Ridgely's Pride

Ridgely's Pride. Hampton National Historic Site.

Hampton is the "show-place" of Maryland. There is certainly nothing like it south of the Mason and Dixon's line , J.C. Carpenter, from Appletons' Journal, May 8, 1875

, The Mansion, completed 1790. When Captain Charles Ridgely's country neighbors saw him erecting a "palace in the wilderness" in the 1780s, they called it "Ridgely's Folly." The mansion before you, modeled on the great country houses of Britain, was of the largest private residences in America, and impressive sight for all who visited. The imposing building was a physical expression of the success of the entrepreneur for whom it was built. As you walk through this site, try to imagine how the building were viewed by the owners, paid laborers, and enslaved. The mansion was located at the highest point on the property. The cupola atop the mansion, an ornamental feature that also served to improve ventilation and cooling of the interior, provided a perfect vantage point for family an guests to view the extensive property below., [Caption:] , This mansion is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture, which emphasizes symmetry of plan. The main living space is located in the central block, connected to two service wings by "hyphens." Two-story porticoes decorate the north and south facades.