Harry Hampton Tree in Congaree National Park   Marcas Houtchings
  Jun 17, 2006 08:38 PDT 

Congaree National Park has historic Baldcypress tree called the Harry
Hampton tree. More than fifty years ago, Harry Hampton, writer and
editor for THE STATE newspaper, began a one-man campaign to preserve the
Congaree River Floodplain as a "Natural Preserve". Although his
position at the time was unpopular, his idea to preserve the Congaree
Swamp persevered and today we have Congaree National Park one of only 58
National Parks in the National Park Service system. Congaree National
Park has named the Visitor Center and a very Large Baldcypress tree in
honor of Harry Hampton for his everlasting contribution in
conservation. Harry Hampton used this tree as an example to
politicians, citizens, and the National Park Service to show what would
be lost if a "Natural Preserve" was not establishment. This tree is
extremely famous in Congaree National Park not only for its enormous
size but because it embodies Harry Hampton's passion and vision for
conservation. This tree is only here today because of the efforts of
Harry Hampton. The Harry Hampton tree is the largest Baldcypress in a
grove of other virgin Cypress trees. The H.H. Tree has a height of 133
feet, and a circumference of 23 feet 9 inches. Bellow is a photo of
Harry Hampton and the baldcpress

Harry Hampton, one of the "founding fathers" of Congaree, is pictured above standing next to a giant Bald cypress tree.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jeeping31/detail?.dir=b264&.dnm=e26cre2.jpg

http://www.nps.gov/cong/photosmultimedia/
harryhamptonphoto.htm?eid=133632&root_aId=192#e_133632