Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
The People Behind the Plants
Many people—women, men, white, black, free and enslaved, native born and immigrant—played a role in creating and maintaining gardens in Columbia during the 19th century. At the Hampton-Preston estate wealth and enslaved labor produced a regionally well-known oasis by the 1850s. However, beyond owners Mary Cantey Hampton and her daughter, Caroline Hampton Preston, only a handful of other people have been directly tied to the property's grounds through various records that survive.
[Captions:]
Columbia City Directory, 1875-1876
Based on the address listed in the city directory, Robert L[amb]. Wilcox, a 40-year-old English gardener, lived and worked at the former Hampton-Preston estate while Governor Franklin Moses owned the property during Reconstruction.
Detail from 1850 Federal Census
The Federal Census lists three gardeners as living in Columbia in 1850: James Crammer, a 27-year-old from Scotland; Thomas Leonard, a 50-year-old, Irishman; and John Waddell, a 49-year-old from Ireland. Waddell is said to have worked here. Another source credits a "Mr. Scholz" as working as the estate's gardener by 1861.
Erected by Historic
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Horticulture & Forestry • Immigration • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.
Location. 34° 0.668′ N, 81° 1.793′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It can be reached from Blanding Street east of Pickens Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1613 Blanding St, Columbia SC 29201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Preparing "Truly Educated, Christian, Womanly Women"
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 21 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
