Historic Hampton, Inc. Issue: November 2019

Tim Ervin, photographer

CALENDAR
NOVEMBER and DECEMBER 2019

On-going Programs

Family Tours of Hampton Mansion
Every week on Saturday, August 3, 2019 to December 7, 2019
10:30 AM

Join us on the first Saturday of the month for special family tours of the Hampton mansion. These 30-minute, family-friendly tours will engage children of all ages in exploring America’s past through the history of the Ridgely family, from the post-Revolutionary era to the Civil War. Tour guides will explain how the Ridgely children lived, learned, and played on the Hampton estate, and how their families were impacted by changing cultural, social, and political movements in the United States. Visitors will also learn about the experiences of the enslaved children that lived and worked on the estate. Museums are great places for children to learn and explore, and young visitors will have the chance to develop and practice good museum visiting skills as part of the tour. Tickets are required to participate in the Family Tours. Tickets are free of charge and must be obtained at the Visitor Contact Station prior to the beginning of the tour. Tickets will be available beginning at 9:00 am on the morning of the tour only. Advanced registration and tickets are not available. Tours are limited to 15 people per tour on a first come, first served basis. For additional information call 410-823-1309.

NOVEMBER

On the Hampton Plantation
Thursday, November 7 and Sunday, November 17, 2019
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Dressed in Antebellum period attire, Park Ranger Anokwale will guide visitors around the grounds of Hampton and give voice to the enslaved African Americans and European indentured servants who made the Ridgelys' lavish lifestyle possible. Participants will have the opportunity to experience first-hand, replicas of items used on the plantation during the 1800s. Admission and parking are free on a first come, first served basis.

How to Host an Afternoon Tea
Sunday, November 10, 2019
The Orangery
2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Hosting an afternoon tea is a wonderful way to celebrate with friends and family. From creating your guest list to setting the table and serving the tea, Janet Meyers and Erin Bradley from Tea by Two in Bel Air, will share tips on how to bring the elegance of tea to your own home. You’ll receive recipes, decorating ideas and tea brewing instructions, as well as make-ahead tips for effortless entertaining. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis. Free admission and parking, no reservations will be taken. Wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 410 823-1309 x254 or visit www.nps.gov/hamp.

DECEMBER

Northampton Furnace Archaeology Project
Saturday, December 7, 2019
The Orangery
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

In the Fall of 2019, the Northampton Furnace Archaeology Project conducted an archaeological survey of the outbuildings associated with the Northampton Furnace. The iron furnace was in operation from 1761 to 1827 and was reliant on the labor of slaves, convicts, and indentured servants of the Ridgely family of Hampton. The furnace was also the main source of the Ridgely’s early wealth during this period and supplied the iron for cannon used during the American Revolution. The University of Delaware archaeological field school sought to better understand the lives of the people forced to work at the furnace through a study of the landscape and excavations. Please join us to hear a presentation of our preliminary findings from this important site. The presentation will take place in the Orangery and is open to the public. Parking and attendance are free on a first come, first served basis. Seating in the Orangery is limited. Reservations are not necessary and will not be taken.

Holidays at Hampton: Home for the Holidays – The 19^th Century World at Hampton
Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Save the date! Holidays at Hampton is scheduled for December 14 - 15, 2019. A complete schedule of events will be available later in November 2019.

Hampton Art Experience Recap

In partnership with HNHS and HHI, Baltimore County Public School students participated in an engaging day of art-making at Hampton National Historic Site from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 4^th. Visitors were given tours by NPS staff, and then students attended art workshops by local artists. They were able to choose two of three History & Art workshops. These included: 1) Gardens & Light: students learned about the history of horticulture at Hampton Mansion and about the properties of light as they created cyanotypes; 2) Understanding Architecture: students learned about the history of architecture and engineering at Hampton and made a field guide through sketching practices; and 3) Fibers on the Farm: students learned about life on the Farm at Hampton and used fibers to create artworks inspired by Hampton. The event culminated in a well-attended exhibition in the Orangery, on Saturday, October 5^th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This exhibition showcased the works that the students created on Friday.

Harvest Day Recap

Tim Ervin, photographer

Historic Hampton, Inc. once again partnered with the National Park Service to host Harvest Day at Hampton National Historic Site. Approximate 400 visitors came out to enjoy Fall activities and spent the afternoon exploring work and life on an antebellum plantation. Children enjoyed the various hands-on activities including corn shucking, weaving, and period games. Among the demonstrations showcasing 19^th-century style farming techniques were corn-harvesting, corn-doll making, blacksmithery, cider-pressing, and ice cream making. Reba, the cow, and the Maryland Dairy Princess were once again popular attractions.

Members from The Washington Revelers, dressed in period attire, sang songs expressing the stories of the enslaved African Americans. Lively, old-time music, featuring Ranger Tim and an ensemble of musicians on the fiddle and banjo, added to the festive, beautiful day. Visitors also took tours on the Farm and at the Mansion. To make the day complete, visitors feasted on cookies, ice cream, and apple cider hosted by HHI. A wonderful day on the farm!

An Evening of Elegance
October 19, 2019

The Women's Committee of Historic Hampton, Inc. hosted another wonderful evening at the Country Club of Maryland! More than 80 guests attended the fun fundraising event, which opened with a bounteous silent auction, music by guitarist Marc de Simone, cocktails, and tasty hors d'oeuvres. A delicious dinner of a shrimp tower appetizer, pear and gorgonzola salad, and braised beef short ribs, was accompanied by paired wines. Dessert and a lively live auction followed. It is an event not to be missed!

Notes from the Gardens

by Alex Wiitala, Garden Intern
Hampton National Historic Site

October 15^th might seem like a normal day to most people, but for people who keep track of seasonal changes it is when freezing temperatures can occur in this region. Freezing temperatures can cause cells filled with water to expand and break. Trees and shrubs can withstand freezing temps, but herbaceous plants (perennials and annuals) typically show dieback in the foliage and/or roots. Annuals are the most sensitive to freezing whereby the entire plant expires. Once annuals are damaged by frost, they often become wet, gooey, and heavy. So, at Hampton we try to avoid that situation and get the plants out before they freeze.

Saying goodbye to the stunning views of the gardens in full bloom is hard to do. I remember receiving the shipment of the annuals in early May when they were all so small and new. Then I watched and tended to them as they grew and developed into dazzling fully grown plants. It is truly a wondrous journey and has been extremely rewarding.

Tuesday, October 15^th was a beautiful fall morning, cool temperatures with a bright, warm sun. That day was made all the better by several volunteers and Project Serve crew, who came to take out the annual plants in the formal gardens. Some of our regular volunteers, Sarah and Charles, Joe B., Betty, and Josh, worked extremely hard. We could not do all the work required to maintain the gardens without the help of our dedicated volunteers! They came out all year long, from early spring to plant, to the height of summer to weed, and finally, in autumn to put the gardens to bed for the winter.

Fall Clean-up with volunteers hard at work!

Ferns for Urns
Give the Gift of Beauty!

Celebrate the upcoming Holidays by giving an urn filled with beautiful ferns! Your sponsorship gift of Ferns for Urns will fill a loved one’s heart with joy, while helping to preserve the beauty and history of the urns and gardens of Hampton National Historic Site. District III Garden Clubs are planning another year of planting the urns in the spring of 2020. Specific details to follow.

Gift sponsorships are perfect for anyone or any occasion.

For $35.00, your gift recipient will receive an adoption package which includes:

a note card stating a sponsorship donation was made in his/her honor
a species card of the ferns planted in the urns
a one-year subscription to the Hampton Highlights e-newsletter
invitations to garden events

To order a gift for that special someone, please email us at info@historichampton.org or call 410-828-9480.

The Holidays are almost upon us!

Now you can support Hampton while you shop for the holidays with AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile is the same great shopping experience as Amazon with the added bonus of supporting Hampton. AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to our organization.

Three easy steps:

1. Log onto AmazonSmile https://smile.amazon.com/
2. Select Historic Hampton, Inc. as your charitable organization
3. Shop - enjoy the same selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon and Amazon Prime.

This is a great way to support the HHI mission while shopping on-line.

Click here to Shop at Amazon Smile

Help us support of this national treasure:

http://www.historichampton.org/donate.html

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The mission of Historic Hampton, Incorporated is to promote directly the historical, scientific, educational and interpretive activities of the Hampton National Historic Site and to accept gifts, contributions, or loans and otherwise engage in fundraising to finance and pay for the above mentioned activities in respect to which no funds from the Federal Government or other sources are available.

PARK SCHEDULE
Please note: hours subject to change.
Telephone: 410-823-1309 x-254

Please begin your visit here.
VISITOR CONTACT STATION:
Thursday thru Sunday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

MANSION & FARMHOUSE:
Thursday thru Sunday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

GUIDED TOUR HOURS:
Hampton's buildings will be opened for guided tours Thursday-Sunday on the hour, 10 am - 3 pm (noon tour is subject to staff availability).

GROUNDS:
Open Daily
Dawn to dusk for pedestrians; 9:00 am - 5:00 pm for cars.

RESTROOMS:
Open Daily: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
in Orangery (near the Mansion) and Dovecote (at the farm).