Historic Hampton, Inc.

09/30/2026

Esther “Hetty” Batty was manumitted (freed) from Northampton Furnace in 1829. Her husband, George, may have either purchased his own freedom or seized it for himself, because by 1830 they were living together in Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania. This area was located near the Mason Dixon Line, the boundary between Maryland and the free state of Pennsylvania. Many freedom seekers on the underground railroad used the ferry boats at Peach Bottom to cross the Susquehanna River on their journey to freedom.

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park



Learn more about the descendants' lives in freedom: https://www.nps.gov/hamp/learn/historyculture/descendants-of-the-enslaved.htm

📸 Photographic Postcard, the ferry at Peach Bottom in York County was used by freedom
seekers on the underground railroad to cross the Susquehanna River on their journey to
freedom. Courtesy of the Descendant.

09/22/2026

09/04/2026

09/02/2026

As we go into September, let’s remember that September is

While Hampton was not a stop on the Underground Railroad, it marked the beginning of the journey for freedom seekers who took control of their destinies and left Hampton to build a new life, and new communities in freedom.

Throughout the month we will feature the stories of freedom seekers from Hampton.

To learn more about the Underground Railroad and the Network to Freedom, go to: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/undergroundrailroad/index.htm

To learn more about Freedom Seekers from Hampton: https://www.nps.gov/hamp/learn/historyculture/freedom-seekers.htm

📷 Foggy meadow with tree in foreground and misty shadow of mansion in background. NPS/Tim Ervin

08/25/2026

Hey all you party animals, it's the 110th birthday for the National Park Service (NPS)🦌🎉

Created on August 25, 1916, to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations." Over the last 110 years, the NPS has grown into over 400 national parks with programs that reach communities around the country, and even the world! The birthday is part of National Park Week this year so come celebrate all week! Join the birthday fun on social media using , , and .

Today, for the National Park's birthday, it is also a FEE FREE at any National Park Site that normally has a fee, like our sister site, Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine.

📸This stag can be seen when on a tour of the mansion. The grounds at Hampton are open daily from dawn to dusk and the Visitor Center is open Thursdays-Sundays 9am-4pm. Programs like mansion tours are offered Thursdays-Sundays with tickets only, visit our website to learn more.

08/22/2026

This year’s theme, “Celebrating America’s Story,” sheds light on the stories of our shared heritage and achievements. Two different stories came together when Joshua Johnson (c. 1763–after 1827) painted this portrait of young Prudence Gough Carroll (1795–1822), later Mrs. John Ridgely.

Joshua Johnson was the first professional Black artist in the United States, who worked principally in Baltimore. Johnson was born around 1763 on the farm of William Wheeler, Sr., located not far from Hampton. He was purchased at the age of one and later freed at age 19 by his father, George Johnson. Joshua Johnson eventually became a successful painter, advertising himself as a “self-taught genius” in a Baltimore newspaper in 1798. This was about the time he painted Prudence’s portrait.

The public can see this painting and more during the regularly scheduled guided tours of the mansion. Also, during National Park Week, we will have a couple of collection items in the Visitor Center, during normal operating hours Thursdays-Sundays.

Learn more about visiting Hampton: https://www.nps.gov/hamp/planyourvisit/things2do.htm



📸 Prudence Gough Carroll (1795-1822) by Joshua Johnson (c.1763-after 1827); oil on canvas, c. 1798. (NPS)