Hampton Plantation State Historic Site is more than just a grand house; it is a  landscape of architectural ambition, the brutal reality of the rice empire, and a literary retreat.

​The following article traces its history from a modest 18th-century farmhouse to its preservation as a state landmark.

​Shadows on the Santee: Labor, Wealth, and the Lowcountry Rice Empire

Standing on the banks of Wambaw Creek in the Santee Delta, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site serves as a silent witness to three centuries of South Carolina history. The site’s evolution—from a Huguenot settler’s home to a massive rice engine and finally the sanctuary of a poet—tells a complex story of wealth, labor, and preservation

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​The Rise of a Georgian Masterpiece

​The story of the mansion began in 1735, when Noe Serre, a French Huguenot, built a modest two-story wood-frame farmhouse. However, the plantation’s most famous era of expansion began in 1757 when it was acquired by Daniel Horry through marriage.  

​Architectural Evolution: Over several decades, the Horry family transformed the simple structure into a sprawling Georgian mansion. They added a grand two-story ballroom and a master bedroom wing.  

​The Temple Front: In 1790–91, a massive portico with eight Doric columns was added. This "temple front" is considered one of the earliest examples of its kind in American domestic architecture and was completed just in time for a visit from George Washington.  

​Unfurnished Interpretations: Today, the house is intentionally left unfurnished. This allows visitors to see the "bones" of the house—exposed laths, original plaster, and the evolution of its construction over 200 years.  

​The Engine of "Carolina Gold"

​The grandeur of the mansion was funded by the intensive and grueling cultivation of rice, known as "Carolina Gold." This wealth was built entirely on the expertise and forced labor of enslaved West Africans.  

​Specialized Knowledge: Enslaved people from the "Rice Coast" of Africa (modern-day Senegal and Gambia) were specifically sought after by planters for their ancient knowledge of irrigation and tidal engineering.  

​Environmental Toll: Laborers worked in swampy, dangerous conditions, clearing cypress forests and building complex systems of dikes and "rice trunks" (water control gates). They faced constant threats from malaria, yellow fever, and wildlife like alligators and snakes.  

​The Scale of Bondage: At its peak, the Horry and Pinckney families held hundreds of people in bondage. While the mansion showcased "cultivated English taste," the surrounding landscape was a massive industrial site where men, women, and children toiled from sunrise to sunset.  

​The Washington Oak and the Revolutionary War

​Hampton Plantation also played a role in the birth of the nation. It served as a refuge for Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," who hid from British troops in the surrounding wetlands.  

​A Presidential Plea: In 1791, during his Southern tour, George Washington stayed at the plantation. When his hostess, Harriott Pinckney Horry, suggested cutting down a large oak tree that blocked the view from the new portico, Washington famously asked her to spare it. That tree, now over 300 years old, still stands as the "Washington Oak."  

​From Ruin to Restoration

​After the Civil War, the abolition of slavery ended the plantation’s economic engine. The property fell into deep disrepair for decades until it was reclaimed by Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina’s first Poet Laureate, in 1937.  

​Home by the River: Rutledge spent over thirty years restoring the house and grounds, documenting his efforts in his famous memoir, Home by the River.  

​The Wild Gardens: Rutledge was also a naturalist who planted thousands of azaleas and camellias, many of which still bloom on the grounds today.

  

​State Protection: In 1971, Rutledge sold the property to the state of South Carolina to ensure its preservation. It was designated a National Historic Landmark shortly thereafter.  

​Today, Hampton Plantation stands not as a monument to a "lost cause," but as an interpretive site where the stories of the wealthy elite and the enslaved laborers are told side-by-side, offering a complete and honest look at the American Lowcountry.  

​Archibald Rutledge and Hampton History

​This video provides a deeper look into the legacy of Archibald Rutledge and how his stewardship helped preserve the original features of the mansion we see today.