Would You Visit a Plantation?

Would You Visit a Plantation?

  • Yes

    Votes: 79 97.5%
  • No

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Total voters
    81
Laura.jpg

Laura Plantation is a true Creole plantation with a dark past that is told without apology. @lupaglupa , I'm sure you would enjoy this tour.
 
Living in Mississippi has enabled my wife and I to visit many Ante-Bellum homes and a couple of plantations. Historic value and interest in how people lived in those days always creates interest for us. Slavery is a fact and visiting places where they lived, toiled and died is not promoting or advocating for it but merely learning about their lives as well as their owners.
Regards
David
 
Last year I toured Frogmore, its more for people interested in farming like me as the greathouse and most the slave quarters are gone, but get to see period and modern cotton gins and equipment.

This post made me realize, I've been to two former plantations in the last 5yrs that aren't open to the public, or even totally restored. One still had slave quarters, & some other outbuildings.

I was there on a professional level, & did actually work on one of them.

The one I worked on, the original part of the house, was built in the 1780's by German POW's, according to the owner. They had lots of old paper work on the place, & claimed the Germans were masons who thought they were coming here to work. When they were informed they were to fight the British, they refused. They were brought to that location, & built their own prison, which was later added on to, & became a working plantation for many years.

The roof rafters were original hemlock. It was super cool seeing the dowels, & such. In other places, I could see original blacksmith nails. Most of the stone, looked like river rock. The main roof was slate but, not original. This was pure trade p*rn to me.
 
The last time I was at Mt Vernon, about a dozen years ago, I got to go inside Washington's tomb, to set a wreath near his sarcophagus.

I was there with my niece, about 5-years-ago, who lives in Maryland, and as a wife of an active military, she got to set the wreath and I got to read the proclamation - it was an incredible honor.
 
I never had any idea that visiting a plantation could be in any way controversial, until I visited Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh, NC, where I live. I wrote up a post about my visit on a local Raleigh Facebook group, and was criticized for even visiting the place, because of its connection to slavery.

Mordecai is intrinsically very interesting to visit, as an example of antebellum architecture and lifestyle, and it has a connection to my current writing project.

I have to say that the criticism caught me off-guard. I tried to communicate with the principal critic to understand her objections, but just came up against more outrage.

I have to say that the docent who conducted the tour was a doctoral student in history, specializing in slavery. He spoke very frankly about the role of slavery in life at Mordecai. He even provided me with narratives of enslaved people at the plantation, which highlighted the brutality of the system. Definitely no sugar-coating on his presentation.

In spite of potential controversies, I plan to visit other plantations in the area. Here's a photo of the main plantation house at Mordecai. The house still sits in is original location.

IMG_20190825_144206.jpg


Roy B.
 
I have to say that the docent who conducted the tour was a doctoral student in history, specializing in slavery. He spoke very frankly about the role of slavery in life at Mordecai. He even provided me with narratives of enslaved people at the plantation, which highlighted the brutality of the system. Definitely no sugar-coating on his presentation.
To me, this is the way to handle the challenges of history. No whitewash and no rejection - instead every attempt to see the world as it was fully. Plantations were significant in our history. The people who owned them often made valuable contributions to the story of our nation. They also participated in a practice that we know hold to be abhorrent the story of the lives of those who lived in the "big house" and the slave quarters are equally important in understanding who we are and how we got here. To close every plantation site would remove many opportunities to showcase the stories of enslaved persons. Seeing the contrast between the mansion and the slave shack tells a story about inequality far better than reading about it on a paper ever would.
 
This post made me realize, I've been to two former plantations in the last 5yrs that aren't open to the public, or even totally restored. One still had slave quarters, & some other outbuildings.

I was there on a professional level, & did actually work on one of them.

The one I worked on, the original part of the house, was built in the 1780's by German POW's, according to the owner. They had lots of old paper work on the place, & claimed the Germans were masons who thought they were coming here to work. When they were informed they were to fight the British, they refused. They were brought to that location, & built their own prison, which was later added on to, & became a working plantation for many years.

The roof rafters were original hemlock. It was super cool seeing the dowels, & such. In other places, I could see original blacksmith nails. Most of the stone, looked like river rock. The main roof was slate but, not original. This was pure trade p*rn to me.
Apparently the great house only burned in recent years, it probably would have had more general appeal while it had existed.

It's the only one I've visited without the great house, but in a way was a plus, as it put the focus more on agriculture then slavery or the people and house. It mentioned slavery as a side note which it should be, it had slave overseers and the house for the the promoted slave survived, and a few cabins/work buildings. But the primary focus of the tour was cotton production then and today.....to be honest if one wishes to hear of the workforce, today's employees were hardly mentioned at all......or white sharecroppers either. So if someone wanted a history of everyone working there the last 150 years, they would have been disappointed I guess
 
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I’ve been to many in Mississippi and Louisiana, plus Mt. Vernon and Monticello in Virginia. I probably would visit more in the Tidewater if I had the opportunity but I’ve seen and appreciated enough of them already.

I wanted to be an architect when I was young and studied it for a year before switching majors. That was what drew me to them. We once had an active thread going on here about favorite plantation homes, regional styles, etc. which was really informative.

edited by moderator jerseybart
 
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I’ve been to many in Mississippi and Louisiana, plus Mt. Vernon and Monticello in Virginia. I probably would visit more in the Tidewater if I had the opportunity but I’ve seen and appreciated enough of them already.

I wanted to be an architect when I was young and studied it for a year before switching majors. That was what drew me to them. We once had an active thread going on here about favorite plantation homes, regional styles, etc. which was really informative.
I've always found the view that recognizing and preserving historical sites somehow equates into "celebrating" it rather bizarre.....if so assassination sites such as Ford's Theatre or the Lorraine Motel would top the bizarre sites.
 
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Do you remember what it was for..?

The proclamation? It was the standard one they hand out to read with the wreath ceremony. I'm sure I have it but I can't remember it. I just remember my niece being picked from the crowd and them me being picked from the crowd! We were so stunned that and so honored to be "in there" that I can't remember anything else!
 
If my powerball ever comes in, I'd want to buy an old plantation, & restore it. :cool:

I follow the Facebook page for the McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois.
I've always found the view that recognizing and preserving historical sites somehow equates into "celebrating" it rather bizarre.....if so assassination sites such as Ford's Theatre or the Lorraine Motel would top the bizarre sites.


I spent an entire day at the Tower of London.
 
The thing anyone touring a plantation should keep in mind is the tours themselves are as varied as those taking them. One of the better recent developments is they often offer more then one tour, allowing people to pick one tailored to their interest if they have a special interest.

Also guides will often focus more on what your interested in if one asks.
 
The proclamation? It was the standard one they hand out to read with the wreath ceremony. I'm sure I have it but I can't remember it. I just remember my niece being picked from the crowd and them me being picked from the crowd! We were so stunned that and so honored to be "in there" that I can't remember anything else!
The whole ceremony. What was it celebrating..? I can't remember, it's been so long.
 
I’ve visited all the open historic homes in the Charleston area whether plantation or not. It’s like seeing a glimpse of history. The average American certainly did not live in that type setting.
 
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