Connected by History, Divided by Color

Connected by History, Divided by Color. . , This property was used in many ways for more than 150 years, as an urban estate for the wealthy; a military headquarters; a convent; a governor's mansion; a campus for two women's colleges; and a tourist home. Each use supported segregation and enforced racial power dynamics as black people were expected to meet the needs of white people., Segregation continued even when this site opened as a museum in 1970, as the stories of enslaved people were left out while remembering the lives of South Carolina's largest slave-holding families, the Hamptons and Prestons., Today, the experiences of both black and white people are told in order to better acknowledge and understand the complex history of race in the South., [Captions:] , This modern architect's rendering depicts the mansion's original, Federal style appearance in 1818. Renovations between 1835 and 1969 changed many aspects of the building structurally and aesthetically., Photographer Rufus Morgan's stereograph card, "Grounds of the Old Hampton Residence," captured the property's appearance in 1873, during its time as the home of Governor Franklin Moses.