The High Hampton Inn Historic District is a historic estate, resort, and national

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

nestled in the mountains of western

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, in the Cashiers Valley in

Jackson County, North Carolina Jackson County is a county located in the far southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,109. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, which replaced Webster. Jackson County comprises the Cu ...

. Originally the summer home of the prosperous Hampton family of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, the property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1991. Wealthy planter

Wade Hampton II Wade Hampton II (April 21, 1791 – February 10, 1858) was an American politician, plantation owner, and soldier in the War of 1812. He was a member of the Hampton family, whose influence was strong in South Carolina politics and social circles fo ...

purchased in Cashiers Valley as an escape from the summer heat, humidity, and

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

of the Charleston and

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

region. The property became a favorite hunting preserve for the Hampton family and their friends. Young

Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American military officer who served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War and later a politician from South Carolina. He came from a wealthy planter family, and ...

learned to ride horses at High Hampton, a skill that served him well as a leading

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

commander during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. In the 1880s, the property passed into the hands of Hampton II's three daughters. They sold it in 1890 to their niece

Caroline Hampton Caroline Hampton Halsted (20 November 1861 – 27 November 1922) was a nurse who became the first to use medical gloves in the operating room. Biography Caroline Hampton was a member of a prominent southern family; her uncle, Wade Hampton III, was ...

and her new husband, Dr.

William Halsted William Stewart Halsted, M.D. (September 23, 1852 – September 7, 1922) was an American surgeon who emphasized strict aseptic technique during surgical procedures, was an early champion of newly discovered anesthetics, and introduced several ...

, a prominent surgeon. Halsted purchased several adjoining farms and pieces of property, eventually expanding his holdings to more than . The Halsteds both died in 1922. A North Carolina businessman, E. Lyndon McKee, and his wife, Gertrude, purchased the estate in 1922. After purchasing the property, the McKee's built a rustic two story Inn and added the famous 11 hole golf course designed by J. Victor East in 1924. Disaster struck High Hampton in 1932 when a fire broke out in the detached kitchen, burning the Inn, Hampton Hunting Lodge, and the Halsted Cottage to the ground. In 1933, the property was renovated and adapted as the present High Hampton Inn, which opened for business. Descendants of Lyndon and Gertrude McKee owned and operated the resort for 95 years ending with the sale of the property in 2017. After 95 years, the Inn and Club now come under the ownership of the Birmingham-based Arlington Family Offices, working with seasoned management group Daniel Communities to operate High Hampton’s club amenities, including the newly-redesigned Thomas Fazio golf course. The Beall family, along with the leadership team from Blackberry Farm, have joined the High Hampton team in the revitalization of the historic inn and cottages into a year-round operation. Today, passionately committed families continue the storied traditions of High Hampton into the next 100 years. To continue representing these storied traditions, The High Hampton History Center was founded in 2019. The History Centers main focus is to provide tours, programs, and archive the vast collection of historic photos and artifacts from the property. The History Center is located in the Historic Caddie House (1924). The High Hampton Inn Historic District encompasses 12 contributing buildings and 1 contributing site. They include the High Hampton Inn (1932-1933), a 2 1/2-story, "L"-shaped, gable roofed Rustic style structure sheathed in chestnut bark siding. It was designed by locally prominent architect

Erle Stillwell Erle may refer to: Places * Erle, Astrakhan Oblast, Russia * Erle, California, a former settlement in the United States *Erle (river), a river of Thuringia, Germany *, a borough of the German city of Gelsenkirchen *, a village in the German muni ...

and features a one-story, hip roofed wraparound porch with an extended

Porte-cochère A porte-cochère (; , late 17th century, literally 'coach gateway'; plural: porte-cochères, portes-cochères) is a doorway to a building or courtyard, "often very grand," through which vehicles can enter from the street or a covered porch-like ...

. Other contributing resources include the Lake Cottage (1932), Hampton Cottage (1932), Halsted Cottage (1932), Chimney Top Cottage (c. 1932), Rock Mountain Cottage (1941), Mayapple Cottage (1932), Lodge Cottage (c. 1900 and 1925), Thorpe Cottage (1936), Wade Hampton Smokehouse (c. 1890), Supply Building (c. 1890 and 1927), and the Recreational Landscape (1922-1941). Buildings that are no longer on the property include: Appletree Cottage (c. 1900 and 1937), Caroline Cottage (1941), Lewis Cottage (c. 1932), Stable (1933), Housekeeping/Garage (1933) . The current High Hampton Inn and Country Club consists of .

References

External links

High Hampton history

High Hampton Inn and Country Club
{{National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina Wade Hampton family Buildings and structures in Jackson County, North Carolina Golf clubs and courses in North Carolina Hotel buildings completed in 1933 Hotels in North Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Jackson County, North Carolina 1933 establishments in North Carolina Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina

See also

References

External links