SperlingViews - Camden, South_carolina

Camden is a very fine former resort town trying to decide as to if it should use the great charm that it has in the older homes or become a very modern city and hub of the local area. Prior to the War between the States many fine summer homes and estates were built by planters fleeing the sickness and heat of the tidewater area. These summer places attracted many northerners with the growth of the railroad system that united the country. Vast hotels such as the Court Inn, Hobkirk Inn and Kirkwood made the area noted for charm, golf, horse related activies including the internationally known Carolina cup. At the end of World War II, the grand hotels faded from the local scene and vanished completely. Except for the manor house that was the core of Hobkirk which remainsstanding as a home.The Court Inn after suffering a series of negative activies which included cutting up the nationally known formal gardens including a boxwood maze that was a duplicate of that at Hampton Court palace in England and which survived the cival war the famous lion statues are now at Columbia, SC and guard the entry to the state Library. The final disaster for the hotel was a series of miss management activities by under qualified people.So although this great garden and stables are gone from the area, Much of the beauty remains in the city. It is like a beloved family possession, abused, battered but still reflecting great charm and well worth the visit. Who knows you may even met the great famous friendly and protective ghost of the gray lady as she wanders the streets of town now her beloved Court Inn (Hampton Court plantation) is no more.[read more...]