- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
- Location
- central NC
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.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.
Frogmore Cotton Plantation and Gins | FrogmorePlantation.com
Frogmore is the only cotton plantation in the South offering a comprehensive guided tour that fully explains the causes and effects of change on a working cotton plantation from the 1700's through today.www.frogmoreplantation.com
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.
Do you remember what it was for..?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.
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.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.
Apparently the great house only burned in recent years, it probably would have had more general appeal while it had existed.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.
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’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.
Do you remember what it was for..?
If my powerball ever comes in, I'd want to buy an old plantation, & restore it.
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.
The whole ceremony. What was it celebrating..? I can't remember, it's been so long.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.