Hampton Park

Hampton Park. . This five acre park is one of the original town squares laid out on the 1798 map of Camden. Prior to 1877, the park was unofficially known as the Grove or Pine Grove because of the large number of old pine trees., In the 1800s, the park was a community gathering place where the public purchased ice cream treats in the afternoons and enjoyed the shady dirt paths that wound throughout the park. The park also hosted political events, including a visit by future S. C. governor and senator Wade Hampton, III during the election of 1876. After his visit, the park became known as Hampton Square or Hampton Grove., Hampton Park is filled with flowering trees and shrubs. A row of heritage crepe myrtles borders DeKalb Street. The Camden Garden Club erected the Blue Star Memorial marker, also on DeKalb, and planted numerous shrubs within the park., A signature feature is the horse watering fountain. A gift from the National Humane Alliance of New York in 1910, the fountain originally stood at the intersection of Broad and DeKalb Streets. In 1911, the city relocated the fountain here and dedicated it to Confederate Army Sgt. Richard Kirkland. Kirkland, the Angel of Marye's Heights, was a member of the 2nd S. C. Regiment during the Civil War. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Kirkland's unit was stationed behind a stone wall at Marye's Heights. After the first day of battle, thousands of injured and dying Federal and Confederate troops lay in front of the wall. For hours, their cries for water filled the air. Kirkland gathered canteens, blankets, and warm clothing and left the safety of the wall to provide comfort to the wounded soldiers. Neither side fired a shot while Kirkland ministered to the fallen. Although some dispute the account, Kirkland's compassion has become legendary.