Hampton Plantation

Hannah Marley

Park Manager

Hi.  My name is Hannah Marley, and I am the park manager at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site. The first time I encountered a park ranger was at the Grand Canyon, and I remember thinking getting to talk to people in such an amazing spot had to be the coolest job ever. I didn’t think I’d end up being a ranger as a historian, but Hampton Plantation is both a historic site and a park-- so it’s the best of both worlds!

I really enjoy the late winter and early spring blooms, like the camellias and the dogwoods, at Hampton. Some of the azaleas in the garden are almost a hundred years old and were planted by Archibald Rutledge. In spring, it’s like standing next to a beautiful pink wall of flowers taller than myself.

The park has a lot of history packed into it, but one of my favorite spots to show first-time visitors to the park is the rice trunk. These trunks were used to control water levels in Lowcountry rice fields and are a fascinating look at historic engineering, going back to rice farmers in West Africa. Sometimes it’s also a good place to spot gators!

**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.