Hampton, 535 Hampton Lane, Towson, Baltimore County, MD

Significance: Hampton, owned by the Ridgely family from 1745 to 1948, was assembled from three tracts of land by Colonel Charles Ridgely as part of the Ridgely Family Enterprises, which included the Northampton Furnace and the Ridgely Forges Ironworks. Captain Charles Ridgely, the son of Colonel Ridgely, inherited the 10,000 acre estate in 1772. After the Revolutionary War, which helped sustain the family enterprises, Captain Ridgely commissioned Jehu Howell in 1783 to build Hampton Mansion. Captain Ridgely died childless in 1790 shortly after the completion of the mansion. Nephew Charles Carnon, who in accord to captain Ridgely's will changed his name to Charles Carnon Ridgely, acquired, by agreement, Hampton from Widow Ridgely in 1791. Charles Carnon Ridgely, governor of Maryland from 1816 to 1819, made substantial additions to the estate. In 1829 his son, John Carnon Ridgely, inherited the estate, then reduced to 4,000 acres. The estate passed to successive Ridgely family members gradually decreasing in acerage. Hampton Mansion and 42 acres south of Hampton Lane, threatened by Baltimore suburban development, were purchased by the Avalon Foundation in 1847 and dedicated to the National Park Service in 1949 as a National Historic Site. This National Historic Site is located directly north of the Baltimore Beltway, Interstate 695, and east of Dulaney Valley Road , Maryland 146, which provides access to Hampton Lane.

Survey number: HABS MD-226

estates farms mission 66 program governors iron industry farming forging metal forming baltimore county hampton lane hampton lane towson baltimore maryland history of baltimore maryland herbert l banks charles c boldrick orville w carroll historic american buildings survey richard c mehring harold a nelson lee h nelson trevor nelson northampton furnace f blair reeves charles ridgely photo library of congress

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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