Kensington Mansion

Admission: Adults: $5.50; Seniors: $4.50; Students (10 and over): $2.50

Built in 1854 by Matthew R. Singleton, this estate reflects life that was typical of prewar Southern aristocracy.

International Paper, the owner of Kensington Mansion, and the Scarborough-Hamer Foundation have formed a working partnership to provide tours of Kensington to the public. All proceeds from admission fees go to the Scarborough-Hamer Foundation for museum research, tour administration, and preservation of the collection by the Scarborough-Hamer Foundation.

When you go, be sure to notice the beautiful domed ceiling with ornamental plasterwork in the dining room.

Wade Hampton was one of the house's famous visitors. He was a prominent cavalry general in the Confederate Army, US Senator, and South Carolina Governor. He spent his honeymoon there after marrying Matthew Singleton's niece. The remains of Hampton's mansion in Columbia can be toured at the Millwood Plantation Ruins. See his personal belongings and portrait at the Confederate Museum.Or visit his burial site at Trinity Episcopal Church.

After being abandoned and falling into disrepair in the early part of the century, Kensington Mansion is now on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been restored and refurbished under the guidance of the Sumter County Museum and Archives.