People
The Hampton estate was the home of one elite family, the Ridgelys, through seven generations, and of the enslaved people, indentured servants, and paid laborers/servants who supported them, from before the American Revolution to after World War II.
The Ridgely FamilyThe story of the Ridgelys of Hampton unfolds through their family portraits, furnishings and documents. For over two centuries, the men and women of this family built their American dream through determination, acumen and talent.
Enslaved Individuals, Indentured Servants, Tenant Farmers, and Other Employees
Enslaved African Americans provided the backbone of the workforce at the Hampton estate for over 100 years. In earlier years, however, these individuals are sometimes only known to us through documents. By the 1860s their faces emerge through photography. Later, images show paid house servants, tenant farmer, laborers, and other employees whose hard work enabled Hampton to continue to exist for many decades.
