Historic Stagville Durham, North Carolina

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Historic StagvilleDurham, North Carolina

• Tour Guide
• Training

2
Historical Foundations

• Historic Stagville is a State Historic Site that
  includes the remnants of one of the largest
  plantations in Pre-Civil War South.
• On this site you will find exhibits that
  exemplify an 18th to 19th century plantation,
  complete with original plantation house, slave
  quarters, and barn.

3
Bennehan Family

• Founded in 1787 by Richard Bennehan
• Built a one-and-a-half story portion of the house
  first, then added the two story portion in 1799.
• Richard Bennehan was a local merchant who
  maintained a store along the Old
  Indian Trading Path.

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The Camerons

• Duncan Cameron, married to
• Bennehans daughter Rebecca,
• added to Stagvilles land in 1807.
• Fairntosh was constructed
  on land adjacent to Stagville.
• Stagville, along with Fairntosh, was the largest
  plantation complex in the state with 30,000 acres
  and approximately 900 slaves

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Bennehan House
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Facts

• Example of Georgian Style Architecture
• Built of Heart Pine
• Interior woodwork of the house is original
• Majority of exterior woodwork is believed to be
  original
• Glass Windows were ordered from England most is
  still intact.
• Chimneys are believed to be early replacements.

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Domestic Slave Cabin Remains
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Facts

• Foundation remains behind the main house.
• Cabin would have had a wooden plank floor, a
  shingle roof, and a large fireplace.
• Foundation would have been dry-laid.
• House would have measured 19 x 23
• Plank flooring would have made this house unusual
  for the South as most slave cabins had dirt
  floors.
• Between five to seven enslaved
  individuals would have resided
  here.

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Kitchen Remains
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Facts

• Foundation remains are also behind the main house
• Separate from the house as that was the practice
  in 18th and 19th century plantations.
• Building would have been a timber-framed, two
  story structure with a wood shingle roof.
• Would have measured 28 by 16 and included three
  2 by 20 shuttered windows. There would have
  been no glass in the windows.

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Horton Grove
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Facts

• Named for the Horton family who first settled the
  land. Richard Bennehan bought their house and
  land.
• Paul Cameron, Bennehans grandson, used this site
  to construct new slave quarters in 1840.
• Horton House was used to house the plantation
  overseer.
• The house is typical of what most whites would
  have lived in during the Antebellum Period.

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Stagvilles Slave Quarters
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Facts

• Constructed between 1851 and 1860
• Atypical for the time
• two story with wood plank floors.
• Employed brick nogging which insulated the house
  and protected from rodent infestation.
• Each dwelling would have housed five to seven
  enslaved individuals.

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The Great Barn
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Facts

• Slave labor helped construct this barn in 1860.
• Timber was obtained from the plantation.
• Structural members were hand-hewn while flooring
  and siding was prepared in plantation sawmill.
• Measures 135 feet long and is covered with cedar
  shingles.
• Was used to house mules.
• Last major construction project by Paul Cameron.

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Comprehension Check

• Using the facts generated by our discussion-
  write a brief historical overview of Historic
  Stagville.

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Runaway Slave Notices-18th to 19th centuries
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Personal Letters-19th century
Plantation Slave Records ca. 1835
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Bill of sale for a slave ca.1835
Survey map for purchase of property ca. 1860
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WPA Slave Narratives ca. 1930s
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Primary Sources

• These are original documents that are created at
  the time historical events occurred. The
  preceding slides were all examples of primary
  sources.
• Researchers/Historians use these sources to help
  them paint a realistic picture of everyday life
  in a historic time.
• At Historic Stagville, primary sources are used
  to help recreate the past.
• Since primary sources are used to interpret
  history, there is a fair amount of inference
  involved.

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Comprehension Check

• Turn to page 97 of the volunteer manual.
• Read the sharecropping contract.
• Write at least two facts that you could derive
  from this source.
• Continue this for pages 93, 87, and 63-65.

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Sharecropping Contract

• Facts that could be derived from this source
  include
• Jasper Jones was a former slave
• The Civil War is over, therefore the slaves are
  free.
• Jasper Jones is illiterate, as would be the case
  for former slaves.

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Family Quotes

• Possible Facts
• Slaves had little choice in even clothing that
  they wore.
• Plantation owners hired out their slaves
• Careful records for work details were kept.

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Letter from Paul Cameron

• Possible Facts
• Cotton was shipped to Henderson for sale
• Supplies such as oil and tallow had to be ordered
  from Raleigh
• People were uneasy about slaves having weapons.
  (Nat Turner Rebellion was in1831.)

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Sharecropping Proposal

• Possible facts
• It could be inferred that Paul Cameron felt that
  his former slaves could not take care of
  themselves.
• Stagville was not affected as badly by the war as
  other plantations as inferred by the amount of
  supplies.
• Can compare this source with previous plantation
  records to show it was still to be business as
  usual for freed slaves remaining on the
  plantation.

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Tour Guide Duties

• Site Tour
• Encourage visitors to sign guest book
• Describe site facilities

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Planning a Guided Tour
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Step One Visitor Preparation

• adapt tour to visitor's interests
• Encourage interaction
• Explain rules of site and safety concerns

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What to Expect

• Time Factors-tours take approximately one hour
  and include visits to Bennehan House, the Great
  Barn, and Horton Grove
• Distance factors-Bennehan house is within walking
  distance to visitor center. Horton Grove and the
  Great Barn are within driving distance.

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What to Expect

• Accessibility-not all of the buildings are
  handicapped accessible. Visitors with special
  needs are accomodated,however.
• Food/Beverage-Water is available in gift shop.
  Visitors may bring their own picnic lunch.
• Restroom Facilities-These are located in the
  visitor center.

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Step Two Tour Organization

• Choose tour theme
• Consider age/grade level of majority of
  participants.
• Identify Key Points for tour based on theme and
  age level.
• Make sure that you have included a beginning,
  middle, and end to your tour.

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Step Three Subject Knowledge

• Communicate accurate, documented information
• Make sure that you have included the salient
  points for each building as well as a historical
  overview of the site. (Refer back to historical
  overview completed prior to this for ideas.)

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Step Four Communication Skills

• Speak in a clear voice using appropriate language
• Avoid using a monotone or sing-song voice
• Do not tell all about a subject in order to have
  questions at the time.
• Don't remain on one subject too long
• Refrain from offering personal opinions

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Step Five Interaction Skills

• Use four types of questions to involve visitors
  in the tour
• Remember to adapt tour to suit age and experience
  of visitors.
• Wait at least three to five seconds for answers
  when questioning visitors.
• Allow visitors to touch items only when
  appropriate

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Step Six Physical Movements

• Maintain a moderate pace while moving around
  site.
• Avoid distracting body movements and maintain eye
  contact with visitors.
• Choose stance carefully so that items are
  protected, but view is not blocked.

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Comprehension Check

• View video of tour and use checklist to critique.
• After video, participants are asked to plan their
  own tour using the tour plan guide attached.