Columns

By David Freeze

Historic Stagville

   Booper and I headed north from Salisbury on August 6^th in hopes of visiting NC Historic Sites at Stagville and Bennet Place. Both are in the Durham area. I read about Stagville and couldn’t wait to hear the story.

     From 1776 to 1865, the Bennehan and Cameron plantations spread across 30,000 acres of land. They had jointly invested in slavery at Stagville. The Camerons inherited complete control in 1847. Hundreds of enslaved people were the backbone of the complex of farms, workshops, mansions and mills. Those enslaved families suffered separation, violence, hard labor and disease. They resisted with varying levels of sabotage, direct action, cultural traditions and freedom seeking. In 1865, 900 people were enslaved on the plantation.

    What we found is the 165 acres that make up the Stagville State Historic Site that is one of the few plantation sites that remain in the nation that focuses on the lives, culture and labors of enslaved African Americans. We made it just in time to take the walking tour with Assistant Site Manager Adarra Blount      

    Dominating the visitor center portion of the tour was the Bennehan House, built between 1787 and 1799. It was a busy house as the center of the plantation complex. We were not able to tour the inside of the home, but heard how the enslaved people, especially those that worked inside, thought the luxury of the house was built on violence, forced labor and the sale of human beings. The house remained as the plantation centerpiece until a much grander mansion was built by the Camerons in 1847.

    A kitchen foundation remains and is located nearby because many of the period homes kept the kitchen in a separate building safely away from the main structure. Nearby too was the foundation of the domestic slave quarters for the Bennehan House. Servants and cooks used their skills to survive, memorizing the etiquette, expectations and personalities of the Bennehan and Cameron families. The cabin was probably a small sanctuary for them away from the trials of serving the owner families. The Camerons referred to enslaved people as family but demanded a spirit of subordination.

    We also visited the Great Barn, built in 1860. A three-story structure, it has withstood the weather since then with only minor damage. Horses and mules were housed here as well as their feed and hay. The barn was bult with pegs, not nails, and is located in the section of the historic site called Horton Grove.

     Also in Horton Grove, in my opinion, is the real centerpiece of today’s historic site and the wonderful tour. A row of slave dwellings from the plantation are well preserved and we toured inside the bottom floor of one of them. Each building housed four families, one to each room. Whether the family had  three or 11 members, they still had only one room. Though the room was large, each room was heated and cooking was done from a fireplace. One of the rooms we saw was furnished, the bare basics of the place for family time after work rest and comfort area. Most notably in the chimney of the first slave quarters building were fingerprints in the bricks, originally molded from local clay. Enslaved residents of this area were field workers. One notable statement concerned the birth of a new family member who immediately became property and were subject anytime to be sent away to other holdings of the Cameron family or even sold eventually.

     The largest of the enslaved quarters is the Hart House. The Harts were a formerly enslaved family that remained on the plantation at the end of the Civil War. In April 1865, when the residents were freed, many stayed and many left. The freed people advocated for land ownership. Through overseers, discriminatory laws and Federal Troops, the Camerons were able to regain control of their land. Many people that stayed, like the Harts, lived through long decades of sharecropping and Jim Crow discrimination. They struggled for civil rights, fair work, equality and land.

    We heard harsh stories of violence and mistreatment, and several intense ones of how specific individuals fought back and occasionally won their freedom. Stagville descendants are organized and now reside around the world. Their story is often heartbreaking and incredibly powerful! This was another wonderful NC Historic Site and well worth your visit. The report on Bennett Place Historic Site will come soon.

     Remember SRR’s Prediction Run on August 29^th at City Park, beginning at 8am. And another of our beginning runners classes is just ahead and set to begin on September 8^th at the Salisbury PD. It is eight weeks of increased running distance and pertinent classes each Tuesday evening that includes subjects like shoes and equipment, stretching and strengthening, running form, nutrition, safety and injury prevention. The rate for the class, a training shirt, membership is SRR and one free race entry remains at $65. You can register at runsignup or at the first class, all of which begin at 6pm.

    Look for these and more upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

By David Freeze

Bennett Place Historic Site

   James Bennett had purchased 200 acres of land along Old Hillsborough Road near Durham Station in 1846. The road connected Raleigh, the state capital, to Hillsborough and more. The Bennetts farmed and sold goods to make ends meet, including benefitting from renting enslaved labor to complete skilled jobs. Very popular was enslaved shoemaker Jacob Boreland.  They liked the land along the roadway because of easier sales to passers-by, including travelers.

    James and Nancy Bennett had lost two sons and a son-in-law during the Civil War, two of which died while in the Confederate Army. Life was hard during the war and the family faced economic uncertainty.

     After General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, many considered the war over, but large Confederate armies still existed. The largest of these armies at the time was led by General Joseph Johnston and was centered around Durham and Raleigh. Many of Lee’s soldiers did not accept the surrender and traveled to North Carolina to join with Johnston. His army had swelled to 90,000 soldiers at the time, yet Johnston believed the cause was lost. Food, clothing and ammunition were all in short supply.

     Union Major General William T. Sherman’s army had continued its path of destruction through the deep south. Johnston hoped to negotiate favorable surrender terms for his remaining soldiers. Sherman and Johnston agreed to meet along Hillsborough Road and the Bennetts were the first homeowners to let the officers and their staffs meet on their property.

       The discussions for surrender were not simple, and the first draft was not accepted by Washington government officials. After the third meeting, all held in the parlor room of the Bennett house, an agreement was reached. Most of the same terms agreed to at Appomattox were finalized. During this time, the Bennett family remained in the kitchen, a separate building as was often the custom during this time period.

      The original chimney still stands but the house was reconstructed, as was the kitchen and smoke house. Benefits of having a separate kitchen also included limiting pests, noise and intense heat from cooking. The smoke house was used to cure and store meat, with about 150 pounds of ham on hand during the negotiations. A small dairy house is also on the property, used for storing butter and milk, as well as other kitchen foods.

    There is also a reconstructed bandstand on the property, simply because it was moved here in the 1920’s to avoid demolition. A Unity Monument was erected in 1923 to represent national healing after the Civil War.

          There is a wonderful yet small museum on site and a short documentary movie that adds more information on the surrender. There is a nice picnic site, and cars have easy access back to I-85.

    The final surrender was signed on April 26, 1865, and about 90,000 southern soldiers laid down their arms. This historic site is well worth visiting and is not far from Stagville, one of my favorites. The Duke Homestead is also nearby, but I have not visited it yet.

     Running and racing are just around the corner, after the late summer break. Next Saturday, on August 29^th, we have the SRR Prediction Run 5K. 8am at the City Park shelter on Lake Drive in Salisbury. No watches, no phones, no timing devices can be worn or carried, and you’ll have to predict your time. The closest to their guess gets a new pair of running shoes from Ralph Baker Shoes and another pair of shoes and other door prizes will also be given. Breakfast will be served too.

    Then on September 12, it is the Run for the Word 5K and Fun Run in Landis. This race funds the Bible teachers in the South Rowan area schools and is known for its fast course. It is a fantastic event for walkers and virtual runners too, those who want to support the race but can’t do the distance on race day.

      And just ahead also is the fall Beginning Runners Class, starting September 8^th at 6pm at the Salisbury PD. The class lasts for eight weeks.

    Look for all these events and more at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org