The Hampton–Preston House located at 1615 Blanding Street in Columbia, South Carolina, is a historic

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

that was the home of members of the prominent Hampton family. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1969. Ainsley Hall, a wealthy Columbia merchant, had the house constructed in 1818. It was purchased a few years later by former War of 1812 general

Wade Hampton I Wade Hampton (early 1750sFebruary 4, 1835) was an American soldier and politician. A two-term U.S. Congressman, he may have been the wealthiest planter, and one of the largest slave holders in the United States, at the time of his death. Biog ...

, a wealthy cotton planter. In turn, his son Wade Hampton II and grandson Wade Hampton III also resided in the home at various times, although ownership passed after Hampton I's death to his daughter Caroline and her husband, State Senator

John S. Preston John Smith Preston (April 20, 1809 – May 1, 1881) was a wealthy planter, soldier, and attorney who became prominent in South Carolina politics in the 19th century. An ardent secessionist, he was the state's delegate dispatched to help con ...

.The ''Columbia Star''
/ref> During the latter part of the American Civil War, the house was used as the headquarters of Union Maj. Gen.

John A. Logan John Alexander Logan (February 9, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and politician. He served in the Mexican–American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a stat ...

during the occupation of Columbia. The South Carolina Presbyterian Institute for Young Ladies acquired the mansion in 1890.The ''Washington Times''
/ref> The house is of a post-Colonial, Classical Revival style, having a broad veranda across the front with Doric columns and a fanlight above. Inside is a sweeping circular stairway with mahogany rails. A crystal chandelier hangs in the middle of the hall. The rooms are spacious, and one is adorned with a white marble mantel by the sculptor Hiram Powers. The gardens covered a city block and were known throughout the state, but they have been plowed under and felled, eventually becoming a parking lot. The Hampton–Preston House was restored and reopened to the public in 1970 as a museum that epitomizes the lives of the planter elite in antebellum South Carolina, and is operated by the Historic Columbia Foundation. It is located in the

Columbia Historic District II Columbia Historic District II is a national historic district located at Columbia, South Carolina. The district encompasses 113 contributing buildings and 1 contributing site in a former residential section of Columbia. They were built between ...

Notes

References

South Carolina Department of Archives and History

External links

Hampton–Preston House
- Historic Columbia Foundation, official site

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton-Preston House Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Houses completed in 1818 Museums in Columbia, South Carolina Family of Wade Hampton I Historic house museums in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, South Carolina Houses in Columbia, South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina 1818 establishments in South Carolina Antebellum South