John Ridgely, Jr., Pres. of SPMA Robert Garrett, Dir. of NPS Newton Drury, and NPS Chief Historian Ronald Lee. January 1948.
NPS
Hampton is the first and only site to be preserved by the National Park Service based on its architectural merit rather its connection to a significant moment or individual in American history. Those who advocated for Hampton’s preservation believed that the mansion showcased a superior example of Georgian architecture in America and would be a vital component in understanding the nation’s cultural, economic, and social evolution through time. Structures such as the slave quarters and lower house also help to better understand the nation’s history and how the lives of so many people were shaped at places like Hampton. The preservation of Hampton was not only significant to the history of the National Park Service, but to the movement of historic preservation in America.
The story of Hampton’s preservation as a unit of the National Park Service is as unique as the site itself. By the 1940’s, Hampton’s eighteenth-century grandeur seemed more distant and faded as the estate faced economic hardships. The property, including the mansion, had fallen into disrepair, and the Ridgelys themselves began to question the future of the estate in changing economic and cultural climates. However, Hampton’s name remained relevant, and the Ridgelys' impressive collection of fine arts, furniture, and cultural pieces from across the world and centuries past still garnered attention for the estate.
Thomas Sully's painting being moved in preparation to go to the National Gallery of Art.
NPS
A Preservationist Visits Hampton
In May of 1944, David Finley, founding director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., visited Hampton at the invitation of John Ridgely Jr. As one of the nation’s most passionate art collectors and preservationists, Finley was interested in Hampton as the home of the portrait of Eliza Eichelberger Ridgely (Lady with a Harp) one of the finest works by American artist Thomas Sully. Finley had earlier written to John Ridgely Jr. to request the loan of the painting for the gallery and was invited to visit the estate upon Ridgely’s interest in selling the portrait instead.
During his visit, Finley became impressed with the estate and the many cultural and natural resources that he observed, particularly the mansion and its Georgian architecture. On June 1st of that year, Finley wrote to John Ridgely about his adoration for the site and his desire to have it preserved:
“I enjoyed enormously seeing Hampton and all the beautiful things which have been assembled there by so many generations of your family. Together with its gardens, it forms an authentic American document such as one seldom sees anywhere. I hope it can be maintained as it is now.”
John Ridgely also wanted to see Hampton preserved as a result of a growing concern for the site’s future. Several factors including the industrial revolution, a decline in agriculture in the area, the Great Depression, growth in suburban development in the area and the onset of World War II brought about the estate's decline. The result was financial hardship, with the site being too expensive and labor intensive for the Ridgely family to maintain. John Ridgely hoped to save his family home and to solidify the Ridgely legacy and David Finley sought to preserve Hampton as a rare example of American architecture and history.
Preserving an Authentic American Document
Left image
Restoration of the Drawing Room.
Credit: NPS
Right image
The drawing room after restoration in the 1950s.
Credit: NPS
David Finley immediately went to work in his effort to preserve Hampton. He quickly gathered support in Washington, D.C. for the preservation of the site based on its architectural merit and began to meet with officials from the Department of the Interior and National Park Service. After initial discussions with the National Park Service fell short due to funding, acquisition issues, and concerns about site maintenance, he turned to his colleague and friend, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, the daughter of the late Andrew Mellon, who had donated his magnificent art collection to found the National Gallery of Art in 1937. Mrs. Bruce Avalon's Foundation provided $90,000 in funds for the National Park Service to purchase Hampton – including $43,000 for the mansion and fifteen acres of land, $15,000 for some of the original furniture, and $25,000 for immediate repairs. Hampton was designated a National Historic Site on June 22, 1948 and opened to the public on May 2, 1950 following rounds of extensive repairs to the site. The 14 acre Lower Farm portion of the property was sold to the Department of the Interior in 1980, following the death of John Ridgely Jr.'s widow, Jane Rodney Ridgely, two years prior.
Photograph of David Finley.
National Gallery of Art
Creating a National Trust
David Finley’s work in historic preservation did not stop with Hampton. The preservation of Hampton through mutual efforts of philanthropists, preservation organizations, and government served as a model for similar preservation efforts around the United States. The movement of historic preservation began to gain national attention in a post-World War II America that had a rejuvenated interest in American art and architecture. The collaboration between David Finley, NPS Chief Historian Ronald Lee, historic preservation advocates, and representatives of art, architecture, and historical societies resulted in the creation of a national trust dedicated solely to the preservation of historic architecture in the United States.
On October 26, 1949, The National Trust for Historic Preservation was officially chartered by Congress, with David Finley serving as the trust’s first chairman until his retirement in 1962. Hampton may be considered the first postwar project that highlighted the threat to historic properties, and revealed the opportunity to create a national organization to help preserve the architectural heritage of the United States. In his remarks at the dedication of Hampton NHS on April 30, 1950, Robert Garrett, President of the SPMA, acknowledged David Finley as “the real instigator of the Hampton project” and noted in his remarks “The preservation of Hampton is closely allied with, and indeed, is partly responsible for another important event…the organization of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.”
