Mary Murray Boulevard encircles Hampton Park. This road wasn’t always paved. It’s built atop a former horse racing oval. Charleston philanthropist Andrew Buist Murray funded its paving in 1924. His wife Mary Bennett Murray’s name graces the boulevard.
Hampton Park isn’t just a pretty green space. It’s a living history book. The park’s land has seen many transformations. It began as part of John Gibbes’s Orange Grove Plantation. This large plantation played a significant role during the Revolutionary War. The British used the land as a staging area for their attack on Charleston.
Later the South Carolina Jockey Club bought part of the plantation. They built the Washington Race Course. This racecourse hosted Race Week. This was a highlight of Charleston’s social season. The races drew huge crowds. The one-mile oval track hosted some of the finest thoroughbred horse racing in the South.
The Civil War left its mark on Hampton Park too. The racecourse became a Confederate camp. Thousands of Union prisoners were held there. Sadly many died of disease and were buried in a mass grave. A moving ceremony later honored them.
After the war the grounds hosted the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition. This grand exposition featured elaborate buildings and gardens. One popular spot was the Sunken Gardens with ponds and bridges. These ponds and pathways remain a beautiful feature of the park.
The exposition’s bandstand survived. Today it’s a popular spot for weddings. The former snack stand was transformed into the Rose Pavilion. It features over 200 heirloom roses. Olmsted Olmsted & Eliot a renowned landscape architectural firm redesigned the grounds. They planted thousands of shrubs and flowers and hundreds of live oaks.
In 1932 a zoo opened in the park. It featured exotic animals including a lion. The zoo closed in 1975. The animals moved to Charles Towne Landing.
Hampton Park is more than a park. It’s a place that remembers the past. It showcases the layers of history. From plantation to racecourse to prison camp to exposition to zoo. It’s now a peaceful green space. It’s a testament to Charleston’s resilience and its vibrant past. It’s worth exploring every inch of its beautiful landscape. Enjoy your time here in beautiful Hampton Park.