(What follows is based on a number of premises that may be either stretched or false and it is therefore only meant to suggest what might have been, not what was carved into stone. Subsequent evidence may alter anything below.) There are surprisingly few hints about the physical arrangement of slave quarters at Hampton, but it is certain that the extant remnants of slave buildings date from fairly late in the slave period. A bill submitted by Joseph Allison for $375 "for building Barracks" as late as 1854, may in fact refer to some of the extant buildings.(MHS Ms. 692, Bx 13) At present, the most potentially valuable source of information about slave quarters is "1798 Particular Assessment Lists" for the Back River Upper Hundred. It includes the name of the property owner, the number of resident slaves, and descriptions of improvements on the property. (See George J. Horvath, Particular Assessment Lists for Baltimore and Carroll Counties, 1986, p. 38.)
Charles Ridgely's properties in 1798 in the Back River Upper Hundred included North Hampton, South Hampton, Oak Hampton, Bolds Adventure, Sheridine, Search, Drunkards Hall, Anna Spike and Fellowship Resurveyed for 3292 1/2 acres and Little Maeth, Tillys Beginning and other properties for 228 acres. Ridgely is charged with 92 slaves on these properties.
The listing notes nine "Negro houses" of the following dimensions: 22x32, 15x23, 16x16, 12x12, 10x12, and 16x18 (4), for a total of 2721 square feet. (n. The late John Ridgely III noted a string of servant houses stretching from--- to his late residence on Hampton Lane. These may have been some or all of the "Negro houses" or their replacements. Verbal communication from Lynne D. Hastings.) Now these figures are, of course, outside dimensions and do not take into account the thickness of walls, inner partitions, etc.; usable space was considerably less. Nevertheless, if these were in fact all the slave quarters at the time and using outside dimensions, each slave had a total allotment of 29.6 square feet living space--that is, an area about 5 x 6 feet, a bit larger than a double bed.
Listed also in the assessment are a number of other houses whose use is not specified. They follow the names of whites who were probably overseers or renters of outlying Ridgely properties and they are not designated "Negro houses." Their total extent was 1616 square feet. If it is assumed that these were slave quarters and that total square footage is added to those designated "Negro houses," the allotment for each of the 92 Ridgely slaves would rise to nearly 48 square feet, still though only a space about 6 x 8 feet square per slave.
Contrasted with slave quarters are the dimensions of the quarters available to the Ridgelys themselves. The assessment notes a two story dwelling of 56 x 80 feet, with two wings of 23 x 25. We will ignore the wings but must add the extra story of the main building (roof stories were apparently not taxed) for a total of 13,440 square feet. The thirteen Ridgelys at the time enjoyed some 1034 square feet each of living space.
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