Farm Support Structures

A historic view of the long barn (to the left) with cow barn in the distance (no longer standing), and the dairy (to the right).

NPS

Dairy

The Dairy was built over a natural spring between 1780 and 1800, and altered between 1830 and 1840. The Dairy was designed to store milk and process butter. The milk was cooled by placing stoneware milk pails in a basin filled with cool spring water. Water circulated under the gothic stone arch at the head of the spring, into the structure via directed channels, then out into a small creek on the north side of the structure. The Dairy was built into a hill to maintain the cooler temperatures inside the structure. Dairy storage and production was one of many sources of income for the Ridgely family, and the structure remained in use until the 1940s.

Long House Granary

Built in about 1845, the Long House Granary is sited southeast of the Lower House and was aligned with the cow barn (demolished 1969). The two-story stone structure served as a hog barn and granary through the historic period. Four low openings on the southwest elevation served as entrances to hog runs.

 

Modern day image of the mule barn looking from the lower farm house.

NPS/Tim Ervin

Mule Barn

The Mule Barn, was built during the extensive construction campaign during the mid-nineteenth century, was located on the west side of Farm Road. It was built in about 1851 to replace an earlier Mule Stable destroyed by fire by 1850. The two-story building housed the primary work animals of the farm. The mules pulled plows, mowers, and other farm equipment at the Hampton farm until the early twentieth century. These prize mules were a source of great pride for the Ridgelys and were often entered in livestock competitions.

Corn Crib

The Corn Crib was once a large, one-story, wooden gabled structure used to air dry corn before it would was ground into corn meal. The large structure, built between 1845 and 1860, indicates the prominence of corn at Hampton during that era. Ruins of the Corn Crib’s stone masonry foundations are located to the southwest of the Dairy. The structure was destroyed in 1988 by arson. The foundation walls were stabilized and capped in 1997–98.

 

View of the rear of the ash house (left) and log house (right).

NPS/Tim Ervin

Log Farm Structure

This structure was built between 1835 and 1869 as a duplex with pine log plank walls on a rubble stone foundation. The building was moved to its present location north of the Lower House and next to the Ash House around 1870. It is possible that the Log Farm Structure was constructed of salvaged remains of two structures formerly used as quarters for the enslaved. By 1908 this building housed blacksmith Charles Budd.

Ash House

Built around 1850, the Ash House is a 5’ by 7’ structure constructed of rubble stone with a brick vault room. It is located near the Lower House beside the Enslavement Quarters. When the Hampton farm was in operation this structure was used to collect ashes for making soap, candles, and lime for fertilizer.

North Farm Garage/Dovecote

The North Farm Garage, originally used as a pigeon cote and possibly chicken house, was built in 1880–90 as a single-story, three-walled structure north and west of the Lower House. The east wall originally had small holes for birds, and the west side was originally open until a wall was added in 1910. In 2009, this structure was rehabilitate to house public restrooms.