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| Rob, Ruthie and Tom outside |
We had a fantastic Park Ranger, Elizabeth White, who explained that each of the rooms were furnished from a different period, and that the Ridgely's saved all their furniture (so most is original). In fact, they saved receipts for everything, so historic reconstructionists were able to replace wallpaper and colors.
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| Tom and Ruthie In the Kitchen |
WHO WERE THE RIDGELY'S? - The property was originally part of the Northampton land grant given to Col. Henry Darnall (c. 1645–1711), a relative of Lord Baltimore, in 1695. His heirs sold the land on April 2, 1745, to Col. Charles Ridgely (1702–72), a tobacco farmer and trader. The bill of sale records that the property included "... houses, tobacco houses (tobacco barns), stables, gardens, and orchards. By the 1800s, the mansion overlooked a grand estate of orchards, ironworks, coal mining, marble quarries, mills, and mercantile interests.
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| The mansion |
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| Rob, Tom and Ruthie |
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| The dining room with a mural of Paris |
WHAT IS IN IT NOW?
WHAT IS IN IT NOW?
It has exquisite decorative arts and furnishings, as well as historic photos and documents that capture over 200 years of life in the Mid-Atlantic region. It showcases Mid-Atlantic life from before the American Revolution to after World War II. The site commemorates major phases of American social, cultural, and economic history across three centuries.
To see more museum collections at Hampton NHS visit http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/hampton/
