Neighborhood Spotlight: Hampton Park Terrace

Residents who live in Hampton Park Terrace share their neighborhood with a Charleston landmark recognized as one of the most esteemed colleges in the country. It sits between Wagener Terrace on the north and Westside on the south. This historic neighborhood shares an eastern border with North Central and extends all the way to the Ashley River on its western side.

Hampton Park Terrace Neighborhood Highlights

Hampton Park Terrace is a historic neighborhood for several reasons. One of the biggest is that it is home to The Citadel, South Carolina’s distinguished military college established in 1842.

The Citadel is one of the most honored military colleges in the United States and has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the number one public college in the South offering up to a master’s degree.

A second reason is that the neighborhood is more than a hundred years old. The first sections were laid out in 1912 on what was then rural land. Most of the homes in Hampton Park Terrace were built by 1925 to create one of the city’s first suburbs. Today it is known as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hampton Park

Neighborhood Landmarks

Of course, the most famous landmark in Hampton Park Terrace is The Citadel.

A community unto itself, The Citadel’s 300-acre campus consists of more than a dozen buildings designed in a Spanish Moorish architectural style. The main barracks surround the iconic parade ground made up of red and white checkerboard squares.

The parade ground of The Citadel

Hampton Park Terrace also is home to Hampton Park, noted for its lush floral displays and its green-roofed gazebo. Its 60 acres are enjoyed by students from The Citadel as well as residents. The neighborhood is mostly residential but is surrounded by some of the best-known restaurants in downtown Charleston. Rodney Scott’s BBQ, for example, is located on King Street just a few blocks away from the neighborhood’s northeast corner.

One beloved restaurant is located on Congress Street, which forms Hampton Park Terrace’s southern boundary. We’re referring to Harold’s Cabin, located in the same building on the corner of Congress Street and President Street since it first opened in 1929 as a small family-run business selling snowballs.

Harold’s Cabin on the corner of Congress and President streets in downtown Charleston

Named after Hampton Park Terrace resident and food entrepreneur Harold Jacobs, Harold’s Cabin reopened in 2016 as a corner store and cafe featuring a rooftop garden and indoor seating.

The Charleston City Paper called Harold’s Cabin “a Dean & DeLuca 50 years ahead of its time.” Harold Jacobs introduced Charleston shoppers to frozen vegetables, gourmet cheeses, and the first Ritz Crackers. 

The renewed Harold’s Cabin stemmed from a partnership between Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park food and beverage director John Schumacher, RiverDogs’ president Mike Veeck, and actor Bill Murray. Residents can join visitors and fellow Charlestonians to enjoy dinner, weekend brunch, and grab-and-go prepared foods.