History of Hampden Estate

Hampden estate is one of the oldest sugar estates in Jamaica. Renowned throughout Jamaica’s rum history for its full, intensely flavorful pot still rums, it continues today to be the quintessential heavy pot rum of choice throughout Europe and other parts of the world. Surveyed by Thomas Goddard in 1684, Hampden was formalized in 1753 and operated as a large sugar plantation under the ownership of Mr. Archibald Sterling of Scotland. In 1779 Mr. Sterling built the Hampden Great House of which the ground floor served as a rum store. The upper level (residential structure) was added circa 1799. Hampden Estate is firmly set in Jamaican history as it established the Hampden Presbyterian Church on estate property, circa 1824, the first of that denomination to be established in the Caribbean.

University Chapel “ In 1955, the old boiler house was donated by the owners of Hampden Estate to Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, who was then Chancellor of the UWI. She arranged for it to be dismantled, block by block. Each building stone was meticulously numbered, then transported to the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies and reassembled. It took three years to complete the task. When it was done, this beautiful Georgian building, made with finely dressed limestone from Hampden Estate, was reborn as the University Chapel, which is today considered an architectural gem”.

Everglades Farms Ltd.   In 2009, Everglades Farms Ltd., owned by the Hussey family, acquired the estate via public bid through divestment procedures of the Jamaica Sugar Company assets, owned by the Government of Jamaica. A commitment by Everglades Farm to pump some US$6.2 million (J$549.8 million) into the Long Pond and Hampden sugar estates has brought renewed hope to the people of the region and to the economy of Trelawny. The Hussey family is committed to preserving the great traditions of Hampden and to the preservation of old family business values, a necessary prerequisite given that several of Hampden’s current customers can trace their orders back in excess of 50 years.