This historical marker along US-17 is in front of the Hampton Plantation Historic site and provides a brief overview of the history. This is old Charleston, dating back to Colonial times, and even in condensed form the place carries more weight than the marker can hold. It notes the Horry and Rutledge families and the plantation's early eighteenth century origins, but it leaves out the deeper story of the rice economy built through the labor and agricultural knowledge of enslaved Africans whose work shaped every field along the Santee. The front of the marker reads, "Hampton Plantation, 2 mi. N.W., was established by 1730 and was one of the earliest rice plantations on the Santee River, in an area settled by Huguenots and often called "French Santee." The house, built in the 1730's for Elias Horry, later passed to his granddaughter Harriott Horry, who married Frederick Rutledge in 1797. The plantation remained in the Rutledge family until 1971." And the reverse, "One of Hampton's best-known owners was Archibald Rutledge (1883-1973), educator, man of letters, and first poet laureate of S.C. He wrote of life there in Home by the River (1941), calling it "the mother plantation of this old plantation country." Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, it has been Hampton Plantation State Park since the state acquired it in 1971." The limited space on the marker omits much. Including the near‑loss of the house in the twentieth century and Archibald Rutledge's role in reviving interest, as well as the long‑loved Washington Oak that tradition links to George Washington's 1791 visit. Today the unfurnished house and quiet grounds at Hampton Plantation State Park offer a clearer sense of the layered past than the roadside text suggests, inviting visitors to step beyond the marker and into a landscape where memory, myth, and history still mingle. It is marker number 1040 and it was erected in 2001 by the St. James-Santee Parish Historical Society. [Review 107 of 2026 - 1377 in South Carolina - 25297 overall] read more

Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Hampton Plantation Historical Marker, Mc Clellanville - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mc Clellanville, South Carolina

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The site is still in the process of improvement, but even just walking the grounds is a memorable experience. A history trail has been added with some visually and intellectually stimulating exhibits. The mansion is rarely if ever open but offers some interesting views. And a walk through the abandoned rice fields yields both wildlife sightings and hints of the place's past. There is a charge to get in, but they waived it for me as I stopped in just at the end of the day to take a quick walk. There are a variety of more developed areas that give private plantation tours, but this outdoor setting is an entirely worthy state park. read more

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We knew we would only have time for one plantation experience on this trip two years ago and only a morning or afternoon to tour. If you are looking for something totally different yet satisfying and educational, you'll definitely enjoy Hampton Plantation State Historic Site in McClellanville, S.C., on the Wambaw Creek in the Santee Delta. The Colonial-era rice plantation mansion on 274 acres with its remnant buildings, two cemeteries, trails, three endangered species and park buildings holds a quiet change of pace from other Charleston area attractions. "Tours include a study of the architecture and evolution of the house, as seen in the open walls and unfurnished rooms, as well as personal insight into the people that called Hampton home." Built in the 1740's, two wings were added in 1760 and the first Adams style portico in the Lowcountry was added in 1791. The structures at the once 700 acre prosperous and bustling Hampton Plantation are architectural monuments to the labor of enslaved Africans. Here at Hampton, "The plantation's Georgian-style mansion and well-kept grounds serve as an interpretive site for the system of slavery that helped build such plantations in South Carolina into the greatest generators of wealth in early American history." "The property also tells the story of the freed people who made their homes in the Santee Delta region for generations after emancipation. Visitors can explore the mansion, wander the plantation grounds or look out upon Wambaw Creek at the remains of rice fields that once stretched as far as the eye could see." During the Revolutionary War, the British captured Charleston. They said that any man bearing arms against them would be treated as a traitor and so they searched houses and plantations, confiscating any valuables, including slaves, not even knowing for certain who were traitors it seems. Hampton was searched twice and plundered of everything. Just think of those soldiers, over 200 years ago, pounding up and down those still solid wooden stairs, hauling off whatever they wanted, including people already sold once, that they were going to sell again, on down the road. After the war, George Washington visited Hampton in 1791. The President was asked whether a certain oak tree should be cut down to create a better view from the newly built portico. He replied that he liked the tree, and it was saved. From then on the tree was known as the Washington Oak. It still stands almost 230 years later! This visit here at a historic place cared for by the Park Service was quite a find and a bargain. Stop here, if you get the chance. The park website below has an incredible virtual tour if you don't get the opportunity to visit this unusual historic plantation in person. Grounds are free. House admission: $7.50/adult; $3.75/S.C. Senior; $3.50/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 & younger. Ground Hours: Apr. - Oct. 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., daily. Nov. - Mar. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.  Mansion Hours: Guided tours only, F, M and Tu noon and 2 p.m. Sa-Su 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. https://south-carolina-plantations.com/charleston/hampton.html https://southcarolinaparks.com/hampton read more

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We enjoyed our day trip to Hampton Plantation: Helen of Helen's House and hubby visit Hampton Plantation, SC just off Hwy 17 south of Georgetown. A must stop on your way to Charleston or for a day trip to do some hiking through the vast grounds before a house tour and an stop at the visitors center to buy souvenirs and Books! I always buy books at our historic plantations and museums! You will find unique books that may be out of print. Look for wonderful historic books for children as well to teach them history in a fun way! Our tour of the home was great! Hannah, our tour guide was wonderful taking many many questions in addition to all the history she shared with the group! The grounds and gardens with its Majestic Oaks were enchanting! Don't miss this stop! and Buy Books! read more

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We stopped by totally impulsively without really knowing what to expect. They only allow people inside the house during a scheduled tour and we arrived just as the last tour of the day was ending. Instead of touring the house, we spent a good deal of time discussing the site with Jayson who is the park manager. His knowledge and enthusiasm alone made the visit worth it! We then walked the grounds (or tried to) which are beautiful! If there were less mosquitos we would have stayed longer. Our visit to Hampton Plantation in Aug will be remembered for a long while as the worst mosquito experience ever!! read more

Hampton Plantation State Historic Site on Rutledge Road in McClellanville is a very well preserved and managed historical site. There are many historical markers and plaques that explains the history and function of the site. I like the views of the water and the trails here. It is well worth a visit. read more

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Visited a couple times now and it's beautiful. Off the beaten path, but there's tons of walking trails and accommodations for pet waste too. Visitors center has a lot of cute items as well as basic snacks and water. The actual home is stunning and well maintained, as is the other building on the property. Lots of signs with historical facts and photos as well. Restrooms are clean! Definitely bring bug spray in the summer, watch out for the wildlife. Lots of birds, came across one eastern kingsnake chilling in the bushes by the Rutledge gardens, but that's as exciting as it gets in that regard. Be aware the road to the plantation is unpaved, but it's cleared and has regular traffic so I've never had a problem with it. Overall, it's definitely worth a visit. You can see the main attractions in 30 minutes, or stay for a couple hours, it's really what you make of it! read more

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You really gotta go to this place and take a tour. Its a pretty park with an old southern Mansion on it. We were driving thru Francis Marion Forest, a beautiful day and their is really no place to stop anywhere. We saw the Hampton Plantation sign on route 17. What an adventure. We saw the big state park sign and pulled in, the driveway is dirt and thru the woods and we were like "where the heck are we going?". Then we saw these grounds that looked like a golf course and this huge white mansion from a movie. We took the tour and this Ranger was hilarious. Totally unexpected....we thought it would be a boring typical tour, but this guy made it really interesting...lasted over and hour and it seemed like we just got there. He seemed to know everything about History and the comments about Slavery was something I never heard before, pretty harsh and pretty appropriate. We will be back sometime...as he said their is a women Ranger who also gives a tour and hers is different and really good also. read more

Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mc Clellanville, South Carolina

We had the pleasure of touring many of the plantations within an hour of Charleston. Although all were unique in their own right, Hampton Plantation, was for us, the most intriguing and apparently most authentic. Ranger Mike is a gift to the South Carolina State Park system. He led our tour and I'm sure it would not have been the same without his knowledge of the plantation, his demeanor and storytelling style. One Caveat: The bugs on the grounds are supernatural.....or for all I know they are genetically enhanced. Either way, I believe they eat bug spray. Try to hit it right when they are not as ravenous. Pick the wrong day....well.... you'll find out. read more

Not a huge touristy plantation, like Magnolia's or Middleton. We didn't do an inside house tour, so we just walked the grounds which was free. I say go and explore! The 3, which is no fault of the plantation, is for the mosquito and bugs everywhere! I have 6 bites (HUGE ASS BITES) to prove that. Bug spray is a necessity. Come with boots, as you'll be walking in leaves, dirt and other stuff that I can't name (mistake to come in flip flops, but I didn't know we'd be stopping by). Side note--it's a long, dirt path to get to the house. It's quiet, creepy and eerie--all very good for a ghost hunt. Comes with a necessary graveyard and remnants of a slave/freed man's home. read more

Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mc Clellanville, South Carolina

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This is a nice place we enjoyed it all even seen a cemetery was a beautiful house on it and the grounds were nicely kept

We stopped here on the way from Myrtle down to Charleston. It's a nice little half way point if you're cruising through looking for something else to add to your list. It's just a 2 mile drive off of hwy 17. We ended up pulling in shortly before they opened the home, but we still took advantage of walking the grounds and taking all of the history of the south in. I like this place... it felt more authentic and less touristy and gimmicky. This house is also maintained by the state, so it's going to have more of a preservation feel than a 'home and garden tour' feel. If you're interested more in the history instead of the romantic fabrications, then you'll probably appreciate this place. It still has the long tree lined pathway, the unforgettable southern pines and charms of a historic old home. There's plenty of plaques which give information on some of the homesites for slaves and kitchen workers. Behind the home houses information on the rice production and the owner's land. I was actually slightly disappointed, as it appears someone had stolen a small plaque which was dedicated to a ginormous old Oak tree dedicated during Washington's tour of the Southern colony. A nice little stop and I imagine the inside tour is worth the low price the state is charging. If you're looking for reality vs fluff, this is a nice quick detour. read more

Great find! Skip the frills of the Magnolia or Boone Hall plantation and come visit this state owned property. The home dates back to the 1700s and George Washington visited the property where he suggested not cutting down a beautiful tree which still stands to this day. The park ranger was very helpful, answering all our questions and at the same time working hard to maintain this beautiful property. We were lucky to spot a king snake behind the property. My kids thought that was very cool. read more

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Amazing site. Very informative tour. I loved how most of the homesite had exposed wall so you could see how these older homes were constructed. There are several benches under the live oaks by the river where you could relax and watch the water go by. We also saw two alligators while there! read more

My favorite find on a trip through the low country last year. Budget cuts were evident as there were no tours. But even though the area seemed empty, the site was open for us to tour from the outside. It felt as though we took a short nature walk and stumbled upon a forgotten relic of the past. The house huge and stately felt frozen in time in a setting that reflected no modern development and no evidence of what century we were in. Lack of other tourists made this a photographers dream, as no humans needed to spoil my photos on this day. If I were to select one plantation to return to on a future trip, this would be the one. But select carefully because the lack of tours and modern conveniences may not be as desirable to you as it was to me. Be sure to walk to the river behind the house and see other evidence of those who once lived here along the trails. read more

Due to having the day off, my boyfriend and I decided to venture out to check out this plantation for the day. We had read the site which listed tours started at 12 and 2. While we were aiming for the 2pm one we ended up hitting some traffic out of Charleston and were about ten minutes late. We then found a sign when we pulled into the lot that said tours were until 3pm. The office was closed and we were unable to locate anyone knowing anything about the tours. We eventually gave up on that and decided to just wander around the grounds ourselves. The house is very pretty and the stereotypical plantation house that people from outside of the south picture. The oaks and flowers looked flawless as many were blooming due to our mild winter. It was very serene and beautiful walking around the grounds. Overall it was a fun experience, but I would recommend better signage or at least consistent information between what is on the grounds and the site. read more

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been here many times and it always feels like i am coming home back in the gone with the wind days. it is a great place that is out of the way so its not very crowded and you are free to walk and tour the grounds with no problems. the house however the tour was not available for some reason. reading the other reviews is see it may be due to budget cuts which is sad. i did tour it one o the other times i was there. it is a SC treasure and should be treated as such, there is so much that you can see and the feeling is just awesome. did you know that president Washington stayed there ? the big rocky bench was called a courting bench? as most of my reviews i don't like to give to much educationally info because it is nice to learn on your on. i really thought this was a great place and still do, i like to go as often as i can just for the feel of if and the whole old south rice plantation owner. i also can tell they have not kept up with all the things that should be but they hopefully will put it back on the list of things to do, its such a treasure. the cost to get in and see it not a thing tho i did see a place for donations. we walked all the paths that included the over look of the rice marsh and they path that lead to the cemetery. there is still the kitchen, the plantation house, and the chimney from the old slave quarters. it can and will take a couple of hours to see the place so i still say its worth the time and travel. do note, they have restrooms, and a ranger station(which we did not go in) but there is no food or drinks, pack something. a nice lunch or a snack. they have picnic tables and may have drinks in the ranger station but we knew to bring our own and did not check. if you look on your way out on the right you will see the slave cemetery that is still kept up. you can not go there but you can see it in your car as you go out of the plantation. i say this is a great way to spend the day or the few hours ,,,, i love it read more

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I'm not going to lie, but this place was a little creepy. So there we were, heading down from Wilmington to Charleston and we decide to stop off at our first plantation since we landed in the South. It's just a little down the road, no big deal, we think--but then we drive for what seems like miles down small roads, then smaller roads, until we arrive in this huge clearing. We get out of the car, walk past all of the signs warning of the numerous dangerous animals and insects lurking about, and hike up the short path to the plantation. And there it is, a beautiful white home that looks like it could be the set of a horror movie. There were chairs and candelabras strewn about as if someone was about to perform a seance--and this was the middle of the day. But despite the haunted feeling surrounding the place, we met some nice folks (including a very friendly Park Ranger) and strolled around the property comfortably before heading back on the road. It's a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit if you're looking to get your plantation fix in. And best of all, it's totally free to just walk around. read more

I would encourage everyone to stop by and visit this beautiful house and grounds.Once a former rice plantation, it is now owned and managed by South Carolina Parks and Recreation as a state historic site. It was last home to SC's first poet laureate Archibald Rutledge.Sad to say,but over the last 6 or so years it seems to have been neglected as to maintenance and upkeep.From what I hear,Hampton has a NEW manager, so hopefully it will be restored with dignity,love,and the care that it deserves.Take time to read "Home by The River" by Archibald Rutledge before your visit.If you do it will make your visit just that much more enjoyable.Take bug spray.The mosquitoes love it!Avoid the grassy areas if possible, the chiggers,aka redbugs,will make their new home on you! read more

Hampton Plantation Historic Site - Hampton Plantation near McClellanville,SC - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mc Clellanville, South Carolina

The history of the area is so rich here. My favorite thing about Hampton is that you can enjoy the grounds for free. It only costs to tour the inside of the plantation home (which should not be missed). But if you just want to have a nice place to have a picnic and enjoy the scenery, you can't beat the price! read more

Excellent visit and tour. Entire property was interesting and well kept. The tour was a fabulous bargain .highly recommended

Serene location. It will seem as if the people at the plantation have left earlier in the day. Great opportunity for reflection on the era. In contrast, Middleton has lots of activities similar to a working plantation. This is my favorite as I have the chance to see things pretty much as they existed in the "raw". read more