Who are the Friends of Hampton Plantation?
Our Friends group is a non-profit organization that is committed to supporting the Hampton Plantation State Historic site. Our members strive to fund projects that preserve the park structures and help to keep the plantation as an active historic site for visitors to enjoy.
Friends’ funds also allow us to construct new interpretive displays, help to provide educational tools for school groups, create and provide educational demonstrations and opportunities for different programs.
Your donations help do all this, and more!
We also have Friends that volunteer to assist the very small staff in place at Hampton, necessary to keep the plantation up and running.
Ask a Ranger how you can help, become a member, or to learn about the projects currently in the works and coming soon.
Thank you for your support!
History of the Friends of Hampton Plantation State Historic Site
The Friends of Hampton Plantation organization was begun in 1990 by the Eliza Lucas Pinckney Woman’s Club of Mount Pleasant and Charleston. The club was formed in 1989 and named for Eliza Lucas Pinckney, a woman considered ahead of her time and a woman who exemplified the characteristics valued by the members of the club.
In choosing projects for fundraising, it was decided to focus on issues that would have been important to Eliza Pinckney during her lifetime. Since Eliza had died of breast cancer in Philadelphia where she had gone for treatment, it was decided to focus on cancer fundraising and volunteer work.
Research for descendants led to Elise Pinckney, 5x great granddaughter of Eliza. Elise with a guest speaker and provided much information about Eliza‘s life, and where other areas could be chosen as projects. Elise became an honorary club member and allowed the club to have our annual Christmas tea in her home for several years, using Eliza’s candlesticks and silver cream and sugar set—-a true honor for our members!
In learning about Eliza‘s connection to Hampton where she spent her final years it was decided to make Hampton Plantation a priority. With Saint James Santee school children a garden was planted by club members beside the Hampton kitchen using plants typical of Huguenot, Native American, English and African American foods which could have been in the plantation kitchen garden.
The most important focus of the club was the establishment of the Friends of Hampton organization. Club president Yolanda Payne contacted the head park ranger @ Hampton with regards to the most beneficial way to direct monies raised for the plantation. Alice Williams, who was a docent at the Plantation, suggested forming the Friends group to ensure all money raised would go directly to Hampton. Alice Williams was the first president of the Friends with Yolanda Payne as vice president. Peggy Harrelson served as secretary and treasurer. The Friends set as their goals to help with restoration and maintenance projects as well as educational displays as it continues today, 33 years later.
In May 1991 the reenactment of President George Washington’s visit to Hampton 200 years before was hosted by the Eliza Lucas Pinckney Woman’s Club with the club providing refreshments for the guests. Actors from Virginia portrayed George Washington, Harriott Horry, and Eliza Pinckney. The group arrived by carriage at the front porch and was greeted by descendants of the Pinckney and Horry family in costume. The group also danced the Virginia Reel and the Minuet in the ballroom.
Yolanda Payne and Jane Farrell have presented a reading of Eliza’s diary and portrayal of Eliza on several occasions in the Hampton ballroom and for Colonial Days at Snee Farm.
In later years Roy Williams became president of friends of Hampton with Harriott Johnson as secretary and treasurer.
It is an honor to now have John Parker as President of Friends of Hampton and a descendant of the Horry family.
Submitted by Yolanda Payne
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What is a Friends Group?
Organized, Dedicated Volunteers Help Operate State Parks In South Carolina, any group of interested citizens can form a nonprofit Friends support organization with the state park management. An individual park should have only one official Friends organization. All organizations must have an open membership policy regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, age or handicap.
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General members can come from a variety of backgrounds, professions and interests. In fact, the best organizations are those with wide diversity. Keep in mind the resources of the park when recruiting members. People with environmental, cultural and historical interests, and administrative, operational or fundraising skills are useful in Friends groups.
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Park Managers are essential components in setting up a Friends organization. Interested people should make sure the Manager has an approved, up-to-date business plan for the park and should ask for a copy. The group must also seek advice from the Park Manager on the park’s specific needs and seek to provide assistance that meets these needs. Some types of assistance can include:
General Volunteerism:
Staffing visitor centers
Compiling resource lists or inventories
Office work
Assisting in archaeological work
Staffing special events
Maintenance work, projects or trail cleanups
Special Park Needs:
Writing for publications or authoring official guidebooks
Sponsoring special events
Resource inventories
Collections analysis
Conducting research
Other professional support (e.g., marine biologists, archaeologists, landscapers)
Funding and Donations:
Secure special grants
Purchase equipment
Fund the construction of a facility
Collect or purchase artifacts
Fund the expenses for research
Fund restorations