With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Hampton Mansion awaits rediscovery (Maryland)

Hampton Mansion has plenty of historical and architectural significance. All it needs is a higher profile.

The mansion, maintained by the National Park Service, is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the country. It's one of just a handful of plantation homes with extant slave quarters. With 25,000 square feet of living space, it was the largest private home in the U.S. when it was completed in 1790.

Hampton sits on 63 acres just outside the Baltimore Beltway, less than a mile from the heart of Towson, a bustling suburb directly north of the city. And yet many area residents don't know the first thing about it.

"You say 'National Park Service' in Baltimore and you immediately think of Fort McHenry," said Rhoda Dorsey, president emeritus of Historic Hampton Inc., a nonprofit that supports the site. "You don't think of anything else."
Read entire article at AP