Hampton stands on a hill which is the second highest point in Calvert County. Designated a Maryland historic property in November 1983, it is a fine example of Federal architecture and is an important landmark for Maryland. Many well known owners have lived in Hampton throughout the years, including prominent political families, starting with the Talbotts, the Carcauds, the Wards, the McAllisters, the Lynns, and the Lawsons. Several streets in Calvert County are today named after those owners. In September 2022, the property was purchased by the Postow family.
Origins
Richard Talbott was the first owner of the property in 1664. He erected a log cabin on the site after receiving an assignment of this particular piece of land from his father-in-law, Major Richard Ewen. The provisional land office in that same year listed the property under the name, “The Home Plantation.” It is not certain but the property may have stayed primarily in the Talbott family until 1745 when it was purchased by Daniel Carcaud, a wealthy mariner. Daniel (and brother William) were some of the first pew holders of Calvert’s All Saints Church (est. 1692).
Daniel and his wife Elizabeth had a son, David, in 1800. It is believed that David built the original three-bay, Federal house in 1825. (A Talbott descendant claimed that it took “...eleven men eleven months and eleven barrels of flour to build it.”) David died in 1831 and his widow married twice more—first to the property overseer, an Irishman from the Eastern Shore named John Cracklin, and then to a Mr. Sunderland. All are buried in the family graveyard on the hill behind the large barn at Hampton.
In the 1840’s, Mrs. Olivia Talbott (b. 1813), bought the house back, thus returning it to the original clan. She married a Mr. Harrison in 1846 by whom she had three children, Elizabeth, Rebecca Olivia, and Benjamin.
Later, a seventh generation descendant of the “log-cabin-building” Talbott, Senator Joseph Francis Talbot, acquired the house. He married Davidetta Priscilla Carcaud in 1875. It was around this time that the property came to be known as “Hampton.” Joseph and Pricilla had one son, David Russell Talbott, (b. November 15, 1876) who became the State Land Commissioner and a M.D.
The Rescue
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hampton was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The Historic American Building Survey done in 1940 by the photographer D.H. Smith captured the image below of the back of Hampton when it was called the Dr. Russell Talbott house. This photo is in the Library of Congress.
On July 5, 1943, Dr. Hugh and Dorothy B. Ward purchased the home from Benjamin E. Talbott, Jr. and worked tirelessly to improve the house. In 1946, Dr. Ward added the Greek Revival portico, a paladian window, and the covered back entryways that are distinguishing features of the home today. Though Hampton is only briefly mentioned, the story of Dr. Hugh Ward's life can be found in the book by Conway Robinson called Country Boy to Country Doctor, Memoirs of Hugh W. Ward M.D., 1898 - 1978.
Modern Day
On June 6, 1995, Hampton was purchased by Stephen McAllister and Dorothy Ann Compton from the estate of Dorothy B. Ward. They set about modernizing the property by adding many improvements including renovating the kitchen, adding a swimming pool, fencing the property, as well as adding the large U-shaped barn and the lighted riding arena. In 1998, the address changed from 3120 Chaneyville Road to 7940 Flint Hill Road. (It is now known as 7940 North Flint Hill Road.)
On March 19, 2004, the property was sold to David Lynn, III and Barbara Lynn. A copy of the deed is here. During their ownership, the Lynns built a horse boarding business called Hampton Horse Farm. Also during this time, old electrical wiring started a fire in the attic, but fortunately, it was extinguished before too much damage was done. Charred beams in the attic still attest to the damage done. As a result of the fire, the house was re-wired and brought up to code.
The previous owners, Richard and Amy Lawson, purchased Hampton from the Lynns in August 2011. Working with some of the best historic preservationists in the country, the Lawsons helped to stabilize the structure, repaired and restored the windows and floors, and worked to document the history of this Calvert County landmark.
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The property was purchased by Alex and Brandon Postow in September 2022. They are undergoing a series of significant historical restorations and foundational improvements and repairs to preserve the manor house for generations to come. They also solidified the partnership of Hampton Plantation and Freedom Hill Horse Rescue with the signing of a long term lease.
