Rose Pavilion at Hampton Park
In August 2015, the City of Charleston approved a lease allowing the Charleston Parks Conservancy to renovate and manage several vacant and deteriorating facilities at Hampton Park, including the obsolete police mounted patrol stable, former concession stand, and the old park superintendent’s cottage. The Conservancy’s goal is to return these facilities to public use as high-quality assets that contribute to the overall community experience at Hampton Park.
As of March 2019 the renovated Rose Pavilion at Hampton Park is officially open to the community. Individuals and organizations can contact The Conservancy to reserve Rose Pavilion, centrally located in Hampton Park near the fountain. From family gatherings, to culinary pop-ups, to neighborhood and cultural events, Rose Pavilion can be reserved for both private and public functions.
Construction began on October 22, 2018 for the Rose Pavilion in Hampton Park. The renovation of the physical structure was accompanied by extensive hardscape renovation, including the creation of a large terraced seating area surrounded by a newly designed heirloom rose garden for the public to enjoy. The project was completed in March of 2019.
Rose Pavilion is named for the heirloom rose collection in Hampton Park and for a notable contribution to the world of horticulture that originated in Charleston. In the early 1800s, Charlestonian John Champneys crossed Rosa chinensis (Old Blush) and Rosa moschata, a white musk rose, to create Champneys’ Pink Cluster, America’s first hybrid rose. His friend and neighbor, French botanist Philippe Noisette, created a more refined hybrid of the Pink Cluster, calling it the Blush Noisette and establishing an iconic flower for the gardens of Charleston. A variety of heirloom roses, including the Blush Noisette, will be planted around Rose Pavilion.