Hampton Plantation

Jayson Sellers

Park Manager

Welcome.  My name is Jayson Sellers, and I am the Park Manager at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site.  I knew I wanted to be a park ranger from the first time I visited a state park. It was my freshman year of college, and I spoke to a park ranger on that visit.  Needless to say, he made an everlasting impression on my career path. Today, I continue to share the legacy I once experienced on that mountain top.

I really enjoy walking the trails at Hampton during the winter months. The cooler temperatures make it a pleasant hike along the nature trail where white-tailed deer, Eastern wild turkey and the occasional fox squirrel tend to be more active. The camellias in the garden can be quit stunning this time of year as well. 

If you’re a first-time visitor to Hampton Plantation, take a tour along the Enslaved Settlement Trail. Throughout the self-guided tour visitors encounter a variety of informative waysides that focus on the lives of the enslaved, rice cultivation and post emancipation. Observe where archeologists have discovered ruins where skilled artisans once lived, and the remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation.

**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located at the park kiosk near the restrooms. 

Located in the southern Santee Delta region, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site is home to the remote, final remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation. The plantation now serves as an interpretive site for the system of slavery and rice cultivation in the region from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War. The property also tells the story of the freed people who made their homes in the Santee Delta region for generations after emancipation.

Visitors can explore the mansion to learn how it was constructed and changed over time from the early 18th century. The kitchen building and the unearthed foundation of one of the slave dwellings show the disparity between the lifestyles of the planters and the enslaved. 

The plantation grounds include walking trails through pine forest, views of Wambaw Creek, and the remains of rice fields that once stretched as far as the eye could see. Hampton inspired the works of South Carolina’s first poet laureate, Archibald Rutledge—the last private owner of the house, who lived there until 1969.  The site is a National Historic Landmark. 

Want to see more plantations in South Carolina? You can visit more historic Plantation Homes of the South at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site and Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site.