Ridgely and his sons Charles and John formed a
4
new company, the Northampton Company. John Ridgely supervised
operations at Northampton Iron Furnace from 1761 until his death in
5
1771. Capt. Charles Ridgely supervised the operation of the
Northampton plantation where they raised grain and other
provisions that were sold to the workers at Northampton Furnace
and elsewhere. In 1776 he and William Goodwin, a relative, formed
the Ridgely-Goodwin Company, which acted as an outlet for the iron
produced by the Northampton Company and also as a general
merchandising house.6
On the death of his brother John in 1771, Capt. Charles
Ridgely purchased John's one-third interest in the Northampton
7
Company. Now owner of two-thirds of the iron company, Captain
3. According to Scarff (p. 4), a copy of Ridgely's February 28,
1760, writ of ad quod damnum is in "The Collection of Land
Certificates Chiefly in Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties, to
Which is Added a List of Postponed Certificates From the Years
1733-1734," compiled by a barrister named Carroll.
4. The contract establishing the iron company is mentioned in a
deed from the executors of Col. Charles Ridgely's estate. The
deed conveyed a one-third interest in the Northampton Company to
Charles, Jr., in 1772. Land Records AI(4), BCC, p. 495.
5. Scarff, p. 4.
6. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 6;
Joseph T. Singewald, Jr., Report on the Iron Ores of Maryland
With an Account of the Iron Industry 7Waltimore, 191 V, p. 169.
Records of the Northampton Iron Furnace from 1760 to 1835 are in
Series B (Northampton Iron Furnace, 1760-1835) and in Series K
(Miscellaneous Records), vols. 1-7, Ridgely 691, MHS.
7. Scarff, p. 4.
15
Ridgely took up residence at the ironworks (in either 1771 or 1772)
in order to supervise operations at the furnace. He made Goodwin
his agent in Baltimore to handle the sale of iron products.8
When Col. Charles Ridgely died in 1772, he left his
one-third share of the Northampton Company to his three married
daughters, Plaisance Goodwin, Achsah Holliday, and Rachel Lux.
Rachel's husband, Darby Lux, was named trustee.9
Between 1772 and 1775, Capt. Charles Ridgely formed the
firm of Ridgely, Howard, and Lux. He appointed Henry Howard,
his cousin and a partner in the company, to manage Northampton
Furnace.10 From 1782 to 1790 the Ridgely-Lux Company handled
the output of the furnaces.11 The Northampton Company's iron
products were to be the chief sources of Captain Ridgely's rapidly
growing fortune, and the profits from the iron industry were to
pay for the construction of the Hampton mansion.
Ridgely was active in politics and held public office. In
May 1774 he was chairman of the Baltimore Committee of
13
Correspondence. Between 1777 and 1787, he was elected ten
times to fill a Baltimore County seat in Maryland's House of
8. Singewald, p. 169.
9. Will of Col. Charles Ridgely, April 1, 1772, Registry of Wills
3, BCC, p. 201.
10. Singewald, p. 169.
11. Two ledgers of this company, for 1782-1785 and 1790, are in
Series C (Ridgely and Lux Company), Ridgely 691, MHS.
12. Scarff, p. 4.
13. J. C. Carpenter, "An Old Maryland Mansion,11 Appleton's
Journal 13(May 8, 1875).
16
14
Delegates. He is reported to have been "the political boss of
Baltimore County.''15
Although Ridgely supported the Revolutionary cause, he
was no radical, and in 1776 he apparently opposed the movement for
independence, favoring instead an "honorable peace" with Great
Britain. In July 1776 Maryland, in response to a request from the
Continental Congress, dispatched four regiments (2,689 officers and
men) and 15 companies of regulars (1,792 soldiers) to the support
of Gen. George Washington's army, which was then in New York
City. The militia's time of service expired on December 1 of the
same year, and the soldiers returned to Maryland. Washington's
defeated army was at that time retreating across New Jersey toward
Philadelphia with the British in leisurely pursuit. That situation
triggered a hot debate between Captain Ridgely and his nephew and
partner, William Lux, on December 18, 1776. In a deposition,
Daniel Bowley reported:
I remember in a conversation which happened lately
between Capt. Charles Ridgely and Mr. William Lux in our
Compting house.
Capt. Ridgely being asked by Mr. Lux if he was not
getting himself ready to march to assist General
Washington and prevent the enemy geting to Philadelphia,
he replied he should go when the [Continental] Congress
went, at least the younger members, for that old Col.
[Benjamin] Harrison [of Virginia] and such were enough
to do the business of Congress- -and said he thought they
ought to march with the rest, for that his life was as
dear to him as their to them--and that Congress ought to
make peace last summer [1776] with Lord Howe as the
King's Commissioner--that they had an opportunity to do
14. Philip A. Crowl, Maryland During and After the Revolution
(Baltimore, 1943), p. 38.
15. Ibid., p. 96.
17
it upon honorable terms when Lord Drummand proposed a
plan, but that the men sent by Congress [John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge] to Lord Howe
[to meet with Howe on Staten Island on September 11,
1776] were such as he knew would not treat with him.
Here I left the room but the conversation continued some
time with warmth on both sides as I could hear at a
distance but any further particulars I do not recollect.16
William Lux himself reported of the incident:
Captain Ridgely said in reply to my question asking him
whether he did not intend to march with the militia to
reinforce Gen. Washington: that the Congress might have
had good terms last summer when General and Lord Howe
came in if they would have accepted them; that Lord
Howe had declared he was willing to treat, and had been
in England two months to obtain ample powers for that
purpose; that when the Congress sent their members to
him to know his powers he found they sent men that were
resolved not to listen to any terms, and therefore he
refused to let them know the powers he was invested
with; that we were offered the terms of '63, which he
thought were just and reasonable, and that he had rather
have given L1,000 than they should not have accepted
them; that if the Congress would have sent proper
persons to treat, and when they found the terms were
not equitable it would then have united everbody, but
that he would not march unless the Congress went, for
his life was as dear to him as their's were, and that Sam
Chase [a Maryland delegate to the Continental Congress]
and many others were as able to do duty in the camp,
and Col. Harrison and such old men were enough to do
the business in the Congress. This is as far as I
recollect at present.17
16. "Daniel Bowley's Statement Concerning Conversation Between
Capt. Charles Ridgely and William Lux," undated deposition,
Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
17. The Lux deposition appears in part 1 of a two-part article, "A
Politician of 'Ye Olden Time,1 " Maryland Journal 31 (October 19,
1895), which can be found in Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
18
Although Ridgely was distressed by the failure to make
peace in 1776, he continued to support the American cause. On
November 9, 1778, Jeremiah Allen, the captain of Ridgely's schooner
Camden, was commissioned as a privateer. Ridgely's Northampton
Company supplied the Continental Army with cannon, cannon balls,
and ironware, and the Hampton plantation produced much wheat
that was sold to the Continental Army between 1780 and 1783, when
units were operating in Virginia and North Carolina.
At the session of the General Assembly of Maryland held
from October 7, 1780, to February 2, 1781, that body passed "an
Act to seize, confiscate and appropriate all British property within
the State." As a conservative, Captain Ridgely strongly
disapproved of this bill, "but he was so greatly in the minority that
he probably withdrew [from the House of Delegates] at this time
that his name might not be associated with the session which passed
it. ,,20 In other words, while he could not vote for the act, he did
not dare vote against it.
On April 5, 1783, the first official news of the
preliminary signing of the peace treaty of January 20, 1783, ending
18. John Thomas Scharf, History of Baltimore City and Count
from the Earliest Period to the Present Day (Philadelphia,100.
19. Entries for 1779-1780, Ridgely Account Book - 1779-1783 (vol.
6; old ledger D), Series D: Capt. Charles Ridgely and Gen.
Charles Carnan Ridgely Ledgers and Day Books - 1763-1809,
Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 10 (hereafter cited as Account Book 6, Series
D, Ridgely 691, MHS). Under the heading "Loan Office of United
States," it is indicated that Ridgely made a loan of 61,125 on March
7, 1779. In January 1780 he sold the U.S. 1,000 bushels of wheat
and also some iron for a total of $26,225.
20. "A Politician of 'Ye Olden Time,1 11 part 2 (October 26, 1895),
Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
19
the War for Independence, reached the United States.21 Captain
Ridgely was a wealthy man by the end of the war. His tax
assessment for March 1783 indicates that his property in Baltimore
County was appraised at L-15,635. This included 4,025 acres of
land at the Hampton plantation and the Northampton Iron Furnace.
He owned 130 slaves, 63 horses, 179 head of cattle, 154 sheep, and
166 hogs, as well as 510 tons of bar and pig iron at Northampton
Furnace and the Ridgely forges (details of Capt. Ridgely's property
are shown in table 1).
With - peace assured, Captain Ridgely launched a
construction program. A great Georgian mansion was begun in
August 1783. The house, which was to be a residence for himself
on the Hampton plantation, was not finished until December 1788.
In March 1785 Captain Ridgely and his nephew Charles
Ridgely Carnan paid the carpentry firm of Pennington and Jessep a
total of 678 5s. "to building a Saw Mill from the stump: 62 feet
long and in every other respect in proportion to the length.''22
On August 6, 1785, Ridgely and Carnan paid Pennington
and Jessep 685 2s. 6d. "to building our Country [grist] Mill
Compleat." This three-story frame structure had been completed on
21. This news was carried by Capt. John Derby's ship Astrea,
which arrived at Salem, Massachusetts, on April 5, 1783, having
sailed from Nantes, France, on March 12.
22. Receipted bill, April 23, 1785, with description of work,
Ridgely 692, MHS.
20
Table 1: Tax Assessment of Capt. Charles Ridgely's Properties
Made by Nicholas Merryman, March 1783
Northampton
Hampton Plantation Iron Company fAzidel Forges Total
Land L3,637. 10. 0 61,718. 15. 0 b 5,355. 25. 0
Improvements 300. 0. 0 281. 5. 0 581. 5. 0
Household
furniture 80. 0. 0 12. 10. 0 92. 10. 0
Slaves (995)3,640.0.0 (315) 965. 0.0 4,605. 0.0
Horses (44H) 264. 0.0 (19H) 114. 0.0 378. 0.0
Cattle (157C)300. 0.0 (22C) 44. 0.0 344. 0.0
Sheep (1305) 50. 0.0 (245) 9. 0.0 59. 0.0
Hogs (140H) 50. 0.0 (26H) 7. 0.0 57. 0.0
Other animals (42) 17.10. 0 0 17.10. 0
Bar iron 0 4.10.0 0 4.10.0
Pig iron 0 (290 tons)2,240.0. 0(200 tons)1,600.0. 03,840. 0. 0
Iron castings ______ 0 (20 tons)300.0. 0________ 0 300. 0. 0
TOTALS L8,338.20.0 L5,694.40.0 L1,600.0. 0L15,635.0.0
SOURCE: Ridgely 1127, MHS.
Summary of Information in Table 1
Land
Hampton Plantation 2,650 acres
Northampton Company 1 ,375 acres
Slaves
130 Negro slaves: 72 adult males (14 or more years old), 25 adult
females, and 33 children under 14 years of age
Hampton Value Northampton Co. Value
46 Males, 14 & older L2,470 26 males L800
23 Females, 14 & older760 2 females 120
30 Children 410 3 45
99 L3,640 31 L965
Animals
63 horses L378. 0. 0
179 head of cattle 344. 0. 0
154 sheep 59. 0. 0
166 hogs 57. 0. 0
42 "other animals" 17.10. 0
Total value of animals L855. 10. 0
I ron
490 tons of pig iron L3,840. 0. 0
20 tons of iron castings 300. 0. 0
bar iron 4. 10. 0
Total value of iron L4,144. 10. 0
22
23
July 21 of that year.
Capt. Charles Ridgely and his wife, Rebecca, moved into
24
their new house, Hampton, on December 8, 1788. Captain
Ridgely died June 28, 1790, in his 67th year.25 In his will dated
April 7, 1787, he made the following bequest:
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Rebecca
Ridgely, during her natural Life, the Dwelling wherein I
now reside [the old overseer's house on the Hampton
plantation] together with eight acres of Land thereto
adjoining for a garden with as many outhouses as she may
think necessary for her convenience or if she should
prefer the new house I am now building [Hampton
Mansion, still under construction in 1787], I leave it at
her option to Choose the same.
He directed his nephew (for he had no children), Charles Ridgely
Carnan, to provide Rebecca with a stable large enough for six
horses and six cows. He also left his silver plate to his wife for
life use. As noted, he left his nephew all the land his father had
given him by an indenture dated November 1, 1760, "whereon I now
reside," except for the use of the dwelling house and eight acres
that were to be reserved for Rebecca for her life use. The whole
of his estate consisted of "Northampton and various adjacent tracts
and also his interest in the Northampton Furnace. ,,26 Rebecca
decided not to reside either in the new mansion or in the old
overseer s house.
23. Receipted bill, August 6, 1785, with details of the mill
erected, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
24. Rebecca Ridgely wrote in her diary on December 8, 1788,
"Come to the large new Building." The diary is in Ridgely 693,
MHS.
25. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 14.
26. Registry of Wills 6, BCC, p. 450; Scarff, p. 5.
23
B. Design and Designer of the Mansion
Constructed of rubblestone with stucco-covered walls, the
Hampton mansion was built on the symmetrical five-part Georgian
plan that was much used in Maryland and Virginia during the last
third of the 18th century, but the plan is executed on an unusually
large scale. In fact, Hampton was one of the largest residences
constructed in the United States until the mid-19th century. The
two-and-a-half story central block measures 53 feet by 80 feet and
is topped by a very large octagonal cupola that rises almost 38 feet
(including the finial) above the main ridge. The main house is
flanked by two lower two-story end wings, which are connected
with the main block by two hyphens, or passageways. One hyphen
is one story high and the other is two stories high. The west wing
is 25 by 23 feet and is connected to the main structure by a
hyphen 22 feet long and 16-1/2 feet deep. The east wing, about 23
feet square, is connected to the central block by a hyphen 24 feet
long and 26 feet deep. Thus, the overall length of the five-part
house is 174 feet 11 inches.
The great octagonal cupola that crowns the main house
(and is its dominating feature) is unusual but not unique among the
great 18th century houses of the United States.27 There is
27. In a National Park Service report, architect Charles E.
Peterson suggests that the cupola was unique. USD1, NPS, "Notes
on Hampton Mansion in the Hampton National Historic site, Towson,
Baltimore County, Maryland: A Preliminary Report Compiling Data
and Observations on the Physical History of the Plantation and Its
Mansion, Including Work Performed by the Federal Government
Beginning 1949" (Philadelphia, 1970), p. 24 (hereafter cited as
USD1, NPS, Peterson). However, Elias Hasket Derby, the merchant
prince of Salem, Massachusetts, built three mansions in Salem
between 1780 and 1795: the Derby/Hawkes House in Salem Maritime
NHS, Derby Street, a three-story Georgian mansion built in
1780-1781; a three-story Georgian mansion at 70 Washington Street,
24
speculation that the dome was inspired by the eight-sided dome
over Castle Howard in Yorkshire, England, the magnificent country
house begun in 1700 under the joint direction of architects John
Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. Capt. Charles Ridgely had
made a number of trips to Great Britain prior to 1760 and could
have viewed Castle Howard. Under this theory, in building
Hampton, Captain Ridgely was emulating the Howards, from whom
he was descended through his mother's family. However,
architect Charles Peterson in his "Notes on Hampton" has suggested
what appears to be a much more probable source of the design of
the main block of the mansion:
Hampton [the main house]--as projected into an elevation
drawing--has some remarkable resemblances to the
[Charles Ward] Apthorp House [on 91st Street between
Columbus and Amsterdam streets] in New York City built
a few years earlier [about 1764-1767]. Hampton Mansion,
begun 19 years later has some uncanny resemblances to
this unique frame house demolished a number of years
ago, especially as to proportions.
The "remarkable" similarities include the
recessed front [central] bay flanked by colossal [two
story high] pilasters and the general application of
rustication [to make the house appear to be a masonry
building]. Had Hampton been completed with the
elaboration of detail the builders evidently intended
[originally], it would have been trimmed off in a similar
way.29 (See illustration 1 in the Illustrations section of
this report.)
to which Derby added a cupola in 1786; and, finally, his great
Federal style three-story frame mansion in 1795-1799. This last
structure is mentioned in "Notes on Hampton," p. 24, as "the only
comparable example of a cupola on an American private house I can
remember." George Washington also added a cupola to Mount
Vernon in 1787.
28. USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 24.
29. Ibid., p. 26, caption for illustration 18, which shows the main
elevation of the Apthorp house, ca. 1890.
25
As a sea captain, Charles Ridgely must have visited New
York City a number of times and hence could have either seen or
heard of the noted Apthorp house, then the latest thing in
"modern" Georgian architecture. Then he could have made or had
some friend make a rough plan of the Apthorp house, which could
have served as the basis for the central block of Hampton. The
cupola was added to the roof as an innovation, and the traditional
Maryland Georgian wings and hyphens were added to the sides of
the main house to form a five-part composition.
The legend that the cupola on the mansion was inspired
by the octagonal dome on Castle Howard in England can also
apparently be dismissed, for the idea of constructing a cupola
seems to have been suggested by carpenter-architect Jehu Howell,
30. Hugh Morrison indicated that the Apthorp house was built
about 1767, in Early American Architecture From the First Colonial
Settlement to the National Period (New York, 1952), pp. 561-62.
Morrison wrote, "Another remarkable late Georgian mansion in New
York City was the Apthorp House, which formerly stood at West
End Avenue and 90th Street. Built of cut-stone ashlar [emphasis
added] about 1767, it was unusually aFEhitectonic in its treatment of
the classical order. Giant Ionic pilasters marked the bays of both
ends of the house and turned the corners to frame the facade.
The treatment of the central pavilion was also unusual: projecting
only slightly from the facade, it framed a recessed entrance porch
with engaged piers at the corners. The entrance door was unique
in almost every feature; it consisted of a Palladian motive, the
central arch with a lunette over a rectangular door, and the
flanking units filled by sidelights to illuminate the hall. Even the
door was glazed in its upper portion to match the flanking windows.
Also unique in Georgian domestic architecture was the use of a full
classic entablature over giant pilasters. Usually the architrave
and/or frieze motives were omitted, but here was a full Ionic
entablature--architrave in three fascia, molded taenia, pulvinated
frieze, dentil course, and a modillioned cornice. The depth of the
entablature necessitated reduction of the second-story windows to
small squares, forming an interesting grouping with the tall
pedimented windows of the main floor. It seems likely that the
Apthorp House was designed by a professional architect."
26
who had never seen Castle Howard, and not by Ridgely himself.
Ridgely made the following note to himself on the flyleaf of one of
his account books regarding the cupola: "When gave Mr. Howell
leave to put on the Dome on !!iZ house [emphasis added] the
expense to me was not to exceed L180, fully completed outside &
inside. ,,31
The exterior design of Hampton, while monumental and
impressive, exhibits certain infelicities that indicate that it was the
work of amateur architects. The most obvious of these details
concerns the two massive central porticoes with their closed and
fenestrated sides, the pillars of which seem too far apart. This
fault is further emphasized by the horizontal lines of the balconies
and by the unusually narrow center entrance doors. The end
wings are also somewhat undersized in relation to the massive
central block or main house.
The question of who was the architect of Hampton will
probably never be definitively determined because the original plans
for the house were apparently lost many years ago. The most
likely candidates as the designer or designers appear to be Capt.
Charles Ridgely and/or Jehu Howell, the master carpenter who
supervised the construction of the mansion.
31. Quoted by Helen West Stewart Ridgely in writing to "Dear
Lawrence," November 1, 1902, Hampton files, Fort McHenry; see
also carpentry bill 2 in appendix A of this report, which carries
under the date 1787 (p. 10) the charge "to doing the Carpentors
work of the Doom [dome or cupola] by agreement L180.0.0."
32. A careful search in June 1977 of the Ridgely documents in the
Maryland Historical Society determined that the 1783 architectural
plans for the Hampton mansion definitely are not in this depository.
27
C. Construction, 1783-1788
1. Contracts for Construction
In July 1783 the carpentry firm of Jehu Howell and
William Richardson completed the project of adding a kitchen and
connecting hyphen, or passageway, to Capt. Charles Ridgely's
house on Patapsco Neck.33 They submitted a bill of L67 5$. 3d.
for their services. Ridgely paid the bill in August and entered
into an agreement with Howell and Richardson to perform the
carpentry work on Hampton, which was then under construction.
Captain Ridgely recorded this information on the back of the July
bill, as folldws:
Howel and Richardson old Accts for work in [Patapsco]
Neck settled but m work on ~ house now bildg in the
forrest [Ham p ton is to be [QWTIt at same prices
Tw[wwasis added] E>$Eepfll/6 to be Dedudted for Board &
in the Neck their was 1/4 Deducted for Board. Aug.
1783 this Agreemt Made. C. Ridgely.34
33. In "Notes on Hampton," p. 28, Peterson wrote: "Twenty
years ago it was said there had been the date '1783' in lead
numerals set in the stucco near the north kitchen door [in the east
wing] but they have disappeared and there seems to be no
photograph of them." However, a newspaper article on the history
of Hampton, which was clipped from a 1906 or 1907 newspaper and
placed in a scrapbook by Helen West Stewart Ridgely, says, "The
date 1783, in leaden characters, imbedded in the east wing, near
the eaves, shows that the construction of the manor house must
have been underway before the end of the Revolution." Helen was
in the habit of correcting historical errors in items she collected for
her scrapbooks. She made no corrections in this case, which
indicates that she felt that the statement about the existence of the
lead numbers at that date was correct. Scrapbook (vol. 47),
Ridgely 716, MHS.
34. Howell and Richardson carpenters' bill, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
This bill was also reproduced in an article by William D. Hoyt, Jr.,
"Bills for Carpenter Work on 'Hampton,' " Maryland Historical
Magazine 33(December 1938):368-69.
28
Because of the building's isolated location "in the
forrest," it was necessary that housing and food be provided for
the workmen who built Hampton. Captain Ridgely must have
entered into unrecorded (or no longer extant) agreements before
August 1, 1783, with Moses Dillon, a master mason, to supervise
masonry construction, and with David Scott and George Scott,
teamsters, to haul the stone from the quarry to the house site.
2. Masonry Work and Construction
Captain Ridgely's numerous account books contain no
record of any charges for the excavation of the cellar and
foundations of Hampton. This suggests that the work was done by
his slaves living on the Hampton plantation. Forty-six adult male
negroes (aged 14 or older) lived at Hampton. There also were 44
horses on the plantation in March 1783.36 The removal of the earth
was probably done in the rough by horses pulling slip shovels,
followed by slaves trimming off with spade and shovel.37 This
work probably began in July 1783.
35. In "Notes on Hampton," p. 29, Peterson cites an old Ridgely
account book (XXIX) in the Maryland Historical Society collections.
Under the date August 1, 1783, an entry states that "Scotts
waggons begun this Day to Hall [haul] Stone." Book XXIX was
missing from the Ridgely collections in 1977 but was formerly
numbered D-15 in Collection 691. Bills for the services of the Scott
brothers in late 1783 indicate that the stone they delivered was
"measured by [Moses] Dillon & Jehua Howell." Account Book 6,
Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 11, 114. These bills indicate that
the Scotts and Dillon, as well as Howell, were in the employ of
Captain Ridgely in 1783-1784 and working on the Hampton mansion
project.
36. "Capt. Charles Ridgely Assessment taken by Nicholas
Merryman, March 1783 for Northampton, Southampton, Hampton
Court, Oak Hampton, Ravens Refuge, &c.," Ridgely 1127, MHS.
37. USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 29.
29
As has been noted, Captain Ridgely's account books
contain no record of his agreement with master mason Moses Dillon
to construct the mansion. Dillon had done a considerable amount of
masonry work for Ridgely prior to 1783. The captain paid Dillon a
total of L196 3$. 2-1/2d. for his services from June 17, 1776, to
the end of 1779.38 For services rendered between 1779 and
January 7, 1781, Dillon was paid L112 11s.39 For the period
January 7, 1781, to February 14, 1786, he was credited with the
sum of L846 4$. 1/2d. for services performed. This total
apparently included the charge for supervising the construction of
the stone walls of the mansion and also "by his account for all done
for the Mill [which was under construction in 1785].II40
Dillon $ account, which was balanced and settled in
1786, showed debits of 6365 and credits of 6862 4$. 1/2d. The
mason was paid 6537 6s. 11d. to close the account.41 The fact that
charges against Dillon did not include any for boarding his workmen
suggests that Captain Ridgely's slaves may again have been utilized
to erect the stone foundations and walls of the mansion. "The
masonry of the Mansion," wrote architect Charles Peterson in 1970,
"as revealed here and there through fallen stucco--is of a rather
indifferent character, seeming to indicate that it was always
intended to be covered with a veneer."42 This suggests that
highly skilled masons were not used to erect these stone walls.
38. Ridgely Account Book - 1775-1779 (vol. 5; old ledger C),
Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 43.
39. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 48.
40. Ibid., p. 79. Dillons work in 1781-1782 is recorded in
Ridgely Account Book - 1782-1783 (vol. 7; old ledger E), Series D,
Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 79.
41. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 98.
42. USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 33.
30
The mansion is built of a common rough gneiss-schist
type of rock that was taken from some nearby, and probably newly
opened, quarry. One of the first steps in the construction project
would have been to haul the stone for the masonry walls from the
quarry to the building site. The following entry is included in
account book 15 for August 1, 1783: "Scotts waggons begun this
Day to hall [haul] Stone."43 The teams of David and George Scott
worked for some ten weeks, into October 1783, and then halted,
apparently because of the onset of winter weather. On April 14,
1784, David Scott was credited with 649 1s. 8d. "by haulg 196
perch & 6 feet of Stones measured by Mosas Dillon & Jehua Howell
at 5 shillings."44
George Scott was credited with 649 1s. 8d. "by 196
perch of Stone hauld Measured by Masons Dillon & Jehua Howell at
5 shilling." On the debit side Captain Ridgely charged 9$. 4-1/2d.
against George Scott "to cash paid Frederick Al lender being 1/2 of
your & your brother's Wagners [wagoners'] Board."45
The Scott brothers thus delivered a total of 392
perches and 6 feet of stone to the building site by October 1783.
David Scott resumed operations on May 1, 1784. He was paid by
the day from May 1 to 12; from May 13 to October 15, he was paid
by the load.46
43. Old Ridgely account book XXIX, cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 29. This is the book that was missing from the
Ridgely collections in 1977.
44. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 111.
45. Ibid., p. 114.
46. Ridgely Time Book - 1784 (vol. 31; old book XLVI), Series K:
Miscellaneous Records, Ridgely 691, MHS.
31
The schedule of delivery of David Scott's "hauling
stone" from May 12 to August 20, 1784, was as follows:
May 70 loads
June 105 loads
July 109 loads
August 75 loads
Total 359 loads delivered
between May 12 and
August 20. 47
Payment for the following services, rendered in
1784, was credited to David Scott's account:
By 8 Day Work your Team 5 horses L 8. 0. 0
By Ridgely Luse [Lux] for 7 day after
deducting for 4 horse shoes at 20/6
pr Day 11. 4. 0
By 70 Loads of Stones equal to 14 days
with 5 horses 15. 15. 0
By 296 loads of Stones with a four
horse team being Equal to 59 days 59. 0. 0
By 1 Load Stone 4 horse team 0. 4. 0
[Total] 94. 3. 0
By deduction accot of Smith work 0. 2. 9
[The total shown here includes the
L49 1s. 8d. credited for the 19perches of stone on April 12, 1784] L132. 14. 9
Against this, Captain Ridgely charged David Scott L8 "to 16 Weeks
Board your Wagnor at 10 shillings."48
47. Ibid.
48. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 111.
32
As previously noted, the Scott brothers delivered a
grand total of 392 perches and 6 feet of stone, plus 359 wagon loads
of stone, to the Hampton site between August 1, 1783, and
August 20, 1784. In September 1784 David Scott's wagons hauled 8
49
loads of brick from Baltimore.
The masonry work on the main house and the end
wings was probably largely complete by November 1784 (this
conclusion will be discussed further when the carpentry work on
the house is considered).
3. Lumber for the Mansion
Captain Ridgely purchased large quantities of lumber
in 1783, and much of this was probably used at Hampton. On
March 10, 1783, even before official news of the signing of the
peace treaty had been received, Josias Pennington billed Charles
Ridgely for an order of scantling, which was apparently delivered
to "Capt. Jehu Howell."50 This order, however, probably went for
use in the kitchen and hyphen that Howell and Richardson were
then adding to Ridgely's house on the Patapsco Neck, rather than
to the Hampton mansion.
On June 30, 1783, Ridgely purchased 1,776 feet of
"Scanling, 103 Plang [plank], and 5 pound neals" from John Spenem
(?).51 These materials may have been used either at "the Neck" or
at Hampton. On July 7, 1783, Ridgely bought the following large
49. Time Book 31, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS; see also USD1,
NPS, Peterson, p. 31.
50. Bill, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
51. Receipt, Ridgely 692, MHS.
33
order of lumber from Hollingsworth & Loney (or Laney) of
Baltimore. These materials were probably used at .52
Hampton.
3357 feet Inch Plank at 15/ L25. 2.7
6041 " Inch & Qr at 17/6 52. 19.0
Com. at 2/2 p. C 1. 18.5
L79. 18.0
On May 3, 1784, Edward Parker charged Ridgely Lii
9s. 8d. for "2756 feet 7 Inches Plank." On May 18, 1784, Captain
Ridgely and sawmill operator Edward Parker entered into the
following agreement:
This 18 Day of May 1784 1 have agreed wt Edward Parker
to saw the bill of scantling for my large house [Hampton
mansion] at 15/ per Ct. I am to take it from his mill or
pay him for haulg it to be measured side and edge
agreeable to the old custom in Presents of Wm.
Richardson [carpenter] and Wm. Dukes.
53
[Signed] C. Ridgely.
This agreement took care of the production of lumber
for Hampton in 1784. In March 1785, as has been noted, Captain
Ridgely and Charles R. Carnan paid the carpenters Pennington &
Jessep the sum of L78 5s. to erect "a Saw Mill from the stump: 62
feet long and in every other respect in porportion to the length."54
Ridgely's new sawmill presumably took care of much of the
production of lumber for use in the Hampton mansion during the
period from 1785 to 1787.
52. Receipt, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
53. Old Ridgely account book XLIV, cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson,
p. 37.
54. Bill, April 23, 1785, Ridgely 692, MHS.
34
On November 2, 1785, Ridgely and Lux did buy
2,000 plastering laths from Hopkins & Wily(?) in Baltimore at 7/6.
These laths may have been sent to Hampton.55 On June 3, 1785,
"Mr. Howel" delivered 134 feet of pine plank and 206 feet of 1-inch
pine plank valued at 63 3s. 11-1/2d.56 On October 5 and October
26, 1785, there were two six-horse teams hauling plank from
Baltimore.57 On July 1 and 18, 1786, there were four-horse teams
hauling "Shingle Stuff" and rafters and laths from Baltimore.58
4. Carpenters and Other Workmen
The carpentry firm of Howell & Richardson, which
supervised the carpenter work on Hampton from 1783 to 1787, had
already done considerable construction for Capt. Charles Ridgely
prior to August 1783. Jehu Howell had received 6196 lOs. 6d. for
his services to Ridgely in the period January 29, 1775, to April
59
1777. In 1782 William Richardson of Baltimore had apparently
formed a partnership with Howell, and in the spring of 1783 they
did 647 lOs. 3d. worth of construction on the kitchen in Ridgely's
house at Patapsco Neck. They were also paid 619 15s. 6d. for
erecting a hyphen on that house.60
55. Receipt, November 2, 1785, Ridgely 692, MHS.
56. Ridgely Account Book - 1783-1786 (vol. 10; old ledger 52),
Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 16.
57. Ibid., p. 49.
58. Ibid., p. 39.
59. Account Book 5, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 10.
60. "Capt. Charls Ridgely Dr for Carpentors work dun on his
kichen," Ridgely 692.1, MHS; also reproduced in Hoyt, "Carpenter
Work," pp. 368-69.
35
a. Jehu Howell, 1783-1787
Jehu Howell, master carpenter and possible
architect of Hampton, took up residence on the Hampton plantation,
probably in February 1784, and lived there until his accidental
death by drowning in the Patapsco River in November 1787. Acting
as general contractor, he supervised the operations of his own crew
of some 14 carpenters. From early 1784 until November 4th of that
year, Howell and some of his men boarded with Captain Ridgely.
On November 4 the captain charged Howell "to my 4 horse team 1/2
day [for] removing your wife and furniture."61 According to
tradition, Howell first built one of the wings of the mansion and
then moved his family into it on November 4, 1784, before
beginning construction on the main part of the house and the other
wing. However, as we shall demonstrate later by carpentry bill 1,
Howell did not construct Hampton in a piecemeal manner. On
November 4, 1784, the main house, central block, and two wings
were all under construction and their roofs were being put on.
Howell may have moved into one wing in November 1784, but it
seems more probable that Howell moved his wife and some of his
carpenters into another small house on the Hampton plantation.
In November 1787 Ridgely billed Howell for L45
for three years rent of a "House & Garden,'1 which would have
exactly covered the period Howell lived at Hampton--from
November 4, 1784, until his death in November 1787.62
61. Ridgely Account Book - 1784-1786 (vol. 11; old ledger
XLVIII), Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 76; USD1, NPS,
Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 25, footnote 25.
62. Ridgely ledger G (WH), cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 48.
Jehu Howell's accounts of items he purchased from Capt. Charles
Ridgely for himself and his workmen during the period
November 20, 1783-October 9, 1784, are in Account Book 6 (old
ledger D), Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 63, 92. The total
36
b. William Richardson, 1783-1786
From Ridgely's account books, master carpenter
(and partner of Jehu Howell) William Richardson appears to have
worked part of the time at Hampton, since he is carried on the
captain's accounts from July 2, 1783, until May 6, 1786.63
An undated memorandum by Captain Ridgely,
entitled "Mr. Richardson's Bill for my Chimney" (for 647 lOs. 3d.,
with additional charges that were apparently for masonry work done
by William Riddle and Thomas Greene), appears to be related to
work that Howell and Richardson and performed on the Ridgely
kitchen for the house on Ratapsco Neck prior to August 1783.
After some other items, Ridgely wrote: "For over work on the
Great House 6169.15.5," suggesting that the memo was written in
late 1784 because of the amount of work credited. In conclusion,
he wrote: "Mr. Richardson in the Spring has promosed me Shure
to make my Doom [dome or cupola] bilt."64
In Jehu Howell's carpenter bill to Charles
Ridgely for work accomplished during the period 1783 to
November 4, 1784, Capt. William Richardson is credited with having
made the frames for eight arched dormer windows on the roof of the
charges for this period, 6439 13s. 8-1/2d., were carried to folio 12
of ledger G above. Other Howell accounts are in Account Book 11
(old ledger XLVIII), Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 12, 36, 48,
64, 76, 91, 93, 97. This ledger covered the period from August
1784 to January 17, 1787.
63. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 108, 120;
Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 32.
64. Carpentry bill, unsigned and undated, Ridgely 692.1, MHS;
also reproduced in Hoyt, "Carpenter Work," pp. 369-70. The
cupola was not actually built until 1787.
37
main house at 40 shillings each.65 In the period from November
1784 to November 1787, Richardson also did half of the 143 feet of
cornice work.66 Richardson's role in the construction of the
Hampton mansion thus appears to have been a minor one.
c. Carpenters for Howell & Richardson
The carpenters working for Howell & Richardson
on the mansion included the following men.
(1) Jacob Howell, 1784
During the period from January to
October 27, 1784, Jacob Howell was credited with a total of 6143 4s.
Sd. "by a Bill for Work Done on Kitchen & wash House & some Work
on the G~eat House [and] By his part of work at the [Northampton]
Furnace." From this sum was deducted 5 shillings "to 1 shingling
hammer. ,,67 The total also included 647 13s. 1/2d. that Jehu Howell
paid to cover Jacob Howell's Board from the time he begun to work
68by the Day on new Acct." Jacob Howell does not appear on the
rolls after October 27, 1784.
(2) Robert Strawbridge, March 1784-1786
Robert Strawbridge, whose name appears
in Captain Ridgely's account books in a number of guises such as
"Strybridge," "Staybridge," and "Strobbge," was apparently an
apprentice, a journeyman, or perhaps a carpenter's helper, as he is
not listed among the carpenters credited for finished work on parts
65. Carpentry bill 1, p. 1, in appendix A of this report.
66. Carpentry bill 2, p. 1, in appendix A.
67. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 83.
68. Ibid., p. 92.
38
of the mansion. Howell purchased supplies for Strawbridge
beginning on March 2 1784; the last entry is dated October 23,
1786.69 Carpentry bill 1 indicates that "there aught to be alowance
made Mr. Howell for a bording himself and Strawbridge when doing
part of the above work" (during period 1783-November 4, 1784)70
(3) Ramsey McGee, 1784-1786
Ramsey McGee, a carpenter, first appears
71
in the Ridgely account books on June 19, 1784. The last entry
for him is dated July 16, 1786.72 Between June 1784 and
November 4, 1784, Ramsey McGee was boarding with Captain
Ridgely, and during this period he did £60 worth of work on the
73
mansion.
(4) John McClure, 1784-1785
John McClure may have done some work on
Hampton, although he was not one of Jehu Howell's carpenters.
Ridgely's account book for the period 1779-1783 indicates that
McClure was paid £141 17s. "by his account for work in full to the
14th day Dec. 1784."~~ This sum, however, covered work that had
been done as far back as 1779. In an account from September 1784
to May 1785, McClure is credited with £44 lOs. "by Jehu
69. Ibid.; Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 97.
70. Carpentry bill 1, p. 3, in appendix A.
71. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 92; Account
Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 7.
72. Ibid., p. 9.
73. Carpentry bill 1, p. 3, in appendix A.
74. Account Book 6, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 90. An
earlier account is on p. 80 of the same book.
39
75
Howell." In a letter to Charles Ridgely, he wrote: "We when
employed by Capt. Ridgely, some years past, a few days before the
last election, said Ridgely spoke to us and informed he would be
obliged to us for our vote for himself and Charles Ridgely of Wm."
The letter says that John McClure "was one of the workers on his
New Building.''76
(5) Michael Shannon, 1784-1787
Michael Shannon was one of the more
important carpenters to work on Hampton. Up to November 4,
1784, he performed finished work valued at £48 4s. 7d. in either
the east or the west wing, or perhaps in the main block.77
Between June 14, 1786, and June 19, 1787, he worked in "Hall
Rooms up Stairs" and was credited with £239 13s. 8d., making a
total of £287 3s. 3d. that he earned in the period 1784 to 1787.78
By November 20, 1787, only £7 lOs. 2d. worth of work remained to
be completed in Shannon's upstairs hall rooms.79 He boarded with
Ridgely during the first period; then he boarded with Jehu Howell
for 10½ weeks at 15 pence per week. Finally, he rented a house
from Captain Ridgely for a year at £6 per year. When the final
account was balanced, Shannon was paid £40 2s. lOd.80
75. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 9.
76. John McClure to Charles Ridgely, August 7, 1787, Ridgely
692, MHS.
77. Carpentry bill 1, p. 3.
78. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 3-4; see also carpentry bill 3.
79. Carpentry bill 2, p. 11.
80. Carpentry bill 4 in appendix A.
40
(6) John Dotson, 1785-1787
John Dotson was another of the chief
carpenters. He was credited with a total of £335 9£. 2-3/4d. for
work performed from 1785 to 1787. He did £66 1s. 14d. worth of
work in finishing "Dotsons Up stairs room," £106 19£. 9-3/4d. in
"Dotsons North Room, down stairs," and £122 17s. 3d. in "Dotson
South Room" downstairs. In 1787 he was paid 10 shillings for
making a "well Cerb. 81 Only £8 4s. 4d. of Dotson's projected
carpentry was still incomplete in November 1787.82
Dotson was working on the Hampton
1785.83project in January During part of the time when he was
finishing the upstairs room, he boarded with Captain Ridgely. He
did £30 5s. worth of work at that time; one sixth of that sum, £5
84
Os. 10d., was deducted as board.
(7) Smithson and Fuller, 1786-1787
The two remaining chief carpenters were
Smithson and Fuller, who apparently worked as a team. They were
credited with £220 18s. 8d. for finishing rooms inside the main
house. Smithson's first name was apparently David; no record has
been found of Fuller's first name.85 The team was probably at
81. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 2, 6-8, 10.
82. Carpentry bill 4, pp. 11-12.
83. Account Book 10, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 64.
84. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 2, 19.
85. "When convenient please pay David Smithson 3 pounds lOs,"
Jehu Howell to Capt. Charles Ridgely, January 31, 1786, Ridgely
1127, MHS.
41
work on Hampton as early as January 1786.86 Smithson and Fuller
finished two rooms in the main house, executing £110 10£. 5-1/2d.
worth of work in the "South Room up stairs" and £110 8£. 2-1/2d.
worth of work in the "North Room up stairs. ,,87
d. Carpenter's Apprentices and Helpers
A number of carpenters apprentices and
helpers also worked on the construction of the mansion in the
period from 1785 to 1787, including the following men.
(1) Robert Guttery, November 1784-
February 1785
Robert Guttery, listed as a carpenter, may
have worked on the mansion between November 1784 and February
1785. The nature of his work is not specified.88
(2) George Milleman, 1786-1787
George Milleman was described as "your
[Jehu Howell's] prentis Gorg millemen" in a charge made by Captain
Ridgely for a pair of shoes sold to Milleman on September 26,
1786.89 Milleman purchased a second pair of shoes on January 17,
1787; this indicates that he was still working for Howell on the
mansion 90
86. Ibid.; see also information on Smithson and Fuller's purchase
of bacon from Captain Ridgely on January 10, 1787, in Account
Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS.
87. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 4-6.
88. Account Book 10, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 95, 119.
Guttery was paid £3 on January 31, 1785.
89. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 97.
90. Ibid., p. 93.
421¾«¶@ƒ•••••– (3) Coffey, 1786-1787
Page 6 of carpentry bill 2 contains the
following passage: "And the [they?] must Make a Reduction for the
Inside shhottors [shutters] and back Caps Coffey made as we have
Counted the said to you as if you had finished the Whole." This
suggests that there may have been a carpenter named Coffey
working for Howell.91
(4) Richard Pearl, 1786-1787
Richard Pearl is credited with LO is. lOd.
on page 10 of carpentry bill 2, for 1/4 day's work "making Loom
Roods" on December 16, 1786. Pearl bought one pair of shoes from
Captain Ridgely on January 10, 1787, under Howell's account.92
After these two items, there is no further reference to Pearl.
(5) John Warner, 1786
John Warner 5 name first appeared in
Captain Ridgely's account books on September 20, 1786, when
Warner purchased a quart of rum under Howell's account.93 On
December 6, when Warner bought a pair of shoes, he was described
as 'your [Jehu Howell's] prentis."94 On page 10 of carpentry bill
2, Warner is credited with LO 3s. 9d. "to 3/4 of a days work for
warner puting in windows in your [Ridgely's] house."95
91. See appendix A.
92. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 93;
carpentry bill 2.
93. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 97.
':1 94. Ibid., p. 93; carpentry bill 2.
95. See appendix A.
43
(6) William Phillips, Turner, 1785-1788
Ridgely's ledger G indicated that William
Phillips, a turner, did architectural work for Captain Ridgely, in I;
addition to making chairs, tables, spinning wheels, and other
furnishings. The ledger showed that Phillips did the following I?
work, probably for the Hampton mansion, in the period from 1785 to
1788:96
1785
April 2: By his [Phillips's] Acct for
work Done on the New Bildg
[this could be Hampton or the
new sawmill, under construc
tion in 1785] L12. 18. 1
By his Acct for Sundrys for
house & mill to this day 5. 1. 10
1787
September 17: By Turng 8 caps for Doom [the
dome or cupola of Hampton] 2. 5. 0
1788
By turng 4 Nuel [newel]
posts & five Drops97 3. 5. 0
[Total of the above] L23. 9. 11
(7) Henry Carlile, November 1787
On November 7, 1787, shortly before Jehu
Howell's death, one Henry Carlile, a carpenter, submitted a detailed
96. Cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson. In 1949 Ridgely's ledger G
was in the possession of Dr. William D. Hoyt, Jr.
97. The "drops" were apparently for the main stairway in the
central block stair hall in Hampton, which still has four turned
newel posts and five turned "drops" (pendants).
44
estimate totaling L101 9s. id. for making and installing the paneling
and trim of "Capt. Ridgely's Parlor." From this sum Carlile
proposed to subtract one-sixth, or L16 19s. 1-1/2d. "for Mr.
Howel"--the established percentage. Carlile apparently was
planning to board with Howell while he did the work.98 On
November 26 Captain Ridgely made the following endorsement on the
back of the estimate: "If the within Acct should Prove to be
higher than the Common Old Prices [for carpentry] before the
[Revolutionary] war then their is to be a Deduction--If not I am to
pay the within Prices but as their is not to be so much work ovr
the Door their is to be a Deduction thear & I am to pay Agreeable
to the Whole Price but for any other work at any Rate I am not to
pay more than the Bill.
The cost to Ridgely for finishing the
parlor was set at L84 15s. 8-1/2d. No records have been found,
however, to document whether Henry Carlile ever did this work.
The relative plainness of the interior finish of the first floor
parlor, in comparison with that of the second floor rooms, suggests
that he did not.
e. Other Workmen
The following workmen may have had something
to do with the construction of Hampton between 1784 and 1787, but
the Ridgely account books do not specify the nature of their
services:
I_______________________________
98. Carpentry bill 5 in appendix A.
99. Ibid.
45
John Botts100 November 1784 Paid by Jehu
Howell L 1. 9. 6
James Heath101 September 1785- 2 years salary
August 1787 @L36 pr A L72. 2. 0
April 1787 By Jehu Howell 6 1. 2. 6
July 24 By Ramsey McGee6 1. 2. 6
Thomas Pearce102 December 1784 Paid by Jehu
Howell 6 0. 10. 0
William Riche103 January 15, Paid by Jehu
1785 Howell 6 0. 2. 6
104
John Rhoades 1785 By 3 months 15
days & 3/4 of
a day [work]
on the New
Building 69. 0. 4
John Sterett105 May 15, 1784 Purchased nails of 6 8 15. 11
Whiteford106
Samuel February 1785 Paid by Jehu
Howell 6 0. 15. 0
0. 13. 9
6 1. 8. 9
5. Exterior Stucco and Plaster Work, 1784-1787
The Ridgely papers contain no bills or records for
the exterior plastering or stuccoing of the new mansion. This work
may have been done by slave labor, possibly under the direction of
100. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 56.
101. Ibid., p. 75.
102. Ibid., p. 58.
103. Ibid., p. 67.
104. Ibid., p. 3. r
105. Receipt, May 15, 1784, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
106. Account Book 11, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 54.
46
James Heath or John Rhoades. With regard to the plaster,
architect Charles Peterson reported: "The stucco covering of the
stone masonry is one of the notable features of Hampton and was a
-part of the original construction. The masonry of the Mansion--as
revealed here and there through fallen stucco--is of a rather
indifferent character, seeming to indicate that it was always
intended to be covered with a veneer. ,,107
Peterson noted that exterior stucco finish was
becoming fashionable in the United States just after the Revolution
and then continued:
The notable thing about the original Hampton stucco is
that it was of a pinkish terra cotta color resulting from
red (iron bearing) sand in white lime mortar. This was
marked off into an ashlar pattern by white lines,
probably applied with a penciling brush. .
Samples of the original finish have been found in
protected places. In 1949 the writer located a sample
where the "Schoolhouse" addition [south side of the east
hyphen] had covered part of the exterior finish of the
main house. In later years National Park Service
architect Henry A. Judd found some of it under the south
porch. It appears in several places below the water table
and on the older stable building [stable 1].
On April 7, 1970 . . . architect Judd . . . and I visited
Hampton and stripped the plaster in the Schoolhouse
hyphen passageway [in the east wing] that leads from the
Sitting Room to the garden [south] front of the
Mansion. . . . We were most pleased to find a large area
of the original [1784-1787] exterior [stucco] of the house
in excellent condition even after some 30 years of
exposure to the weather when it was new [that is, during
the period 1787-1817].
Above the water table the blocks were laid off by lines of
white paint 5/16" wide with blocks varying from 27" to
30½" long and about 8" high. Below the water table the
blocks were somewhat larger. When this wall is
completely laid bare, the pattern can be studied in detail
107. USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 33.
47
for evidence to lay out the pattern on the remainder of
the house."108
6. Progress of Construction, 1783-1787
As has been noted, excavation for the cellars and
foundations of the Hampton mansion probably began in June or July
1783. On August 1, 1783, the Scott brothers, David and George,
began hauling stone from the quarry to the building site, and by
October 1783, when operations ceased for that year, they had
moved 392 perches and 6 feet of stone for the walls of the great
house. David Scott resumed hauling stone on May 12, 1784, and
between that date and August 20, 1784, when the last wagonload
was delivered, he dispatched 359 wagonloads to the building site.
Master mason Moses Dillon apparently began erecting
the masonry walls of the mansion in August 1783, and by November
or December 1784, as is revealed by Jehu Howell's carpentry bill 1,
the masonry work of the central block or main house and of the
east and west wings was completed. The east and west hyphens,
or connecting passageways, were incomplete and the masonry walls
of the hyphens, or "pantries" as the carpenters called them, were
probably not finished until the summer of 1785. The tasks of
quarrying the stone and erecting the stone walls, performed under
the direction of Dillon, and of stuccoing the exterior masonry walls
were probably executed by Capt. Charles Ridgely's slaves. He had
46 male blacks available for these purposes on the Hampton
plantation and an additional 26 male slaves at Northampton Furnace.
It was the use of this cheap labor that made possible the erection
of the Hampton mansion and the many other southern plantation
houses that were built on such grandiose scales during the 18th
century.
108. Ibid., pp. 35-36.
48
The team of Jehu Howell and William Richardson
began operations at Hampton in March 1784, with John McClure,
IRamsey McGee, Jacob Howell, and Michael Shannon, carpenters, and
Robert Strawbridge, apprentice carpenter, working with them.
Carpentry bill 1, which listed the carpenter work of November 1784
(the period during which Howell boarded with Captain Ridgely),
indicated that the carpenters had executed a grand total of
61,042 16s. 3-1/4d. worth of construction. Of this sum
6762 17s. 11-1/2d. was for the main house, 6143 Os. 1/2d. was for
the east wing, and 6138 6s. 8-1/2d. was for the west wing. No
work was done on the two hyphens, as the masonry walls of these
passageways were apparently not yet completed (see table 2).
By November 1784, however, the roofs of the main
house and its two porticoes had been framed and shingled. Eight
dormer windows had also been built and shingled, 2,095 feet of
exterior cornice had been constructed, and the interior framing of
the central block was largely done. The cost of this work was
6493 iSs. 10-1/2d. On the west wing, the hip roof and four
dormer windows were built and shingled. About 254 feet of
exterior cornice was installed. Inside, the framing was completed
and flooring, partitions, one staircase, and door and window frames
were also in place. The west wing was apprently substantially
completed by late 1784, at a cost of 6138 6s. 8-1/2d.
On the east wing (a kitchen), a hip roof and four
dormer windows were built and shingled, and 254 feet of exterior
cornice were installed. Door and window frames, interior framing,
and the flooring were completed on the interior, so that the east
Iwing must have been substantially completed by late 1784. The
cost of carpenter work on the east wing was 6143 Os. 7-1/2d.
49
is revealed by Jehu Howell's carpentry bill 1,
the masonry work€¶@w¶@,€¼ÇqÇ m˜£®ñüQ¦ýR¦±¼øøW®W¯Q\gr}ˆ“¼Ç CN››¦±ê )4am°ù
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B T _ j | | ‡ ¾ õ /gªµëö9DVa™¤çòAA„ÒÝè$/wÆÑÜçò:vÈMXXcn—£ó=†Ñd¬óAŒØ$FQ\¥¥ï8ƒÑì÷,7€Ì'2=HS^i””ŸÍØì÷#P\”Úå"
Table 2: Cost of Carpenter Work on the Hampton Mansion,
1784-1787, Based on Carpentry Silts 1, 2, and 3*
Cost for Cost for Work
Cost to December 1784- Total Not Done,
November 1784 November 1787 Cost December 1787
CENTRAL BLOCK
OR MAIN HOUSE
Roof, porticoes, dormer £493. 5. 10-1/2 £551. 1. 11-1/2 £1,044. 7. 10 £ 2. 14. 9
windows, shingling
Flooring 161. 8. 6153. 6. 2314. 14. 8
Cellar 10.9. 0 10.9.0
Dome or cupola 180.0. 0 180.0.0
Inside carpenter work:
Ramsey McGee 60. 0. 0 60. 0. 0
Michael Shannon** 7. 10. 2
? 48. 4. 7 48. 4.7
Upstairs halts 239. 13. 8239. 13. 8
John Dotson**
Upstairs room 66. 1. 14 66. 1. 14. 0. 19. 4
NorD' room down 106.19. 9-3/4106. 19. 9-3/4
South room down 122.17. 3122. 17. 3 7. 5. 0
Well cerb 0.10. 0 0. 10. 0
Smithson & Fuller** 1. 13. 2
South room upstairs 110. 10. 5-1/2110. 10. 5-1/2
North room upstairs 110. 8. 2-1/2110. 8. 2-1/2
Richard Pearl 0. 1. 10 0. 1. 10
John Warner 0. 3. 9 0. 3. 9
TOTALS - MAIN HOUSE £762. 17. 11-1/2 £1,691. 4. 3-1/4 £2,454. 2. 2-3/4 £19. 2. 5
WINGS
East wIng (kitchen) roof £143.0.7-1/2 £143. 0. 7-1/2
West wing (laundry) roof 138.6.8-1/2 138. 6. 8-1/2
Cost for Cost for Work
Cost to December 1784- Total Not Done,
November 1784 November 1787 Cost December 1?87
WINGS (cont.)
Two hyphens (office and
pantry)
Exterior (roof) £112. 17.7 112. 12.7 £4. 15. 8
Interior 74. 19.5 74. 19.5
TOTALS - WINGS AND £281. 8. 4 £187. 12. 0 £469. 0. 4 £4. 15. 8
HYPHENS
GRAND TOTALS -MAIN£1,042. 16.3-1/2£1,845. 5. 2£2,888. 1. 5-1/2 £24. 7. 7
HOUSE, WINGS, AND
HYPHENS
Deducted by Captain £173. 16. 0-1/2 £5. 0. 10 £178. 16. 10-1/2
Ridgely for boarding
Paid by Ridgely to £869. 0. 3 £1,815. 16. 9 £2,684. 17. 0
Jehu Howell
Henry Carlile - Estimate, [£101. 9. 1] £101. 9.
Nov. 7, 1?8?, to finish
first floor parlor
John McClure, carpenter, [£44. 10. 01
1784-1?85
William Phillips, turner, [£23. 9. 10)
1785-1788
David and George Scott, £181. 19. 1 £181. 19. 1
hauling stone, 1783-84
Moses Dillon, mason, £882. 4. 0-1/2 £862. 4. 0-1/2
1781-1788
Quarrying stone ?
Stuccoing exterior ?
*See appendix A
**Subtotals for individual carpenter work are as follows: Michael Shannon, £287.3.3 -
total cost; John Dotson, £335.9.2-3/4 - total cost, and £8.4.4 - cost of work not done
in December 178?; Smithson & Fuller, £220.18.5 - total cost.
In the cellar of the main house, door and window
frames had been installed. Thirty one of the cellar windows had
iron bars. Sash for the windows on the main house (a total of I;1,826 lights) were made. This work included 504 panes, 8 by 10
inches, 1,202 lights 10 by 12 inches, and 120 semicircular sash. I'
The cost was L161 8s. 6d.
During the 1784-1787 period Howell's chief carpenters
were Michael Shannon, John Dotson, and Smithson and Fuller; the
apprentices were Robert Guttery, George Milleman, Richard Pearl,
John Warner, Robert Strawbridge, and possibly a Mr. Coffey.
William Phillips, a turner, also produced architectural work for use
in the mansion. In this second period the two hyphens, or
"pantrys," were covered with gable roofs. The exterior trim was
completed at a cost of L112 12s. 7d., and the interior carpenter
work was completed at a cost of L74 95. Sd., making the total cost
of the hyphens L187 12s. 0d. 109
On July 5, 1785, Jehu Howell signed a receipt for
the delivery of "400 feet of Lead for Capt. Ridgely's Cupola."110
The cupola was added to the roof of the main house
in 1787 at a cost of L180, in accordance with the terms of the
109. Incomplete carpentry on the two hyphens in November 1787
amounted to a total of L4 15s. 8d. and included minor items such as
hanging four pairs of inside shutters, hanging two exterior doors,
hanging six cupboard doors, installing locks, putting sash casing
on eight windows, hanging six doors in the cellar, and installing
two small doors in a portico.
110. Receipt, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
52
agreement that Ridgely and Howell had entered into in August
1783.111 A total of 61,691 4s. 3-1/2d. worth of carpenter work
was planned by Howell on the main house during thC
period. By the end of November 1787, all but 619 2s. Sd. worth of
the planned work on the main house had been completed by the
carpenters, and an additional 64 15s. 8d. worth of unfinished work
remained to be done on the two hyphens. In the main house,
6551 1s. 11-1/2d. was spent to make and install the exterior
woodwork and decorations of the house and two porticoes and to
finish the third floor, or attic. The flooring of the first and
second stories was installed at a cost of 6106 19s. 9-3/4d., and
610 95. was expended to complete work in the cellar.
The second floor of the mansion contained six
bedrooms, a central hall, and a lateral stair hall. Carpenter
Michael Shannon was assigned the task of decorating and finishing
the "Hall Rooms up stairs,~' presumably the center and stair halls
and possibly also the two bedrooms opening off the north and south
sides of the center hall. The cost of this planned work came to
6239 13s. 8d., and on November 27, 1787, only 67 lOs. 2d. worth
of this work remained to be executed. The work that had not been
done was the hanging of four pairs of inside shutters, the fitting
and hanging of exterior doors, the hanging of two interior doors,
and the fitting and hanging of four pairs of doors to the clothes
closets.112
111. Carpentry bill 2, p. 10. In Ridgely's ledger G, which is cited
in USD1, NPS, Peterson, the account of William Phillips, a turner,
indicates "Sept. 17, 1787: By Turning 8 caps for Doom [dome],
62 - 5 - 0." See also section lV.C.4.d.(6), above.
112. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 3-4. A detailed list of Shannon 5 work
to June 19, 1787, appears in carpentry bill 4.
53
Carpenters Smithson and Fuller did "a North and a
South Room up stairs." The cost of their work in the north room
was 6110 8s. 2-1/2d., and that in the south room totaled II;?
6110 lOs. 5-1/2d. Of this total of 6220 18s. 8d. for planned work,
only 61 13s. 2d. remained uncompleted in November 1787. The
work still to be done included fastening on eight pairs of window
shutters, hanging two doors, and installing sash casing on eight
windows.113
Carpenter John Dotson also finished one room "up
stairs" at a cost of 666 1s. 14d. Uncompleted work in this room in
November 1787 came to 60 19s. 4d. and included screwing on thesash lining, putting fastenings on the inside shutters, hanging one
door with butt hinges, and one "Cerb Round" fireplace. The
total value of the work planned on six second-floor rooms in the
1785-1787 period came to 6526 14s. 6d. The two remaining rooms
may have been decorated by Ramsey McGee, who was credited with
660 worth of work, or by Michael Shannon, who was credited with
648 4s. 7d. worth of work before November 4, 1787.115
The first floor contained a very large central hall
that was flanked on either side by two pairs of rooms. The two
rooms on the east side were also divided by a side hall that
contained the main stairway to the upper floors. In the 1785-1787
period, carpenter John Dotson worked on a "North and South room
down stairs." The value of the work in the north room was set at
6106 19s. 9-3/4d. and that in the south room at 6122 17s. 3d.,
113. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 5-6, 11. I;
114. Ibid., pp. 2, 11.
115. Ibid., p. 3; see also carpentry bill 4.
54
making a total of 6229 17s. 3/4d. in work programmed for these two
first-floor rooms. In November 1787 only 67 5s. worth of this work
remained unfinished. The uncompleted work included hanging six
n doors with butt hinges, putting the fastenings on the shutters,
screwing on the window sash casings, putting four locks and two
bolts on the cupboards, and dressing some of the floors.116
One of the two remaining first-floor rooms may have
been decorated by either Ramsey McGee or Michael Shannon in the
period prior to 1785. "An Estimate of Captain Ridgely's Parlor,"
submitted by Henry Carlile and dated November 7, 1787,
demonstrates that one of the large first-floor rooms had not even
been started as of that date. Carlile estimated that the total cost
of the carpenter work required to finish the parlor would be
6101 14s. lOd. Captain Ridgely approved the contract on November
26, 1787, but existing records do not reveal whether Carlile did the
117
proposed work or not.
Also apparently incomplete in November 1787 were
the first-floor central hall and the side stair hall.
The total value of the carpenter work on the
Hampton mansion, as projected by Jehu Howell for 1784 to November
1787 came to 62,888 1s. 5-1/2d. By November 1787 all but
624 7s. 7d. worth of this work had actually been completed, making
the value of the executed work 62,863 Os. 1/2d.
In November 1787 master carpenter and architect
Jehu Howell met an untimely death by drowning. The Maryland
I____________________________
I116. Carpentry bill 2, pp. 6-8, 12.
117. Carpentry bill 5.
55
Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, for November 27, 1787, described
the accident as follows:
Last Friday Morning, Mr. JEHUE HOWELL, a very 1)'
ingenious Architect, of Baltimore County, having Occasion
to cross Patapsco River, went from this Town to the
Ferry-Branch, and finding a Boat at a short Distance
from the Shore, he permitted his Horse to enter the
Water, at the End of the Ferry-Point, supposing it
shallow--but, alas! he was fatally mistaken; for the
Horse, in a few Moments, plunged into a Channel many
Fathoms deep, whereby the hapless Rider soon perished,
without the possibility of Relief. --This melancholy Event
hath deprived an effectionate Wife of a fond Husband,
and Two Children of a kind Parent. --His Body hath since
been found, and respectfully interred.
In the settlement of Jehu Howell's estate, Capt.
Charles Ridgely paid Howell's estate a total of 62,684 17s. for
construction of the mansion. An additional 6178 16s. 1O-1/2d. was
written off as charges for providing room and board for the
carpenters from 1784 to 1785.118
7. Finishing the Mansion, 1788
The existing records do not show who actually
finished the mansion, but since only 624 7s. 7d. worth of
miscellaneous carpentry work remained to be done in 1787, it is
probably that Jehu Howell's partner, William Richardson, completed
the job. One large first-floor parlor had not been started, but the
first-floor hall, the side stair hall, and perhaps one other
first-floor room had been completed.
Economic conditions had changed greatly in the
United States from the wartime prosperity of 1783 to the depression
of 1788. Following the War for Independence, the American
118. Carpentry bills 1 and 2.
56
merchant marine and American export trade underwent a period of
severe readjustment. American vessels, merchants, and products
were excluded from their former markets in Great BritaC
the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain because of the mercantilistic
economic policies followed by those governments. The new and
weak confederation of 13 states was unable to retaliate, and
American merchants were forced to seek markets outside of Western
Europe and the West Indies. During this period of transition, a
depression occurred in America.
In discussing the design of Hampton, architect
Charles Peterson wrote in 1970:
It is almost certain that the exterior was never completed
in accordance with the original design (the drawings have
beenlost). Only the first elements to be
completed--outside, the elaborate features from the
cornice up; inside, some of the second floor rooms--ever
fulfilled the initial ambitions of grandeur and elaboration.
The [relative] plainness of the parts completed later is
striking by contrast.
To understand the discrepancies in decoration one must
remember the economic climate--or climates--in which
Hampton was built. Construction had started in the boom
period [of 1783]. . . . But the outlook changed in the
next few years. . . . Captain Ridgely evidently had to
cut down the decoration of his house to suit changing
circumstances. Certainly the main rooms of the first floor
do not fulfill the promise of those on the second.
There is some direct physical evidence of this. During
the repair of plasterwork on the first floor in 1949, it
was discovered that nailing blocks had been built into the
brick partition walls in anticipation of woodwork
[paneling] never installed. Before any decorative trim
could be nailed to those blocks (there were no nail holes)
they had been plastered over and remained concealed
until modern times. 119
I______________________________
119. USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp. 25-26.
57
William Woods was another carpenter who, it has
been suggested, may have been the builder who completed
120
Hampton. A careful study of a bill from Woods to Charles
Ridgely, however, reveals that Woods took up residence in a house
he rented from Ridgely on November 1, 1788, and that he began
work for the captain on that date.121 This is too late a date for
Woods to have had any major role in the completion of the mansion,
for, as has been noted, Rebecca (Mrs. Charles) Ridgely recorded
in her diary that they "Come to the large New Building" on
December 8, 1788. By this date the masonry and carpentry work
on the mansion would appear to have been completed.
Included in Woods's bill are the following items:
1788
November 1: To cash paid for sundry repairs
of yr house 6 4. 2. 11
Amot of Mr. Marbaug's Bill for
looveing the floor 37. 13. 3
1789
June: Cash paid for Building &
Materials of a Brick Citchen 25. 11. 8-1/2
1790
July: Paid for Cleaning and Carving
off Hearth of a little house 4. 6. 0
Paid for diging & Walling a well
for house 20 feet 3. 7. 10
120. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 13. I?
121. William Woods's account with Charles Ridgely for November 1,
1788, to July 1790, settled March 10, 1792, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
Woods billed Ridgely for 6121 9s. 3-1/2d. for services and was
charged 6135 for the rent of a house from November 1, 1788, to
May 1, 1792.
58
1790
1July Paid Amot of Constable & Fishers
Bill of Roofing the front part
Iof the House 36. 1. 10122
In 1788, as has been noted, William Phillips, turner,
produced "4 Nuel [newel] posts & five Drops [pendants]" that were
used to complete the construction of the main staircase in the
Hampton mansion. The amount of carpenter work that remained to
be completed in November 1787 was of such a limited nature that
there was no good reason for this construction not being completed
prior to December 8, 1788, when Charles and Rebecca Ridgely took
up residence at Hampton. As will be demonstrated in the next
chapter, however, it is clear that the mansion was not painted until
after Capt. Charles Ridgely's death on June 28, 1790.
122. William Woods's account with Charles Ridgely, Ridgely 692.1,
MHS.
59
V. Occupancy and Maintenance of the Mansion
A. Charles Carnan Ridgely and Hampton, 1790-1829
1. Charles Carnan Ridgely, Governor and General,
1760-1829 1?
Charles Ridgely Carnan (later Charles Carnan
Ridgely) was born December 6, 1760, to Charles and Achsah
Carnan. Charles Carnan was a merchant and a partner of Col.
Charles Ridgely, the merchant; Achsah Carnan was the sister of
Capt. Charles Ridgely, the mariner and builder of the Hampton
mansion. Charles Ridgely Carnan and his brother John were
apparently raised mostly by their uncle and aunt, Capt. Charles
and Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely. Charles was trained in business by
his uncle and rose through the Ridgely enterprises to become his
uncle's partner.
In 1782, Charles Ridgely Carnan married Priscilla
Hill Dorsey, a younger sister of his uncle's wife Rebecca. During
the period 1788-1790 Charles and Priscilla lived with his uncle and
aunt in the newly completed mansion. Their son John was born in
the mansion on January 9, 1790.1
Capt. Charles Ridgely died childless on June 28,
1790. He left his nephew, Charles Ridgely Carnan, the Hampton
plantation, two-thirds ownership in the Northampton Iron Furnance
(with all the land and stock belonging to it), and one-eighth of the
furnance and forges formerly belonging to the Nottingham Company
(which Ridgely had purchased from the state of Maryland), on the
condition that Charles Carnan would change his surname to
________________________________ I','
1. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," pp. 16,
24. Priscilla Hill Dorsey Ridgely died April 30, 1814, according to
John Martin Hammond, Colonial Mansions of Maryland and Delaware
(Philadelphia, 1914), p. 135.
60
2
Ridgely. By an act of the Maryland legislature in 1790, Charles
Ridgely Carnan became Charles Carnan Ridgely and thus inherited
the bulk of his uncle's estate.
In his will dated April 7, 1787, Captain Ridgely gave
his wife Rebecca lifetime use of either "the dwelling house wherein I
now reside [the overseer 5 house] together with Eight Acres of
Land Adjoining for a Garden with as many of the outhouses as she
may think necessary for her Convenience or if she should prefer
the new house [Hampton mansion] I am now building. I leave it at
her option to Choose the same.
After some shrewd bargaining on aunt Rebecca
Ridgely's part, she and Charles Carnan Ridgely entered into an
agreement on January 17, 1791, by which she gave up all claims to
both the mansion and the overseer's house. In return, Charles
ceded his aunt 244-1/2 acres of land called "Dimite's Delight,"
agreed "to build thereon a carriage house and stable for six
horses" and to deliver to that farm "five thousand chestnut Fence
rails" so the property could be fenced. In addition, he agreed to
provide a house, "Auburn," located on Howard's Hill, plus one ton
of hay and a barrel of superfine flour. Finally, he agreed to pay
her 61,000 a year for life, beginning on June 28, 179O.~ Rebecca
Rigely died in 1812.
2. Registry of Wills WB (4), BCC, pp. 450-53.
3. Ibid., p. 450; USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 63; USD1, NPS,
Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 14.
4. "Articles of Agreement Entered Into by Charles Ridgely of
Baltimore County of the One Part and Rebeca Ridgely of the Same
County and Relict of Captain Charles Ridgely of the Other Part,"
January 17, 1791, and "Agreement of Charles Ridgely Carnan with
Rebecca Ridgely, Widow of Said Capt. Charles Ridgely," March 10,
1792, Ridgely 692.1, MHS. Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely's daybook
61
Charles Carnan Ridgely supervised the operations of
the Hampton plantation and those of his iron furnaces. In addition,
he became active in politics. He served as a representative from
Baltimore County in the Maryland legislature from 1790 to 1795, as a
state senator from 1796 to 1800, and as the governor of Maryland
from 1816 to 1819.~
In 1796 Ridgely became a director of the National
Bank of Baltimore, and in 1804 he was appointed a director of the
National Union Bank of Baltimore. In 1808 he was elected to the
board of the Baltimore College of Medicine, and he became an
incorporator of the Baltimore Orphan Asylum.6 He served as
president of the Maryland Agricultural Society from 1824 to 1826.
Ridgely was active in state military affairs. In July
1794 he was appointed a major in Col. Johnson Imans's Baltimore
militia regiment.7 By February 1796 he had become a brigadier
general in the state militia.8
shows that she kept a careful record of the money her nephew
provided and that he was faithful to the terms of the agreement.
In September 1802 he gave her $600 to build the six-horse stable on
a lot she owned on Hanover Street in Baltimore. Rebecca Ridgely
Daybook, Ridgely 693, MHS.
5. Heinrich Ewald Buchholz, Governors of Maryland (Baltimore,
1908), pp. 81-85.
6. Scharf, p. 455; USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp. 17-19.
a;
7. Notice of Appointment, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
8. In a bill to Ridgely dated February 16, 1796 (Ridgely 1127,
MHS), Richard Jones addresses him as 1,General." The Jones bill
was for painting the cupola on Hampton. Collection 692 contains a
letter dated November 30, 1808, from aide-de-camp Isaac McKim to
Brigadier General Charles Ridgely, directing Ridgely to assemble
and march with 2,267 officers and men.
62
Richard Parkinson, a British traveler and editor who
visited Ridgely at the Hampton plantation in 1800, recorded in his
-s diary:
The General's lands are very well cultivated . . . his
cattle, sheep, horses etc. of a superior sort, and in
much finer condition than many that I saw in America.
He is very famous for race horses and usually keeps
three or four such horses in training, and what enables
him to do this is that he owns very extensive iron works,
or otherwise he could not. He is a very gentell man and
is said to keep the best table in America. I continued in
friendship with him until the time of my leaving the
country, and as he had a house in Baltimore where he
spent his 9 winters, I often experienced his great
hospitality.
City directories of Baltimore, beginning with the
first one published in 1796, show General Ridgely living at a
number of addresses at various times, suggesting that he was
renting townhouses for the winter during this period. On January
24, 1807, Ridgely purchased a house and lot on North Gay Street in
Baltimore for $10,000.10 The city directories indicate that during
the period 1819 until his death on July 17, 1829, he lived on North
Gay Street at the northwest corner of its intersection with Orange
11 This was probably the same property he purchased in
Alley.
1807.
Charles and Priscilla Ridgely had ten children--three
sons and seven daughters. His oldest son, Charles, was born in
9. Raphael Semmes, ed., Baltimore as Seen b Visitors, 1783-1860
(Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1953 , p. 22. Parkinson
also published his observations in a book, A Tour in America
I(London, 1805), 1:73. He first visited Ridgely in 1797.
10. Ridgely Account Book - dates unknown (vol. 12; old ledger
H), Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 151.
11. USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 67.
63
1783 and died in 1819. His second son, John, who was born in
1790, inherited the Hampton plantation and Northampton Furnace on
his father's death in 1829. The youngest son, David, inherited
White Marsh Farm, a neighboring estate. General Ridgely's other
lands, more than 20,000 acres, were sold off and the money was
divided among the seven daughters.
Charles Carnan Ridgely's personal estate, exclusive
of lands and the buildings thereon, had a total appraised value of
$1 36,457.09-1/2 in 1829. This total included $7,793.75 in stock,
$9,278.74 in cash, $35,041.31 in bar and pig iron, $6,579.00 in
farm animals, and $29,482.79-1/2 in household furnishings, farm
tools, and iron-making tools. The 312 slaves were valued at
$40,281.50. Of the household goods, tools, and animals, $16,798.25
worth were located on the Hampton plantation ($8,281 .82-1/2 in the
mansion and $8,516.42-1/2 on the Hampton farm; see table 3 for
details). The Hampton animals included 16 horses, 33 mules, 11
oxen, 125 head of cattle, and 73 sheep. The Hampton plantation
slaves numbered 155.12
The buildings on the Hampton plantation and at
Northampton Furnace in October 1829 totaled 26. Of these, 18 or
19 were on the plantation, the remaining 7 or 8 at the furnace.13
12. A longhand original of Charles Carnan Ridgely's will is in the
research files at Hampton National Historic Site. Also in the files is
a longhand original of "A True and Perfect Inventory .
Information from this inventory is included in this report as
table 3.
13. "Catalogue of All the Stock, Farming Utensils, &c., Upon the
Hampton Farm, the Property of the Late Charles Ridgely of
Hampton," Account of Sales Beginning June 1832, Records of the
Orphan's Court DMP(14), BCC, pp. 1-64, cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, pp. 68-70. The catalog was printed for the auction of
October 13, 1829.
64
In his will, which was dated April 28, 1828, Charles
Ridgely made provisions to free many of his slaves. On his death,
all males between the ages of 28 and 45 and all females between the
'I
ages of 25 and 45 were to be immediately freed. Male slaves under
the minimum age were to be freed when they attained age 28, and
females when age 25. All slaves above the age of 45 were to be
placed in trust with his executors, who were forbidden to sell any
of them. Ridgely further directed that "the said [older] slaves
shall be held by my Executors . . ., permitted as far as
practicable to enjoy the rewards and benefit of their own labour
their condition as much as may be ameliorated, consist therewith
that they be kindly treated and provided for comfortably during
their old age at the general charge of my Estate to be borne in
equal contribution by all my children and grand children in their
character of devisees of my real estate. ,,14
2. Paint for the Mansion, 1791 and 1796
In 1791, Charles Carnan Ridgely engaged Richard
Jones, an "Oil and Colourman" with a shop at Fell's Point, to paint
the exterior and the interior of Hampton for the first time.15
Jones, assisted by two painters, began work on April 4 and
completed the job eight weeks later, on June 4, 1791. The task
required a total of 99-3/4 man-days. The total cost was 671 Os.
9d. Of this figure, 640 12s. 9-1/2d. was for paint, and 630 75.
14. Will of Charles Carnan Ridgely, research files, Hampton NHS,
pp. 7-8.
15. In the December 31, 1784, issue of Maryland Journal and
Baltimore Advertiser is an advertisement for Richard Jones, Oil and
Colourman, at Fell's Point. Jones offered for sale "All sorts of
Brushes; Painters Tools; Fitches; Pencils, &c. ," as well as paint.
-This advertisement is cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 35.
65
Table 3: Inventory of the Property of Charles Carnan Ridgely, 1829-1830
Stock
Hampton Northampton Ridgely Iron and
Plantation Furnace Forges Store Cash Other Total
Stock $ 7,793.75 $7,793.75
Land and $ 8,000.00** $8,000.00
improvements
Household
furnishing, tools,
animals4 $16,798.25 $ 4,835.10 $ 9,729.24 $1,501.76-1/2 $ 3,197.44$ 36,061.79-1/2
Slaves,4 no. of 155 29 57 71 312
Horses " " 16 2 2 3 23
Mules " " 33 19 19 1 76
Oxen " " 11 11
Cattle " " 125 1 5 7 138
Sheep " " 73 73
Hogs " " 25 25
Bar iron, value $14,941 .38-1/2$ 8,513.16-1/2$ 5,356.76 $ 28,811.31*
Pig iron, value 3,920.00 2,310.00 6,230.00*
7' Cash in bank $ 9,278.74 9,278.74
7'
***
Total $16,798.25 $23,696.48-1/2$20,552.40-1/2$ 6,858.52-1/2 $17,072.49$11,197.44 $ 96,175.59-1/2
Value of Slaves $ 40,281.50
GRAND TOTAL $136,457.09-1/2
SOURCE: "A True and Perfect Inventory of All and Singular the Goods, Chattels, and Personal Estate of Charles
Ridgely of Hampton, Late of Baltimore County, Deceased: Appraised by the Subscribers, Allen Dorsey and James
Tucker, August 29, 1829, Together with Additional Inventories Made on January 5, 1830, April 7, 1830, and
November 16, 1830," research files, Hampton National Historic Site.
4Animals valued at $6,579.00; 312 slaves valued at $40,281.50; total value of iron, $35,041.31
4499-year lease on a lot on Baltimore Street in Baltimore, with 2 two-story brick houses
444Items in mansion, $8,281.82-1/2; items at Hampton farm, $8,516.42-1/2
11½d. was for the labor. 16 The painter's bill, which is included in
appendix B, reveals that the following colors were used: 393½ Ibs.
.1 of white lead, 12-1/2 Ibs. of yellow, 1/2 Ib. of vermillion, 2 Ibs. of
"Litherage of Gold," 2 Ib. 2 oz. of purple brown, 2 oz. of
I"Prussian Bleu," 1/2 Ib. of umber, "a large paper of lamp black," 1
Ib. of stone ochre, 6 Ibs. of red lead, 20-1/4 Ibs. of "Verdigrease
Green," 14-1/4 Ibs. of blue, and 3/4 Ib. of "Patent Yellow."17
Architect Charles Peterson, inspecting the rooms of
the Hampton mansion, reported on October 27, 1949:
The explorations we have made for the original paint
colors, although not complete, have been fairly
rewarding. In general, the interiors have had only two
or three coats of paint in 160 years. The bottom coat is
usually very thin, but distinguishable. No prime coat
seems to have been used.
The most important room in the house is the Drawing
Room [in the northwest corner on the first floor]. .
It appears that the original decoration was one coat of
light gray paint over all the woodwork. This remained
for some years . . . say [to 1840]. The walls were
painted in oil colors a light buff originally. Later [in
1857], they were papered. . . . The original finish of
the ceiling is not known." 18
16. Painting bill 1 in appendix B. This account was settled
February 3, 1792. The Ridgely account book for 1785-1797 (vol. 9,
Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS) shows the Richard Jones account of
April 4, 1791, but it does not indicate that Jones was being paid
for painting the mansion.
I17. Painting bill 1, p. 1.
18. Charles E. Peterson to Chief of Development, October 27,
1949. This memorandum on the subject of the mansion's interior
color was included in USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 143.
67
The exterior wood trim in 1791 was painted a buff
color, except for that of the cupola, which was painted white.19
On February 17, 1796, Richard Jones glazed the 1;-
"lathern"--the cupola or dome of Hampton--charging General Ridgely
LO 5s. On October 8, 1796, he billed Ridgely L33 17s. 11d. for
"sundry Paints oil and men's time priming, putt[y]ing and painting
your house."20 This suggests that additional portions of Hampton
were painted in 1796 or that certain sections received a second
coat.
- 3. Pull-Bell System, 1792
On July 7, 1792, Thomas Fenton billed Charles C.
Ridgely for L7 for "fixing 1 pull in the Hall to a Bell, To Fixing 3
pull up stairs." The general was charged L3 15s. 6d. "to Signim
vita pully & fixing same." In the kitchen Fenton placed a "new line
to Jack" for 7s. 6d., and he charged 1s. 6d. "to a wheel to
Spitt. ,,21
4. Masonry and Stonework, 1790-1809
The mason John Selby may have done some work on
Hampton, perhaps in the east kitchen wing in December 1790. On
December 31, 1790, in addition to other work, Ridgely credited
19. USD1, NPS, "Outline Report of Restoration Work on Hampton
National Historic Site," compiled by Dick Sutton and Walter F.
Berrett for Thomas G. Vint, Planning and Construction Division
(Washington, 1951), p. 7 (hereafter cited as USD1, NPS, -,
Sutton/Berrett, "Restoration Work").
20. "General Charles Ridgely to Richard Jones, Dr.," February
17, 1796, Ridgely 1127, MHS. This bill was paid June 11, 1797.
21. "Charles C. Ridgely to Thomas Fenton DR," July 7, 1792,
Ridgely 692.1, MHS. The total of the bill was L11 4s. 0d.
68
Selby with L2 iSs. "by 10 days work at my house at 5s." and with
10s. "by building overn [oven] & laying hearth."22
.1
On January 5, 1805, General Ridgely purchased "2
Spout Stones for Hampton" from William Stewart, a stonecutter, for
a total of $6.23
General Ridgely purchased stonework amounting to
$612.87 on October 1, 1807, and paid $93 for the labor of 11 men
for 15i~ days. Included in this purchase order were stone sills for
57 windows, sills for 4 cellar windows, 2 cellar doorsills, 9 other
doorsills--including 2 marble sills and one freestone sill, 4 parapet
stones, 49 feet 3 inches of water table, 110 feet 4 inches of facia, 4
spout stones, 2 coach stones (each 22 feet 3 inches long), 92 feet 8
inches of chimney caps, and 70 feet 6 inches of coping. Just
24
where all is stone work was used is not known.
In July 1808 Ridgely purchased 14 marble "flag
hearths" and 6 marble mantels from William Stewart. Including
labor, the cost came to $302.70. Two of the marble hearths were
earmarked for "Hampton Court," but perhaps some of the other
marble materials were installed in the mansion.25
22. Account Book 9 (old ledger K), Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS,
p. 72. Other work included laying 36 perches of wall in Welch's
cellar, building 2 chimneys on that house, building cellar step, and
.1 "arching at Lime Kiln." The total for all work was Lil 19s. 0d.
23. Stonecutting bill in appendix D.
I24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
69
5. Water for the Mansion, 1798-1799
General Ridgely paid Gamaliel Lumis 6154 10s. in
October 1798 "by making and laying down 206 perches [3,399 feet]
of water pipe at 5." In June 1799 Lumis was credited with an
additional 611 12s. 6d. "by making and laying down 31 perches
[511-1/2 feet] of water pipe."26 The 3,910-1/2 feet of pipe, laid at
a total cost of 6166 2s. 6d., probably conveyed water from nearby
springs into the east or kitchen wing of the mansion and perhaps
also to the west laundry wing. On August 27, 1800, Samuel Wolf
was credited with 674 12s. "to making 2,984 feet of water pipe at
6d" and with Li lOs. "by getting and dressing the Penstock."27
In 1801 General Ridgely expended a total of 6244 5s.
8d. to carry water from the springs into the meadow and garden at
Hampton. Of this sum, John Pendergrass received 689 i6s. i9d.
"by making 212 perches [3,498 feet] of Ditching for water of
meadows" in May 1801 and "by making a ditch for conveying the
water into the garden, 25-1/2 perches [423-3/4 feet]" on September
3, 1801.28 Samuel Wolf, the pipe maker, was paid a total of 6154
8s. lid. on May 23 "by making & laying down 3,696 feet water pipe
at 7d" and in July "by putting down pipe to convey the water to
the Garden."29
6. Building Materials
In February 1793 Charles C. Ridgley purchased a
large order of lumber, valued at 682 2s. 8d., from Joshua Smith.
26. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 65.
27. Ibid., p. 92.
28. Ibid., p. 97.
29. Ibid., p. 92.
70
Included in this order were 8,521 feet of scantling, 500 feet of
planks, and 739 feet of laths.30 Where this material was used is
Inot known. On January 15, 1795, the general purchased L10 13s.
5d. worth of joists, lumber, and laths from Simpson and Paine.31
IChristopher Hughes appears to have been the chief
source of General Ridgely's brick purchases. In the period March
17, 1798, to December 31, 1799, Ridgely paid Hughes a total of
~278 8s. 9d. for 72,750 bricks and 224 dozen tiles. The bricks
were purchased as follows:
1798 1,000 bricks L 2. 16. 3
1799
June-December 10,500 paving bricks L 38.8. 9
61,250 bricks L171.2. 6
224 dozen tiles L 5.12. 6
72,750 bricks L232.1. 332
On May 20, 1799, Ridgely also paid Benjamin Wilson
the sum of ~2 lOs. "by one Thousand bricks had of him some year
by."33 On August 6, 1802, Ridgely credited Michael Warner with
30. "Charles Ridgely in Account with Joshua Smith," February
1793, Ridgely 1127, MHS; Account Book 9, Series D, Ridgely 691,
MHS, p. 3.
31. Bill, January 15, 1795, Ridgely 692, MHS. This bill was
--1 settled on February 28, 1795.
32. "General Ridgely of Hampton to Christopher Hughes Dr,"
March 17, 1798, Ridgely 1127, MHS. The bill was settled Janaury
30, 1800.
33. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 22.
71
L446 17s. "by 198,600 brick bot of him for the vendue Store at
6s."34
In the period from 1807 to 1808, as has been noted,
Ridgely purchased $1,039.17 worth of stone sills, marble mantels,
etc., from William Stewart, a stonecutter.35 During this same
period, November 1807, he paid Archibald Murphy L6 lis. 3d. for
28 days' work "blowing stone" at the quarry. On July 12, 1811,
Bull and Stower billed MacDonald and Ridgely for $61 for 25 stone
windowsills and 4 stone doorsills. 37 On September 9, 1811,
MacDonald and Ridgely also purchased 3 window sills, 11 feet 9
inches total length, from William Stewart for $5.87~1/4.38
7. Ridgely's Construction Program, 1790-1829
In the period from 1790 to 1829 General Ridgely
erected and repaired a number of buildings on the Hampton
plantation and his other properties. A record of this work follows:
In December 1790 John Selby, mason, was paid a total of L8
14s. for "laying 36 perches [558 feet] of wall in Welchs cellar
at 2s," "by building 2 chime on Welchs House," and "by
arching at Lime Kiln."39
34. Ibid., p. 116.
35. Stonecutting bill in appendix D.
36. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 51.
37. Bill, July 12, 1811, Ridgely 692.1, MHS. The bill was paid at
Baltimore on August 6, 1811.
38. Bill, September 9, 1811, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
39. Account Book 9, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 72.
72
In 1792 Ridgely paid ~1 16s. lid. for 14 days "repairing cyder
works" and 2 days "laying barn floor at Watts [?].u40
On January 19, 1793, John Turnighiavsk (?) received L6 "for
Iplastering the Mill. ,,41
On September 13, 1798, Thomas Ford was credited with L6 2s.
"by amount of work done to house over the Spring."42 This
work' may have been related to the system of wooden water
pipe that Gamaliel Lumis installed in the fall of 1797 to conduct
water from the spring to the mansion, or perhaps to the stone
dairy or milk house on the Hampton farm, which stands over
the spring.
A tax assessment dated October 1, 1798, indicates
that the Hampton plantation then had a total of 20 buildings,
including the stone mansion, two 1-story frame dwelling houses, one
frame kitchen, nine houses for slaves (two frame and seven log),
one stone milk house, three hen houses (one log and two frame),
one log washhouse, and two frame meat houses.43 Work recorded
after this date included the following:
40. Ibid., p. 18.
41. Ibid., p. 58.
42. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 89.
43. "Particular List of Houses, Lands, & Slaves in Back-River and
Middle River Upper Hundreds in the Eighth Assessment District:
Prepared by John Orrick, Asst. Assr.," October 1, 1798, cited in
USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp. 65-66. A copy of the tax list is in the
Maryland Historical Society collections.
73
In August 1799 Richard Coale was credited with L29 19s. 4d.
"by building the wash house & by Account [done in 1797j."44
This may be the log washhouse, 16 by 50 feet, mentioned in
the 1798 tax toll. In addition, for work actually performed in
that year, Richard Coale was paid L63 6s. 6d. for the
following services:
By building the Latin School HouseL10.11. 6-1/2
By 4,000 shingles 13. 0. 8
By 8,170 shingles 20. 8. 6
By 536 clapboards 2. 0. 5
By 60-1/2 days work at the Barm Patco
and Keep for keep of John 45
McClure at 65 L20. 17. 0
On August 25, 1799, William Tudor was credited with L9 7s.
6d. "by building the Spring House 68 feet in girth, 11 feet
high and 2 feet thick" for 1=7 lOs. He was also paid El lOs.
for four days work last fall" and 7s. 6d. "by 1 days work
mending the milkhouse."46 This may relate to the construction
of the part of the extant stone dairy on the Hampton farm.
Benjamin May was paid for "4 days making a shed at the
Stable" in 1799.~~
On August 29, 1799, Elijah Welch, whose house may have been
built by mason Selby in 1790, was paid 1=2 5s. for "6 days
shaving shingles.''48
44. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 57.
45. Ibid., p. 57. 1;
46. Ibid., p. 68.
47. Ibid., p. 37.
48. Ibid., p. 45.
74
On June 9, 1800, Thomas Ford was paid the goodly sum of 1=28
3s. 6-1/2d. "by amount of Sundry work done at Risteaus Place
[one of Ridgely's plantations] & at Hampton. The nature of
the services performed is not specified.
Joseph Ford, a carpenter, was paid a total of 1=34 12s. id. for
his services in 1800-1801:
"By getting and nailing on 6,520 shingles on Coopers
House, carriage house, & Will's [?] House": 1=16 6s.
(October 14, 1800)
"By amount of his account for building the coalhouse'~:
1=8 lis. 7d. (March 23, 1801)
"By 49 days work at the Saw Mill": 1=9 14s. 6d. (October
50
31, 1801)
On April 15, 1802, Owen Thomas was paid 1=40 2s. 6d. for
~~l601~ perches of stone at 55," probably intended for use in
the "Vendue Store" then under construction.51 On May 6,
1802, James lsgviz [?] was paid 1=19 16s. "for dressing 39,600
shingles" that were also probably intended for use on the
store.52 On June 22, 1802, Hugh Allen was credited with 1=276
2s. 6d. "by amount his account for work done to the Vendue
49. Ibid., p. 89.
I50. Ibid., p. 92.
51. Ibid., p. 115.
52. Ibid., p. 117.
75
Store."53 On August 6, 1802, Michael Warner was paid 1=446
17s. "by 198,600 bricks bot of him for the Vendue Store at
6s."54 Finally Robert Graham was paid 1=53 3s. 9d. "by his
account for sand to builded the Vendue Store" (no date).55
In August 1803 Richard Coale was paid 1=15 18s. for 43 days
work at 6s. per day. On October 14, 1803, he was credited
with 1=36 ils. 10-1/2d. "by his account for building barracks
[probaby for hay or corn] and other work done here [at
Hampton] & at Risteau Place."56 Richard Coale was paid 1=16
4s. 6d. on August 16, 1805, "by getting & mailing 24,877
shingles on the shop.''57
On December 15, 1805, William Tudor was credited with 1=49
14s. 1/2d. "by amt. of his account for building the Race Horse
58
Stable & Sundry jobs." The race horse stable is probably
extant stable 1, a two-story stone stable, 35 feet 6 inches by
42 feet 5 inches in size, with a hip roof and cupola. Exterior
walls were originally covered with a salmon pink stucco
59
coating.
53. Ibid., p.115.
54. Ibid., p.116.
55. Ibid., p.117.
56. Ibid., p.80.
57. Ibid., p.127.
58. Ibid., p.137. 1?-
59. USD1, NPS, "Historic Structures Architectural Data Section on Rehabilitation of Stable No. 1, a
Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Maryland," by Norman M.
Souder (Philadelphia, 1963), pp. 1-2. This report is in the
Hampton files, Fort McHenry.
76
On September 3, 1808, Patrick McFarland was credited with
1=15 "by 30 days of Mason Work done to the Spring House by
'I self and Harrison at lOs."60
IGen. Charles Carnan Ridgely's ledgers for the
periods 1810-1815 and 1823-1829 are not in the collections of the
Maryland Historical Society. The data in his extant ledger for the
period 1816-1822 cannot be related to the physical history of
Hampton.61 In about 1820, the east (kitchen wing) hyphen was
deepened. The fabric of the east hyphen indicates that this
passageway was extended about 10 feet to the south. The
extension brought the east hyphen to its present size of 24 feet
long by 26 feet 2 inches in depth. The extant stairway in the east
62
kitchen wing was also probably installed at the same time.
By October 1829, the year of Gov. Charles C.
Ridgely's death, there were 18 or 19 buildings standing on the
Hampton plantation, exclusive of the structures at Northampton
Furnace. The Hampton edifices consisted of the mansion, a long
house, a dairy, a quarters, upper and lower meat houses, a
shoemaker's shop, an overseer s house, a fish house, a cider
cellar, upper and lower corn houses, a cutting room, a south shop,
60. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 71.
61. Ridgely Account Book, 1816-1822 (vol. 13), Series K, Ridgely
691, MHS. This ledger contains accounts of the people working and
doing business with General Ridgely, but information is not given
on the profession of most of these people or the services rendered
1by them.
62. USD1, NPS, Historic American Buildings Survey, "Hampton
Mansion, Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Baltimore County,
Maryland," HABS no. MD 226A, pp. 5, 20-21 (hereafter cited as
USD1, NPS, HABS). This undated draft typescript was written
about 1973.
77
a barn, a race horse stable, a washhouse, a dwelling house, and
possibly a coal house. Appendix F contains a complete list of the
26 structures on the plantation and at Northampton Furnace.
For the earliest known view of the Hampton mansion,
published in 1808 and showing the north or front elevation, see
illustration 2 in the Illustrations section.
B. John Ridgely and the Hampton Plantation, 1829-1867
1. John Ridgely of Hampton, the Builder, 1790-1867
Born January 9, 1790, and the first child to be born
in the Hampton mansion, John Ridgely of Hampton (as he was later
to sign his name) was the second oldest son of Priscilla and Charles
Carnan Ridgely. In 1812 John married Prudence Gough Carroll, the
daughter of James Carroll, a prominent and wealthy Marylander.
On her father's death in 1818, Prudence inherited a large estate
and many slaves. Prudence Ridgely was born in 1795 and died in
1822.63
John Ridgely remarried in 1828, taking as his second
wife Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely, the daughter of Nicholas G.
Ridgely, a well-to-do Maryland plantation owner. Eliza Ridgely was
born February 10, 1903. On the death of her father in 1829, she
also inherited slaves and an estate.
Because of his father's failing health, John Ridgely
of Hampton probably began managing the Hampton plantation and
I'
63. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 24;
Hammond, p. 136. According to Hammond (p. 135), Charles
Ridgely, Jr., the oldest son of Gen. Charles Carnan Ridgely, died
on July 19, 1819. He was born on August 26, 1783.
78
Northampton Furnace in the early 1820s, a number of years before
he actually inherited these properties (July 1829).
Like Charles Carnan Ridgely, John and Eliza lived at
Hampton in the spring, summer, and fall months of each year and
wintered at a townhouse in Baltimore. They made extended tours
of Europe in 1833, 1846, and 1853. The finest of foods and liquors
were served at Hampton, and the Ridgely children were taught by
imported governesses and private tutors.
The Ridgelys' wealth and style of living were still
based on slave labor. Although Governor Ridgely had freed most
of his 312 slaves in 1829, John Ridgely had received additional
slaves when his first father-in-law died in 1818 and his second in
1829. In 1841 he purchased more slaves at a cost of $7,267.46.
In 1844 his wife purchased clothes for 67 slaves and in 1850 she
bought clothing for 82 slaves.64
John Ridgely's Hampton plantation overseers from
1830 to 1866 were as follows:
.1
64. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," pp. 25,
28-29.
79
Elisha Parks--1830-183565
Thomas Cooper--I 84366
Nelson Cooper--1845-1857, who was described by S. Ridgely in
1893 as a very cruel manager and a bad man, so they say
John R. Gent--May 22, l858~l86368 I;
Joshua Bosely--1863-186669
Slavery came to an end on the Hampton plantation in December
1864; henceforth, the Ridgelys were to pay their former "servants"
for their services.70
Unlike his father, John Ridgely did not run for any
elective office, nor did he hold any public office. On April 9,
1840, he was made a trustee of Epsom Methodist Episcopal Church
in nearby Towson, Maryland, and he served as a trustee for the
65. Hampton Ledger 1829-1835 (vol. 1), Series H: Hampton
Ledgers - 1829-1837, Ridgely 691, MHS.
66. Ridgely Account Book - 1836-1870 (vol. 14), Series K, Ridgely
691, MHS, p. 70.
67. Ibid., pp. 81, 92. The note by S. Ridgely, a penciled
addition to the account which was added in 1895, appears on p. 92.
Cooper was paid $350 per year in 1845; by 1852 this had increased
to $400 per year.
68. Account Book 14, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, pp. 105, 111,
113. Gent was paid $650 per year.
69. Ibid.; USD1, NPS, Bienvenu, "Hampton and Its Masters," p.
31.
70. Memorandum Book - 1852-1870 (vol. 3), Series F: Memorandum
Books, Household Expense Accounts, and Business Correspondence,
Ridgely 691, MHS. The entries for January 3, 1865, include a total
of $75.20 paid to eight black "house servants" for services
rendered in December 1864. This is the first record of a payroll
for black persons.
80
rest of his life.71 In the period February 1857 to May 1860,
Ridgely expended a total of $6,311.63 to erect a new Episcopal
church in Towson, apparently acting on behalf of the vestry of the
S
church. The masons, carpenters, painters, etc., who normally
worked for Ridgely on Hampton structures, constructed the new
church. The plan for the church was prepared by N.G.
Starkwether in February 1857.72
The great interest of John Ridgely and his wife Eliza
appears to have been the development and improvement of the
Hampton plantation and garden. John concentrated on the
plantation and its structures, while Eliza supervised the
development of the garden. Most of the extant structures at the
national historic site and the Hampton farm, with the exception of
the mansion and stable 1 at the site and perhaps three or four
buildings on the farm, appear to have been built for John Ridgely
in the period 1829 to 1867.
A detailed analysis of the two memorandum books in
which John Ridgely listed all of his expenditures from 1830 to 1867
reveals that he spent a total of more than $15,000 on the national
historic site portion of the estate from 1852 to 1859 to rehabilitate
the mansion, erect new service structures, and improve the garden.
Of the grand total, about $6,125 was spent to "modernize the
71. USD1, NPS, Bienvenu "Hampton and Its Masters," p. 29;
Scharf, p. 902.
72. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. Entries
beginning February 14, 1857 cover payments to the workmen. The
construction began in late August 1858, and the last entry for this
work is in May 1860. The workmen were Joseph Allison, a
carpenter; William Bowen, a mason; Michael Ruskell, a painter; and
Jacob F. Harvey, a plasterer.
81
mansion," $2,020 on new garden structures, $1,455 to erect stable
2, and $5,400 dollars for the salaries of professional gardeners
imported from New York City to improve the gardens and for a
staff of three or four full-time ''undergardeners.''73
John Ridgely died at Hampton on July 17, 1867, and
his wife Eliza died on December 10, 1867.~~ Their son, Charles
Ridgely (1830-1872), inherited the Hampton estate and Northampton
Furnace, which together comprised about 5,000 acres.
2. Maintenance of the Mansion, 1830-1853
The following expenditures for maintenance and
physical improvements, partly for the Hampton mansion, were taken
75
from John Ridgely's memorandum book for 1830 to 1851:
1830
June 9: R. Stansbury for whitewashing$ 10.00
1831
June 24: Abbet for an oven 30.80
July 21: J. Hindes for walling in oven6.00
1838
January 22: Joshua Creamer's shingle bill121.19
November 17: Underhill & Lewis for pedestals 100.00
November 28: Eichel for painting at Hampton 34.37
1839
January 24: Stanley & Co. for 2 stoves &
fireboards 39.25
73. Memorandum Book 24 (1830-1851), Series K, and Memorandum
Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. There are no entries in Book
24 for the period January 1847 to June 20, 1848; otherwise, the
fiscal record for the 40 years appears to be complete.
74. Hammond, p. 136.
75. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS.
82
January 24: Stanley & Co. 1 stove fireboard
& pipe 20.00
a February6: Robert Holiday for frames 36.00
March 4: James Darnond for 500 red brick 5.0076
May: Paid for whitewashing 20.0077
June 6: C. Dryan for stoves 20.75
June 19: Abner Williams for stove, etc.11.81
1840
April 15: Pratt & Keith, glass bill 63.28
April 17: Edward Kenly, plaster of Paris 31.50
November18: Wm. Gregory for Plastering
Greenhouse 22.00
Architect Charles E. Peterson estimated that in about
1840 the woodwork in the first floor northwest drawing room
received its second coat of paint since the initial light gray coat
had been applied in the spring of 1791. He wrote that the second
coat consisted of a "strong dark green" that was applied to the
door and baseboards.78 John Ridgely's memorandum book indicates
that there was some limited painting being done at Hampton in 1838
and l841.~~
The following items and work were recorded in the
next several years:80
76. Memorandum Book - 1838-1846 (vol. 2), Series F, Ridgely 691,
MHS.
77. Subsequent items are from Memorandum Book 24.
78. Memorandum of October 27, 1949, quoted in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 143.
I79. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691,
80. Ibid.
83
1841
February 1: Tin [or ten] plate stove,
W.O. Simmes $ 13.00
February 12: J.B. Frey for plaister 15.00
March 25: Thomas Myer for 1,000 hard
bricks 7.00
June 5: J. Thomas & Son for ball of dome
[cupola of Hampton] 6.00
June 11: John Collier, carpenter 15.00
June 21: Wm. Gist for 500 Ibs white lead at
10 cts. 50.00
July 6:James Shanessy for gilding ball
[on the Hampton cupola] 5.00
July 6: SamI. Harris going to examine
work Hampton 5.00
1842
April 8: Jno. Bones repairing back spouts 1.00
July 13: Wisness for masons work 9.00
July 26: Wm. Sullivan, painter 70.12
December14: Robert Gilmore, Jr., for steps259.49
1843
March 22: L.J. House for 500 sawed laths1.38
June 28: Paid J.H. Hibner for hanging
bells 10.00
November 23: John Potter, tinner 7.82
December 28: For 19 lbbs of cement 42.75
1844
January 3: Bell & Packer, for marble basins 38.00
January 24: H. Thompson & Sons for bricks105.20
February 9: Cornelius & Co. for chandeliers 262.50
April 8: Louis Butler for 1200 feet of
laths 2.40
1845
January10: Mending pavement, &c 1.75
January21: Thomas Myers for 500 paving
bricks 4.25
January23: Hugh McEldery for lumber and
Shingles 86.41
April 5: Tiffany window 175.00
May 5: Negro Louis Scott, whitewashing 10.00
June 21: Paid carpenters 10.00
84
1846
January 5: Paid for brick 7.26
January 7: James M. Lester, carpenter 13.88
1March 28: Jas. Somerville for glass
& glazing 4.37
April 13: G.H. Cathcart, carpenter 22.93
April 10: Joseph Fall, for painting tin roof 50.00
No entries are listed in the memorandum book from
January 1847 to June 20, 1848.
1849
January 16: Wm. Robinson, for brick and
cement 180.70
February 3: Jacob M. Fouse, tinner 12.18
September11: Alfred Tipton, painter, in full298.66
September18: Wm. Hesseboys [project
unknown] 327.77
September27: Samuel Kirk [project unknown]260.62
1850
March 9: Shelton Price, 66½ yards tinning 29.92
April 1: Wm. Wills & Son lumber bill 207.80
April 4: 7,000 shingles at $4.50 31.50
July 13: L.M. white washing at $1.50 16.62
July 13: Wm. Stakehy for timber 42.20
November16: Bill for locks 27.75
1851
January 1: J.N. Blake, for putting down
pipe 26.30
April 24: Johnston for painting doors 75.00
May 16: For plastering of stable &
greenhouse 35.15
Purchases in 1852 and subsequent years included the
following :81
'i
1852
'1 January 2: J.W. Bonsell, carpenter 20.99
81. Most items are from Memorandum Book 3, Series F,
Ridgely 691, MHS, except as noted.
85
February 10: Wm. F. Heihiner, for hanging
bells 21.50
May 3 and 7: To George Heyse [for project
unknown] 367.00
March 4: Thompson & Oudeslay for
hydraulic cement 17.50
June 30: Wm. Stoton, extra carpenter.
14 days work 10.78
October 15: A. Tipton [painter], on account
[repairing greenhouse in 1852] 45.00
Dec. 24: Wm. L. Spies for bricks 58.80
1853
January 8: C.W. Bentley for pipes and boiler 45.45
January 8: G.R. Dodge for paints, glass,
etc. 206.64
March 4: Wells & Miller's bill for turning
spindles 3.50
June 22: Conn & Grass putting up
lightning rods t9 lightning
rods-496 feet]82 71.00
July 1: John Bechtel for plumbing work
at Hampton83 20.43
1854
February 1: Blubaugh for putting up spouts,
&c. [This may have been on
the miller's House, which was
then under construction.] 46.80
3. Construction of the Orangery, Greenhouse, and
Gardener's House
Joshua Barney's map, made in October 1843 (see map
1 in the Maps and Plans section of this report), shows that the
gardener's house (now structure 2), the orangery (structure 15),
______________________________ I;
82. John Ridgely's account with Conn and Grass, 1853, Ridgely
692.1, MHS.
83. John Ridgely's account with John Bechtel, House and Ship
Plumber, Baltimore, July 1, 1853, Ridgely 692.1, MHS.
86
and the greenhouse (structure 6) were standing at that time. The
list of structures on the Hampton plantation as of October 13, 1829,
reveals that none of the three structures was extant then (see
a
appendix F). Therefore, although the construction date for the
gardener's house (the older two-story brick portion of the present
residence) is unknown, it must have been built for John Ridgely
after 1829 and before 1843. The orangery (a Greek Revival brick
and stone structure) and the greenhouse (built of brick) were
erected after 1829 and before January 1842, probably in 1840 and
184184
4. Modernization of the Mansion, 1854-1859
A program of rehabilitating and modernizing Hampton
apparently got underway in the fall of 1854. On November 10
James Malbon was paid $30 "for graining the Music Room" of the
mansion.85 In describing the paint colors found on the doors and
woodwork of the drawing room, architect Charles Peterson wrote:
"Still later [after ca. 1840, when the door and baseboard had been
painted a strong dark green] the box lock of the- door was
removed, the door grained 'walnut' and the rest of the woodwork
'satinwood.' This latter effect probably dates from the 1850s and
84. Several entries in journals and memorandum books indicate that
the buildings were erected before January 1842. Eliza Eichelberger
Ridgely wrote on January 21, 1842: "Lizzy and I went about and
stayed some time in the two greenhouses where we got oranges and
lemons" (emphasis added). Eliza Ridgely, Journal, 1841-1842,
research files, Hampton NHS, p. 41. An entry of November 18,
1840, in John Ridgely's memorandum book mentions that William
Gregory had just plastered the greenhouse. Entries of 1841
indicate that some type of contruction program was underway at
Hampton that required at least 1,000 bricks.
-85. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
87
has remained to the present time [October 1949]. It is now in bad
shape due to peeling.''86
In the spring of 1855 John Ridgely spent $1,912 to
purchase and install iron pipes for a new water system that
conveyed water to the mansion and probably also to the garden.
The entries in Ridgely's 1852-1870 memorandum book (vol. 3, Series
F) for this purpose are as follows:
1855
March 27: Ben. L. Benson, on account for
water pipes $500.00
April 17: B.L. Benson on account for water
pipes 500.00
May 23: B.L. Benson on account of pipes 150.00
April 18: Paid John Wood in full for laying
pipes 762.00
Total Water System $1,912.00
In January and February 1855, Ridgely spent a total
of $241.82 to install bathrooms and water closets on the first and
second floors of the west wing of the mansion. The first
wallpaper was also applied to the room walls of the mansion,
probably those of the music room in the southwest corner of the
first floor, in January 1855.88
86. Memorandum of October 27, 1949, quoted in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 143.
87. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. The
following entries are shown for plumbing: February 1, 1855, $7.63
to John Buchel, plumber; January 12, 1855, $4.11 to Andrew J.
Lyons, plumber; February 1, 1855, $230.08 to Collins & Co.,
plumbers, to date.
88. Ibid. Golder and Undutch were paid $39.88 for "papering" on
January 12, 1855. Since the woodwork in the music room had been
grained in 1853, it seems likely that this room would have been the
first to be completely modernized by the covering of its painted
waIts with wallpaper.
88
On February 7, 1855, Joseph Allison, Ridgely's chief
carpenter, was paid "in full to date" the sum of $271.66 for work at
Hampton, which probably involved repair work on the woodwork of
the mansion. On the same day, Alfred Tipton, Ridgely's chief
painter, was also paid in full to date the sum of $227 for work at
Hampton, which may have been for the painting of the exterior
woodwork of the mansion. On July 12, 1855, Tipton was paid $136,
the balance in full due to him for painting. On April 20, 1855,
Ridgely purchased "an awning" from W. Atkinson for $30.50. The
awning may have been for use on the second story porches of the
north and south porticoes (see illustration 3).
On June 4, 1856, Ridgely paid "Messrs Gerbhandt
$264.00" for four stained glass windows. These were installed in
the first floor central hall of the Hampton mansion. On October 30,
1856, "Gerbhandt, window painter," was paid an additional $104.52
for his services. The grainer, James Malbon, continued his labors
on the interior woodwork and doors of the mansion and was paid a
total of $160 for his services in the fall of 1856.89
Additional walls in the mansion were papered in
1856, and Howell & Brothers were paid $240.96 on January 9, 1857,
"for papering." Also on January 9, Hubball & Brother were paid
$175.92 "for plumbing"; their work may have involved either the
installation of a bathroom on the second floor of the west wing or,
more likely, the installation of a brick hot-air furnace in the central
room of the mansion's cellar. On May 25, 1857, Seth Stone received
$37.50 for building a water tank. On the same day S.B. Seaton
was paid $55 "for grates and altering same," perhaps for the new
:1
89. Ibid., entries for September 13 and December 3, 1856.
89
central heating system, and West and Jevens received $10 "for
taking down and painting chandeliers." Jacob Harvey, Ridgely's
plasterer, was paid $24 on June 6 for "plastering Hampton House";
other evidence suggests, however, that Harvey was probably
plastering the gas house, then under construction, rather than the
mansion. Also on June 6 McCoy & Fortling received $25.75 "for
marble vases & repair, &c"; again, other evidence indicates that
this work was for Mrs. John Ridgely, hence the project probably
involved the garden rather than the mansion.90
New lightning rods, purchased from the Baltimore
Lightning Rod Company on August 1, 1857, were installed on the
mansion and other Hampton structures at a cost of $347.70. The
original wood shingle roof of the mansion had apparently been
replaced by a slate roof by the 1850s, for the Hampton roof was
repaired in 1857 and William Borley, slater, was paid $33.23 for his
services on November 12, 1857. On October 14, 1857, Ridgely paid
$68.75 for "stair rods bought in New York."
The most expensive improvement project for the
mansion in 1857, however, was the introduction of gas for lighting
the house. The total cost of this work came to at least $1,664.30.
This figure included the $619.55 for erecting the two-story frame
90. Cash Book - 1850-1863 (vol. 9), Series I: Miscellaneous
Records, Ridgely 691, MHS. A June 6, 1857, entry indicates that
$25.75 was paid to "McOy & Fortling for Marble vases for Mrs. JR"
(Mrs. John Ridgely, mother of Charles Ridgely of Hampton, who
probably made the entry). Another June 6, 1857, entry shows $24
paid to "Harvey, plasterer, for Mrs. JR. 12 days at $2." The
latter entry suggests that Harvey was working either on the garden
structures or on the new gas house. Another possibility is stable
2, which was then under construction.
90
octagonal-shaped gas house, $190 for the gas lighting fixtures, and
the $854.75 for the necessary gas manufacturing apparatus.91
S
German & Michael Ruskell, painters, worked 62 days,
Ifrom August 14 to October 23, 1858, "painting and graining" rooms
in the mansion, and they received $124 for this work. Among the
rooms so grained and painted in 1858 was the "office," which was
92
located on the first floor in the west hyphen. Michael Ruskell
was paid an additional $43 "in full for work at Hampton" on
September 28, 1859, and this payment appears to have completed
the first major rehabilitation of the mansion since 1791. Cost of the
1854-1859 modernization program came to $6,122.24 (see table 4).
5. Construction of New Garden Structures and a New
Stable, 1852-1857
In May 1852 the Ridgelys hired James Galbraith, a
professional gardener from New York, at an annual salary of $420.
He was to supervise the improvement and modernization of the
91. Account Book 14, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS. Costs of
construction of the gas house were as follows:
$547.31 to carpenter Joseph Allison (p. 101)
38.24 to Henry Lighter, June 24, 1857, for putting spouting
34.00 to Jacob Harvey, plastering ($24, June 6, $10,
August 5, 1857)
$619.55 Total for gas house
Charles Kaflinske was paid a total of $190 for gas fixtures (March
16 and May 16, 1857), and Portable Gas Company was paid $854.75
for apparatus (May 28, 1857). The total of all items and work was
$1,664.30.
92. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS, entries for
iAugust 21, September 24, and October 23, 1858.
91
Table 4: Expenditures for Modernization of the Hampton
Mansion and Garden, 1854-1859
1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 Total
Mansion
Graining $ 30.00 $160.00 $124.00 $43.00 $357.00
Papering $ 39.88 $ 240.98 280.84
Painting 383.00 363.00
Carpen~ers 271.68 271.68
Plumbers 241.82 175.92 417.74
Mater pipes 1,912.00 37.50 1949.50
Stained-glass
windows $368.52 368.52
Lightning rods 374.70 347.70
Slating 33.23 33.23
Stair rods 68.75 68.75
Gas for lighting 1,664.30 1,864.30
Total--Mansion$ 30.00$2,828.36$528.52$2,568.36$124.00 $43.00 $6,122.24
Garden
New Greenhouse138.751,508.74 1,647.49
Gardener's
House (enlarge) 369.75 369.75
Total--Garden$138.75$1,878.49 $2,016.29
Total--Mansion and
Garden $168.75$4,706.85 $528.52$2,568.36 $124.00 $43.00 $8,139.48
Stable 2 1,454.00 1,454.00
GRAND TOTAL $168.75$4,706.85 $528.52$4,022.36 $124.00 $43.00 $9,593.48
Hampton garden. 93 The garden was the sphere of operation of
Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely. Her husband, John Ridgely of
.1 Hampton, spent $152.38 in the fall of 1852 to put the orangery and
the greenhouse into good condition.94 11Pipes and boiler, &c" were
ti purchased from C. W. Bentley for $45.45 on January 8, 1853.~~
These may have been for use in a heating system in the greenhouse
or the orangery. In 1854 and 1855 Ridgely spent approximately
$1,650 to erect a second large greenhouse (structure 5 on the
national historic site) by the west side of the garden.96
Ridgely apparently had to provide better living
quarters to induce his northern gardeners to remain at Hampton.
93. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. The entry
for May 7, 1852, indicates that Galbraith reported for duty.
94. Ibid. Entries for the repair of the greenhouses were as
follows: November 20, 1852, $87 to carpenter Joseph Allison "for
sashes for greenhouse"; December 18, 1852, $56.38 "for plastering
house" (probably a greenhouse); December 24, 1852, $9.60 to
German--who apparently did the plastering--for "white washing"
(again, probably the greenhouses); and a total of $141.80 to Alfred
Tipton, Ridgely's chief painter, on October 15 and December 18,
1852, for painting at Hampton. What was painted is not specified,
but it may have been garden structures.
95. Ibid.
96. Ibid. Expenditures for the construction of a greenhouse,
probably structure 5, are as follows: October 31, 1854, $40.00 to
"W. Meckin, on account brick laying"; December 20, 1854, $75 to
"W. Meckin on account for building Greenhouse"; and April 6, 1855,
$23.75 to "Wm. Meakin, Bricklayer's bill, balance due." The total
to Meckin was $138.75. On January 11, 1855, $137.80 was paid to
"John N. Allen, brick for greenhouse"; on the same date $800 was
paid t() "J.H. Bailey on account of building greenhouse" (possibly a
carpenter and/or glazier); on February 16, 1855, $514 was paid to
"W. Vaughan's Lumber Bill for J.H. Bailey"; and on May 4, 1855,
$56.94 was paid to "T. McAleer's bill for greenhouse" (hardware?).
The total of these 1854-1855 bills for the greenhouse was $1,647.49.
93
In 1855 a two-story stone addition and a porch were added to the
brick gardener's house (structure 3, erected before 1843), making
it a six-room house. The cost of the addition was about $369.75. 97 1;
Then in 1857 Ridgely spent about $1,454 to erect a two-story stone
barn with a hipped roof and a cupola. This structure (stable 2)
was about 38 feet wide and 32 feet deep.98
6. Maintenance, 1860-1870
The following expenses are recorded for maintenance
99
during the next several years:
1860
October 5: Jas. H. Stram for painting house
[which house is not specified]$ 50.00
1861
March 28: James I Bayley, slater, in full 23.15
May 6: G.R. Dodge, for paints 112.18
May 6: James H. Stram [or Stran],
balance due him [painter?j 251.79
June 17: P. Callaghan for gas burners 21.00
97. Ibid. Entries for work on the gardener's house are as
follows: October 18, 1855, $74.75 for "balance on Ady's bill for
building gardener's house"; December 22, 1855, $80 to Joseph
Allison, carpenter, "for building Gardener's porch"; and January 2,
1856, $165 to mason William Rowen for "mason work," probably on
the gardener's house. An entry in Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely
691, MHS, shows $50 paid to Joseph Allison "for building porch."
98. The details of the construction of stable 2 are in appendix E
of this report.
99. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
94
1862
S September2: Ruskell [painter] for services 5.00
1863
None
1864
February24: Joshua Robinson for cleaning
windows 15.00
March 8: T.S. Hilton, for fixing windows
& doors 102.17
May 20: H. Listrong [?] for putting down
iron pipes 96.80
July 23: J.H. Harvey, for whitewashing, &c63.55
November9: Jas. H. Stran in full, balance
painter 120.96
December16: John A Stewart repairing bells, &c 5.10
1865
May 18: George St. John, plumber, repairs
of pipes 46.76
July 3: St. John, plumber, to date $ 4.80
-~September 1: Barber, Carpenter, in full to
Sept. 1 33.00
October10-
December8: James Burnet, carpenter, paid a
total of 300.00
December1: Paid plumber 15.45
December25: Garthe & Loewenstein, slaters, in
full 17.30
1866
January 9: John W. Bechtol, plumber 37.00
January12: St. Johns, plumber 4.00
January18: Garthe & Loewinstein, slaters 17.30
March 23: St. John, plumber 6.45
April 25-
May 2: St. John, Plumber 105.44
April 21: Lambright & Bro., painting and
graining 242.75
April 21: August Deginhardt, carpenter,
repairing porches 17.84
95
[The work from January through April may have been
done on Ridgely's Charles Street house in Baltimore for
the purpose of putting that residence in good condition for
selling. On May 2, 1866, Ridgely paid out a commission of
$400 for selling his Charles Street house.]
May18: Golder & Unduck for papering
Hampton House 133.58
May22: Chas Fornshil for spouting at
Hampton 145.00
May23: Daniel C. Peck, for white washing25.00
July9: Collins & Heath, repairing furnace 31.55
October November 24: James Burnett, carpenter 285.37
[This work may have been for
repair of the mill, which was
then underway.]
December 29: Paid men at ore bank, 8 days
digging gravel of avenue [at
Hampton] 12.00
December 31: Geo. St. John, plumber 8.50
1867
January 2: Sylvester Bowen, painting $ 13.77
January 28: George St. John, plumber 5.95
January 28: James L. Burnett, carpenter 19.00
June 13: White washer 8.00
June 17: Burns & Russell for 1,000 bricks 14.00
July 1: N.S. Harrison, for lightning rods 80.00
On July 17, 1867, John Ridgely of Hampton died at
Hampton.
September 12: Paid Alexander Packie for stone
porch & steps $2,400.00
[This payment was for the last major architectural change
made to the exterior of the mansion- -the present north
porch of the main house. The north porch floor is
comprised of diagonally laid marble tiles, and the north
pavilion steps have marble detailing and marble
balustrades. John Scarff, in his Hampton, Baltimore
County, Maryland, p. 10, wrote: "No changes has been
made in the house since its completion except the colored
glass has replaced the clear glass of the original sash in
96
the halls, and in 1867 the north portico steps were
replaced by the present marble ones designed by E. G.
Lind, an architect of Baltimore." The colored glass was
installed in 1856.]
November 15: A. Shriver, carpenter, in full 94.00
November 16: Roche repairing road to stable,
5 days
On December 20, 1867, Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely
died. The new owner of Hampton was Charles Ridgely of Hampton,
son of John and Eliza Ridgely.
December 24: A Shriver, carpenter, 3 days in
full 9.00
1868
January 15: H.L. Bran & Co., for painting
and glazing 32.99
January 30: J.M. Peacock, spouting, &c 80.30
February 8: Sipon for marble slab for
greenhouse 20.31
February 12: A. Shriver, carpenter, to date 21.75
February 20: W. Bowen [painter] 23 1/3 days 73.00
May 23: A. Shriver, carpenter, on account 65.00
June 29: G.R. Swem, painting out gate 45.00
October 31: John Rodgers & Son, plumbers 55.85
November 2: Hubball & Co., plumbers 111.50
November 18: Burns, Russell & Co., 400 hard
bricks $ 5.20
November 20: J. Green, 3 bbls cement 8.25
December 26: H.L. Bowen, painting & glazing 21.93
1869
January 12: A. Cate & Co. lumber 120.64
January 28: Wm. Bowen, balance on masonry
[work] 102.50
February 1: A. Shriver, carpenter 22.75
April 19: W.H.B. Fufselbaugh for paint &
oil for greenhouse 42.70
May 1: Geo. Ries, carpenter work & R.
Buckly, blacksmith 72.00
1June 9: Wm. H. Rothrock, plumber 26.27
97
July 29: H.L. Bowen, for painting green-
house & grapery 397.95
September 15: Geddes & Warwick, staining floors 30.53
October 16: New keys for cellar 1.50
1870
February19: Henry Bowen, painter 16.49 It,
February19-
April 15: Mason & Marshall [for
painting 575.50
February26-
April 18: A. Shriver, carpenter, paid total
of 247.67
March 26-
April 9: J.F. Harvey, plaster, paid total
of 125.93
March 8: 5 bushels of lime for plaster 2.50
March 21: 2 bbls cement, H. Giese 6.00
March 25: Mr. Bright for graining 11 doors20.00
April 16: Working & Bro., paints &c., in
full 383.23
April 25: Emmonton, for fixing lighting rods 12.00
May 13: John H. Emory, 1,000 laths 4.50
May 27: 3 bbls of cement 7.50
July 29: A. Cate, lumber bill 210.00
John Ridgely's memorandum book for 1852-1870,
ended on August 8, 1870. For a summary of the expenditures of
John and Charles Ridgely for maintenance and construction from
1830 to 1870, see table 5.
C. Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Estate, 1867-1872
1. Charles Ridgely of Hampton, 1830-1872
Charles Ridgely of Hampton, the son of John and
Eliza Ridgely, was born March 22, 1830. He was educated by
imported governesses and private tutors, and he attended the best
schools in Baltimore. In 1851 Charles married Margaretta Sophia
Howard (born September 24, 1824, died March 31, 1904), a
granddaughter of John Eager Howard and a member of a wealthy
Maryland family. Charles Ridgely made an extended trip to Paris,
98
Table S: John and Charles Ridgelys' Expenditures for the Construction
and Maintenance of Structures on Hampton Plantation and at
Northampton Furnace, 1830 - August 1, 1870
Brick Hard-
Stone, Lumber, Roofing ware,
Cement Car- Paint, Glass, Materials, Plaster Plumb- Light- Iron
Year Masons penters Painters Glazing Roofers Plasterers ino ing work Mill Other Total
1830 $10.00 $ 10.00
1831$ 38.80$1a8.05 $250.00 $338.00*788.85
1832
1833 20.00 20.00
1834 37.71154.18 $ 88.18 278.07
1835
1836
1837 18.50 25.30 41.80
1838 427.89 34.37 40.59 502.65
1839 5.00 91.94 91.81 188.75
1840 231.00 $ 62.28 $ 53.50 346.78
1841 7.00 68.62 80.00 15.00 35.00 185.62
1842 268.49 70.12 $1.00 9.00 348.61
1843 42.75 11.38 7.82 22.00 83.95
1844 143.20 2.40 4.62 262.50 412.72
1845 6.00 96.41 10.00177.00 289.41
Brick Hard-
Stone, Lumber, Roofing ware,
Cement Car- Paint, Glass, Materials, Plaster Plumb- Light- Iron
Year Masons penters Painters Glazing Roofers Plasterers ing ing work Mill Other Total
1846 7.26 36.81 348.66 4.37 397.10
1847 No Record
1848 No Record
1849 180.70207.80 12.18 400.68
1850 42.20 16.62 61.42 27.75 147.99
1851 75.00 35.15 26.36 136.51
1852 122.62139.28 151.44 413.34
1853 192.43153.50 206.64 65.88 71.00 685.45
Subtotal $l,066.46$1,829.26 $987.47$243.65$ 82.42$103.65$ 92.24 $534.50 $386.63 $336.00 $5,662.28
1854 304.75550.00 183.82 46.48 34.00 26.80 1,145.85
1855 963.801,025.51858.53130.0030.50 2,178.82 70.94 97.20 5,355.30
1856 265.00875.05 345.83368.52 530.00 2,384.40
1857 961.381,987.33596.82 390.98 205.421,054.75610.40 125.69 5,932.77
1858 75.72379.22 484.26 .50 16.40 557.52 45.50 457.52 2,016.64
1859 147.17734.91 43.00 42.00 91.79 1,058.87
1860 3.00273.33 166.64 80.00 2,317.24 2,840.21
Subtotal $3,787.28$7,654.61$3,666.37$742.67 $566.78$259.65 $3,125.79 $1,589.25 $1,140.27 $3,527.65 $336.00 $26,396.32
1861 19.15 31.39 251.79 23.15240.00 10.50 575.98
1862 8.88 71.94 5.00 35.00 26.25 147.07
Brick Hard-
Stone, Lumber, Roofing ware,
Cement Car- Paint, Glass, Materials, Plaster Plumb- Light- Iron
yearMasonspentersPaintersGlazingRoofersPlasterers ing ing work Mill Other Total
1863 124.57 57.33 450.00 631.90
1864 107.27 184.51 1.96 15.00 96.80 225.00 630.54
1885 300.00750.06 17.30 70.67 41.19 1,179.22
1866 50.95512.30 400.83 18.65162.30 131.39 316.03 89.74**1,682.19
18672,427.15360.19127.76 80.00 5.95 1.50 3,002.65
1868 58.45457.31 21.93 19.95118.05 187.66 50.00 913.35
1869 102.50264.75 471.18 75.30 26.27 1.503,540.80 4,482.30
1870 13.50437.591,084.47 126.43 1,661.99
Total $6,767.86 $10,771.98$6,271.17 $858.53 $1,017.58 $626.08 $3,644.53 $1,599.75 $1,234.46 $8,085.73 $425.74 $41,303.41
SOURCES: Memorandum Book 24 (1830-1851), Series K, and Memorandum Book 3 (1852-1870), Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
*$300 for building a racetrack and $36 for repairing a steam boiler
**For repairing the house on Charles Street in Baltimore
which lasted from December 19, 1847, to July 2, 1848.100 From
1850 to 1863, however, he resided most of the year at Hampton and
acted as a paymaster for his father. Charles's cash book for the
years 1850 to 1863 also indicates that he never took an extended
vacation from Hampton during all those years.
An analysis of Charles Ridgely's expenditures for
maintenance and construction of buildings and for the garden from
1850 to 1863 reveals that he paid out the following sums of money
on behalf of his father and mother and for his personal projects at
Hampton;
Expenditures For John Ridgely For Self Grand Total
Maintenance and
construction $1,859.55 $3,371.42 $5,230.97
Garden,
gardeners, etc. 1,355.30 300.23 1,655.53
Total (1850-1863)$3,214.85 $3,671.85 $6,886.50
When his parents died in 1867 (his father in July
and his mother in December), Charles Ridgely inherited the
Hampton estate, which then comprised 3,402 acres, 1 rod, and 2
perches of land. 102 The manager of the Hampton farm during his
100. Charles Ridgely of Hampton, Journal of Expenses and Account
of Trip to Paris, December 19, 1847, to July 2, 1848, Ridgely 1127, -~
MHS.
101. Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS. I?
102. Newspaper clipping, August 11, 1872, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
The clipping describes the Baltimore County Court report of the
Charles Ridgely estate.
102
ownership was James M. Anderson, and the chief gardeners of the
Hampton garden includedJames Cody (May 1, 1867, to October 18,
:1 1867), M. J. Fryer(October 12, 1867, to March 16, 1868), and
William Fraser (April 1,1868, until after Charles Ridgely's death in
-1 1872)103 The correspondence of manager Anderson and chief
gardener Fraser withRidgely indicates that the new owner
displayed considerableinterest in their activities. After 1867
Ridgely often traveledabroad, but the two managers submitted
monthly reports to him.He, in return, wrote letters approving or
disapproving proposedprojects. His letters also frequently
included instructions tothe chief gardener on the placement or
104
removal of trees around the mansion for landscaping purposes.
A slip of paper on which Charles Ridgely jotted
notes for use in preparing his income tax for 1869 reveals that his
income for that year came to $40,268.39. The sources of this
income were as follows:
103. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. In a list of
salaries paid, Andersonts was shown to be $1,000 per year.
Another notation lists the names and salaries of the three chief
gardeners. Each was paid $600 per year.
104. Chief gardener Fraser~s monthly reports to Ridgely (1868-1872)
are in Ridgely 1127, MHS. Letters in the same collection from
Fraser and Anderson to Ridgely indicate that Ridgely had written
letters to them containing detailed orders. Also in the collection
are letters from Fraser to Ridgely dated May 11, September 7, and
October 16, 1871, dealing with landscaping and placement of trees.
$1
103
Rents $ 8,895.16
Bonds and stocks 14,887.25
U.S. stock 1,326.00
Farm receipts 5,372.98 1?;
Other 8,665.00
Mrs. Ridgely's income 1,062.00
105
Total - 1869 $40,268.39
Charles Ridgely of Hampton died in his 42nd year on
March 29, 1872, at Rome, Italy, from malarial fever contracted in
the Compagna while on one of his European trips.
2. A New Road by the Mansion, 1871-1872
In early 1871 chief gardener William Fraser initiated
construction of a new permanent road leading from the avenue on
the west side of the mansion south along the west side of the
garden to the Hampton greenhouses. Following up his earlier
suggestion of building such a road, Fraser wrote to Charles Ridgely
on May 11, 1871: "I have spoken to you (when at home) about
having a regular road from the Ave down in rear of cedar hedge
105. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. The slip of
paper is inserted in the pages for 1869. Charles Ridgely calculated
that he owed $3,691.52 in income taxes for 1869.
106. Hammond, p. 136, gives the birth and death dates of Charles
Ridgely of Hampton and his wife Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely.
Carpenter, pp. 577-79, tells the cause of Ridgely's death. USD1,
NPS, Peterson, pp. 35-38, contains an account of Charles Ridgely's
brief military career in 1861 as a captain in the Baltimore Horse
Guards. Fortunately for both Ridgely and his heirs, the horse
guards were disbanded and Captain Ridgely was relieved of his
command before their efforts to assist in the Confederate cause - -
could do any damage; otherwise, the Ridgely family migsuffered serious losses by sponsoring the losing side.
104
between the Orange House and greenhouse and I think the material
which form the Carriage Drive as it now is might be advantageously
Iused in its construction, if you see fit to have a permanent road
there."107 Ridgely apparently approved the plan in a letter dated
September 23, for on October 16, 1871, Fraser informed the owner
that he was going ahead with the plan to improve the avenue:
"Mr. Anderson [the farm manager] has promised to begin to haul
the stone soon. ,,108 On October 18, 1871, Anderson also wrote to
Ridgely, reporting: "Mr. Fraser's plan of making a road from gate
to mansion will take a great amount of hauling. He thinks of
moving earth and filling up with 9 inches of stone and 4 inches of
gravel. The distance from the gate to Mansion is 750 feet. If the
road is 14 feet wide it will take 315 perches of stone and about 90
wagon loads of gravel.''109
On December 10 Anderson informed Ridgely that "we
have hauled about half stone enough to make the avenue."110 On
February 13, 1872, the manager reported that they were still at
work on the new avenue and were hauling gravel for the road from
Timonium, Maryland. 111 The road was finally completed in early
1872, and on February 22, 1872, Fraser reported to his employer:
It will interest you to know how we progress with the
new road. . . . I am glad to be able to inform you that
107. William Fraser to Charles Ridgely of Hampton, May 11, 1871,
Ridgely 1127, MHS.
108. Fraser to Ridgely, October 16, 1871, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
109. James M. Anderson to Charles Ridgely of Hampton, October
18, 1871, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
'I 110. Anderson to Ridgely, December 10, 1871, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
111. Anderson to Ridgely, February 13, 1872, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
105
at last it is nearly completed. We have had a great deal
of hard freizing weather this winter consequently our
progress has been more slow than it would otherwise have
been. Still the work has been done thoroughly and
doubtless time will prove it to be a first class road. We
took a quantity of broken stone in the old road which we
saved and placed a top of the coarse stone which was
used as a foundation. We have procured gravel of about
the same quality as that in front of the house. We have
(50) fifty loads of it here, but not on the road yet as I
want to let it settle properly before applying the gravel.
The Ashland Company [the former Northampton Iron
Furnace] kindly gave me permission to get as much gravel
from their bank as we wish. It is a long haul from there
but It is the only gravel about here that it is at all fit
for our use.112
D. John Ridgely II and Hampton, 1872-1909
1. John Ridgely Il, 1851-1938
John Ridgely, the son of Charles and Margaretta
Sophia Ridgely, was born in 1851. In August 1872 the
commissioners appointed by the Baltimore County Circuit Court to
apportion the estate of the late Charles Ridgely among his six heirs
found that the total area of his land was 3,402 acres, 1 rod, and 2
perches. The court awarded 21-year old John Ridgely the 1,000
acres known as the "Home Farm," which included the Hampton
mansion and garden and the farm buildings. The remaining 2,402
acres, which were valued by the court at $166,341.18, were then
divided among the six heirs.113
112. Fraser to Ridgely, February 27, 1872, Ridgely 1127, MHS.
113. Newspaper clipping, August 11, 1872, Ridgely 1127, MHS. In I;
addition to the "Home Farm," John Ridgely Il received "Share C," a
1/18 share consisting of lot 5 in the subdivided 2,402 acres. The
share was valued at $9,241.18. The will of Charles Ridgely of
Hampton is in Registry of Wills JPC(34), BCC, p. 1.
106
In 1873 John Ridgely married Helen West Stewart
(1854-1929), the daughter of John Stewart and Leonice Josephine
Moulton of Baltimore. The fiscal records of the period 1872 to 1884
Iindicate that Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely managed the
114
Hampton estate during these years. James Anderson continued
to serve as manager of the Hampton farm, from at least 1871 to
115
1887, at a salary of $1,000 per year.
During the 1870s and 1880s, John Ridgely led the
life of a country gentleman. His wife, Helen, commented on this in
her diary, writing on June 19, 1886: "It is really a fascinating
life, that of a gentleman farmer, who can saunter around with his
hands in his pockets leaving work to overseer & men."116 With the
increasing costs of agricultural production and a declining return
from farm products that took place in the last quarters of the 19th
century, John Ridgely was finally forced to take his hands out of
his pockets and to assume a more active role in managing Hampton.
114. Receipts for operation of the estate are in Ridgely 717, MHS.
Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely's checkbooks are in Ridgely 1127
and in Checkbooks - 1878-1884 (vol. 10), Series I, Ridgely 691,
MHS. Ledger 11, Series I, which covered the period 1874-1886,
was once in Ridgely 691 but was listed as missing in 1976.
115. Anderson is mentioned in a letter from gardener William Fraser
dated May 11, 1871, in Ridgely 1127, MHS. A newspaper clipping
dated 1887, in Scrapbook 28, Ridgely 716, MHS, describes the
marriage of manager James M. Anderson's daughter Marcie at
Hampton. See also check 8, March 2, 1878, for salary, Checkbook
10, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS.
-i 116. Helen West Stewart Ridgely, Diary, June 26, 1886, to 1887,
Scrapbook 12, Ridgely 716, MHS.
107
In the summer of 1906 Helen Ridgely recorded in her diary that
John was having his first experience in personally supervising the
farm hands while the men did the harvesting. She noted that she
went down to the fields to watch the operation and thus lend moral
support to her husband. 117 1{-
To cut down on expenses, the Ridgelys gave up
their townhouse in Baltimore and in the winter of 1905-1906 took up
118
year-round residence at Hampton. With the completion of a
trolley line from Baltimore to Towson (a 35-minute trip), it was
possible for the Ridgelys to live at Hampton and still take part in
the social events in Baltimore. 119 On June 8, 1907, Helen Ridgely
noted in her diary: "I am bankrupt having already given her
[daughter Helen, who had been studying voice in Italy] more than I
could afford & her father is suffering temporarily from financial
distress, owing to the repairs & improvements he has had to make
this year to the cow stable and on gardener's house. I had to lend
what little I had in bank for him to pay his hands this week. The
taxes this year were more than $1,300, but less than last year.
Fortunately they are paid.''120
117. Helen Ridgely, Diary, March 1906 to July 1906, Scrapbook 33,
Ridgely 716, MHS.
118. Helen Ridgely, Diary, January 1907 to May 1908, Scrapbook
29, Ridgely 716, MHS. Helen wrote in January 1907: "This is my
second winter in the country."
119. Ibid.; Helen Ridgely, Diary, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716, MHS,
entry for April 8, 1909.
120. Helen Ridgely, Diary, Scrapbook 29, Ridgely 716, MHS, entry
for June 8, 1907.
108
To increase their income, the Ridgelys began to
raise chickens in 1908, and Mrs. Ridgely personally supervised
these operations. 121 Their financial situation was eased somewhat
in 1908 when Helen Ridgely inherited $18,000 from a relative. 122
Despite cash flow problems during this period, the Hampton garden
was kept up by a staff including Mr. Prince, gardener, and two
123
full-time undergardeners. During the first third of the 20th
century, the Ridgely family was forced by economic circumstances
to live at a more modest scale, but they still retained their position
in the socially prominent, wealthy upper class. Helen Ridgely died
in 1929 and John Ridgely in 1938.
2. Maintenance of the Estate, 1876-1882
The Ridgely ledger, covering the period 1874 to 1886
124
is missing from the collections of the Maryland Historical Society,
and the financial records of John Ridgely of Hampton (1851-1938)
have not been donated to the historical society. Records for the
period 1872 to 1938 are thus incomplete. Following are the records
that are available on maintenance of Hampton from 1876 to 1882:
121. Helen Ridgely, Diary, 1909, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716, MHS.
This diary is filled with details of chicken raising; for instance, see
the entry for February 27, 1909.
122. The inheritance was from John Ordonnaux, a noted doctor and
lawyer, according to USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 48.
123. Helen Ridgely, Diary, March 1906 to July 1906, Scrapbook 33,
Ridgely 716, MHS, entry for March 5, 1906; Helen Ridgely, Diary,
1909, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716, MHS, entries for April 19, May
15, June 7, and December 1.
124. This ledger (Ledger 11, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS), which
was reported to be in the collection, could not be found when the
collection was completely recatalogued in 1968.
109
1876
July 8: Thomas Todd was paid $448.48 "for building Barn on
the Long Quarter farm by special contract.'' Among the other
items Todd built at this time were 'one extra ventilator by
contract," $10.00; "for 452 ft White pine Lumber in 24 slat
window frames. One ventilator Post & 4 window frames in
stable," $15.82.125
November 18: Mrs. Charles (Margaretta Sophia Howard)
Ridgely paid William Harper $15 for "painting Stable per
contract" and a total of $147 for 73-1/2 days' work, September
to November 1876, painting the greenhouses at Hampton.126
(No date): Margaretta Ridgely purchased 10,500 "dark red
bricks" from Burns, Russell & Co. of Baltimore in September
and October for $84.1 27
1877
May 26: Mrs. John (Helen West Stewart) Ridgely purchased
$41.20 worth of lumber from T.S. Corkan. Included in this
bill was white pine flooring.128
March 11-July 21: During this period, Helen Ridgely
purchased a grand total of 21,500 salmon, red, and arch
bricks from John A. Allen of Baltimore for $182.75. 129
November 20: Margaretta Ridgely purchased lumber,
apparently for fencing, from Heise & Co. of Baltimore for
$127.48. 130
125. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely of Hampton Dr. to Thomas Todd," July
8, 1876, Ridgely 717, MHS.
126. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely to Wm. Harper Dr.," November 18,
1876, Ridgely 717, MHS. The bill was paid November 25, 1876.
127. "Burns, Russell & Co. Dr. Mrs. Charles Ridgely," 1876,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
128. Receipt, May 26, 1877, Ridgely 717, MHS.
U)
129. "John A. Allen to Mrs. John Ridgely," August 19, 1877,
Ridgely 717, MHS. 4,000 arch, 8,000 red, 8,000 salmon, and 1,500
unknown color bricks were included.
130. Receipt, November 20, 1877, Ridgely 717, MHS.
110
December 8: Margaretta Ridgely paid M. Gault & Son of
Baltimore $58.13 for 11repairing flashing and reslating" roof.
I Two men worked five days each; the cost of the slate was
$6.25 and that of the tin, $8.40. The inclusion of $4.58 for
carfare suggests that the men were probably working of the
roof of the mansion.131
1878
February 8: Margaretta Ridgely paid Joseph S. Bowen $19.50
for six days of mason work and three days' labor.132
June: Margaretta Ridgely paid $113.14 to Howell & Brother
"for hanging wallpaper."133
August 28: Margaretta Ridgely to Heisis & Bruns, $101.93,
for "Lumber for mending barn on Mill Farm."134
December 5: Margaretta Ridgely, $75.00 "for Wood house &
stable at Mill Quarry."135
1879
October 6: Margaretta purchased five barrels of cement for
use in the greenhouse. 136
1880
June 4: H.S. Corhran was paid $42.88 for lumber "for Cows
Stable. "137
131. "M. Gault & Son Dr. Mrs. Ridgely," December 8, 1877,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
132. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely of Hampton to Joseph S. Bowen,"
February 8, 1877, Ridgely 717, MHS.
133. "Howell & Brother to Mrs. Charles Ridgely," June 1878,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
134. Checkbook 10, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS, check 16.
1135. Ibid., check 22.
136. Ibid., check 49.
137. Ibid., check 62.
111
November: James W. Graves received $230.75 "for water wheel
at Mill."138 I;
August 23: William Fish was paid $13 for "staining floor &c"
at the Ridgely townhouse at 86 Monument Street, Baltimore.139
November 11: Mrs. Charles Ridgely paid William H. Will,
plumber, a total of $149.94 for plumbing work carried out on
the townhouse at 86 Monument Street in the period May 18 to
October 26, 1880.140
1881
January 6: Mrs. Charles Ridgely paid H.S. Corhran $33 "for
lumber of scaffolding." This scaffolding, as we shall see, was
probably. being used by the painters then at work on the
mansion.141
March 14: Lumber "for building & repairing of shanty in the
Banks woods" was purchased from Geo. F. Sloan &
Brothers. 142
1882
January 12: Heise & Burns lumber bill to January 7, 1882,
amounting to $85, was paid.143
138. Ibid., check 72.
139. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely to Wm. Fish," August 23, 1880, Ridgely
717, MHS.
140. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely to Wm. H. Will," November 11, 1880,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
141. Checkbook 10, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS, check 84. 1;
142. Ibid., check 87.
143. Ibid., check 112.
112
March 7: H.S. Corhran received $53.37 for the lumber "for
.1 Burton's outhouse, &c."144
June 12: Joshua Anderson, carpenter and builder, of 92
Tyson Street, Baltimore, was paid $336.49 for carpenter work
executed in the period January 3, 1881, to June 10, 1882.
This work, which included the repair of doors, furniture,
window, locks, putting up slat partitions, putting up shelves
in wardrobe, and weatherstripping windows, was apparently
done to the townhouse at 86 Monument Street. 145
On May 16, 1881, Joshua Anderson repaired a feed
box in a stable, but it is not clear whether the stable was at 86
Monument Street or at Hampton. As there is nothing on the bill to
indicate that any of the work was done at Hampton, the writer
believes the stable work was probably done in Baltimore.
3. Rehabilitation of the Mansion, 1880-1882
In 1880-1881 the mansion and the complex of
buildings immediately surrounding it underwent a major
rehabilitation program, the second for the mansion since its
completion in 1788. During this period Margaretta Ridgely spent a
total of $4,159.19 to put these structures in good condition. She
entered into a series of contracts with the firm of Emmart &
Quartley, Fresco & House Painters, with offices at 32 Park Street,
Baltimore, to carry out the carpenter, tinning, and plaster repair
work that was required, and to paint the structures. Of the total
expenditures, $2,056.62 was spent on the mansion, $1,310.50 on the
orangery and greenhouses, $562.32 on service buildings located
.1
144. Ibid., check 119.
I145. Anderson's four-page itemized bill to Mrs. Charles Ridgely,
dated June 10, 1882, is in Ridgely 717, MHS.
113
adjacent to the mansion, and $228.35 to paint the lawn and garden
furniture. (For most of the expenditures cited below, see the
painting bills in appendix B.)
Work on the mansion began on August 10, 1880.
The exterior plaster and woodwork were repaired at a cost of $76.
Then "the entire walls, woodwork, &c" were painted at a cost of
$1,400. In October $18.50 was spent for planing the floors of the
kitchen and back hall in the east wing. In October and November
32 lights (panes) of glass were replaced and glazed at a cost of
$8.70. Downspouting on the main house (116 feet) was replaced for
$28.75. Two "Batten doors and one window Sill - under porches"
were made at a cost of $14.62. Total value of the work completed
on the mansion in 1880 came to $1,546.57.
In January 1881 two handmade doors were
constructed for the kitchen and hall in the east wing at a cost of
$23.75. The plaster base of the house was pointed to resemble
stone, at a cost of $40. The woodwork "of room over porch - rear
[south] & moulding round base of same & porches" was repaired for
$25.80. The slate "of entire roof" was repaired at a cost of $51 .43.
(Leonice Ridgely, aged 6-1/2, noted in her diary on March 22,
1881; "While Mamma was gone we played with slates in the open air.
The man was putting new slates on the roof so he threw the old
ones down, so the roof would not be dirty.")146 The floors of two
chambers, or bedrooms, were stained and waxed for $30.
In March 1881 the plaster in the "room over rear 0
[south] porch" was repaired at a cost of $15. The interioand ceilings were decorated, and the woodwork painted in tints, for I?;.
146. Leonice, Margaret, and Helen Ridgely, Composition Book and
Diary, 1881 to 1883, Scrapbook 75, Ridgely 716, MHS.
114
$90. The plaster was repaired in the nursery for $12. "Tinting
ceiling - painting walls with border - painting, graining &
.1 varnishing wood work" was done for $134.08. (Leonice Ridgely
wrote about this operation on March 10, 1881; "The men came &
moved the furniture out of our parlor room & gave us a lot of our
old toys . . . off the top of the _____[?]. The painters are going
to paint the room nice & clean. ,,147 "Moulding round base board in
nursery room" was repaired or replaced for $8. Six more lights
were installed and glazed at a cost of $1.80. The plaster in the
east wing "in rear passage, House keeper's room, Pantry, &c" was
cut out and repaired at a cost of $9.80. The total cost of work on
the mansion from August 10, 1880, to April 9, 1881, came to
148
$1,988.23.
In late April 1881, a new chimney cap, acquired from
New York, was installed on the main house at a cost of $58.44, and
in July $4.50 was spent "to Hanging sash, repairing same &
patching floor in Main House per house keeper's instructions."149
In August 1881, $4 was spent to have four "Wire
Doors in Kitchen [east] wing" painted. In October seven more
panes of glass were installed and glazed at a cost of $2.35. Two of
these lights were located in the kitchen, one in the sewing room,
and two in Mrs Ridgely's room. 150 This completed the work on the
mansion and brought the total expenditure on the house to
$2,056.52.
1147. Ibid., entry for March 10, 1881.
148. Painting bill 2 in appendix B.
°1 149. Painting bill 4 in appendix B.
150. Painting bill 5 in appendix B.
115
Rehabilitation of the orangery and greenhouses got
underway in April 1881. The orangery was completely overhauled
at cost of $417.50. Plaster, brickwork, and woodwork were
repaired, new spouting was installed, and the structure was painted
inside and out. The old greenhouse was painted outside, whitened
inside, and reglazed at a cost of $240. The exterior of the new
greenhouse was painted at a cost of $45. The rose house was
painted inside and out for $125. Carpenter work in the rose house
and propagating house came to $125. This work included putting in
14 new rafters and new plates the length of the building. Painting
the interior and exterior of the propagating house and grapery
amounted to $178. The hot house was painted inside and out at a
cost of $65. The entrance gate at the main road, apparently
erected in 1875, was painted at a cost of $20. The total cost of
work on the greenhouses and gate was $1,341.35, and the cost of
all work performed from April 21 to July 29, 1881, was
$1 ,404.29.151
The third and final phase of the rehabilitation
program began in August 1881 on the service buildings surrounding
the mansion. The roof of the servants' house was repaired, 51 feet
of new gutters were installed and the old gutters repaired, and the
interior and exterior woodwork was painted. The roof was also
painted. The total cost of work on the servants' house was $112.
The roof and the interior and exterior woodwork on the small house
in the grove were painted at a cost of $25. The shed next to the
kitchen on the east wing was repaired for $74.50. This included a
new tin roof and flashings, 8 feet of new gutters, painting the roof
and woodwork, and whitewashing the ceilings of the shed ________________________________ 151. Painting bill 4. a.'
116
outhouses. Seventy-two dollars was spent on the gas house to
paint the woodwork, install 52 feet of new gutters, and repair the
:1 old gutters. The inside and outside woodwork of a building located
on the rear of the lawn was painted for $25.
The woodwork of the wood house and adjoining tool
and ash houses (located east of the mansion) was painted, and new
tin roofs were installed on the three structures. The porch,
doors, and woodwork of the tool and ash houses were repaired, and
40 feet of new gutters and 30 feet of downspouts were installed on
the wood house. A total of $237 was spent to recondition these
three buildings. The total value of the work completed during the
152third phase, August 13 to November 29, 1881, was $766.67. The
lawn and garden furniture was repaired and painted in 1881 at a
cost of $228.35; this included the following items: 46 chairs, wood
or iron; 19 rocking chairs; 32 benches, wood or iron; 48 tree boxes
and tubs; one arbor; one table; and three flower stands.153
1882
October 31: Mrs. Charles Ridgely paid Joseph S. Bowen of
Towson a total of $118.25 for 37 days of "mason work"
performed in the period August 1 to September 17, 1882.154
November: William H. Wills, plumber and gas fitter, 117 N.
Pine Street, Baltimore, was paid as follows for work done at
Hampton:
October 28: "Repairs to Furnace chimneys &C, Hampton,
3 Ex Heavy wrought-Iron Furnace Drums[?] at 10.00, 2 ft
ii 152. Painting bill 5; see also estimates 2 and 3, appendix C.
1153. Painting bills 4 and 5.
154. Receipt, October 31, 1882, Ridgely 717, MHS.
117
7 in pipe .50; 54 Ibs sheet zinc, 5.40; 1 piece Heavy
plate Iron, 1.00. 4 bolts & wire .50. Portage .90.
Expenses, 2.85, 5 days time 20.00, Total $61.65." .j.
November 17: "Repair to cook stove &C, Hampton. 1
sett lining 1.00; expenses .50, 1 days time 4.00. Total
$5.50."155
December 29: Mrs. Charles Ridgely paid John Hertel,
brickmaker, $30.30 for a total of 4,200 bricks delivered in the
period April 21 to September 1, 1882.156
4. Work on the Mansion, 1883-1909
As has been mentioned, the Ridgely family financial
records from 1883 to 1948 are not in the collection of the Maryland
Historical Society. The only information in the Ridgely family
papers that covers the physical history of the mansion during that
period is that which can be extracted from letters and diaries. The
available information is as follows:
1890
July 18: In a letter written on this day, Helen West Stewart
Ridgely informed a friend that the downspouts and gutters on
the Hampton mansion were being repaired. 157
August 1: Young Helen Ridgely wrote to her mother: "We
are having the roof [on the Hampton mansion] slated and it is
155. Receipt, November 1882, Ridgely 717, MHS. The total bill of
$129.70 also included charges for work done at the house at 86 West
Monument Street in Baltimore.
156. Bill, December 29, 1882, Ridgely 717, MHS.
157. Helen West Stewart Ridgely, personal letter, July 18, 1890,
Ridgely 715, MHS.
118
roasting with heat. I pity the poor men who are on it
whacking away with their hammers with handerchiefs inside
.1 their hats hanging out over their faces."158
1898
May 8: "A new pig house is in course of construction and the
boys are down there nearly every ____ [?] morning. They
ought to know everything about stone masonry, carpenter and
cementing. It is to cost $200 so you may imagine it is quite
an elaborate affair."159
In 1905 the Ridgelys began residing year-round in
the Hampton mansion.
1907
June 8: Helen West Stewart Ridgley's diary mentions "the
repairs & improvements he [her husband John Ridgely] has
had to make this year to the cow stable and on gardener's
house. "160
1909
February 27: On this date Helen West Stewart Ridgely entered
in her diary: "A great to do with the [fire] insurance
company. Had to move the incubator [for chickens] out of the
[Hampton] house. Uncle John & Bergan carried it out of 6ack
door of Little Office [in the west hyphen] down to the Orange
House [orangery] without a loss of heat, by removal of lamp
158. Helen Ridgely (daughter of Helen West Stewart Ridgely) to
"Dear Mama," August 1, 1890, Ridgely 716, MHS.
159. Helen West Stewart Ridgely to "My Dear Boy" (her son, John
Ridgely, Jr.), May 8, 1898, Ridgely 715, MHS.
'1 160. Helen West Stewart Ridgely, Diary, January 1907 to May 1908,
Scrapbook 29, Ridgely 716, MHS.
119
as I closed the holes of cylinder. Much drier atmosphere than
in Office, but temperature about the same.''161
March 8: "John Preston set to work to white wash chicken
houses. 162
March 12: "New blacksmith & wife moved into log cabin back
of Lower House - now quite a comfortable weatherboarded
house of four rooms."163
May 10: "[This] morning Samuel Jefferson cleaned and washed
South Portico [of the mansion]."
May 14: "Jefferson did over portico rooms. It looks better,
but cracks in plaster still show through. Still it is clean."164
May 18: "Man came from town to overhaul gas machine & show
blacksmith how to make gas. Was up at six in the morning to
attend to different things & watched process at Gas House off
and on all day. . . . As we have had no gas since January
when Woodward made it at night & left everything at sixes and
sevens, it was some time before the actual gas making
began. "165
May 20: "Called away from table to see blacksmith hang
looking glass in South Portico Room."166
161. Helen West Stewart Ridgely, Diary, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716,
MHS.
162. Ibid. The entry of March 16, 1909, deals with whitewashing.
163. Ibid.
164. Ibid.
165. Ibid. Helen's entry for May 19, 1909, says that "Charles took
gas machine to pieces & cleaned one pipe caked with hardened oil.
Has everything in order for next166. Ibid. I,
1201¾«Ã×±ïïïïïð
May 21: "Fire out in furnace & dampness over whole
house . . . had it started again."167
'I
October 4: "John Battee whitewashing half a day."
1October 5: "John Battee whitewashing 2 half days & demands
$4 for job. Last year he loafed on me and worked 2½ days.
Paid $2 a day. The charge exhorbitant."168
This ends the data on the physical history of
Hampton Mansion that can be found in the Ridgely family collections
of the Maryland Historical Society.
5. Wiring the Mansion for Electricity, 1929
The mansion was not wired for electricity until after
the death of Helen West Ridgely in 1929, as she favored gas and
looked upon electricity with disfavor. Mr. W.R. Wilson of the
Wilson Electric Company, Towson, Maryland, installed the original
wiring, which was still in place when the National Park Service took
over the mansion in 1948.169
167. Ibid.
?1
168. Ibid.
169. Charles E. Peterson to Regional Director (National Park
Service), March 3, 1949. A copy of this memorandum is in the
Hampton Files, Fort McHenry.
121
VI. Summary and Conclusions, Hampton Mansion
A. Construction, 1783-1788
The designer of the Hampton mansion is unknown; the
plan for the mansion, however, was probably drafted by Capt.
Charles Ridgely (1733-1790), and the central block, or main house,
was probably modeled after the Charles Ward Apthorp house, an
architecturally famous Georgian house that had been erected in New
York City about 1767. The addition of the dome or cupola to the
roof of the central block appears to have been suggested in 1783 by
Jehu Howell, the amateur architect and master carpenter who
translated Captain Ridgely's plans into reality and supervised much
of the construction.
Excavation for the cellar of the main house and for the
foundations of the two wings and two hyphens must have commenced
in either June or July 1783. Ridgely apparently used some of his
numerous slaves to accomplish this task. On August 1, 1783, David
and George Scott began hauling the gneiss/schist rubble stone for
the foundations and walls from the quarry to the building site in
the forest. By October 1783, when the Scott brothers ceased their
operations for the 1783 building season, they had moved 392
perches and 6 feet of stone to the construction site. David Scott
resumed the project of hauling building stone to the mansion site on
May 12, 1784, and delivered the last of 359 wagonloads of stone on
August 20, 1784. Captain Ridgely paid the Scott brothers a total
of 6181 19s. 1d. for hauling stone in 1783-1784.
Master mason Moses Dillon appears to have supervised the
construction of the stone foundations and walls of the mansion I?;
during the period 1783 to 1785. Captain Ridgely's slaves
apparently performed the actual construction work and probably
also applied the stucco over the exterior walls during this same
122
period. Construction by the masons must have begun in August
1783, when the stone began to arrive at the site, and by November
'1 5, 1784, the stone foundations and walls of the main house and two
end wings were complete. The stone walls of the east and west
hyphens were erected after November 5, 1784, and were probably
completed in 1785. Dillon was credited by Captain Ridgely with a
grand total of 6864 4s. 1/2d. for services rendered during the
period 1781-1786.
In August 1783 Capt. Charles Ridgely also entered into a
formal agreement with Jehu Howell and William Richardson, a
carpentry firm, to execute all of the carpentry on the mansion.
The carpenters began their work on Hampton in March 1784, and by
November 1784 they had roofed the main house and the two end
wings, the interior framing of the central block was largely
complete, and the interiors of both the east and west wings were
substantially finished. By November 1787 a total of at least 14
other carpenters, helpers, and apprentices, all working under
superivsion of Howell, had contributed to the completion of the
carpentry. The total amount of carpentry planned by Howell, as
established by the Baltimore carpenters' price book, came to
62,888 Is. 5-1/2d., and by the end of November 1787, when Jehu
Howell was drowned, all but 624 7s. 7d. worth of this work had
been completed. At that time only one or two of the important first
floor rooms, and the first floor central and stair halls in the central
block, remained to be planned and executed. The carpentry
required to complete these additional tasks could not have come to
more than an additional 6250, nor could more than one more
Ibuilding season have been required to complete them. Thus, when
Capt. Charles Ridgely and his wife Rebecca moved into the mansion
on December 8, 1788, the work of the masons and carpenters on the
Iplantation house should have been complete. The exterior and
interior of Hampton Hall, however, was still unpainted in 1788, and
123
the structure was not to receive its first coat of paint until the
spring of 1791.
B. Additions and Alterations, 1789-1929
1. Painting, 1791 and 1796 1?'
The mansion was painted for the first time in April
1791, when Charles Carnan Ridgely, who had just inherited the
house, paid Richard Jones of Baltimore a total of L71 9s. to paint
the structure. Jones, assisted by two painters, began work on
April 4 and completed the task on June 4, 1791, after having put in
a total of 99-3/4 man-days on the project. The exterior woodwork
of the mansion was painted a buff color, except for that of the
cupola or dome, which was painted white. The exterior stucco was
a pinkish terra-cotta color because of the red sand that had been
used in the white lime mortar. In 1791 this exterior stucco was
marked with white lines applied with a penciling brush. The result
was an ashlar pattern resembling masonry. Above the water table,
the blocks were laid off by lines of white paint 5/16 inch wide, with
the blocks varying from 27 inches to 30-1/2 inches in length and
about 8 inches in height. Below the water table the blocks were
somewhat larger in size.
In February 1796 Richard Jones reglazed the cupola
of the mansion, and in October of 1796 he was paid L3 17s. 11d.
for painting Hampton, perhaps some portion that had not been done
in 1791.
Physical evidence has indicated that the original
interior color of the first floor drawing room, the room in the
northwest corner, consisted of one coat of light gray paint for all
of the woodwork, while the plaster walls were painted with one coat
of buff-colored paint. Physical evidence also indicates that about
40 years were to pass before any of the rooms in the mansion were
to be painted for a second time.
124
2. Pull-Bell System, 1792-1865
The original construction of the mansion apparently
Iincluded a pull-bell system for calling the servants. In 1792 one
pull bell in the main hall and three on the second floor were
Irepaired. Further work on the bell system was done on June 28,
1843, February 10, 1852, and December 16, 1865.
3. Water Pipes, 1798-1799 to 1854
In 1798-1799, Gen. Charles C. Ridgely paid Gamaliel
Lumis a total of L166 2s. 6d. for making and laying 3,910-1/2 feet
of wooden water pipes, apparently for the purpose of conveying
water from the springs to the east (kitchen) and west (laundry)
wings of the mansion. In 1801 Ridgely spent an additional
L244 5s. 8d. to have 3,696 feet of wooden pipes made and 3,921
feet of ditches dug to contain the pipes. These pipes were to
convey water from the springs and to the Hampton garden and
meadows. In January 1854 an article on the garden reported:
"The whole place is copiously supplied with water conducted from a
spring by over 2,000 feet of lead pipe, to a reservoir at the
mansion, from where it radiates to different sections of the garden,
were hydrants are placed, and by a hose the entire garden can be
water."1 These early pipe systems were replaced in 1855-1856.
4. Enlargement of the East Hyphen (Pantry), ca. 1820
In about 1820 the south face of the east hyphen was
extended about 10 feet to the south (towards the garden). This
alteration brought the east hyphen to its present size of 24 feet
long by 26 feet 2 inches deep. The east hyphen, originally a
one-room pantry, was given its present floor plan in 1820, with an
east-west hall running along the north wall and a room located to
the south of the hall.
1. J.C. (pseud.), "Jottings Among the Gardens," The American
Farmer, n.s. 9 (January 24, 1854):212.
125
5. Repainting of Some Rooms, 1838
On November 28, 1838, John Ridgely spent $34.37
for ''painting at Hampton.'' Physical evidence indicates that the
doors and baseboard in the drawing room received their second coat
of paint, a strong green, about 41 years after their initial painting. I;;
6. Other Improvements
In 1841 a new ball for the dome or cupola was made
and then gilded at a cost of $11.
In 1842 Robert Gilmore was paid $259.49 for making
steps.
On February 9, 1844, Cornelius & Co. were paid
$262.50 for chandeliers. On May 25, 1857, $10 was spent to take
down and paint the chandeliers. Gas lighting was introduced into
the mansion in 1857.
On April 5, 1845, $175 was used to purchase a
"Tiffany window" for the mansion or the Baltimore townhouse. On
June 4 and October 30, 1856, William Gerbhandt, a "window
painter," was paid a total of $386.52 for making and installing four
"stained glass windows" in the center hall of the mansion.
On June 22, 1853, Conn and Grass were paid $71 for
installing nine lightning rods with a total length of 496 feet. The
Baltimore Lightning Rod Company was paid $347.70 in full for rods
on August 1, 1857. On July 1, 1867, $80 was spent for lightning
rods. The lightning rods were repaired at a cost of $12 on April
25, 1868. Ii'
126
On January 8, 1853, pipes and a boiler were
purchased for $45.45. These may have been for a new greenhouse,
Ior perhaps for a hot air furnace that was to be erected in the
central cellar of the main house.
:1 On July 1, 1853, John Bechtel was paid $20.43 for
"plumbing work at Hampton." This is the first record of any
plumbing work ever being done at Hampton. It may have had to do
with the installation of a central hot air furnace in the mansion's
basement.
7. Rehabilitation Program, 1854-1859
a. Graining of Interior Woodwork
In the first major rehabilitation program since
1791, the woodwork in the music room was grained in 1854 and that
in other rooms of the mansion in 1856, 1858, and 1859. The total
cost of the graining was $395. On March 12, 1870, a Mr. Bright
was paid $20 for "graining 11 doors."
b. Wallpaper
The first walls in the house to be wallpapered
were done in 1855. Other rooms were papered in 1857. The total
cost of this work was $288.72. On May 16, 1866, Golder & Unduck
were paid a total of $133.58 "for papering Hampton House." In
June 1878 Howell & Brother were paid $113.14 for "hanging
wallpaper."
c. Painting ot Exterior Wood Trim
The exterior wood trim of the mansion was
apparently painted in 1855 at a cost of $363. The exterior
woodwork may have been painted again in May 1861 at a cost of
1$251.79.
127
d. New Water Pipe System
John Ridgely spent a total of $1,912 in 1855 to
install a completely new system of water pipes for conveying water
to the mansion and gardens. In 1857 a water tank was built at a
cost of $37. On May 20, 1864, $96.80 was paid for "putting down
iron pipes." The pipes were repaired in May 1865 at a cost of
$46.76.
e. Plumbing, 1855 and 1857
In 1855 modern bathrooms and waterclosets were
installed on the first and second floors of the west wing at a cost
of $417.74. Plumbing work in December 1865 came to $15.45. A
total of $161.39 was spent for plumbing work in 1866, most of this
expenditure being made in April and May of that year.
Expenditures for plumbing in October and November 1868 totaled
$167.35. In June 1869, $27.27 was spent for plumbing.
f. Gas Lighting, 1857
Gas lighting was introduced into the mansion at
a cost of $1,644.30 in 1857. This sum included $619.55 for building
a two-story frame octagonal gas house, $190 for gas lighting
fixtures, and $854.75 for the gas manufacturing apparatus. In
June 1861 $10.50 was spent for "gas burners." The gas lighting
system remained in use until about 1929.
g. Central Heating System, 1857 (?)
A hot air, coal-burning furnace was constructed
in the central cellar room of the main house, probably in 1857 but
possibly in 1855. (This furnace can be seen on map 2 in the Maps
and Plans section.) It was repaired at a cost of $31.56 on July 9, 1}:
1866.
128
h. Slate and Tin Roofs
The roof of the main house, except for that of
:1 the cupola, was apparently covered with slate by the 1850s. Bills
for slating repairs were paid on November 12, 1857 ($33.23), March
28, 1861 ($23.15), December 25, 1865 ($17.30), January 18, 1866
($17.30), and December 8, 1877 ($58.13), to repair the flashing and
reslate the roof.
Gutters and down spouts on the mansion were
repaired or replaced as follows: February 24, $15 for cleaning
spouting; May 22, 1866, $145 for new "spouting at Hampton"; and
January 30, 1868, $80.30 for spouting.
Tin roofs were apparently in use on Hampton
buildings by the 1840s. On April 10, 1846, a tin roof was painted
at a cost of $50, and on March 9, 1850, $29.92 was spent for 66-1/2
yards of tinning.
John Ridgely paid $40.50 for 1,awning" on April
20, 1855. This may have been installed on the second story
porches of the north and south porticoes (see illustration 3).
The total cost of the 1854-1859 rehabilitation
was $6,122.24.
8. Addition of Marble North Porch and Steps, 1867
On September 12, 1867, Alexander Packie was paid
$2,400 for building the marble steps, balustrades, and porch floor
on the central portico of the north (front) elevation of the mansion.
ti E.G. Lind, a Baltimore architect, is said to have designed this
alteration.
129
9. Preparation of Measured Floor Plans, 1875
In July 1875 John Laing, civil engineer and
architect, prepared four sheets of measured drawings, the floor I;
plans of the mansion. These are the oldest known extant plans of
the house. I;
10. Second Malor Rehabilitation Program, 1880-1881
A total of $2,056.52 was spent between August 1880
and August 1881 to carry out the second major rehabilitation
program on the mansion since the structure had been completed in
1788. Mrs. Charles (Margaretta Sophia) Ridgely entered into a
series of agreements with Emmart & Quartley, Fresco & House
Painters, to have this work done. The exterior plaster or stucco
of the mansion was repaired at a cost of $76. The exterior and
interior walls and woodwork were then painted at a cost of $1,400.
The plaster base of the house was repointed to resemble stone at a
cost of $40. On the central block, 116 feet of downspouting were
replaced at a cost of $28.75. Two batten doors and one windowsill
under the "porches" were made and installed. The floors in the
kitchen and back hall of the east wing were planed. Two new
handmade doors were also made and installed for the kitchen and
hall in the east wing. Woodwork was repaired, and $51.43 was
spent to repair and replace broken slate on the mansion roof. The
total cost of the carpenter work was $64.17. The floors of two
chambers were stained and waxed for $30. Interior plaster work
was repaired at a cost of $36.80. Interior plaster walls and ceilings
were decorated and painted in tints, and interior woodwork was
grained and varnished at a cost of $224.08. Forty-nine lights of
glass were glazed at a cost of $12.85. A new chimney cap, made in
New York City, was also installed on one of the chimneys of the
main house at a cost of $58.44.
130
The greenhouse structures were repaired and
painted at a total cost of $1,404.29 during the period from April 21
Ito July 29, 1882. An additional $766.67 was spent to rehabilitate
the five frame service structures located immediately adjacent to the
mansion. They were the servants' house, the kitchen shed, the
woodhouse, the toolhouse, and the ash house. The woodwork of
these buildings was repaired, new tin roofs were installed, and the
structures were painted inside and out. This work was done in the
period from August 13 to Novmeber 29, 1881.
The lawn and garden furniture was repaired and
painted in 1881 at a cost of $228.35. The main gate to the estate
was also painted.
The total cost of all rehabilitation between August
10, 1880, and November 29, 1881, was $4,159.19.
11. Repair to Hampton Furnace and Cookstove, 1882
Repairs were made to the furnace in the Hampton
mansion and to the cookstove in the east wing in October and
November 1882. The cost of these repairs was $67.15.
~2. Later Additions
In July and August 1890, the downspouts and
gutters on the mansion were repaired and the roof was reslated.
Beginning with the winter of 1905-1906, Hampton
became the year-round residence of the Ridgely family. From 1790
to this date, the mansion had served as the spring, summer, and
fall residence of the Ridgelys, and the family had spent their
winters in a townhouse in Baltimore. The Hampton mansion was
1wired for electricity, and the use of gas for lighting was
discontinued about 1929.
131
C. Other Structures at the National Historic Site
1. Stable 1
Stable 1 (structure 19) is a two-story stone building Ii
35 feet 2 inches wide and 42 feet 5 inches deep, with a hip roof
crowned by a cupola. It was erected after 1798 and before 1843,
probably in 1805, as the "Racehorse Stable'1. If it was erected in
1805, the builder was William Tudor, who was paid L49 14s. 1/2d.
for his services. Stable 1 probably had stalls for six horses as
originally completed. It was plastered in May 1851 (see map 1).
2. Orangery
The orangery (structure 15) was constructed after
October 1829 and before January 1842, probably in 1840. The
structure, built in the form of a modified Greek Revivial temple,
had been changed to its present floor plan by 1843 (see map 1).
The main portion of the orangery is 46 feet 4 inches long by 16
feet 4 inches wide. A brick entry, 5 feet by 5-1/2 feet
constructed in the form of a lean-to, projects from the north wall at
the northeast corner, with the door opening out on the east end.
The 13-inch thick brick walls on the north and west sides were
originally 7 feet high, and both the interior and exterior surfaces
of the walls were covered with white plaster. The walls on the east
2
and south side of the orangery are built of stone. The brick
lean-to entry at the northeast corner was a later addition to the
original structure. Wrought-iron rings or hooks were spaced at
intervals on the north and west brick walls for the growing of
grape vines or of espaliered trees against the walls.
a;
2. The east and south walls are built of rubble limestone; the
foundations of the north and west brick walls also are of limestone.
132
The south, or main, facade was composed of nine
5-foot-wide bays. The central bay contained the main entrance
door, which was approached by some limestone steps. On either
'I
side of the central entrance were four bays of triple-hung sash.
Each sash contained twenty-five 8- by 10-inch lights, resulting in a
window of 75 lights in each section.
The pedimented east and west ends were composed of
three bays. The windows on the east were full length triple-hung
sash of the same size as that on the south facade. The west end
elevation held three double-hung sash placed on top of the brick
wall. These windows had 15 over 15 lights of 8- by 10-inch glass.
The north wall had nine more windows of double-hung sash with 15
over 15 lights.
The cornice and pilasters of the orangery were of
the Tuscon Order and the roof was of wood shingles.
The orangery, built for John Ridgely, was partially
destroyed by fire in 1928. It was restored by the National Park
Service in 1966-1967.
3. Greenhouse 2
This greenhouse (structure 6) was erected by John
Ridgely after October 1829 and before January 1842, probably in
1840. It was plastered in May 1851 (see map 1).
4. Gardener's House
The two-story brick portion of the gardener's house
.1 (structure 2) was built before 1843 (see map 1). The two-story
stone portion of the six-room house and its porch were added to
Ithe original brick cottage in 1855 at a cost of $369.75. The house
was enlarged to provide better housing facilities for the professional
133
gardeners whom the Ridgelys began importing from New York in
1852.
1w'
5. Greenhouse 1
In January 1854 it was reported that "there has also
been erected a new propagating house, 50 by 12 feet, divided into
two apartments by a walk in the centre, heated by hot water on the
tank system." This building may have been the original or first
portion of the present L-shaped structure 5, which has grown to
its present size and shape in several steps. Structure 5 is now 94
feet 7 inches by 15 feet 10 inches on the long leg of the elI and 33
feet 9 inches by 24 feet 9 inches on the short leg. The walls were
constructed of brick and stone rubble, and the interior walls were
coated with stucco.
Structure 5 was probably built by John Ridgely in
1854, when he spent a total of $1,646.54 to build a new
greenhouse.
6. Gas House, 1857
The two-story octagonal frame gas house (structure
16) was erected by John Ridgely in 1857 to manufacture gas for
lighting in the mansion. The cost of construction was $619.55;
Joseph Allison was the carpenter. The gas house was used from
1857 to about 1929. It was destroyed by fire in the 1940s.
7. Stable 2--The Barn
Stable 2 (structure 20) was built after 1843 and
before 1877, probably in 1857. It is a two-story stone building 38
feet 2-1/2 inches wide and 32 feet 3 inches deep, with a hip roof ii::
that is surmounted by a cupola. The structure was erected by
John Ridgely as a barn at a cost of about $1,435.99. The builders I.
were probably William Bowen, mason, and William J. Riemen,
carpenter.
134
8. Old Icehouse
The old icehouse (structure 14) is a subterranean
structure with brick and stone passageway walls that have been
.1
covered with stucco. The year of construction has not been
established, but it was built before 1843 and probably after October
1798. The entire top of the building has been covered with earth.
Included in the structure is a 33-foot, 7-inch-deep circular chamber
with a brick dome and fieldstone sidewalls. The top of the chamber
is about 13 feet 6 inches wide. The room is approached by an
underground vaulted passageway on the south side. It is about 30
feet long and 4 feet 11 inches wide.
9. Greenhouse and Grapery
A new greenhouse and grapery may have been built
in 1869. A greenhouse was painted at the cost of $397.95 in July
1869.
10. New Road
During the winter of 1871-1872, a new permanent
road was constructed from the main avenue by the mansion along
the west side of the garden, leading south to the greenhouses.
11. Paint for Stable and Greenhouses
One of the stables and the greenhouses were painted
in November 1876 at a cost of $162 ($15 for the stable and $147 for
the greenhouses).
12. Repair of Greenhouses Extant in 1881
Between April 21 and July 29, 1881, a total of
$1,310.50 was spent to repair, replaster, whitewash, and paint the
following greenhouses adjacent to the Hampton garden:
135
NPS
Structure Cost of Work Structure No.
Orangery $417.50 15
Greenhouse 240.00 6 (?)
New Greenhouse 45.00 (Built 1869?)
Rose house 125.00 (Part of 5?)
Propagating house and 125.00 (Part of 5?)
grapery 178.00
Hot house 65.00
13. Historic Entrance Gate
The "Outer gate" was painted in June 1868 at a cost
of $45. On April 23, 1881, the gate at the entrance was painted at
a cost of $20. The main gate (structure 18) is said to have been
designed by architect John Laing in 1875.
Table 6: List of Structures Standing on
Hampton National Historic Site in 1948
1 Hampton mansion - built 1783-1788, stone
2 Caretaker s residence (formerly gardener's house) -
two-story brick portion built pre-1843, stone portion
added 1855; six rooms
3 Shed (by caretaker's residence) - frame
4 Carriage house - built after 1843, frame; a cottage was
on this site in 1843
5 Greenhouse 1 - built 1854, stone and brick
6 Greenhouse 2 - built 1840, brick
7 Pumphouse - ca. 1906 (but may date from 1870s) I-
$ Garage-frame
136
9 Shed (east of kitchen) - ca. 1843, frame
10 Paint house (east of kitchen) - ca. 1843, frame
.1 11 Garage (east of kitchen) - frame, demolished by NPS
-before 1959
° 12 Latrine (east of kitchen) - frame
13 Latrine (east of kitchen) - frame
14 Old ice house - built after 1798 and prior to 1843, brick
and field stone (underground)
15 Ruins of orangery - built 1840, burned 1928, brick and
stone
16 Ruins of gas house - built 1857, burned 1940s, two-story
frame octagon building
17 Ruins of old structure (east of latrines)
18 Historic gate - said to be designed by John Laing in 1875
19 Sable 1 - probably built 1805, two-story stone
20 Stable 2 - built 1857, two-story stone barn
21 Garden - developed 1784-1785, revised 1852-1853 and 1906
22 Carriage house site (east of stables 1 and 2) - built after
1843
23 Family burial ground - pre-1843
-I
-I
137
VII. Maps and Plans of the Hampton Estate and Mansion
A. Original Construction Plans
The original construction plans of 1783-1787 have
apparently been lost. It is certain that these plans are not in the
extensive collections of Ridgely family manuscripts of the Maryland
Historical Society.
B. 1794 Maryland Map Showing Hampton
The oldest known map showing the location of Hampton is
"Map of the State of Maryland," by Dennis Griffith, June 20, 1794,
published by J. Wallace in Philadelphia in 1795. This map shows
the site of "Hampton Hal I" and also of "Northampton" Furnace.
C. Joshua Barneys Ink Map, 1843
The first map delineating the Hampton plantation and its
structures and gardens in great detail is Joshua Barney's
beautifully drawn ink map of the Hampton lands, which was based
on instrument surveys. Barney began work on this survey and
map in August 1843 and completed the map in December of that
year. John Ridgely paid Barney a total of $80 for this project.
The original of the Barney map hangs in the hall of the mansion.
It should serve as one of the historical base maps of Hampton
National Historic Site (see map 1).
D. John Laing Floor Plans of the Hampton Mansion, 1875
The oldest known floor plans of the mansion are the set
of four inked floor plans prepared by John Laing, civil engineer
1)4
1. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, entries for
August 29, October 31, December 11, an December 26, 1843.
138
and architect, dated July 1875 and entitled "Hampton." These
measured drawings are for the basement, the ground floor, the
-a second floor, and the third floor (see maps 2, 3, 4, and 5). The
plans indicate the use of each room, and the ground, or first, floor
Iplan also shows the site and location of two sheds which adjoined
the kitchen in the east wing. Location of the well and pump at he
end of the west wing and also of tubs for trees are shown. The
Laing plans are identified as National Park Service drawing
NHS-HM-9001, sheets 1 to 4.
E. G.M. Hopkins Map in 1877 Atlas
Plate 69 in G.M. Hopkins' Atlas of Baltimore County,
Maryland (Philadelphia, 1877) shows Hampton Mansion and its
outbuildings and also the structures on the Hampton farm on a small
scale. Plate 50 in the same atlas shows the buildings of the
Ashland iron furnace on a large and detailed plan. This company
was formerly the Northampton Iron Furnace and had been owned by
the Ridgely family since 1761. A copy of this atlas is available in
the library of the Maryland Historical Society.2
F. G.W. Bromley & Co. Map, 1898
Plate 22 in G.W. Bromley & Co., Atlas of Baltimore
County, Maryland (Philadelphia, 1898) has a fairly detailed map of
the portion of the Hampton estate that depicts the buildings on that
estate. A copy of this atlas is located in the library of the
Maryland Historical Society.
I2. The National Park Service regional office in Richmond,
Virginia, made photocopies of this 1877 map in 1949. See also a
memorandum from W.E. O'NeiI, Jr., regional engineer, to Harry H.
Reynolds, 411 Municipal Building, Baltimore, September 19, 1949.
139
G. Laurence Hall Fowler's Plan of the First Floor, 1902
The Maryland Historical Society has Laurence Hall
Fowler's original measured drawing of the first floor plan of the
mansion, entitled "Hampton, Baltimore County, Md--Plan of First
Floor," done in pencil and drawn in 1902. The scale is 1/8 inch
equals 1 foot. Use of the rooms is indicated on the plan. This
plan has never been published.
H. Laurence Hall Fowler's Garden Plan, 1902
The Maryland Historical Society has the original ink
drawing of Laurence Hall Fowler's "The Garden Plan of Hampton,
Baltimore County, Maryland," made in 1902. The plan shows the
first floor of the mansion (based no doubt on item G above)"and the
orangery, as well as a detailed plan of the flower garden, the
vegetable garden, and the locations of trees and roads. The use of
the rooms in the mansion is not designated on the plan. The
"Garden Plan" was published in House & Garden in January 1903
(vol. 3, pp. 41-48), in an article by Fowler entitled "Hampton,"
and again in Great Georgian Houses of America in 1933 (vol. I., p.
173). The 1902 plan shows in detail the revisions that were made
to the gardens in 1852-1857. The "Garden Plan" has been assigned
National Park Service drawing NHS-HM-WO-9004 (see map 6).
Arthur Norgard's Plan of the First Floor, 1933
A plan of the first floor of the mansion was prepared by
3
Arthur Norgard in 1933 (see map 7).
3. The plan, drawn by Norgard, appeared in Architects Ii
Emergency Committee, Great Georgian Houses o(published by the Editorial Committee, printed%y Kalkhoff Press, I'
Inc., 1933; reprint paperback ed, New York: Dover Publications,
n.d.) vol. 1, p. 172.
140
J. Historic American Buildings Survey Plans, 1958
In 1958 the Historic American Buildings Survey of the
National Park Service made measured drawings of the mansion. The
team was composed of student assistant architects Orville W.
Carroll, Harold A. Nelson, and Trevor Nelson, with Professor Lee
H. Nelson of the University of Illinois acting as project supervisor.
The team worked under the direction of Charles E. Peterson,
supervising architect for historic structures. Nine sheets of
drawings (HABS MD-226-A) of the mansion were produced.
ii
ri
141
VIII. Prints and Photographs of the Hampton Mansion
The earliest known print of the Hampton mansion, perhaps
drawn as early as 1802 and published in 1808, is William Russell
Birch's "Hampton the Seat of Genl. Chas. Ridgely, Maryland," in
The County Seats of the United States of North America with Some
Scenes Connected with Them (Bristol, Pennsylvania, 1808). This
etching, which was drawn, engraved, and published by Birch in
Springfield near Bristol, shows the north (or front) elevation of the
mansion (see illustration 2).
In October 1856, Charles Ridgely of Hampton (1830-1872) paid
"R. Taylor, surveyor, '$5.00' for lithograph of Hampton."1 Charles
and his father, John Ridgely (1790-1867), spent a total of $265.75
for photographs in the period 1850 to 1870, as follows: April 16,
1862 - "Bendwin Bros. Photos, $10.00"; May 17, 1863 - "Israel, for
photos - $5.75"; July 1, 1870 - "W.H. Pollock, for photographs in
full, $250.00.II2
Chief gardener William Fraser, in a letter to Charles Ridgely of
Hampton dated November 28 (probably 1871), informed his
employer: "Mr. King has been here and has the house
photographed. I believe he got good pictures but intends coming
back to get others of the Hall."3
1. Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS.
2. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
3. Fraser to Ridgely, Ridgely 1127, MHS. The letter, a report a
on the condition of the Hampton garden and grounds, could have
been written on any November 28 from 1867 to 1871, the years of
Charles's ownership.
142
In March 1949, John Ridgely, Jr., former owner of Hampton,
lent regional architect Charles E. Peterson "eleven prints of
Iselected views of Hampton, c. 1860-1880." Peterson had copy
negatives and prints made of the views and returned the original
Iprints to Mr. Ridgely. On March 14, 1949, Peterson sent copy
prints of the 11 views to the superintendent of Fort McHenry
National Monument and Historic Shrine, and wrote: "The negatives
are being retained here," in the region one office at Richmond,
Virginia. The locations of the copy negatives and also of the copy
prints are unknown today. A pencil notation on the Fort McHenry
4
letter states that are prints were placed in the plan file in 1949.
Architect Peterson, in his "Notes on Hampton," presumably
published 4 of these 11 Ridgely photographs: illustration 6, the
north porch of the mansion, 1867 or later; illustration 21, the
terraced garden, west parterre, 1878; illustration 22, the terraced
garden, east parterre, 1878; and possibly illustration 5, the William
Russel Birch etching of Hampton that was published in 1808
(illustrations 3, 7, 8, and 2 in this report).
In 1977, because of time limitations, it was possible only to
search the photographic collections of the Maryland Historical
Society for additional views of Hampton. The society has a total- of
17 photographs taken ca. 1880-1958 of the mansion and garden. A
number of these interior and exterior photos were taken by the
Historic American Buildings Survey in 1958-1959. This report
includes three exterior views of the mansion taken ca. 1880 and
1921; these are believed to be the most important and best of the
historical views of the mansion (see illustrations 4, 5, and 6).
4 Several 1921 photographs of the garden were not copied.
1____________________________
4. Charles E. Peterson to Superintendent, Fort McHenry National
Monument and National Historic Site, March 14, 1949, Hampton files,
Fort McHenry.
143
IX. Recommendations for Further Study
A. Physical History of the Mansion, 1886-1948
As has been noted, the fiscal records that would contain
the basic data relating to the maintenance and any alterations that I:
were made to the mansion in the period 1886 to 1948 are not
available for study. These records are probably still in the
possession of the heirs of John Ridgely, Jr. It is suggested that
permission be obtained from the heirs to examine and extract from
such records all data relating to the physical history of the
mansion, gardens, and other structures. Members of the Ridgely
family should also be interviewed for their recollections of changes
made to the structures and the uses that were made of the various
buildings.
B. The Ridgely Family and the Hampton Estate, 1745-1938
It is recommended that a series of studies be scheduled
for interpretive purposes to increase knowledge of the social,
economic, political, and family history of the Ridgely family,
especially in relation to the Hampton plantation and Northampton
Iron Furnace. Lionel J. Bienvenu's "Hampton and Its Masters,"
while useful as an introduction, only broaches the subject. Most of
the data necessary to write theses studies is located in the
collections of the Maryland Historical Society at Baltimore. Because
of the large amount of evidence that must be examined, it is
suggested that a series of four studies, rather than one vast one,
be scheduled. These studies should address: Capt. Charles
Ridgely, 1733-1790; Charles Carnan Ridgely, 1790-1829; John and
Charles Ridgely of Hampton, 1829-1872; and John Ridgely II,
1872-1938. Their wives should also be discussed in these studies. I:
144
C. Physical History of the Historic Structures
Time has not permitted a detailed analysis of all the
I evidence collected that relates to the physical history of the historic
service structures on the national historic site, the development of
ii the Hampton garden, and the historic structures on the Hampton
farm. Further research in Ridgely family papers in the Maryland
Historical Society, directed specifically at these other structures,
should provide some additional information.
.1
-I
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historical data - hampton garden
ii
X. Capt. Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1784-1790
IThe development of the formal flower garden at its present site
on the Hampton plantation may have begun in the spring of 1785,
.1 but as we shall see, this is more likely to have taken place on a
large scale in 1797-1798. On October 9, 1784, Robert Ballard of
Baltimore wrote to Capt. Charles Ridgely:
I have sent you Daniel Healy a gardener who I believe to
be Master of his Trade, he cost me about 12 Guineas. As
I do not mean to finish my Garden I have no use for him.
I promised him if he behaved himself well, to give him up
a year of his time. If you have a garden to make, he is
worth a great deal of money to you. If you take him
please send me word.1
Healy was an indentured servant who had "voluntarily put
himself Servant to Hugh Lyle, master of the Ship Harmony" at
Cork, Ireland, on March 2, 1784. In return for his passage across
the Atlantic, Healy bound himself to serve Lyle for 3-1/2 years
after arrival at Baltimore. Lyle also agreed "to find and supply the
said Daniel with sufficient Meat, Drink, Apparel, Lodging and all
other necessaries befitting such a Servant."2
Endorsements on the reverse of the indenture contract show
that Captain Lyle made over Healy's indenture to Robert Ballard at
Baltimore on May 12, 1784, and that Ballard, in turn, passed the
indenture on to Capt. Charles Ridgely on November 5, 1784.~
£1 1. Robert Ballard to Capt. Charles Ridgely, Ridgely 692, MHS.
2. Indenture Contract, Ridgely 692, MHS. The contract was used
as illustration 20 in USD1, NPS, Peterson, and it is discussed on
pp. 76-77 of that report.
3. Ibid.
149
Healy probably began development of a formal garden at the
present site of the Hampton garden at the time that the great stone
mansion was being built, in the spring of 1785. Under the terms of
the indenture, he was probably bound to serve as Ridgely's
gardener from approximately November 5, 1784, to December 12,
1787. It is also possible that he then worked for Ridgely at a
salary from 1787 to 1790, although the record is not clear on this
subject. The accounts of "Daniel Hailey" (Healy) with Charles
Ridgely as of 1790 indicate that Healy was still living in the
Hampton plantation area and that he was purchasing goods from
4
Ridgely; they do not, however, indicate the nature of Healy's
services or if he was on a salary.
Captain Ridgely was apparently interested in trees and in
landscaping the grounds around his new mansion. On March 17,
1790, Moses Dillon, the master mason who probably supervised the
construction of the stone walls of Hampton in 1783-1785, wrote to
Ridgely as follows:
Frd I will get the trees according to direction as near as
I can. I will also Engage the Rest if I can wich I have
not much doubt of, thee may Send the waggons next
Sixth Day [Friday] morning & Seventh Day [Saturday]
Evening they may get home & on first Day [Sunday]
Evening I can come down & Seconday [Monday] morning
begin to plant if health & the weather permit. I am
afraid two waggon will not hold them they are so large &
I should supose the would weight 20~Ib per tree one with
another at the Rate 250 would weigh 2-1/2 ton so perhaps
three will be best but it will take the best part of a Day
to dig & trim so many the wagons ought to Start to be at
my house Early as possible M D-17 of 3d m0 1790.~
The type of trees being moved in unknown.
4. Ridgely Account Book - 1789-1790, (vol. 10; old ledger F),
Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 53.
5. Letters - 1790-1799, Ridgely 692, MHS. The letter is also
cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp. 78-79.
150
As mentioned, Capt. Charles Ridgely apparently made a start
at developing a garden in 1785 and was also interested in trees.
IHowever, no evidence has been found to indicate that large sums of
money and/or manpower were devoted to a formal garden project in
the period from 1784 to 1790. Captain Ridgely died on June 28,
1790. In his will, he wrote: "I give and bequeath unto my
beloved wife Rebecca Ridgely during her natural life the dwelling
house wherein I now reside [this was overseer's house on the
Hampton farm, as the will was written on April 7, 1787] together
with Eight Acres of Land thereto Adjoining for a Garden."6
There is no mention of a formal garden in the will. Mr. and
Mrs. Ridgely moved into the newly completed mansion on December
8, 1788, and work on the formal garden could have been started in
1789-1790, but there is no evidence to indicate that this was the
case.
.1
6. Registry of Wills WB (6), BCC, p. 450.
151
Xl. Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely and the Hampton Garden,
1790-1829
Charles Carnan Ridgely, who inherited the Hampton plantation I;
in 1790, demonstrated a great interest in making the Hampton
garden a showplace during his lifetime. The engraver and enamel
painter William Russell Birch of Philadelphia appears to have played
a role in the design of the formal garden and grounds. About 1802
he made his it second visit to Gen'l Ridgely at Hampton, after my
introduction to him by my friend Judge Sam'l Chase; the Gen'ls
attention to me was very polite and marked with every appearance
of respect. I stoppe[dj several days with him, the situation of
Hampton is beautiful and richly deserved the adoption of Art in its
improvment. I made several designs for that purpose which was
approved.
A. Irrigation System, 1801
In 1801 Governor Ridgely paid John Pendergrass and
Samuel Wolf a total of L320 6s. 8d. to construct the wooden pipes
and dig the trenches necessary to carry water from the springs
into the Hampton garden and meadows. Samuel Wolf's bill for
services rendered in making 6,880 feet of water pipe was as
2
follows:
1. William Russell Birch, "The Life of William Russell Birch,
Enamel Painter, Written by Himself" (1802), cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 81. Typescript copy in Philadelphia Free LIbrary,
Philadelphia.
2. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 92.
152
1800
1August 27: To making 2,984 feet of
water pipe at 6d. L 74. 12. 0
By getting and dressing the
Penstock 1. 10. 0
1801
May23: By cash paid 4,000 feet of
timber
By gathering the head of the
Spring 41.13. 4
May23: By making & laying down 3,696
water pipe at 7d. 107.16. 0
July16: By putting down pipe to
convey the water to the
Garden 3.15. 0
Cash paid for strainers 1. 4. 7
6230. 10. 11
John Pendergrass, who did the ditching for 7,617 feet of
trenches, charged Governor Ridgely as follows:3
1801
May 28: By making 224 perches [3,696
feet] of Ditching for the water
pipes at 25/ 6 61. 2. 0
By making 212 perches [3,498
feet] of Ditching for watering
of meadows 15.14. 0
By 8 days work of 1 hand 2. 5. 0
By jobbing at the Spring 3.15. 6
September 3: By making a ditch for convey
ing the water into the garden.
25-1/2 perches at 5/6
[424-3/4 feet] 7. 0. 3
6 89. 16. 9
1________________________________
3. Ibid., p. 97.
153
B. Governor Ridgely's Chief Gardeners, 1790-1829
Gov. Charles C. Ridgely's chief gardeners of Hampton
garden from 1790 to 1829 were as follows:
John Willis April 12, 1791- Salary rate £27 per
October 8, 1791 year 4
John Ludley March 18, 1793- Paid a total of
December 31, 1798 £56. 2. 6 for 441 days'
work from March 3,
1793, to December
1794 ~
Paid£22.15. 8 for
182 days' work in
17956
Paid £26. 1. 3 for
163 days' work in
1796~
Paid £37. 10. 0 for
200 days' work in
17978
Paid £47. 7. 6 for
225 days' work in
17989
William Bartlett September 29, Paid £61. 8. 0 for
(a second 1796-July 11, 9 months and 9 days
gardener) 1797 of work at 45 guineas
per year10
4. Account Book 9, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 126.
5. Ibid., p. 144.
6. Account Book 12, Series D, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 10.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid., p. 78.
10. Ibid., p. 41.
154
Robert Sims May 22, 1797- Paid a total of
(a second March 17, 1798 637. 17. 8 for 9
Igardener) months and 2t&~4
garden lOd per day11
Edward Nagle July 1797- Paid 675. 0. 0 for
(a third July 1798 one year's wages12
gardener)
[Based on these figures, it appears that the Hampton
garden was probably considerably enlarged and improved
in the period from May 1797 to July 1798.]
1799-1801 No record
Bartholomew May 1802- Paid a total of
Flarity April 30, 1803 648. 9. 3 for 11
months and 24½ days
of work in the
garden13
May 1803- No record
May 1807
11. Ibid., pp. 44, 54.
12. Ibid., p. 41.
'1 13. Ibid., p. 100.
155
Gerard Gibson May to Paid 69. 17. 34 for
July 4, 1807 two months and five
days of work in the
garden. On August 8,
1808, he was paid for
one month's work
"on the Farm." This
entry probably indicates
that Gibson was not
the head gardener.14
July 1808- No record.15
October 1829
C. Summary of Evidence
The data on manpower applied to the garden suggests
that the formal Hampton flower garden south of the mansion with its
series of four garden terraces, or ~aiis" (see map 1), was
probably laid out for Gen. Charles Carnan Ridgely between May
1797 and 1798. In 1798-1799 Ridgely paid Gamaliel Lumis and
Samuel Wolf a total of 6166 2s. 6d. to make and lay the 3,910-1/2
feet of wooden pipe that conveyed water from springs to the
mansion. In 1801 the general paid John Pendergrass and Samuel
Wolf a total of 6320 6s. 8d. for making and laying about 6,680 feet
of pipe to convey water from the springs to the garden and
meadows at Hampton. The artist/enamel painter William Russell
Birch of Philadelphia appears to have prepared the final designs for
landscaping the garden when he visited Hampton for a second time
in 1802.
14. Ibid., p. 165.
15. Charles Carnan Ridgely's account books for the periods
1810-1815 and 1823-1829 are not in the collections at the Maryland
Historical Society. Account Book 13, Series K, lists the names of
persons paid but does not indicate what services each person
rendered. Account Book - 1806-1809 (vol. 14, Series D), shows
only the balances of accounts, and it too gives no data on the
services rendered by persons who were paid, or their occupations.
156
XII. John Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1829-1867
John Ridgely owned the Hampton plantation from July 17, 1829,
Iuntil his death in July 1867.
J1 A. Garden and Gardeners, 1829-1851
John Ridgely's memorandum book for the period 1830-1851
reveals that Daniel ("Dan") Harris, a Negro, was the chief
gardener from 1830 to April 1832 and that Harris's salary was
apparently $89 a year. Daniel Harris may have been one of
Governor Ridgely's former slaves who had been freed under the
terms of Ridgely's will.2 From April 1832 to April 1852 there is no
entry for the salary of a gardener. This suggests that the
Hampton gardeners during this period may have been slaves.
In November 1832 a newspaper reporter wrote of the
Hampton garden: "You are delighted in beholding the rich
profusion and balmy fragrance of the numerous plants and flowers,
adorned with orange trees, and an extensive and highly cultivated
"3
garden. A year later, after the apparent departure of gardener
Harris, Charles Varle published a conflicting report. Varle
described the Hampton mansion as "a splendid building," but of the
garden or pleasure grounds he would only concede that they had
once been in admirable order.4 This evidence suggests that the
Hampton garden may have been allowed to decline during the last
five or ten years of Charles Ridgely's life.
1. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS.
.1 2. "True and Perfect Inventory," research files, Hampton NHS,
Two slaves named Dan are listed; however, no last names are given
for them.
3. Baltimore American, November 15, 1832, cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 83.
4. Charles Vane, A Complete View of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1833),
p. 106, cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, p. 83.
157
B. New Garden Structures, 1829-1843
Figures from John Ridgely1s memorandum book for 1830 to
1851 indicate that he spent at least $1,065.03 on the garden during
those years. This total included $252.38 paid to gardener Daniel
Harris, $57.15 spent on structures, and $755.50 to acquire trees,
plants, garden seats, and marble basins (see table 7).
Between 1829 and January 1842, John Ridgely erected
four structures along the west side of the garden: a two-story
brick gardener's house of four rooms (structure 2); an orangery
(structure 15), a one-story Greek Revival structure with brick and
stone walls, 46 feet long and 16 feet wide; a greenhouse (structure
6); and a second small cottage that may have been used to house
garden workers. The cottage was still standing in 1843 on the
approximate site of the 1949 carriage house (structure 4). All are
shown on Joshua Barney's map of the Hampton estate (map 1),
which was drawn in the fall of 1843. None of the four structures
is listed in the "Catalogue of all the Stock, Farming Utensils, &C
upon the Hampton Farm, the Property of the late Charles Ridgely of
Hampton" that was printed for the auction sale of October 13, 1829.
This suggests that John Ridgely had these four structures built
after 1829.~
The greenhouse was built in 1840, and perhaps the
orangery was also. On November 14, 1840, John Ridgely paid $22
to William Gregory "for plaistering greenhouse. The greenhouse
5. Records of the Orphan's Court DMP(14), BCC, cited in USD1,
NPS, Peterson, pp. 68-70. There is, of course, a possibility that
if there had been nothing to sell, the structures might have been
left off the list. At any rate, it is known that none of the four
buildings was standing in 1798. Pt
6. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS. The entry
is misdated by two years in "Notes on Hampton," where Peterson
gives the date as 1838.
158
Table 7: John Ridgely's Expenditures on
the Hampton Garden, 1830-1851
'I
Year Gardener Salaries Seeds, Trees, etc. Total
'I * $83.88
1830 $ 83.88*
1831 89.00* $ 65.00 (rustic seats) 154.00
1832 79.50 79.50
1833** 11.25 (trees) 11.25
1834 197.73 (mostly fruit 197.73
trees from New York)
1835
1836 136.35 (trees) 136.35
1837 136.14 (peach trees 136.14
from New York)
1838
1839 21.00 (pitcher plants) 21.00
1840 22.00 (plastering 22.00
greenhouse)
1841 33.03 (12 flower pots, 33.03
2 rustic chairs, plants)
1842
1843
1844 38.00 (marble basins) 38.00
1845**
1846
1847
1848 23.00 (peach trees) 23.00
1849
1850
1851 35.15 (plastering green- 35.15
house and stable)
TOTAL $252.38 $812.65 $1,065.03
SOURCE: Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS.
*The gardener was Daniel Harris.
**Mr. and Mrs. John Ridgely made extensive tours of Europe in
1833 and 1846.
'I
159
was plastered a second time in May 1851, when Ridgely paid $35.15
"7
"for plastering of stable [1] & greenhouse. Both the orangery
and the greenhouse were standing on January 23, 1842, for on that
day Eliza, daughter of John Ridgely, noted in her journal: "Lizzy
and I went all about and stayed some time in the two greenhouses
where we got oranges and lemons~8
C. An Andrew Jackson Downing Influence on the Garden?
In 1841 Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852) of New
York, the noted landscape gardener, architect, and horticulturist,
published his famous book on landscape gardening, A Treatise on
the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening Adapted to North
America. This work won immediate popularity and quickly passed
through numerous editions. He followed up in 1842 by issuing
Cottage Residences, a second very popular book, which also soon
went through many editions. Finally, in 1846 Downing accepted the
editorship of The Horticulturist, a new magazine. He served as
9
editor of this publication until his death by accident in 1852.
Andrew Jackson Downing may have had an influence on
the Hampton garden in two ways: First, his writings may have
greatly increased the interest of Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely in the
subject of gardening; and second, his theories about landscaping
may have been used as an actual guide in the "modernization" of
7. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS, entry for
May 16, 1851.
8. Eliza Ridgely, Journal, 1841-1842, research files, Hampton
NHS, p. 41; Memorandum Book - 1838-1846 (vol. 2), Series F,
Ridgely 691, MHS, entries for March 1 and November 1838 and for
April 1840. These entries note the purchase of orange trees.
9. Dictionary of American Biography, s.v. 'Downing, Andrew
Jackson."
160
the garden and its structures that was carried out by Eliza and her
professional gardener between 1852 and 1855. The hypothesis of
Andrew Jackson Downing's influence is based solely on the fact that
John Ridgely'slibrary in the Hampton mansion once contained
Downing's two books and six volumes of the magazine
Horticulture 10
D. Modernization of the Garden and Its Structures,
1652-1855
In May 1852 James Galbraith, a professional gardener,
was imported from New York at an annual salary of $420 to
supervise the development and improvement of the Hampton
11
garden. Galbraith remained for two years working on this
12
project. He was then followed by a succession of professional
chief gardeners (see appendix H). Beginning in 1853, a staff of
paid (nonslave) "undergardeners" (usually three in number) was
formed to work under the direction of the chief gardener (see
appendix H). The annual expenditures for labor, seeds, and trees
for the garden between 1852 and 1870 ranged from $450 to $1,250
10. "Hampton Libraries," catalog of the books in the Hampton
mansion libraries, Ridgely 716, MHS. This leather-bound catalog of
31 pages is known to have been printed before September 1930,
when William D. Hoyt, Jr. inked corrections into it. Downing's
Landscape Gardening and Cottage Residences are listed in the
catalog, but efforts to locate them in the mansion library in 1977
(for the purpose of checking the editions of the books and the
years of the magazine to further support the hypothesis) were
unavailing. The volumes may be in storage somewhere.
11. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS, entry for
May 7, 1852.
12. Book 14, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS, p. 95. Galbraith left in
May 1854, but apparently he was later consulted on garden matters
when certain problems arose. See the entry for March 9, 1866, in
Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
161
and totaled $15,776.81 (see table 8). This was a vast increase over
the total of $1,065.03 spent for the same purposes from 1830 to
1851. 1;
In the fall of 1852 the greenhouses of the Hampton garden
were placed in good condition and perhaps a new one was erected.
On November 20, 1852, Joseph Allison, Ridgely's chief carpenter,
was paid $87 "for making sash for greenhouse."13 In addition
Ridgely paid a bill of $56.38 on December 18, 1852, "for plastering
house." The work may have been done in the greenhouses.
German, who apparently did the plastering, was paid $9.60 on
December 24 "for whitewashing. 14 Alfred Tipton, Ridgely's chief
painter, received a total of $141 .84 in October and December 1852
"for painting [unspecified structures] at Hampton."15 Finally, on
January 8, 1853, C.W. Bentley was paid $45.45 "for pipes and
boiler, &c." These may have been the heating system for a
greenhouse. 16 Thus perhaps as much as $340.27 was spent to
improve garden structures in 1852.
The results of Mrs. Ridgely's and gardener Galbraith's
activities in 1852-1853, together with a description of the new
greenhouse, "a propagating house," are outlined by correspondent
"J.C." in a January 1854 magazine article:17
13. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
14. Ibid.
15.Ibid. Tipton was paid $45 on October 15 and $96.84 on
December 18, 1852. If'
16. Ibid.
17. J.C., "Jottings Among the Gardens," p. 212, cited in USD1, p
NPS, Peterson, pp. 87-88.
162
Prominent among the improvers of our neighberhood
stands the honored name of Mrs. [Eliza] Ridgely of
IHampton. This lady, I am told, is an accomplished
florist, and enters with zeal and taste on the culture of
the flowering treaures of her extensive gardens. Many
elegant improvements were lately made to the garden at
Hampton, and as these desultory jottings are designed to
be practical, I will briefly notice for the present the new
Vinery, and mode of growing the grape vine, as practiced
by Mrs. Ridgely's very efficient gardener, James
Golbraith [Gaibraith]. . . . The varieties cultivated at
Hampton are the Black Hamburg, and Chasselas Muscat of
Alexandria and had only been planted 16 months when the
writer saw them. . . . There has also been erected a
new propagating house, 50 f£q yb 12, divided into two
apartments Ab a walk in the centre, £eated Ab hot water
on the tank system. This house is certainly one of the
most perfect in its construction, for the uses and
purposes designed, that I have ever seen. The whole
place is copiously supplied with water conducted from a
spring Ab over 2,000 feet of lead ££ie, to a reservoir at
the mansion, from where it radiates to different sections
SEthe garden, where hydPants are placed, and by a hose
the entire garden can be watered at pleasure. Last
summer, when all other places in the neighborhood were
dry and barren, the flower garden at Hampton presented
a gorgeous array of bloom. The Petunias, Verbenas,
Geraniums and other Summer flowering plants, looked as
though they lacked no moisture there" (emphasis added).
In late 1854 and early 1855 John Ridgely spent a total of
$1,646.54 to erect a large new greenhouse, probably present
structure ~~18
18. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. Entries
relating to the construction of the greenhouse are as follows:
1854
October 31: W. Meckin, on account
-brick laying $ 40.00
December 20: W. Meckin, on Account
for building Greenhouse 75.00
163
Gardener James Galbraith left Hampton in May 1854.
Perhaps to help induce northern professional gardeners to accept a
position on the plantation, the two-story brick gardener's house
was enlarged into a six-room residence by the addition of a S
two-story, two-room stone wing and a porch in late 1855 at a cost
of $369.75. 19 Peter Reid was the first gardener to occupy the
1855
-April 6: Wm. Meckin, Bricklayer's
Bill, balance due 23.75
Subtotal, bricklayer $ 138.75
1855
January 11: John N. Allen, brick for
greenhouse 137.80
January 11: J. H. Bailey [carpenter?]
on account of building
greenhouse 800.00
February 16: W. Vaughan's Lumber Bill
for J. H. Bailey 514.00
May 4: T. McAleer's bill for
greenhouse [hardware?]56.94
Subtotal jAff.74
Total for greenhouse $1,647.49
19. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. Entries
relating to the gardener's house are as follows:
1855
October 18: Paid balance on Ady's bill for
building gardener s House $ 74.75
December 22: To Joseph Allison, carpenter, for
building gardener s porch 80.00
January 6: William Bowen, for mason work
[probably for work on gardener s
house] 165.00 1t--
From Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS:
1856
March 1: Joseph Allison, for Building Porch 50.00
Total for gardener's house $369.75
164
Table 8: John and Charles Ridgelys'
Expenditures for Services of Professional Gardeners
and Undergardeners at Hampton, 1852-1870
Months of Seeds, _____
$ Year Manpower Salaries Trees, etc. Total
1830 to
March 31, 1852 ______ $ 252.38 $ 812.65 $ 1,065.03
1852* 9 315.00 121.80 436.80
1853 18 510.00 30.00 540.00
1854 26 611.00 17.58 628.58
1855 34 654.00 11.62 666.12
1856 28 666.00 123.58 789.58
1857 38 753.00 31.67 784.67
1858 47 850.00 154.39 1,004.39
1859 26 511.00 58.81 569.81
1860 45 907.00 156.87 1,063.87
1861 40 763.39 72.33 835.72
1862 30 584.75 5.10 589.85
1863 22 647.40 13.24 660.64
1864 31 829.29 57.17 886.46
Slavery ends
1865 42 1,201.70 44.09 1,245.76
1866 47 1,187.85 45.60 1,233.45
1867 34½ 1,029.86 48.48 1,078.34
1868 30 924.73 68.04 992.77
1869 45 1,104.32 130.23 1,234.55
1870 to August 1 34 659.92 659.92
Subtotal - 1852-1870 $14,710.21 $1,056.60 $15,766.81
Total - 1830-1870 $14,962.59 $1,869.25$16,831.84
SOURCE: Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely, 691, MHS.
*Mr. and Mrs. John Ridgely made an extended tour of Europe in
1853.
165
enlarged gardner's house (structure 2). Expenditures on garden
structures, 1852-1855, totaled perhaps as much as $2,356.56. This
work apparently completed the development of the garden area for a
number of years.
On June 6, 1857, McCoy and Fortling were paid $25.75 I,
for "marble vases & repair, &c." This work was done for "Mrs. JR
of Hampton," so these items were probably connected with the
garden operations.20 On September 20, 1858, McCoy and Fortling
were paid $30.50 "for marble vases. ,,21 No further funds, other
than perhaps for whitewashing, were spent on garden structures
from 1855 to 1867. When chief gardener William Calman left on
March 31, 1866, John Ridgely advertised the position in the New
York Herald.22 Former chief gardener James Galbraith was
apparently called back to Hampton for a consultation in March,23
and a new chief gardener, Anton Schock from New York, was
employed in May.24
E. Henry Winthrop Sargent's Description of the Hampton
Garden, 1859
Sometime during the late 1850s Henry Winthrop Sargent
(1810-1882), a noted horticulturist and landscape gardener from
New York, visited Hampton. Sargent, who was familiar with all the
20. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS, entry for
June 6, 1857; Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS. In the
entry for June 3, 1857, in the latter volume, Charles Ridgely of
Hampton indicates that the work was done for his mother Eliza.
21. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. I;
22. Ibid., entry for April 16, 1866. This advertisement cost $6.
I'.
23. Ibid. The entry for March 9, 1866, says "paid expenses of
James Galbraith, gardener from N.Y., $7.60."
24. Ibid., entry for May 1, 1866.
166
great estates in the eastern United States and had also been a
friend and associate of Andrew Jackson Downing, the late landscape
gardener, described Hampton in the following glowing terms in a
S supplement that he prepared in 1859 for the sixth edition of
Downing's A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape
Gardening, Adapted to North America with a View to Improving
Country Residence, With a Supplement yb Henry Winthrop Sargent
(New York, 1859), p. 557:
Hampton, the residence of John Ridgely, Esq., is situated
about nine miles from Baltimore. . . . It has been truly
said of Hampton that it expresses more grandeur than any
other place in America. It belongs to the stately order of
places almost unknown at the North, situated, as it is, in
a domain of six thousand acres. The facade of the house
is one hundred and eighty [actually 174 feet 11 inches] in
length, with offices attached, erected soon after the
Revolution, in 1783. The entrance-hall, of great width
and dignity, passes the visitor to the south front, where
is a terraced garden of great antiquity with clipped
cedar-hedges of most venerable appearance. The formal
terraces of exquisitely kept grass, the long rows of
superb lemon and orange trees [mounted in wooden tubs
and boxes], with the adjacent orangerie, and the foreign
air of the house, quite disturb one's ideals of republican
America.
In 1875, J.C. Carpenter, after quoting Sargent's
remarks, described the Hampton garden in considerable detail in his
Appleton's Journal article:
The drive from Baltimore to Hampton is over continually
rising ground. So elevated, indeed, is Hampton House,
that in a gorge beyond it are to be built the dam and
lake, covering 250 acres, which will supply, in the
future, the city of Baltimore with water by natural flow
through a substantial aqueduct.
Beyond Towsontown, in the Dulany Valley, the large
farms of the Chews [of Germantown near Philadelphia],
Gilmores, Ridgely, and others are met. A short ride
from the county-seat bring the visitor to the outer gate
of the Northampton estate. Passing thence by large old
167
oaks and fertile open fields, showing careful cultivation
and a well-limed soil, the entrance to the park which
surrounds the mansion is reached. Here it is plainly
seen that the estate dates its existance very far back.
No other could produce those noble masses of hardy
foreign evergreens. The gnarled and symmetrical groups
of oaks have been placed there by the judicious selection
of human taste. Everywhere there is a look of stability,
adaptedness, and antiquity.
On the avenue, the boughs of the trees on each side
interlace, and form a leafy arbor, through which the sun
flecks the graveled road beneath. On each side
picturesque groupings of graceful trees and bushy
shrubbery charm the eye.
The approach [to the mansion] is by the north front--the
one shown in the engraving. A noble [central] hall,
crowded with pictures, vases, and mementos brought from
abroad, and the tigerskins of splendid dye stretching
across the middle, with but a norrow path between the
extended heads, leads to the south front, which is an
exact counterpart of that at the north. Stained-glass
windows [added in 1856] on either side and above these
two entrances give the hall something of a chapel-like
appearance.
The south [garden] front falls away in terraces, and the
lawn and flower-garden are flanked on one side [the
west] by the conservatories [two greenhouses] and the
orangery, and on the other [east] by a high and thick
wall of clipped cedar, beyond [to the east of] which lie
the kitchen garden, the orchards, and, in a shady and
secluded spot [to the east of the orchards] the family
vault, provided for in the will of Captain Ridgely. The
first terrace [to the south of the mansion], which is
merely an extension of the ground on which the house
stands, is broad and spacious, ornamented with orange
and lemon trees in bearing, and clumping pyramidal
Norway spruces of great age [but not more than 70 or 80
years old]. This terrace is the favorite resort, on
summer evenings, of the guests of Hampton.
At the edge of the slope, among the grouped trees, seats
are placed, and from them the outlook [to the south] over
the Italian garden is most beautiful--rich in color and
novel in effect. The area is severaterraces have a gentle incline, while down the middle I'
there goes a broad avenue of smooth turf, branching off
on every side, into smaller avenues. This turf is nearly
168
a century old, and is as soft and springy to the foot as
the velvety moss of a mountain valley. It is thick,
matted, and carpet like, with a depth of green very
seldom seen in the dry atmosphere of America. All the
Ipaths are rendered delightful to stroll along by this
yielding surface, and on all sides lies the flower-garden,
for which Hampton is noted, and for which rare plants
often come from France and England. Though laid out in
geometrical figures, the stiffness of the old fashion is
relieved and modernized. The lilacs, the hardy roses,
and those plants which stand the winter, are placed so as
not to interfere with the view, nor dwarf and obscure the
loveliness of the lowlier flowers.
In terrace after terrace [there were three below, or
south, of the lawn terrace], strictly kept distinct in
masses of color, eight thousand plants are bedded out.
The scarlet and orange and deep carmine of the
geraniums; the blue and purple and white of the
sweet-scented heliotropes; the maroon and lavender of the
verbenas; the tawny gold and red of the roses; and the
ample leaves of the bronzy crimson and yellow of the
coleus; the borderings of vivid green; the orange and
lemon trees, with their sharp contrast of lustrous leaves
and half-hidden burden of fruitage; the noble old house
on its rising knoll, relieved by its evergreens and backed
by its lordly acres, and the spreading trees of its
extensive park, make up a scene more English than
American; but, whether English or American, exceedingly
beautiful. .
Hampton is the "show-place" of Maryland. There is
certainly nothing like it south of the Mason and Dixon s
line. There may be more palatial dwellings; it is easy in
this age of great industrial wealth to by an extensive
tract of land, and erect a magnificent residence: it takes
a hundred years, however, to make a "Hampton."25
25. Carpenter, pp. 577-79. An engraved view of Hampton
from the southeast accompanies the article. The Carpenter
article was collected on November 14, 1948, by J. Paul
Hudson, curator of the National Park Service Region 1
museum.
169
Two photographs of the terraced flower garden, as it -
appeared in 1878, are to be found in "Notes on Hampton"; these are
illustrations 21, the west parterre, and 22, the east parterre. For
a plan of the "Italian Garden" as modernized in 1852-1855, see map 1$
6. About 3 to 5 percent of John and Charles Ridgely's total annual
expenditures from 1857 to 1870 were for upkeep of the Hampton F;,
garden (see table 10).26
i;
26. The Carpenter article is cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp.
91-92, but the Henry Winthrop Sargent description is not 1$
mentioned.
170
XlII.Charles Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1867-1872
Charles Ridgely (1830-1872), the son of John and Eliza
Ridgely, had resided at Hampton most of the year since 1850 and
'I
acted as a paymaster for his father on the estate (see table 9 for
$ Charles Ridgely's expenditures on the Hampton garden on behalf of
° his father and for his own purposes from 1850 to 1863).
On the death of both his mother and father in 1867, Charles
inherited the Hampton plantation. Garden operations continued
under Charles, as they had under his father. Chief gardener M.J.
Fryer left in March 18681 and was replaced by William Fraser,2 who
held that position until sometime after Charles Ridgely's death in
1872.
On February 8, 1868, Charles Ridgely paid $20.31 for "sipon
for marble slab for greenhouse," and on June 29, G.R. Swen
received $45 for "painting outer gate."3 On October 17, 1868, a
total of $15.95 was expended to purchase "glass for hotbeds, $4.00,
watering pots, $1.75, and for shovels, $10.20."~
In the summer of 1869, a total of $440.65 was spent to paint
the "greenhouse & grapery."5 In the first half of 1870, Charles
1. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. The entry
for March 16, 1868, records the final payment of the salary due to
M.J. Fryer.
2. Ibid. The entry for April 11, 1868, shows the first payment
to "Wm. Fraser, gardener: $50.00."
I3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
-I 5. Ibid. Entries include April 19, 1869, $42.70 to W.H.B.
Fufselbaugh for paint and oil for the greenhouse; July 29, 1869,
$397.95 to H.L. Bowen "for painting greenhouse & grapery."
171
Ridgely spent a total of $1,045.41 to rehabilitate structures, but
whether these were for garden or farm buildings, or for the
mansion, is not specified in the payments. Henry Bowen, painter,
received $16.49; Mason & Marshall, painters, were paid $665.32; A.
Shriver, carpenter, earned $237.67; and the plasterer, Jacob
6
Harvey, was paid a total of $125.93.
Charles Ridgely's cash book reveals that he took no extended
vacations from Hampton during the years from 1850 to 1869, but in
the summer of 1870 he appears to have departed on the first of
several trips to Europe. During the period from August 1870 to
1872, chief gardener William Fraser wrote a series of monthly
reports describing operations in the garden, which he submitted to
7
his traveling employer.
On May 11, 1871, Fraser proposed building a permanent road
along the west side of the garden, writing to Charles Ridgely:
I have spoken to you (when at home) about having a
regular road from the Ave down in rear of cedar hedge
between the Orange house and greenhouse and I think
the material which forms the Carriage Drive as it now is
might be advantageously used in its construction, if you
see fit to have a permanent road there. The cedar hedge
is decaying and (then if all goes well) it might be
removed next winter and a new hedge planted on a site of
it nicely graded and sodded. I have examined all the
peach trees [in the orchard] and find worms at work on
many of them.8
6. Ibid.
7. William Frasers monthly reports are in Ridgely 1127, MHS. It;
8. Ridgely 1127, MHS.
172
Table 9: Charles Ridgely's Expenditures on the
Hampton Garden, 1850-1863
:1
(Part Paid
Year For Self For John Ridgely to Gardeners) Total
1850
-1851
1852 $ 57.90 $ 57.90
1853 5.00 $170.00 ($121.00) 175.00
1854 33.83 292.00 ( 122.00) 325.83
1855 12.00 181.81 ( 154.00) 193.81
1856 96.25 324.00 ( 234.00) 420.25
1857 24.50 241.74 ( 150.00) 266.24
1858 10.75 68.00 ( 68.00) 78.75
1859
1860 60.00 77.75 137.75
1861
1862
1863
Total $300.23 $1,355.30 ($849.00) $1,655.53
SOURCE: Cash Book 9, Series I, Ridgely 691, MHS.
Fraser's correspondence also reveals that Charles Ridgely was
interested in the placement of trees about the mansion. On
September 7, 1871, Fraser wrote to his employer:
The removal of the spruce you mentioned [in a letter of
August 1] will certainly be an improvement and I will
have it done as soon as possible. .
There are still two trees on the back lawn which I think
ought to be removed before plowing [and fertilizing the
back lawn]. The first is the Paulownia on the right hand
while crossing the lawn from the house to the terrace.
F The second, a larch, which stands to the right, and rear
of the Paulownia and against the large pine on that side
1of lawn.
They escaped the eyes of Waddke & Brackenridge last
winter or I think they would have condemed them. They
173
give that part of the lawn a very crowded appearance
now that the rest of it is thinned. Please state whether
you favor their removal or not.9
Writing again on October 16, Fraser said he had received
Ridgely's letter of September 23, and reported:
Am now preparing to break up the lawn by removing the
paulownia and a portion of the sod which I expect will
require for various purposes this fall and winter. We
have also removed the spruce near the house and now
there is no lack of daylight on that side of the house. It
makes a great improvement I think and now the only tree
left on that face ____[?] is the linden opposite the office
door.10
James M. Anderson, manager of the Hampton farm, reported to
Charles Ridgely with regard to Fraser's proposed new road, as
follows:
Mr. Fraser s plan of making a road from gate to mansion
will take a great amount of hauling. He thinks of moving
earth and filling up with 9 inches of stone and 4 inches
of gravel. The distance from gate to Mansion is 750 feet.
If the road is 14 feet wide it will take 315 perches of
stone and about 90 wagon loads of gravel.11
Ridgely approved the road project, for on December 10, 1871,
Anderson informed his employer: "We have hauled about half stone
enough to make the avenue. ,,12 On February 13, 1872, he wrote
Ridgely that they were still working on the new avenue (by the
9. Ibid. The paulownia is a Japanese tree that has showy
pale violet or blue flowers in the early spring.
10. Ibid. i;
11. Ibid. See the entry for October 18, 1871. 1-'
12. Ibid.
174
stables) and were hauling the gravel for the road from Timonium,
Md.13
On February 27, 1872, gardener Fraser submitted his own
Iprogress report on the new road, writing Charles
It will interest you to know how we progress with the
new road. . . . I am glad to be able to inform you that
at last it is nearly completed. We have had a great deal
of hard freizing weather this winter consequently our
progress has been more slow than it would otherwise have
been. Still the work has been done thoroughly and
doubtless time will prove it to be a first class road. We
took a quantity of broken stone in the old road which we
saved and placed a top of the coarse stone which was
used as a foundation. We have procured gravel of about
the same quality as that in front of the house. We have
(50) fifty loads of it here, but not on the road yet as I
want to let it settle properly before applying the gravel.
The Ashland Company kindly gave me permission to get
as much gravel from their bank as we wish. It is a long
haul from there but it is the only gravel about here that
is at all fit for our use.14
Charles Ridgely may have never read this letter, since he died
of malarial fever in Rome on March 29, 1872.
Tables 8 and 10 show Charles Ridgely's expenditures on the
Hampton garden and for the maintenance and construction of
structures from 1868 to August 1, 1870, when he departed on his
trip to Europe.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid. The Ashland Iron Company was formerly the
Northampton Company, the company established by the Ridgelys in
1761. The Ridgely family received royalties on ore taken from the
gravel bank; for instance, Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely
received $285.62 on July 3, 1882, as a royalty on 571.5 tons of ore
taken from the "woods bank" in May. The receipt is in Ridgely
717, MHS.
175
Table 10: John and Charles Ridgely's Annual Expenditures
for the Operation of the Garden and for Building
and Maintenance of Structures in Relation to I;
Total Expenditures, 1857-1870
Year Total Expenditures Garden Construction I:
1852-
1856 (not totaled each year)
1857 $26,580.75 $ 784.67 $5,932.77
1858 27,771.48 1,004.39 2,016.64
1859 28,688.57 569.81 1,058.87
1860 20,396.42 1,063.87 2,840.21
1861 15,986.86 835.72 575.98
1862 (not totaled) 589.85 147.07
1863 660.64 631.90
1864 17,809.80 886.46 630.54
1865 22,554.73 1,245.76 1,179.22
1866 26,370.28 1,233.45 1,682.19
1867 33,009.34 1,078.34 3,002.65
1868 29,806.01 992.77 913.35
1869 55,782.09 1,234.55 4,482.30
1870(7 months) 18,224.33 659.92 1,661.99
Totals, 1830-1870(not totaled)$16,831.84 $41,303.41
SOURCE: Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
I;
.2
176
XIV. John and Helen Ridgely and the Hampton Garden, 1872-1938
John Ridgely (1851-1938), the son of Charles and Margaretta
Sophia Howard Ridgely, inherited the Hampton estate, including the
Imansion, garden, farm, and 1,000 acres of land, in August 1872.
In 1873 the young heir married Helen West Stewart (1854-1929).
Detailed fiscal records for the Hampton garden during the period of
John's ownership (1872-1938) are not available for study, so
information on the garden and its structures must be drawn from
other sources. However, the Ridgely family records for these
years indicate that John's mother, Margaretta (1824-1904),
supervised the operation of the Hampton estate from 1872 until
perhaps 1900.
A. The Regime of Margaretta Ridgely, 1872-1900
1. Rehabilitation and Maintenance, 1876-1882
In September and October of 1876 Margaretta Ridgely
purchased a total of 10,500 "dark red brick" at a cost of $84.1
The use of the bricks is unknown. William Harper, a painter, was
paid $147 on November 25, 1876, for 73-1/2 days of work at the
greenhouses during September, October, and November of that
year 2
From March 11 to July 21, 1877, Helen Ridgely
purchased a total of 21,500 bricks for $182.75. Included were
8,000 salmon bricks, 8,000 red bricks, 4,000 arch bricks, and 1,500
bricks of an unspecified color. 3 What these bricks were used for is
not known.
ii 1. "Burns, Russell & Co. Dr. Mrs. Charles Ridgely," 1876,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
2. "Mrs. Charles Ridgely to Wm. Harper Dr.," November 18,
1876, Ridgely 717, MHS.
3. "John A. Allen to Mrs. John Ridgely," August 19, 1877,
Ridgely 717, MHS.
177
In 1880-1881, Mrs. Charles Ridgely expended a total
of $4,159.19 to carry out a major rehabilitation program on the
mansion, its service structures, and the garden greenhouses. Of 1¼
the grand total, $2,056.52 was utilized for work on the mansion,
$562.32 for the mansion's service structures, $1,310.50 for the
orangery and greenhouses, and $228.35 to paint and recondition the
porch, lawn, and garden funiture. All of this program was
executed by Emmart & Quartley, fresco and house painters from
Baltimore.
Work on the garden structures got underway in
April 1881 and was completed in July of that year. The following
4
work was accomplished:
The orangery was completely overhauled at a cost of $417.50.
Its plaster work, brickwork, and woodwork were repaired, new
spouting was installed, and the entire brick and stone
structure was painted inside and out.
The old greenhouse was painted on the exterior, whitewashed
on the interior, and reglazed, for a total cost of $240.
The new greenhouse was painted on the exterior at a cost of
$45.
The rose house and propagating house were painted inside and
out at a cost of $125. The carpenter work in the rose house
and propagating house included putting in 14 new rafters and
new plates the length of the building at a cost of $125.
I;
4. For most of the expenditures cited here, see the painting bills
in appendix B; specifications for the work are included in the
estimates in appendix C.
178
The exterior and interior of the propagating house and
grapery were painted at a cost of $178.
:1
Finally, the hot house was painted inside and out at a cost of
I$65.
The porch, lawn, and garden furniture painted in
S
1881 included the following items:
July 1:
Painting Six large Rocking Chairs
Two round Cane Back" Vermillion Straw
Two Arm Chairs [gold] color
Two Camp chair & varnish
[12 porch chairs] $30.856
August 26:
To painting 10 chairs, Vermillion, bronze &
7
straw at 1.50 15.00
October 11:
[To] Putting new bottom in Rocker 2.00
[To] Painting same Vermillion, bronze, &c. 2.00
4.00
5. Most items listed here are included in painting bill S in
Iappendix B.
6. Painting bill 4 in appendix B; information in brackets is from
painting bill 3.
7. Remaining items are from painting bill 5.
179
November 29:
Garden furniture: I;;
To 6 Rustic Benches- Brown & Varnished at 2.50 15.00
To 5 " Chairs " " " " 1.50 7.50
1 Large Chair " " 2.00 2.00
1 rustic Rocker " 2.00
8 Benches Varnished .75 6.00
4 tete-a-tetes " 1.00 4.00
18 Rustic Chairs " .50 9.00
1 Arbor 'I 3.50 3.50
1 Table " .75 .75
5 Iron Benches bronze green 2.00 10.00
9 Iron & wood Benches 'I " " 18.00
4 Iron Chairs " " 1.00 4.00
3 Flowerstands I' ' .75 2.25
20 Panel Tree Boxes - 2colors 2.00 40.00
26 Tree boxes & tubs 1 " 1.25 32.50
2 Tubs - Vermillion & black Hoops at 1.25 2.50
2 large Rockers Vermillion & bronze 2.50 5.00
4 Cane " 'I 2.00 8.00
1 Small " 1.00 1.00
2 Children's Chairs .75 1.50
4 Plain wood Rockers - painted 1.00 4.00
178.50
This collection of porch, lawn, and garden furniture
comprised 46 chairs, 19 rocking chairs, 32 benches, 48 tree boxes
a,
and tubs, one arbor, one table, and three flower stands.
In 1882 Margaretta Ridgely purchased 4,200 bricks 1.
for $30.30; again, it is not known how this material was utilized.8
8. "John Hertel, Brickmaker, to Mrs. Charles Ridgely," December
29, 1882, Ridgely 717, MHS.
180
Like her husband, Margaretta Ridgely displayed an
interest in trees. On October 25, 1877, she purchased three oaks,
.1 21 evergreens, and 30 Norway spruce from W.D. Brackenridge, a
nurseyman of Govanstown, Maryland, for $29.05.~ (From 1830 to
5 about 1840, John Ridgely had purchased most of his trees from
W.O. Eichelberger.10 The Ridgely family began purchasing plants
from W.D. Brackenridge in January 1857 and continued to do so for
11
many years. )
William Fraser, Charles Ridgely's chief gardener, had
left his position at some undetermined date after 1872 and before
September 1878, because on September 13 of 1878 John wrote to his
wife Helen:
We [John and his mother, Margaretta] have a gardener in
view that I think is a very good one, he keeps a
greenhouse near Waverly & he says he will keep us
supplied all the winter with flowers. Mr. Bracken ridge
[the nurseryman] said it is a good thing that Pickens [or
Richins?] was going, and a pity he had not gone before
as the flowers were going all to pieces. I think
Pickens[?] a clever man but a poor gardener.12
Ironically enough, the gardeners posing in the 1878
photographs of the east and west parterres of the Hampton garden
9. "W.D. Brackenridge to Mrs. Charles Ridgely of Hampton,"
June 19, 1878, Ridgely 717, MHS.
10. Memorandum Book 24, Series K, Ridgely 691, MHS.
111. Memorandum Book 3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS. The entry
for January 9, 1857, shows $13.67 was paid to W.D. Brackenridge
1for plants.
12. John Ridgely II to Helen West Stewart Ridgely, September 13,
1878, Ridgely 715, MHS.
181
probably include the figure of the departing Mr. Pickens (or
Richins).
2. The Trees of Hampton, 1889 F;;
In a letter in 1889, W.F. Massey of Crozet, Virginia,
provided Charles Sprague Sargent, the noted arboriculturist and
editor of Garden and Forest, A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape
Art, and Forestry, with the following description of the trees at
Hampton:
Sir:- Professor Sargent's paper on Chinese Magnolias
reminds me that perhaps one of the oldest and finest
specimens of Magnolia Soulangeana in America stands on
the grounds of "Hampton," the seat of the Ridgely family,
near Baltimore. This tree branches within two or three
feet from the ground, and spreads over a large area.
Five years ago the stem below the branches measured
nearly eight feet in circumference. The tree was planted
by the late Sammuel Feast, since well known as a florist,
nearly sixty years ago [ca. 1830s], when he was the head
gardener at Hampton, and his brother, the late John
Feast, was his foreman. Of the same importation the
Feasts planted at Hampton a Purple Beech, a Cedar of
Lebanon and other rare trees. The Beech is worth a
long journey to see. It stands on a smooth lawn
unencumbered by other trees, and its branches sweep the
ground in a circle fully fifty feet in diameter, while its
symmetrical head rises like a copper dome over fifty feet
in the air. In the grounds of this old place, which has
now been in the hands of professional gardeners for over
a century, are many other magnificent specimen trees,
particularly a row of native cedars (Juniperus virginiana)
along the top of the old-fashioned terraced garden, of
gigantic size, and covered with Ivy from bottom to top.
Here is also, perhaps, the oldest green-house now
standing in America. It is an orangery, built in the old
style, with perpendicular glass on the south side and east
end, and heavy stone walls on the other sides. The roof
is shingled, and the ceiling overhead is lathed and
plastered. This house was built about the same time as
the old mansion (1784) [the orangery was built about
1840], and still shelters as fine a collection of the Citrus
182
family as exists in this country, with individual trees said
to have been among its first inhabitents.13
° I B. Helen West Stewart Ridgely and the Hampton Garden,
1901-1929
IProbably about 1901 or 1902, as Mrs. Charles
neared the end of her days, John and Helen West Stewart Ridgely
offically assumed command of the Hampton farm and the Hampton
garden. Because of rising costs and declining prices received from
agricultural products, Mr. and Mrs. John Ridgely were forced to
somewhat reduce their former lavish style of living, but as we shall
see, the garden was maintained and altered to meet their existing
economic situation.
In the spring of 1906 Helen Ridgely made an entry in her
diary that probably illuminates the history of the garden, in its
relation to the mansion and farm, as far back as 1829. The
Hampton farm hands had been burning dead grass in the meadows
on a windy day and had permitted the fire to get away from them,
with the result that one fine old Norway spruce that had been so
carefully planted and tended for so many years was destroyed by
fire. Mrs. Ridgely wrote bitterly of the accident in her diary:
13. W.F. Massey, Letter to the Editor, Garden and Forest, A
Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry 2 (June 19,
1889): 298-99. Sargent (1841-1927), who edited the journal from
1888 to 1897, was a professor at Harvard, the founder of the
4 Arnold Arboretum at that university, and a founder of the U.S.
Forest Service and the National Forest System. Massey's letter was
cited in Ulysses P. Hedrich, A History of Horticulture in America to
° 1860 (New York, 1950).
183
I cannot say anything however [to the farm hands], for
John [her husband] and his farm are to be considered
before the lady of the house & her aesthetic tastes.
There has always been a jealousy between the farm on the 4
north avihe house & ttTe garden on the South, but now
want John to have a interest in bofiffi(emphasis added).
The gardeners he calls my men & he can't see why I have
to have so many. I think though by making his rounds
with me, he will see why. By being out here this Spring
[previously the Ridgelys had wintered in Baltimore],
Prince [the head gardener] is taking more trouble about
the fruit. Today he was digging about the young cherry
trees that have not born yet, also the pear trees set out
by John the year his Mother died [1904]. We inspected
the rhubarb which ought to be ready for use. .
We have a great many squares [in the vegetable garden]
given up to the latter [strawberries] but at present they
are one weed patch. The sodding of the former June
rose bed is a perfect nightmare with Prince. He expects
to begin next week with a full force for it has to be cut,
harrowed & set, once done it will mean less work
afterwards.
We next went through the greenhouses & John certainly
takes a great deal more interest in m de artment than he
use to in his Mother's time [1 72-1900 . We then
inspected the wire lot [fenced?] wheat field through
which the road runs from a gardener's house to the lane
& came home in a afterglow of sunset by the "new" walk
winding below the burnt patches left by the gardeners.
In a few weeks the blackness will have given place to a
fresh green.14
From 1829 to 1948, the garden at Hampton was probably
held to be the province of the lady of the house, while the Hampton
farm was the domain of the master. As economic resources became
less, competition between the two operations for what was available
probably became more intense.
________________________________ I?
14. Helen West Stewart Ridgely, Diary, March 1906 to July 1906,
Scrapbook 33, Ridgely 716, MHS.
184
In 1902, Laurence Hall Fowler prepared a detailed
"Garden Plan of Hampton, Baltimore County, Maryland." Fowler's
Iplan (see map 6) delineates the garden probably as it had been
modernized in 1852 and had remained without any major revision
until 1902. In 1906, Helen Ridgely revised the plan to reduce the
Iamount of hand mowing that was required, thereby saving time and
money. On May 29, 1906, she described this situation as follows:
I had not room for them [roses] in my new [rose] bed,
having thriven under transplanting & prunning being now
on either side of the walk that transgresses the site of
the old greenhouse & leading to the vestibule owhin out
of the grapery & its fernhouse. The latter [roses are of
a red variety of~which I must find the names. Their
position so near the greenhouses ought to insure their
being better trimmed & cared for than in the old Rose
Garden & as being soon in sod can be kept in order Ab
the horse mowing instead of Ab the slow process of
running the hand mower over the grass walks between
the beds where the bushes were usually left to their own
devices most of the year. The original plan of the formal
garden has been revised, & the conservative members of
~ f£24iI opposed the change I am making, now that they
are made, acknowledge the improvement. I have not
introduced anything new but have simply rearranged
materials into orderly groups & now they all see that it is
good (emphasis added).
We have a fine lot of peonies, which bloom in relay--First
the early pink then the deep red--now the white, later on
the Rose Peonies, whose delicious fragrance rivals that of
the queen of the flowers. The latter now form an
ordered row at the foot of the last terrace, where
formerly pink Phlox & yellow lily lived together in languid
discord. The lily has been banished to beyond the
garden bonds & the pink Phlox now planted back of the
peonies & at present hidden by them, will later on
overtop them & bloom. . . . The white Phlox which had
found its way into their crowded ranks has all been
planted in a bed by itself at the end of the central vista
seen from the top of the terrace. Later on its tall stems
& showy hills will form a screen against the belt of the
ii fesecl [sic] now visible between the trees.15
15. Ibid.
185
Helen also maintained the Ridgelys' traditional interest in
trees and landscaping. On March 5, 1906, she recorded in her
diary: "Prince [the chief gardener] initiated me into the art of I;
trimming roses bushes & I became so much interested that I worked
too long & discovered too late I had a backache. The third tree
that I had ordered cut down to open a vista from the back lawn,
after a preliminary chopping, was pulled over by a rope tied to
another tree-why I dont know, & four men & a boy tugged at it."16
On April 19, 1909, she noted: "Directed the setting out
of eight small trees sent us by Eliza, four for me and four for her.
Mine are a Dev____ Cedar, a Chryptemeren, Taxoderum
Sempervunis (redwood discovered in Northwest in 1796 & now
acclimated in England) and a Altantium Glanca, which looks as if it
belongs to a yew subfamily. Hers are a gingko, a cult____
Japanese___, an Altantica, & a Cedar of Lebanon."17
The garden and greenhouses were still operating normally
in 1909 under the direction of chief gardener Prince and his staff
of undergardeners. Mrs. Ridgely's chief garden-related problem in
1909 was to provide board for several of her unmarried
undergardeners. On June 9, 1909, she commented on this problem
as follows: "Had to go see Cleve's wife [Cleve was an
undergardener] about the garden hands' board. An unpleasant
visit but it may result in my being able to keep the two who
boarded with her till the end of the month. The problem of how to
keep hands for the garden has been a serious one for some years,
I;
16. Ibid.
17. Helen Ridgely, Diary, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716, MHS.
186
as I had no one to board them & had hoped the young couple living
on place in the vacant Lyons cottage might solve the difficulty.''18
'I
On December 1, 1909, in preparation for the coming
winter months, Helen Ridgely noted in her diary: "Cut down the
garden force to three. 19
The only other information on the physical history of the
garden structures during the years 1900 to 1909 that has not
already been presented is the fact that in 1907 John Ridgely made
"repairs & improvements. . . . on the gardener's house"
(structure 2).20
Helen Ridgely died in 1929 and John Ridgely died in 1938.
18. Ibid. The young couple mentioned were Charles Bud, the new
blacksmith, and his wife, who moved into the "log cabin back of
Lower House- -now quite a comfortable weather-boarded house of
:1 four rooms" on March 12, 1909.
19. Helen Ridgely, Diary, Scrapbook 66, Ridgely 716, MHS.
21 20. Helen Ridgely, Diary, January 1907 to May 1908, Scrapbook
29, Ridgely 716, MHS.
187
XV. Historical Maps, Plans, and Photographs of the Hampton
Garden
A. Joshua Barney's Ink Map, 1843
The oldest known map showing the Hampton garden and
its related structures is Joshua Barney's map of the Hampton
plantation, which Barney prepared for John Ridgely in the fall of
1843 at a cost of $80. The original of this beautifully drawn ink
map hangs on a wall in a hall of the Hampton mansion. The plan of
the garden is shown in some detail (see map 1). The garden
structures were the orangery (structure 15), a greenhouse
(prdbably structure 6), a cottage (no longer extant), and the
gardener s house (structure 2). A spring was located at the
southern foot of the garden. Large orchards flanked the garden on
both the east and west sides.
B. Laurence Hall Fowler's Garden Plan, 1902
The second detailed plan of the garden is Laurence Hall
Fowler's "Garden Plan of Hampton, Baltimore County, Maryland,"
made in 1902 and published first in House & Garden 3 (January
1903):41-48 as part of an article by Fowler entitled "Hampton."
The plan was published for a second time in Great Georgian Houses
of America (New York, 1933), vol. I, p. 173. The large original
ink drawing of the garden plan is located in the collections of the
Maryland Historical Society (see map 6).
The published Fowler plan shows the Hampton garden in
great detail, and it probably delineates the garden as it was
revised and modernized by Eliza (Mrs. John) Ridgely in 1852-1854.
Helen Ridgely revised the garden plan again in 1906. The
orangery, structure 15, is shown in the published plan, as is the
road leading from the west side of the mansion south along the west
side of the garden. However, other garden structures, such as
the greenhouses and gardener's house that were also located on the
188
west side of the garden, are not included on the published Fowler
map.1 The vegetable garden, located to the east of the flower
1garden, is also shown on the 1902 plan.
C. Historical Prints and Photographs
ITime did not permit any search for historical photographs
of the Hampton garden. As has been noted, Charles E. Peterson's
"Notes on Hampton" has two historical photographs of the garden
that were apparently provided by John Ridgely, Jr., in 1949. The
two views, both taken in 1878, are illustration 21, showing the west
parterre, and illustration 22, showing the east parterre (see
illustrations 7 and 8). Posing in these two photographs is the chief
gardener and his staff of undergardeners.
The Maryland Historical Society has four views of the
garden, all taken about 1921. These are negatives 62142 - C and
D, both taken ca. 1921, and the Legg Collection, made Sunday,
August 6, 1921, of small 3 x 5 snapshots. Pictures 32 and 33 are
of the garden. No copies were obtained of these four photographs
in June 1977.
'1 1. The original ink drawing in the Maryland Historical Society
files may show the greenhouses.
1891¾«Û;yŒŒŒŒŒ
MAPS AND PLANS
1. Joshua Barney's Map of the Hampton Plantation, 1843
2. John Laing's "Plan of Basement, Hampton," 1875
3. John Laing's "Plan of Ground Floor, Hampton," 1875
4. John Laing's "Plan of Second Floor, Hampton," 1875
5. John Laing's "Plan of Third Floor, Hampton," 1875
6. Laurence Hall Fowler's "The Garden Plan of Hampton, Baltimore
County, Maryland," 1902
7. Arthur Norgard's First Floor Plan of Hampton, 1933
191
1. Joshua Barney S Map of Hampton Plantation, 1843
The reproduction in this report is a small portion of the large and
beautifully drawn ink map that depicts the Hampton plantation,
Northhampton Furnace, and other lands during John Ridgely1s
ownership. It is the oldest known map that shows the mansion,
other structures, garden, and plantation in detail. Joshua Barney
prepared the map, based on field surveys, in the fall of 1843. The
original still hangs in a hall of the Hampton mansion.
The plan of the garden, south of the mansion, is shown in some
detail on Barney's map. At the south central edge of the garden is
a spring; to the west and east are large orchards of fruit trees.
Many of the garden structures are also shown. West of the mansion
is a "Green H," the orangery (extant NP5 structure 15). A second
"Green H," on the west side of the garden south of the orangery is
probably extant structure 6. The "Cottage" just south of the
second greenhouse no longer stands. Near the southwest corner of
the garden is the "Gardiners House," probably the two-story brick,
four-room portion of structure 2 (the caretaker's residence). All of
these structures were apparently erected by John Ridgely after
October 1829 and before 1843. The orangery and greenhouse were
probably built in 1840. For a complete list of the structures shown
on this map, see appendix F.
--
2, 3, 4, and 5. John Laing's Floor Plans of the Basement,
Ground (first), second, and Third Floors
of Hampton, 1875
These plans are all made from actual surveys and measurements
taken in the building by John Laing, civil engineer and architect,
July 1875. They are the earliest known extant floor plans of the
mansion. The north (front) elevation is on the left side of each
sheet, the south (back), or garden, elevation on the right. The
Laing plans have been recorded as National Park service drawing
NHs-HM-9001, sheets 1 to 4.
2. "Plan of Basement"--Note the hot air furnace in the central
cellar.
3. "Plan of Ground Floor"--Note the bathroom and water closet in
the west wing; these facilities were installed in 1855-1856. Note
also the location of the two sheds shown, immediately east of the
kitchen in the east wing. The marble steps and floor of the north
portico porch, added in 1867, are shown in the upper center of the
plan.
I°;
I;
6. Laurence Hall Fowler's "The Garden Plan of Hampton, Baltimore
County, Maryland," 1902
Fowler's plan was first published in House & Garden, vol. 3
(January 1903), and then in Great Georgian Houses of America,
vol. 1 (1933). The copy in this report was reproduced from the
Georgian Houses publication. It is recorded as National Park
Service drawing NHS-HM-WO-9004.
The "Garden Plan" shows the Hampton garden in great detail. It
probably illustrates the garden plan as revised and modernized by
Eliza (Mrs. John) Ridgely in 1852-1855 and as described by the
noted horticulturist Henry Winthrop Sargent in his supplement to
the 1873 edition of Andrew Jackson Downing's book, Cottage
Residences. The first floor plan of the mansion, which faces
north, is shown near the top of the plan. The vegetable garden is
southeast of the mansion; the orangery (structure 15) is to the
west; the flower gardens lie on the south.
Helen W. (Mrs. John) Ridgely revised the garden plan as shown on
this map in 1906, to help reduce the manpower required to maintain
the garden described in the 1902 plan. Changes were made to
eliminate hand mowing wherever possible and to substitute
horse-powered mowing.
202
7. Arthur Norgard's First Floor Plan of Hampton, 1933
Norgard's plan was also published in Great Georgian Houses of
America, vol. 1 (1933).
The top of the plan shows the north, or front, elevation of the
mansion, the bottom shows the south, or garden, elevation. The
delineation of the "Pantry" in the east hyphen, or connecting
passageway, is not correct (compare with map 3), as the 1933
drawing does not include the 1820 addition that projects south of
the south wall of the kitchen wing. This plan shows the pantry
the way that it may have appeared when completed in 1788.
N-. - 'N-N-,
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Charles Ward Apthorp House, ca. 1890
ii
2. "Hampton the Seat of Genl. Chas. Ridgely, Maryland," early
1800s
3. North Porch, North Elevation, Hampton Mansion, after 1867
4. Stereographic View, North Elevation, Hampton Mansion, ca. 1880
5. North Elevation, Hampton Mansion, ca. 1921
6. South Elevation, Hampton Mansion, ca. 1921
7. West Parterre, Terraced Garden, 1878
8. East Parterre, Terraced Garden, 1878
ii
'1
207
1. Charles Ward Apthorp House, ca. 1890 (West End Avenue and
90th Street, New York City, New York)
Built ca. 1767 and no longer extant, the Charles Ward Apthorp
House was once one of New York City's most noted Georgian
houses. Architect Charles E. Peterson has suggested that Capt.
Charles Ridgely may have used the Apthorp House as a model when
designing the central block, or main house, of Hampton in 1783. In
1970 Peterson wrote: "Hampton Mansion, begun 19 years later
[Peterson estimated the date of the Apthorp House at 1764] has
some uncanny resemblances to this unique frame [stone] house
demolished years ago, especially as to proportions. Note recessed
front [central] bay flanked by colossal [two-story high] pilasters
and the general application of rustication [imitation of stone
masonry]. Had Hampton been completed with the elaboration of
detail the builders evidently intended [in 1783-1784], it would have
been trimmed off in a similar way" (USD1, NPS, Peterson, "Notes
on Hampton," illustration 18).
Bierstadt artotype courtesy of the New York Historical Society
2. "Hampton the Seat of GenI. Chas. Ridgely, Maryland"
early 1800s
This view of the north, or front, elevation of Hampton was drawn,
engraved, and published by William Birch. It may have been drawn
as early as 1802 and was published in 1808 in The County Seats of
the United States of North America with Some Scenes Connected
with Them. It is the earliest known view of the mansion.
Collected by Charles E. Peterson, 1970 (see illustration 5 in "Notes
on Hampton")
3. North Porch, North (Front) Elevation, Hampton Mansion, after
September 1867
This undated photograph by an unknown photographer shows the
marble steps and balustrades that were added to the central
pavilion, or portico, of the main house in the summer of 1867. At
this same time a floor composed of diagonally laid marble tiles was
laid on the north porch (see map 2). The Ridgelys paid Alexander
Packie a total of $2,400 on September 12, 1867, for building the
steps and porch. Baltimore architect E.G. Lind is said to have
designed these north porch features. Note also the awning on the
second story porch.
Courtesy of John Ridgely, Jr.; collected by Charles E. Peterson,
March 14, 1949
4. Stereographic View, North Elevation, Hampton Mansion,
ca. 1880
This view, by W.M. Chase, shows the north (front) elevation of the
mansion; it was included in American Scenery, Architecture, &C.
The picture is undated but was taken after 1867, since the marble
steps, balustrade, and urns of the central portico that were added
in 1867 are visible. It was probably taken around 1880, as the
mansion appears to have been recently painted and it is known that
the exterior of the plantation house was completely repainted during
the late summer of 1880. The little girl in the carriage is probably
a daughter (Leonice, Margaret, or Helen) of John and Helen West
Ridgely.
Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore
5. North (Front) Elevation, Hampton Mansion, ca. 1921
This undated photograph by an unknown photographer shows the
north elevation of the mansion. Comparison of the vegetation shown
in this photo with that in a poorer quality but dated photo (August
6, 1921) in the Legg Collection suggests that illustration 5 was also
taken about 1921.
Photo courtesy of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore
(negative 62142-A)
- N
6. South (Garden) Elevation, Hampton Mansion, ca. 1921
This undated photo by an unknown photographer shows the south
elevation of the mansion. Again, comparison of the vegetation in
this view with that in the poorer quality but dated photo (August
6, 1921) in the Legg Collection suggests that illustration 6 was
taken about 1921.
Photo courtesy of Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore (negative
62142-B)
7. West Parterre, Hampton's Terraced Garden, 1878
This view of the west parterre by an unknown photographer was
taken looking south from the lawn on the south side of the mansion.
A chief gardener, usually assisted by three undergardeners, took
care of the garden and grounds around the mansion. This staff of
professional gardeners was first employed in 1852. The walks in
this view seem to have a sod surface and no boxwood can be seen.
On September 13, 1878, John Ridgely wrote his wife, Helen W.
Ridgely: "We [he and his mother] have a gardener in view that I
think is a very good one, he keeps a greenhouse near Waverly & he
says he will keep us supplied all the winter with flowers. Mr.
Brackenridge [a nurseryman who sold the Ridgelys many plants and
trees] said it is a good thing for us that Pickens [or
Richins--apparently the chief gardener] was going, and a pity he
had not gone before as the flowers were going all to pieces. I
think Pickens [or Richins] a clever man but a poor gardener"
(Ridgely 715, MHS).
Photo courtesy of John Ridgely, Jr.; collected by Charles E.
Peterson, March 14, 1949 (see illustration 21, "Notes on Hampton")
8. East Parterre, Hampton's Terraced Garden, 1878
This view of the east parterre, also by an unknown photographer,
was taken looking south from the lawn south of the mansion. As in
illustration 7, the chief gardener and his undergardeners posed for
this view. In contrast with the west side, the paths on the east
parterre seem to be surfaced with gravel or crushed shell. The
evergreens along the central (axial) walk (at the right) are a
greater size than was perhaps anticipated by the designer.
Photo courtesy of John Ridgely, Jr.; collected by Charles E.
Peterson, March 14, 1949 (see illustration 22, "Notes on Hampton")
N--N, Cainted and it is known that
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F: LISTS OF STRUCTURES ON RIDGELY PROPERTY AT VARIOUS
DATES
£1 List 1: Structures on the Hampton Plantation as of October 1,
1796
1[1] 1 stone dwelling house, 2 stories, 56 by 60 feet, and
2 wings to main house. " 23 by 25 feet each.
2. 1 frame dwelling house, 1 story, 20 by 30 feet.
3. 1 frame dwelling house, 16 by 20 feet
4. 1 frame kitchen, 12 by 16 feet
[The next nine items are slave houses.]
5. 1 Negro frame house, 22 by 32 feet
6. 1 Negro log house, 15 by 23 feet.
7. 1 Negro log house, 16 by 16 feet
8. 1 Negro log house, 12 by 12 feet.
9. 1 Negro log house, 16 by 16 feet.
10. 1 Negro log house, 16 by 18 feet.
11. 1 Negro frame house, 16 by 18 feet.
12. 1 Negro Log House, 10 x 12 feet
13. 1 Negro Log House, 16 by 16 feet
14. Stone milk house, 16 by 23 feet
15. 1 log Hen house
16&17. Two frame hen houses
18. 1 Log wash house, 16 by 50 feet
19-20. 2 frame meat houses.
SOURCE: "Particular List of Houses, Lands & Slaves in Back-River
and Middle River Upper Hundreds in the Eighth Assessment
District: Prepared by John Orrick, Asst. Assr.," October 1,
1798, cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp. 65-66. According to
Peterson, Orrick valued these buildings at $20,000, but the
principal assessor cut the appraisal down to $12,000.
'i
267
List 2: Structures on the Hampton Plantation and at Northampton
Furnace, October 13, 1829
1. Mansion 20. Bridge House (Northampton
2. Long House Furnace)
3. Dairy 21. Furnace (at Northampton)
4. Quarter 22. Founder's House
5. Lower Meat House 23. New Iron House
6. Upper Meat House 24. Old Iron House
7. Shoe-maker's Shop 25. Wheelwright Shop
8. Overseer's House 26. Mill
9. Fish House
10. Cider Cellar
11. Lower Corn House
12. Upper Corn House
13. Cutting Room
14. South Shop
15. Barn
16. Race House [horse] Stable
17. Wash House
18. Dwelling House
19. Coal House
SOURCE: "Catalogue of All the Stock, Farming Utensils, &c, Upon
the Hampton Farm, the Property of the Late Charles Ridgely of
Hampton," 1829, Account of Sales Beginning June 1832, Records of
the Orphan Court DMP (14), BCC, pp. 1-64, cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, pp. 68-70.
I?,
268
List 3: Structures on the Hampton Plantation in 1843, According
to the Joshua Barney Map
1. Mansion 20 structures on the farm:
2. Icehouse
16. Coal house
Three small buildings to the east 17. Scales
of the east kitchen wing: 18. Cow house
19. Quarters (for slaves)
3. Smokehouse on the north 20. Carpenter's shop
4. Woodshed in the center 21. Blacksmith shop
5. Privy on the south 22. Dairy
6. Greenhouse (the orangery)23. Quarters (for slaves)
7. Greenhouse 24. Overseer 5 house
8. Cottage (by garden) 25. Meat house
9. Gardener's house 26. Meat house
10. Spring 27. Meat house
11. Vault in graveyard 28. Quarters (for slaves)
12. Washhouse 29. Ash house
13. Stable (Stable 1) 30. Hen house
14. Ice house (by orchard) 31. Root house
15. Bathhouse (by two springs) 32. Hay barrack
33. Corn house
34. Corn house
35. Mule stable
ii I
ii
269
G: FIVE-PART GEORGIAN HOUSES IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES
THAT ARE OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE ARCHITECTURALLY
Mount Airy, Richmond County, Virginia [1k
Built in 1758-1762, this was the first great five-part house to be
erected in the English colonies. It is built of stone, and its total
length is 128-1/2 feet. The central block (or main house) is 69 by
47 feet.
White Hall, Severn River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
This brick house was built in 1764-1765 and 1769. It is almost 200
feet long. The second story was not added to the central block
until 1793.
Brice House, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
This brick structure was built in 1766-1773. It is 156 feet long,
with a central block 52 by 45 feet.
Hammond-Harwood House, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County,
Maryland
This brick house, built in 1773-1774, has an overall length of
______ with a central block ___ by ___ feet.
His Lordship's Kindness, Near Clinton, Prince Georges County,
Maryland
The central block of this brick house was built in 1735. It is 56
by 48 feet. Wings were added around 1775, making the overall
length 116 feet.
Montpelier, Laurel, Prince Georges County, Maryland
The 46 by 40 foot central block of this brick house was erected in
1740. Wings were added in 1770-1771, making the overall length
118 feet.
Mount Vernon, Fairfax County, Virginia
The central block of this frame house was built in 1757-1758. It is
94 feet by 33 feet. Wings were added in 1775-1776, and an
octagonal cupola was added in 1787.
Tulip Hall, Near Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
The 52 by 42 foot central block of this brick house was built in
1755-1756. Wings were added in 1787-1790, making the overall
length 135 feet.
270
Wye House, Miles Neck River, Talbot County, Maryland
This frame house, which was built as a five-part house in
1781-1784, became a seven-part house by 1799. The central block
a is 47 by 42 feet, and the overall length is 151 feet.
Hampton Hall (Hampton Mansion), Towson, Baltimore County,
Maryland
° - This stone and stucco house, built in 1783-1788, is 175 feet long.
The 2-1/2 story central block is 80 by 53 feet, with an octagonal
cupola that was built in 1787.
271
H: INFORMATION ON THE HAMPTON GARDEN
The Ridgely Family Traditional Version of the History of the
Hampton Garden
This account of the origin and development of the Hampton garden
summarizes the Ridgely family traditions on the subject. The
material has been extracted from a National Park Service
typewritten report, "Report on Hampton, Baltimore County,
Maryland," by Frederick Tilberg (Washington, 1946), pp. 9-12.
The references mentioned in Tilberg's footnotes are as follows:
Louise Humrichouse Ridgely (Mrs. John Ridgely, Jr.), "Hampton
Gardens," in Gardens of Colony and State, compiled and edited by
G.B. Lockwood for the Garden Club of America (New York:
Scribners, 1934); and Katherine Scarborough, Homes of the
Cavaliers (New York, 1930), pp. 137-49.
HAMPTON GARDEN
Hampton Garden, which was planned on a large scale
by Captain Charles Ridgely to match the mansion in
magnificence, was not planted by Ridgely as he lived only
a few months after the completion of the house. [Captain
Ridgely moved into the mansion on December 8, 1788; he
died on June 23, 1790.] The development of the garden
was accomplished during the proprietorship of Charles
Carnan Ridgely.
In his plans for the planting of the garden, Charles
Carnan Ridgely had obtained the services of William
Booth, a competent gardener of English birth who had a
fine reputation among botanists of the county.(20) In his
efforts at Hampton, Booth is said to have created the
finest garden of the Colonial Period.(21)
The garden was laid out about 1810 on a series of
terraces, each about three hundred feet long. The first
terrace is estimated to be about eighteen feet below that
of the house level, the second terrace six feet below the
first and the third about four feet below the second.
20. Dr. William Hoyt, of the Maryland Historical Society
staff, states there is a tradition which cannot be
supported that L'Enfant, who planned the city of
Washington, D.C., designed the garden court at
Hampton.
21. Scarborough, p. 143.
272
Originally, the first parterre, on the first terrace, was
divided into two box gardens, one on each side of the
grass walk which starts at the foot of the ramp and
Iconnects the terraces from level to level. After the
marriage of Ridgely in 1828 to a lady of the same surname
[Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely] he and his wife traveled
abroad extensively. Influenced by the gardens of
Europe, they introduced bright colored coleus beds in
place of the box garden on the right hand side [west] of
the path. The area on the left side [east] remained
unchanged. (22)
The second terrace was laid out as a rose garden
composed of hundreds of varieties, many of them imported
from Europe. As the types first obtained bloomed only in
June, varieties were later introduced which bloomed
throughout the spring and summer.(23)
Peonies in masses of color covered the terrace
below. (24)
Mrs. [Eliza] Ridgely who had introduced the
European influence into the Hampton garden contributed
unsparingly in the development of the garden area.
Trees were planted and gravel walks laid out which, in
the case of the one descending to the garden on the west
of the lawn and terraces, obviated the difficulty of
having to climb the steep slope of the upper ramp. Pairs
of cedars were planted at each end of the strips of green
flanking the garden borders. At the top of each terrace,
on each side of the central walk, were planted young
Norway spruce. Mrs. Ridgely [Louise Humrichouse
Ridgely] believes that it was probably the intention to
plant evergreens of dwarf habit and that in planting the
spruce the immense proportions of the matured trees was
not forseen.(25) Succeeding members of the family have
preserved them, although an archway has been cut
through the lower branches opening vistas of light and
22. Mrs. John Ridgely, Gardens of Colony and State,
p. 163.
--23. Scarborough, p. 143.
24. Ibid.
25. Mrs. John RidgeIy, Gardens of Colony and State,
p. 168.
273
shadow beyond.(26) The size of the trees gives the
visitor an impression of the antiquity of the mansion and
its surroundings.
Instead of copying the heavy balustrades used in
many English gardens, marble urns were placed at
intervals along the terraces. "Those urns," Mrs. Ridgely
states, ''are in keeping with the design and harmony of
the whole garden."(27)
The garden has not been maintained in recent years
[1946] and the entire garden area, with the exception of
the plot of box-wood on the left [east] side of the first
terrace, is now planted in grass. A part of the land in
the vicinity of the mansion is under cultivation.
26. Ibid. I:'
27. Ibid. N
274
The Chief Gardeners at Hampton, 1830 to 1916
January 1830 to April 1832, Daniel Harris (a black).
March 1832 to March 31, 1852, no record of any gardener or
payment of salary to gardeners. The gardens probably were
maintained by slaves in this period.
April 1, 1852, to March 31, 1854, James Galbraith. Paid $35 per
month.
March 1 to November 24, 1854, James Cowman or Cowan. Paid $30
per month.
March 1, 1855, to June 1, 1862, Peter Reid. Paid $35 per month.
September 1, 1862, to July 1, 1865, Alexander Fraser. Paid $35
per month.
July 1, 1865, to March 1, 1866, William Calman. Paid $40 per
month.
April 1, 1866, to December 1, 1866, Anton Schock. Paid $50 per
month.
January 1 to April 22, 1867, A. Gerisher. Paid a total of $112.50.
May 1, 1867, to October 18, 1867, James Cody. Paid $50 per
month.
October 12, 1867, to March 16, 1868, M.J. Fryer. Paid $50 per
month.
April 1, 1868, to at least February 27, 1872, William Fraser. Paid
$50 per month.
1878, a Mr. Pickens or Richens.
1889-1916, a Mr. Prince.
SOURCE: Memorandum Book 24, Series K, and Memorandum Book
3, Series F, Ridgely 691, MHS.
?1
275
The Undergardeners of Hampton From 1852 to 18701
Months
of
Year Names Service Paid
1852 None2 0 0 I?
1853 John AlIen 7 $ 90.00
1854 John Zimmerman, $14 per month 9 126.00
Michael _________ 4 51.00
James Reid, $12 per month 2 24.00
1855 Michael __________ 4 57.50
James Reid 11 162.00
Patrick _________ 9 85.00
1856 Patrick _________ 3 72.00
Michael ________ 2 26.00
James Reid 10 135.00
James Kane 1 13.00
1857 Michael _______ 11 176.00
Patrick ________ 6 78.00
James Reid 9 114.00
1858 James Reid 12 156.00
Patrick _________ 8 104.00
Michael ________ 7 87.50
Frederick Kreiter 5 57.00
Paul Hooper 3 26.00
1859 John W. Colt 1 23.00
James BaIl 1 21.00
James Reid 2 26.00
Charles Grosbeck 4 54.00
Patrick Greeley 3 36.00
Frederick Willbrandt 3 36.00
1860 Charles Grosbeck 12 198.00
Frederick Willbrandt 9 108.00
Frederick Kreiter 12 186.00
___________________________ I'?
1. Extracted from the Ridgely family account books, MHS.
2. On June 30, 1852, 0. Gooding was paid $9.23 for 24 days
work in the garden at a rate of $10 per month. Gooding's name,
however, does not reappear for any subsequent month in 1852.
276
1861 Charles Grosbeck 3 43.85
John Wamsely 8 96.00
James Murphey 8 96.00
Ii Frederick Willbrandt 3 41.54
P. Mclntire 6 71.00
JI 1862 John Wamsely 7 84.00
Andrew ________ 3 33.00
Martin _________ 3 29.50
Patrick Key 3 32.00
R. Dearholt (Richard) 5 43.25
Patrick Grady 4 48.00
1863 Richard Dearholt 12 158.00
Joshua Leaf 4 43.40
Edward _________ 2 26.00
1864 Richard Dearholt 8 125.20
John Dearholt 3 37.00
Henry German 1 16.10
Thomas Brown 7 104.24
On January 1 of 1865. slavery ended in Maryland. A boy in the
garden was now paid $6.
Time Worked
Names Months Weeks ~Das Paid
1865 Henry German 2 $ 32.10
Thomas Brown 3 52.30
Edward Leaf 2 32.00
Mark Posey (black) 2 50.00
William Clark 1 11.60
Martin Kennedy 3 65.00
Dennis ________ 2 9.00
Pat O'Connell 1 18.00
Richard Dearholt 1 16-1/2 20.58
John Collins 3 56.92
John Burns 1 25.00
John Manning 1 4-1/2 22.50
James Loftus 7.70
E. Graham 3 1.50
John Flangan 6 109.00
1866 Martin Kennedy 4 100.00
John Griffin 2-1/2 1.56
Barney ____ (@ $18) 10 175.50
277
Jack Lyon (@ $14) 5 71.54
Mark Posey (@ $12.50) 3 37.50
Michael Navey (@ $15) 7 111.00
Matthew Kennedy (@ $25) 6 145.75
1867 James Cody, Jr. (son of
the chief gardener) 3 90.00
Barney _______ 2 33.00
M. Hurley 1 11.00
William Kobold 2 36.92
Frederick Hebler 1 10.00
Charles Burger 3 47.60
Murry ________ 2.75
C. Johnson Tanner 1 23.80
John Calford 2 4.00
Charles Ryan 2 29.00
Henry Allison 19 11.59
George O'MaIIy 3-1/2 57.10
T. Sullivan 6 3.66
Henry Waming 15 9.29
John Lord 6 3.00
1868 F. Hebler 2 20.00
Thomas Clark 10 5.75
J. Everett 26 11.00
Harry _____ 5 2.00
Andrew Wilson 2 35.83
Jack Lyons 1 32.50
Powell 1 14.43
P. Welsh 13 6.50
McDonalds 3 45.95
Gerard (German) 41 12.61
William McCarty 5 72.94
John (German) 4.61
Miscellaneous hands 24 10.61
1869 Thomas Brown 1 25.00
John Lyons 3 45.79
John Lyons, Jr. 2 40.00
John Kenny 5 73.96
Owen Kenny 9 139.27
J. Brady 9 138.77
P. Quin 1 10.00
Henry 1 9.31
Miscellaneous hands 2 22.22
1870 John Brady 3 35.60
(to McKenney 3 35.60
Aug. 1) Unlisted garden hands 21 238.72
278
I: COLLECTIONS OF RIDGELY FAMILY DOCUMENTS AT THE
MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
S The 217 volumes and 42 boxes of Ridgely family documents have
been organized into eight collections, which are briefly described
!1 below.
Manuscript Collection 691: Ridgely Account Books, 1735-1886
Composed of 138 volumes, this collection is arranged in 11 series.
Series A: Col. Charles Ridgely's Patapsco store, 1735-1755, 13
volumes.
SeriesB: Northampton Iron Furnace,1760-1835, 32 volumes.
(Records of the furnace are also in Series K, volumes 1
to 7, 1781-1818; volume 21,ironware, 1810-1818; and
volumes 25, 27, 28, and 29.)
Series C: Ridgely and Lux Company, 1782-1785, 1790, 2 volumes.
Series D: Capt. Charles Ridgely and Gen. Charles Carnan Ridgely,
ledgers and day books, 1763-1809, 21 volumes.
SeriesE: Nicholas G. Ridgely's account books, 1797-1812, 4
volumes. (The 1809 account is in volume 20, Series K).
Series F: Memorandum books, household expense accounts, business
correspondence.
Series G: Elijah Ridgely's account books, 1838-1848, 3 volumes.
Series H: Hampton ledgers, 1829-1837, 2 volumes.
Series I: Miscellaneous, 11 volumes:
1. Day book of MacDonald and Ridgely, 1800-1801.
2. Day book of Eichelberger and Company, 1811-1823
3. Cargo sales book
4. Bank book of Thomas and Samuel Chase, 1811-1819
5. Grocery pass book, 1810-1811
6. Cash book of Sally Ridgely, 1815-1827
7. Calculation book of Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely
8. Calculation book, ca. 1775 (old book XXVI).
9. Cash book, 1850-1863
10. Check books of Margaretta Sophia Howard Ridgely,
1878-1884
11. Ledger, 1844-1886 (missing in 1976).
Series J: Notarial books of Samuel Sterett, 1803-1816, 12 volumes.
279
Series K: Miscellaneous, 35 volumes, including ledgers, time books,
expense book of farm operations at Hampton, 1851-1870
(volume 15); account of hogs killed and of butter made
and sold at Hampton farm, 1851-1862 (volume 18); mill
friendship sawmill account, 1791-1794 (volume 19);
Charles Ridgely Carnan's account book, 1784-1785 (volume
22--Carnan changed his name to Ridgely in 1790); and
other records.
Manuscript Collection 692: Ridgely Accounts and Correspondence,
1740-1880
This collection contains nine boxes of the personal and business
correspondence of Capt. Charles Ridgely, the mariner (1733-1790),
Charles Carnan Ridgely, governor and general (1762-1829); Nicholas
G. Ridgely (1771-1829); and John Ridgely (1790-1867). Most of the
material is of an economic nature. Box 4 contains accounts and
receipts of 1738-1799; accounts and receipts for 1800-1819 are in
box 5. The box 5 items are mainly those of Nicholas G. Ridgely.
Box 9 contains land papers for the period 1800-1850, including
several plats.
Manuscript Collection 692.1: Ridgely Papers, 1759-1858
Fourteen boxes of correspondence of Ridgely family members; also
legal papers, deeds, and receipts. Most of the papers from 1759 to
1790 relate to Capt. Charles Ridgely and deal with shipping,
lumber, tobacco, and the Northampton Iron Furnace. Material from
1790 and later relates to Charles Carnan Ridgely, Michael G.
Ridgely (1771-1829), MacDonald and Ridgely, Eliza Eichelberger
Ridgely (1803-1867), and Eliza and her husband, John Ridgely of
Hampton (1790-1867). Boxes 12, 13, and 14 cover the period from
1777 to 1858.
Manuscript Collection 693: The Ridgely-Pue Collection, 1748-1852
The four boxes in this collection contain the receipt book of
Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely (1739-1812) for 1791 to 1803. There is also
an account book Rebecca kept on behalf of her deceased husband,
Capt. Charles Ridgely, after 1790. Letters and business papers of
Rebecca Dorsey Ridgely and her niece, Rebecca Pue (1778-1852),
are also in this collection. They are from the period between 1748
and 1812.
a.
280
Manuscript Collection 715: The Helen Ridgely Collection, 1832-1918
Seven boxes of the correspondence of Helen West Stewart Ridgely
LI (1854-1929), almost entirely of a domestic nature. Correspondence
with her husband, John Ridgely II (1851-1938) is included, and
correspondence with her children and her brother, David Stewart.
Also in the collection is material on Baltimore society from 1870 to
1915, letters describing Princetown University about 1875, and
letters from Helen's and John's son, Lt. Stewart Ridgely, who was
in France in 1918-1919.
Manuscript Collection 716: Ridgely Material, 1827-1921
This collection contains 79 scrapbooks and notebooks kept by Helen
West Stewart Ridgely and her daughter Leonice Josephine Ridgely.
Included in the scrapbooks are newspaper clippings from 1886 to
1921 covering social events, marriages, and obituaries of Ridgely
family members, articles on history, and the essays, journals, and
diaries of Helen West Stewart Ridgely. Book 15 is a poultry journal
kept by Helen in 1913, book 17 is her general expenses from 1903
to 1905, book 18 is her account book of 1876-1878, and book 22 is
her account with 4esse J. Lewis, grocer, in 1907.
Unnumbered items in this collection are the "Wine and Liquor Book,
1825," which lists items in the wine cellar of Hampton, and a
leather-bound printed catalog of 31 pages, "Hampton Libraries,"
which lists books in the Hampton library. The book was printed
before Septebmer 1930, when William D. Hoyt, Jr., made changes
and corrections in it in ink.
The materials in Collection 716 were originally at the Hampton
mansion. They were donated to the Maryland Historical Society by
the National Park Service sometime between 1963 and 1968. This
collection was called the "Hampton Collection of Ridgely
Manuscripts" in USD1, NPS, "Hampton and its Masters," pp. 60-70.
Manuscript Collection 717: D.S. Ridgely Collection, 1741-1884
The one box of this collection contains receipts belonging to various
members of the Ridgely family, but chiefly those of Margaretta
Sophia Howard Ridgely (1824-1904). The receipts cover furniture,
fabric, clothing, silverware, and repair of carriages from 1871 to
4 1884, as well as painting, carpenter work, plumbing, and other
repairs both at the mansion and at the town house at 86 West
1Monument Street in Baltimore during the same period. The
collection also contains Caleb Dorsey's ledger for the general store
at Elk Ridge from 1741 to 1759, and the log book of Capt. Charles
Ridgely (1733-1790) for the 1756-1758 voyages of the snow Baltimore
Town.
281
Manuscript Collection 1127: Ridgely Family Papers, 1759-1940
A variety of items are filed in the seven boxes of this collection,
including financial records, accounts, and other material of Capt.
Charles Ridgely concerning the building of Hampton, Captain
Ridgely's land holdings, and the iron furnaces. Captain Ridgely's
business and personal correspondence with Daniel, Delany, William
Paca, Samuel Chase, Will Pinckney, and others is also included.
There are miscellaneous legal papers, letters, and accounts of
Charles Carnan Ridgely (1762-1829); John Ridgely of Hampton
(1790-1867) and his wife, Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely (1803-1867);
Charles Ridgely of Hampton (1830-1872) and his wife, Margaretta
Sophia Howard Ridgely (1824-1904); and John Ridgely II (1851-1938)
and his wife, Helen West Stewart Ridgely (1854-1929). Many of the
letters written in the mid-19th century were from family members
who were visiting London, Paris, and towns in Italy. Others were
written by Ridgelys who were at summer resorts in the northern
United States. Also in the collection is correspondence of Miss
Margaret Ridgely and her papers concerning her mission work in
Liberia during the first quarter of the 20th century. The financial
accounts are in Box V.
I;:
282
BIBLIOGRAPHY
.1MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS
Baltimore. Baltimore County Courthouse. Land Records.
_____ _____ Records of the Orphan's Court.
______ ______ Registry of Wills.
______ Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.
Hampton Research Files.
______ Maryland Historical Society. Ridgely Family Documents,
1775 through 1907.
Towson, Maryland. Hampton National Historic Site. Research
Files.
OTHER WORKS
Architects Emergency Committee. Great Georgian Houses of
America. 2 vols. Editorial Committee and Kalkhoff Press,
Inc., 1933; reprint paperback ed., New York: Dover
Publications, n.d.
Baltimore American, November 15, 1832. Cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 83.
Discusses the condition of the Hampton garden that year.
Baltimore County Journal, April 4, 1872.
Contains an obituary of Charles Carnan Ridgely of Hampton,
1830-1872.
Baltimore Sun, April 1, 1872.
Also contains an obituary of Charles Ridgely of Hampton.
Bevan, Edith Rossiter. "Gardens and Gardening in Early
Maryland." Maryland Historical Magazine 45(December 1950).
Birch, William Russell. "The Life of William Russell Birch, Enamel
Painter, Written By Himself." 1802. Cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 81. Typescript copy in the Philadelphia Free
Library, Philadelphia.
283
Brent, Holly Carrington. "The Gardens of Hampton." The
Maryland Gardener 9(July 1953).
Buchholz, Heinrich Ewald. Governors of Maryland. Baltimore,
1908.
Includes a biographical sketch of Charles Carnan Ridgely,
governor and general.
Carpenter, J. C. "An Old Maryland Mansion." Appleton's Journal
13(May 8, 1875):577-79. Cited in USD1, NPS, Peterson, pp.
91-92.
An article of major importance in Hampton garden history
because Carpenter included an extended description of the
garden written in 1873 by the noted landscape architect Henry
Winthrop Sargent. The article originally appeared in Andrew
Jackson Downing's Rural Cottages in 1873.
Crowl, Philip A. Maryland During and After the Revolution.
Baltimore, 1943.
Dictionary of American Biography. S.v. "Downing, Andrew
Jackson7 and "Sargent, Henry Winthrop.
Downing, Andrew Jackson. A Treatise on the Theory and Practice
of Landscape Gardening, AdaptedTho North America with a
View of Improving Country Residence, With a Supplement Yb
Henry Winthrop Sargent. 6th ed. New York, 1859.
______ Cottage Residences. New York, 1842.
Both the above Downing books were once in the Hampton
mansion library.
______ ed. The Horticulturist. 1846-1852.
Six volumes of this magazine were once in the Hampton mansion
library.
Edmunds, Anne C. "The Land Holdings of the Ridgelys of
Hampton, 1726-1843." Master's thesis, Johns Hopkins
University, 1957.
The most extended study yet made of this complicated subject.
Evans, Henry Ridgely. Founders of the Colonial Families of
Ridgely, Dorsey, and Greenberry of Maryland. Washington,
D.C., 1935.
284
Fowler, Laurence Hall. "Hampton." House & Garden 3(January
1903):41-48.
'S Includes a detailed plan of the Hampton garden and a plan of
the first floor of the mansion.
ii Hakes, Mary W. M. "Gardens and Grounds of Hampton." Maryland
Gardener 8(September 1954).
Hammond, John Martin. Colonial Mansions of Maryland and
Delaware. Philadelphia, 1914.
Includes one photograph of Hampton; mainly valuable today for
the information copied off the tombstones in the Ridgely family
burial plot.
Hedrich, Ulysses A. P. A History of Horticulture in America to
1860. New York, 1950.
Hoyt, William D., Jr. "Bills for Carpenter Work on 'Hampton,'
Maryland Historical Magazine 33( December 1938): 352-71.
Seven carpenters' bills for the period 1783-1787. Four of
these bills relate directly to the construction of the Hampton
mansion.
_____ "Captain Ridgely's London Commerce, c. 1757-1774."
Americana 37(April 1943):326-70.
_____ "Hampton, Home of the Ridgelys." Garden Club Bulletin
11(November 1948):33-36.
______ "The White Servants of 'Northampton,' 1772-1774."
Maryland Historical Magazine 33(June 1938):126-33.
J. C. [pseud.] "Jottings Among the Gardens." The American
Farmer, n.s. 9(January 24, 1854):212. Cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, pp. 87-88.
Contains a discussion of the Hampton mansion water system in
1853 and descriptions of the new greenhouse and Eliza
Ridgely's gardening activities.
j{j Kimball, Fisk. Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and
of the Early Republic. New York, 1922.
IMaryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser, December 31, 1784;
November 27, w7a7. December 1784 issue cited in USD1, NPS,
Peterson, p. 35.
285
The first issue contains some background on Richard Jones,
the painter who was to paint Hampton in 1791; the second has
an obituary of master carpenter Jehu Howell, who constructed
the mansion.
Massey, W. F. Letter to the Editor, Garden and Forest: A
Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art and Forestry
2(1889):298-99. Cited in Hedrich, n.p.
Morrison, Hugh. Early American Architecture from the First
Colonial Settlements to the National Period. New Yo7£ 1952.
Description and history of the Apthorp house, New York City,
1767.
Raley, Robert L. "Hampton in Baltimore County, Maryland."
Antiques 84(October 1963):434.
Ridgely, Helen West Stewart, ed. A Calendar of Memorial
Inscriptions Collected in the State of Maryland Yb the Maryland
Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Baltimore, 1906.
Mrs. Ridgely supervised the collection of this information and
then acted as editor.
Ridgely, Louise Humrichouse (Mrs. John, Jr.). "Hampton
Gardens." In Gardens of Colony and State. Compiled and
edited by G. B. Lockwood for the Garden Club of America.
New York: Scribners, 1934. Cited in USD1, NPS, Tilberg,
pp. 9-12.
Scarborough, Katherine. Homes of the Cavaliers. New York, 1930.
Both Katherine Scarborough and Louise Ridgely attributed the
design of the Hampton garden to William Booth (1770-1818), an
English-born seedman, nurseryman, and botanist who
established a nursery near Baltimore in February 1796 on S
acres of land. In 1815 he added land so that his nurseries
extended from west Baltimore Street to what is now Pratt
Street in Baltimore. He died in 1818 and his widow Margaret
carried on the nursery business until 1829. According to
Ridgely and Scarborough, Booth laid the Hampton garden in
about 1810 on a series of terraces, each about 300 feet long.
They wrote that Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely introduced "the
European influence" into the Hampton garden in the 1830s, on
her return from extensive travels in Europe with her husband
following their marriage in 1828.
Scarff, John H. "Hampton, Baltimore County, Maryland."
Maryland Historical Magazine 43(June 1948):96-107; reprint
book ed., Baltimore, 1948.
286
Scharf, John Thomas. History of Baltimore City and County from
the Earliest Period to the Present Day. PhTTdelphia, 1wj
'S Much miscellaneous information on the history of the Ridgely
family.
ii Semmes, Raphael, ed. Baltimore as Seen ££b Visitors, 1783-1860.
Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1953.
Includes an account of a visit to Hampton in 1800 by Richard
Parkinson, English editor and farmer.
Singewald, Joseph T., Jr. Report on the Iron Ores of Maryland
With an Account of the Iron Industry. Baltimore, 1911.
Best available study of the Ridgely family's association with
the iron industry.
Swann, D. Colonial and Historic Homes of Maryland. Baltimore,
1939.
Tremer, Charles. "Excavations at the Fourth Parterre: Hampton
National Historic Site." Prepared by Tremer for the National
Park Service at Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania,
1973.
a This typescript report discusses excavations in the Hampton
garden.
U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. "Hampton
and Its Masters, 1745-1959," by Lionel J. Bienvenu.
Baltimore, 1963. On file at Fort McHenry National Monument
and Historic Shrine.
The pioneering study on the mansion, the gardens, and the
Ridgely family.
"Historic Structures Survey Report, Part I:
Stable No. 1, Hampton, Hampton National Historic Site,
Towson, Maryland," by Lionel J. Bienvenu. Baltimore, 1963.
On file at Fort McHenry.
Dated June 15, 1962, resubmitted March 8, 1963; stable 1 is
probably the "racehorse stable" that was built in 1805.
_________ . __________ . ''Historic Structures Survey Report, Part II:
Stable No. 1, Hampton, Hampton National Historic Site,
Towson, Maryland," by Lionel J. Bienvenu. Baltimore, 1963.
a On file at Fort McHenry.
287
USD1. NPS. "Historic Structures Survey Report, Part II: Stable
No. 2, Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Maryland," by
Lionel J. Bienvenu. Baltimore, 1963. On file at Fort
McHenry. I,
Historian Bienvenu ventures the opinion that stable 2 was built
in 1851. Evidence presented in this report, however,
indicates that John Ridgely built stable 2 in 1857. Bienvenu 5
information on the Ridgelys' use of the stables is still valid.
______ ______ "Historic Structures Report, Part ll:
Architectural Data Section on Rehabilitation of Stable No. 1,
Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Maryland" by Norman
M. Souder. Philadelphia, 1963. On file at Fort McHenry.
______ ______ "Historic Structures Report, Part II:
Architectural Data Section on Rehabilitation of Stable No. 2,
Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Maryland," by Norman
M. Souder. Philadelphia, 1963. On file at Fort McHenry.
______ ______ "Historic Structures Report, Part I: Architectural
Data Section on Restoration of Orangery, Hampton National
Historic Site," by Norman M. Souder. Philadelphia, 1965. On
file at Fort McHenry.
______ ______ "Historic Structures Report, Part I:
Administrative Data Section, Orangery, Hampton National
Historic Site," by William A. Harris. 1966. On file at Fort
McHenry.
______ ______ "Notes on Hampton Mansion in the Hampton
National Historic Site, Towson, Baltimore County, Maryland:
A Preliminary Report Compiling Data and Observations on the
Physical History of the Plantation and Its Mansion, Including
Work Performed by the Federal Government Beginning 1949,"
by Charles E. Peterson. Philadelphia, 1970. On file at Fort
McHenry.
A pioneering study by a National Park Service architect.
Contains much useful information and also a great many errors
in the transcriptions made from original documents.
______ ______ "Outline Report of Restoration Work on Hampton
National Historic Site," compiled by Dick Sutton and Walter E.
Berrett for Thomas C. Vint, Planning and Construction
Division. Washington, D.C., 1951. On file at Fort McHenry.
An extremely valuable summary of rehabilitation and restoration
work that the National Park Service carried out on the
Hampton mansion, the gardener s house, and the general
288
cleanup of the garden and grounds in 1949-1950. Includes the
before-and-after photographs of the restored rooms, showing
the original Ridgely furnishings of the 1830-1900 period, and
one photo of the newly restored garden.
______- "Report on Hampton, Baltimore County, Maryland,"
-my FrederIck Tilberg. Washington, 1946. On file at Fort
McHenry.
The initial National Park Service report prepared for the
Hampton site. On the basis of information in this report,
Hampton was accepted as a national historic site. Included is
Laurence Hall Fowler's 1902 plan of the Harnpton garden.
-------. _____- Historic American Buildings Survey. 11Hampton
Mansion, Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Baltimore
County, Maryland HABS no. MO 226A. n.d. On file at
Fort McHenry.
This draft report includes a description on the mansion and a
section on its history. it is undated but was written about
1973.
_____. Office of Archeology and Historic Programs.
Drawing of Greenhouse I (structure 5). HABS no. MO 226A.
1%Sn
Varle, Charles. A Complete View of Baltimore. Baltimore, 1833.
Cited in USD1 , NPS, Peterm) p. paT
-D.scribes the Hampton garden in 1833.
Waterman, Thomas T. The Dwellings of Colonial America. Chapel
Hill, North Carolina, 1950.
Williams, Henry L., and Williams, Ottalie K Great Houses of
America. New York, 1966.
Wilson, Budd. "The Orangerie at Hampton." Archeological study
pr'pared by Wilson for the National Park Service at Historic
Conservation and Interpretation, Inc., ll'lontague, New Jersey,
1974.
2&9