Hampton in Hampton County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hampton County Jail
This brick building was built in 1878-79 to house the Hampton County Jail. Its construction, as well as the building of the county courthouse, followed Hampton County's creation in 1878 from a portion of Beaufort County. Living quarters for the jailor's family were located on the first floor. Prisoners were held on the second floor and segregated by race and gender. One room contained a six-cell iron cage complex where African American men were confined.
Hampton County Jail became notorious for unsanitary and unsafe conditions. In 1919 it was rated the worst county jail in the state, prompting renovations. By 1926 it was among S.C.'s highest-rated jails. It was replaced in 1977 by a new facility built in Varnville. This building then housed the S.C. Dept. of Wildlife & Marine Resources, Hampton County Historical Society and Hampton County Museum. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Erected 2023 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Hampton County Historical Society. (Marker Number 25-29.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1878.
Location. 32° 51.92′ N, 81° 6.67′ W. Marker is in
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, in the Ashepoo and Combahee and Edisto Basin. 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 New Spain, 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: All Wars Memorial (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Supreme Sacrifice Memorial (about 600 feet away); POW-MIA Memorial (about 600 feet away); Vietnam War Memorial (about 600 feet away); Hampton County (approx. 0.2 miles away); Miles McSweeney Home Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bank of Hampton (approx. 0.2 miles away); James Washington Moore House (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Hampton County Jail.
This form was prepared by Eric W. Plaag, Ph.D., with the assistance of the State Historic Preservation Office staff, on May 6, 2011. A statement of significance summary is on page 10:
The Hampton County Jail is significant under Criterion A as a public facility designed and used to enforce the law as well as the racial segregation policies of the American South in its administration of local justice for the ensuing century following Reconstruction. It is also significant under Criterion C for its contributions to local history as a unique surviving example of a small, late nineteenth century county penal facility with an architecture reflectingvarious alterations during its one hundred-plus year history.
Notes:
Criterion A: Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patters of our history.
Criterion C: Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. (Submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 23, 2026
4. National Register of Historic Places plaque on the jail building
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
