Tag: preservation

Slavery in the North

Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the City of Brotherly Love, these are all things we associate with the city of Philadelphia.  I find it ironic that the purpose of my last stay in Philadelphia was to highlight that peculiar institution that was the opposite of all of those things. I commend Cliveden’s staff for taking the high road in this matter by engaging the public and seeking their input in how they should move forward in telling the stories of all the people who were involved. The Cliveden experience has given me a better understanding of how slavery existed in northern states.

Cliveden, Home of the Chew Family, Philadelphia, PA

Interior, Cliveden Historic Site, Philadelphia, PA

Cliveden Slave Quarters, Philadelphia, PA

Further Reading:

About the Slave Dwelling Project

Slave Dwelling Project Visits Bellamy Mansion

Bellamy Mansion, Wilmington, NC

Sunday, May 15 found me spending the night at Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington, NC.  I arrived there around 4:45 pm which was good because the young lady working there did not have prior knowledge of my arrival.  This was very important because she was now aware that she should not turn on the alarm in the slave dwelling.  The context of the house reminded me a lot of the Aiken Rhett House in Charleston, SC.  One could easily be enamored by the architectural significance of the house and totally ignore the slavery that was associated with the structure if the former slave dwelling was not still located in back and interpreted.  The dwelling was two stories, made of brick, two bed rooms up top; downstairs contained a bedroom, kitchen and privy.

Joe McGill Stands Outside of Slave Quarters, Bellamy Mansion

When I got settled in to the slave dwelling, I took a leisurely stroll to the Wilmington waterfront.  I was amazed by its beauty and the vibrancy of the city.  There was a wealth of activities happening.  I had an abundance of restaurants from which to choose.  I finally decided on one that would allow me to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather and people watch as I ate my meal.

When I returned to the dwelling, I turned on my computer and was amazed to discover that I had wifi capability.  This capability gave me the opportunity to get caught up on blogging about some of the past stays that I had done.

I was later joined by Terry James, this would be his fifth stay. Terry and I were later joined by Braxton Williams the Bellamy Mansion employee who helped to arrange my stay.   Braxton gave us an overview of the history of the mansion.  He then mentioned that there was an African American Civil War reenactor in the area named Fred (Sweet Corn) Johnson.

Joe McGill Stands Outside of Slave Quarters, Bellamy Mansion

Terry and I got back to the dwelling around 11:30 pm.  Our conversation did not last very long before both of us went to sleep.  Terry slept in the slave shackles again for the third consecutive time.  Because of the urban setting, I was awakened throughout the night by the fire, police and emergency sirens.

Fred "Sweet Corn" Johnson and Joe McGill, Bellamy Mansion

The next morning Sweet Corn treated us to breakfast as he promised.  Terry and I then did a live interview for a local radio station.  Terry then had to go back to his hometown of Florence.  I was obligated to stay to give a lecture on the Slave Dwelling Project later that day.  The lecture was given in the parlor of the Bellamy Mansion to a standing room only crowd.

I went away from that experience knowing that I have to extend the Slave Dwelling Project deep into the heart of the state of North Carolina.  The network established at Bellamy will help me achieve that goal.  Stay tuned for more North Carolina slave dwelling stays in the year 2012 and beyond.

Exploring Urban Slavery at the Aiken Rhett House

Aiken Rhett House, Charleston, SC

Saturday, April 30, 2011 found me at the Aiken Rhett House in Charleston, SC to spend the night in a former slave dwelling located there.  I went there the day before with my daughter Jocelyn who had spent the night with me earlier this year in Eliza’s House, the Freedman’s Cottage at Middleton Plantation, also in Charleston, SC.  Our purpose for being there on Friday was to receive a tutorial on the alarm system for the big house and tour the slave dwellings.  In the end, it was decided that access to the big house was not necessary. 

That Friday I realized how people can be easily lulled into a false sense of history.  The magnificence of the Aiken Rhett does not disappoint.  As the house is approached from any angle, one cannot help but marvel at its architectural significance.  As stated in its brochure:  “Built in 1820 and greatly expanded by Governor and Mrs. William Aiken Jr. in the 1830s, the Aiken-Rhett House and its outbuildings have survived as a time capsule virtually unaltered since 1858.  The house speaks powerfully about the interconnections among all members of the household.  Original outbuildings include the kitchen, slaves’ quarters, stable, coach house and privies.”

It is the purpose of places like the Aiken-Rhett House to appeal to tourists but it is the purpose of the Slave Dwelling Project to bring much needed attention to extant slave dwellings.  More recently, this project is allowing me to explore how urban slavery factored into that peculiar institution.  The former home of a slave holding governor of the state of South Carolina would be a great place for me to continue my exploration.

The Stay

Left to Right: Ernest Parks and Terry James

I got there at 4:50 pm on Saturday ten minutes before closing time.  Although I had a key to the back gate that I had obtained the day before, the purpose was to get there while staff was still on duty in case there were last minute instructions.  Staff was wrapping up an unscheduled group tour.  This was a night that I was not scheduled to sleep in the slave dwelling alone.  Ernest Parks, James Brown and Terry James all fellow Civil War reenactors were all scheduled to stay.  This would be the second stay for Ernest and James and the fourth stay for Terry.  All the gentlemen showed up but James Brown was not able to stay because of an impending job that did materialize. 

The remaining three of us slept in the building that contained the kitchen and slave quarters across from the stable and coach house.  We all slept in the same room on the upper level farthest away from the big house. 

Slave Dwelling, Aiken Rhett House, Charleston, SC

Before falling asleep, Ernest and I were engaged in conversation until 2:00 am while it was obvious by Terry’s snoring that he slept well.  Terry decided to sleep in the period slave shackles for a second time.  Both Ernest and I passed on the opportunity to sleep in the second pair that he brought. 

The morning after the sleepover afforded us the opportunity to explore the site without having to compete with tourists.  To that end, lots of pictures were taken. 

One more thank you is in order for the Historic Charleston Foundation.  This is the second property under its stewardship of which it has allowed me to stay.  The Aiken Rhett House like McLeod Plantation both preserve and interpret all aspects of its history. 

If the Slave Dwelling Project had a rating system for stewards of former slave dwellings, Historic Charleston Foundation would rate highly.

Slave Dwelling Project Receives Warm Welcome in Missouri

"Before Joseph McGill’s visit during the 3^rd week of April, very little recognition of Missouri’s Little Dixie slave cabins could be found beyond my own efforts with my program “Little Cabins.” I can now say that we have people talking about Missouri’s slave cabins from Kansas City to St. Louis, something that did not exist before. I know the spotlight will not last long, but it is our organization’s desire, as well as my own, to keep the light shining bright for as long as possible with the help of Joseph McGill and his unique and important project." ---Gary Fuenfhausen, President, Missouri's Little Dixie Heritage Foundation

Left to Right: Gary Fuenfhausen, David Lerch and Vicki-McCarrell

Monday, April 18, 2011 found me in Pleasant Green, Missouri to stay at Burwood Plantation. I came upon this opportunity through Gary Feunfhausen who contacted me back in December 2010. He is a researcher and architectural and cultural historian living in Missouri with an interest in slave history. He had been researching slave dwellings in the state of Missouri. We both agreed that the Slave Dwelling Project would go over well in Missouri. To that end, Gary proceeded to make plans for the trip, he stepped out on faith and sealed the dates in anticipation that the Missouri Humanities Council would fund the project. Two weeks prior to my trip, Gary received word that his proposal would be funded by the Council.

Burwood would be one of four stays scheduled for the trip to Missouri. My day did not start well. My flight out of Charleston, SC was cancelled. My rescheduled flight would get me to Missouri 5 hours after the time that I was originally scheduled to arrive in Kansas City. When David Lerch, another major player in organizing the trip, became aware of the situation, he immediately took charge and got me on a flight that would shave 2 hours off of the rescheduled arrival time. This was vital in order to stick to the mutually agreed upon schedule.

When I got to Burwood Plantion, I was greeted by the home owner Vicki McCarrell. She had assembled a group that was anxious to hear about the Slave Dwelling Project. The media was represented well within the dynamics of the group. Everyone representing the media got their interview. But there was one gentleman Clayton Slater, a graduate student in Photo Journalism at the University of Missouri who was determined to go above and beyond. We came to an agreement that he could spend the night with me in the dwelling. I am anxious to see the finished product of his work.

Tuesday, April 19 would be the first time I co-presented about the slave dwelling project. The lecture was given at Pickard Hall on the Campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia. I opened the presentation speaking on the need to preserve slave dwellings nationally and Gary followed with the need to preserve slave dwellings on a local and statewide level.

Joseph McGill and Gary Fuenfhausen at Pleasant Green Plantation, Missouri

Wednesday, April 20 found me at Pleasant Green Plantation in Pilot Grove, Missouri. I had already become acquainted with the owner Florence (Winky) Chesnutt - Friedrichs for she was a part of the group that gathered at Burwood the previous Monday night. A group of approximately 20 had gathered for a presentation on the Slave Dwelling Project. During the question and answer period, our host Winky did something quite profound, she read the list of all the slaves that were present on the plantation in 1863. As was common, each slave had only a first name, an age and was assigned a value which ranged from $0.00 to $200.00. Noticeably absent from the list were the names of men. As a Civil War reenactor, I immediately speculated that the men had seized the opportunity to join the Union Army. It is a known fact that the State of Missouri supplied 600 men to serve in the 1^st Iowa Colored Infantry which was also known as the 60^th United States Colored Troops. Of course my assumption led to a spirited discussion during the question and answer period. After the question and answer period we all proceeded outside for photographs and a tour of the slave dwelling.

After the group left, Gary and I did a live radio interview about the project. We then had a nice dinner provided by Winky. The modest dwelling where I slept was the only one left of five that was once on the property, the other four being removed or burned by the new owners in the early 1900s. This one was lived in until the 1940s.

Russell/Reinhard House, Lexington, Missouri

My third stay occurred in Lexington, Missouri at the home owned by Elizabeth S. Sellers. Unfortunately, Mrs. Sellers was out of the state and could not meet me at the site but her son William W. Sellers was a gracious host, he connected me to Mrs. Sellers via a telephone call. The Russell/Reinhard house, located within the city limits has a semidetached two-story summer kitchen and slave quarters. The original owner William Russell was a successful merchant and financer and also a partner with Waddell and Major in the overland trade and Pony Express. Here I was given a choice of sleeping in the modernized upstairs complete with beds or sleeping in the more authentic downstairs. For the sake of the Slave Dwelling Project, I chose the ladder.

It was business as usual, despite the rain, a group had gathered at the site to hear my thoughts. I noticed that the project had established a following, some of the same people were showing up at these sites. After the group left, Gary and I sat down to have conversation with William. Included in the conversation was how some Union troops robbed the local bank during the Civil War and how one of the local bank was robbed by Jessie James.

Joe McGill, Sandi Stephens and Gary Fuenfhausen

My fourth and last stay in Missouri occurred at Winsor/Aull Greek Revival Mansion. The house and quarters was built in 1851, by Thomas Winsor, on the Missouri River bluff. Winsor, who was a successful merchant and banker, owned 3 slaves in 1850.

The current owner of the Winsor/Aull Greek Revival mansion is Sandi Stephens. The following are her comments.

"Old houses are in my blood, always have been. That is why I moved from the West Coast to Lexington, Missouri. It was incidental that my home has slave quarters on the property, but that particular area has become one of our favorite hide-a-ways on our property. It represents part of our history, one that many choose to ignore, or more importantly, make the conscious decision to remove such structures because they are deemed insignificant in comparison to the principal dwelling on the property. Not all of our history may be pleasant, but it is history none-the-less and should not be ignored. It should not be deliberately demolished, as if the lives of those who lived there and worked that land or in that house were inconsequential. I was so thrilled to be a part of Mr. McGill’s Slave Quarters Project and thoroughly enjoyed meeting him and hearing of his endeavor to preserve these integral parts of our past. As he states in his lectures and on his slides, 'these places matter'."

The last scheduled event was a lecture on Saturday, April 23 which was given by me and Gary at the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site.

Missouri was the fourth state to which the Slave Dwelling Project was expanded. This trip was a lesson in how slavery factored into the westward expansion of the United States. It was also a lesson in how slavery factored into the hemp industry. Additionally, it expanded my knowledge of how and why the state of Missouri remained a border state during the Civil War and never officially committed to either side. The four private owners who allowed me to spend a night in their well preserved and maintained former slave dwellings deserve a big thank you. We need more like you. I must especially thank Gary Fuenfhausen for all of the work that he has done to date to replicate on a statewide level what I am trying to accomplish on a national level. It was only fate that our paths crossed, we both have a lot of additional work to do.

Joseph McGill's Slave Dwelling Project Visits Laurelwood Plantation in Richland County, SC

Left to Right: Michael Bedenbaugh, Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation; Jeremy Thomas, New Owner Laurelwood Plantation; Joseph McGill, Slave Dwelling Project

 While my last few stays afforded me the opportunities to stay in slave dwellings in the states of Texas and Louisiana and gave me the opportunity to have many other people share that experience with me, it was now time to get back to basics, sleeping in the slave dwellings alone.  That opportunity would come at Laurelwood Plantation in Eastover, Richland County, SC on Friday, April, 15, 2011. 

The property had just been purchased from the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation by the young couple Jeremy and Jacqueline Thomas from England.  A public gathering was planned at the site to celebrate the sale.  Participants at the gathering included the new property owners; representatives from the Palmetto Trust; family members of the previous owners; descendants of the original builder; the press;  other interested community members and a stray cat.

This would be the second time that the Slave Dwelling Project and the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation would intersect.  The first was my overnight stay at a slave dwelling on Morris Street in Anderson, SC.  I was confident that this stay would be equally as pleasing.  As I approached the dwelling, my confidence for sleeping in it began to diminish.  When I entered the dwelling I became thoroughly convinced that my overnight stay there would not happen.  Surrounded by trees, although still standing, the dwelling had lost some of its structural soundness. 

Slave Dwelling at Laurelwood Plantation, SC

My desire for self preservation overrode my desire to proceed with the project.  All was not lost, with the permission of the new owners I was given permission to sleep on the porch of the big house and given access to the big house if it became necessary at some point during the night.  So there I slept at Laurelwood Plantation on the porch of the bighouse alone with the company of a stray cat that made its presence known throughout the night.

I left there with the assurance from the new owners that before restoring the big house, they would restore the slave dwelling first.  They will live there while the big house is being restored.  Thank you Palmetto Trust for having an easement program that will ensure historic buildings will be restored and a special thank you for finding owners for Laurelwood Plantation who will not shy away from any of its previous history.

Nancy and Bill Malloy, Cheraw, SC

The next night, Saturday, April 16, I was scheduled to stay in Cheraw, SC in a slave dwelling that was restored by Bill and Susan Malloy.  I was also scheduled to give a lecture on the Slave Dwelling Project prior to the stay, at the Southern African American Heritage Center in Cheraw.  The lecture was a success.

 When I got to the beautiful home of Bill and Susan Malloy, Bill reminded me of our first conversation.  It was a result of my overnight stay at Hobcaw Barony in Georgetown, SC.  Staying with me that night was a writer for the Charlotte Observer by the name of Eric Frazier.  Bill contacted me after reading the article that appeared in the Charlotte Observer about the stay at Hobcaw Barony.  Bill and Susan did not disappoint when they served a meal of baked beans, coleslaw and ribs for dinner.  I was thoroughly impressed by the restoration that was done to the former slave dwelling.  One of two located in their back yard, the spacious building was complete with a gas heater; a refrigerator stocked with beer and water; and several easy chairs; this could easily qualify as the ultimate “man cave”.  The Malloys currently use the space for their music room.

One can say that the reason that the 22 slave dwellings at Evergreen are still with us is because they were built of cypress wood. I attribute their existence to the fact that someone in their past made the conscience decision to preserve the dwellings so that the stories of their inhabitants will not be forgotten. --- Joseph McGill, Slave Dwelling Project

Slave Cabins at Evergreen Plantation, LA

Fans of the Slave Dwelling Project are beginning to take advantage of its benefits.  Such was the case when I stayed at Evergreen Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana.  My purpose for travelling to Louisiana was to participate in the Louisiana Statewide Preservation Conference held by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation in Leesville April 6-8, 2011. I arrived at the New Orleans airport and was picked up by Jane Boddie the Director of Evergreen.  My first night stay at Evergreen would be in one of the houses with modern conveniences.  The avenue of oaks was the most impressive that I had ever seen.  I was even more impressed by the 22 slave dwellings still at the site.  Unfortunately an oak tree had fallen on one of the dwellings but my mind was put at ease when Jane told me that the dwelling will be restored.

While I was anxious to spend the night in one of the dwellings, I could not neglect the purpose for which I came to Louisiana, to participle in the Louisiana Statewide Preservation Conference.  The next day Jane and I traversed the state to get to Leesville.  We would return on Friday, April 8, I would stay in the slave dwelling that night.

Before my stay at Evergreen, the most people to share the experience with me in a slave dwelling was five the week before in Texas. Jane did a spectacular job in ensuring that we would surpass that.  Twenty people were scheduled to spend the night in the dwellings. They came from New Orleans, Baton Rouge and all points in between.

Overnight Stay at Evergreen Plantation

The Night at Evergreen Began with a Bonfire

The night started with a bonfire in the front yard of the big house, a spectacular site, and my first time to participate in such an event.  The gathering continued with storytelling and ended with drumming.  We all proceeded to the two dwellings as a group.  A libation ceremony was conducted in front of one of the dwellings followed by listening to recorded excerpts from the Slave Narratives.  On my way back to the cabin where I was going to sleep, I and two other guests encountered a member of the local law enforcement agency.  He was unaware of the activities that were happening that night.  Fortunately, he accepted our explanation.  I made it to my assigned spot and slept through the night with only a few interruptions by mosquitoes.

I requested that two members give an account of their sleepover experience at Evergreen Plantation.  The following is what they wrote:

"On April 11, 2011, I stood with Joe McGill and 20 other people preparing to walk down a white shell road through 100 very old Live Oak trees.  We were walking into an empty village, a village that was home to people for 200 years, ten generations. It was dark, the wind had blown out our candles.  It was silent, so were we.   Later, I sat on the steps of one of the slave cabins, listening to the Litany of the Libation to the Ancestors.  I sat a little apart from the rest, wondering where I fit in all this.  I am white.  Then I began to hear the words of the Libation, over and over again; the Ancestors of all the people of Evergreen Plantation; the Ancestors of ALL the people of Evergreen Plantation, past and present.   In the night, lying on that hard floor, listening to the night sounds, looking up at the ceiling, I was aware of a profound sense of community.  What had happened to the other people who had lain here, looking at this ceiling, are a part of me.  Without that ceiling, without these buildings, if they had all been destroyed, it would be hard to know where any of us fit, to remember who we are.  We are a community of people.  Past.  Present.  Future." --- Jane Boddie, Director. Evergreen Plantation

“I fear cycles of the night and things I don’t understand. Like the snake I startled hunting at dusk, blood-sucking mosquitoes satiated by mid-evening and then returning at first light, and the sounds chirping, howling and rustling through the woods, all here before us. Kathe brought recordings of haunting slave narratives from another century. We brought our voices, but our words were inadequate. We agreed to be quiet. A cacophony of waiflike female voices cackled from the big house.  Breathlessly still, I strained to discover if they were ghosts.  Sweating through one hot night, I was not free until dawn." --- Jonn E. Hankins, Executive Director, New Orleans African American Museum

"Never Forget 

Evergreen Plantation, Edgard, Louisiana

Reflections

Louisiana was the fourth state to which the Slave Dwelling Project has been expanded. This stay afforded me the opportunity to explore how the Spanish, French and English influenced slavery in Louisiana. It was also a lesson in how the Mighty Mississippi River factored into the institution of slavery. In the case of Louisiana, sugar cane was a very labor intensive crop. The slaves that contributed to that industry have a story that should be told. One can say that the reason that the 22 slave dwellings at Evergreen are still with us is because they were built of cypress wood. I attribute their existence to the fact that someone in their past made the conscience decision to preserve the dwellings so that the stories of their inhabitants will not be forgotten. I can recall having the privilege to cruise the Mississippi River on the steamboat Delta Queen before it was decommissioned.  We docked at one of the plantations on the famous River Road, unfortunately that presentation lacked any interpretation of the people who labored to make that plantation prosper.  I strongly encourage a visit to Evergreen Plantation if you are interested in hearing the whole story.  Jane Boddie and her staff will be happy to accommodate you.  They may even throw in a bonus and tell you about the night they spent in one of the slave dwellings.

Contact Joseph McGill Jr. 

Slave Cabin, Egypt Plantation. Artist: Ted Ellis

March 29th through April 2nd found me in the State of Texas to spend nights in former slave dwellings at Egypt Plantation, Egypt, TX and Seward Plantation, Independence, TX and be the keynote speaker at the Texas Historical Commission’s Annual Preservation Meeting.  Texas would be the farthest west I had travelled to sleep in former slave dwellings.  Here the Slave Dwelling Project experienced several firsts; the first time I slept in a former slave dwelling with a female other than my wife or daughter; the first time I slept in a dwelling with a Caucasian; the first time I slept in a dwelling with more than four people. I asked those folks to share their experiences in one hundred words or less. The following is what they submitted:

Bryan McAuley:  Texas Historical Commission

Approaching the sleepover I carried a mix of thoughts and emotions: excited, nervous, intrigued and, ultimately – inspired. The preservation community shares the responsibility of always expanding our collective dialogue about the past. Joe brings a spark to the communities he visits. Inevitably the staging and the response are unique to each site, but the end result must be the same – deeper appreciation for the depth of our past. Too often we allow issues of race and culture to divide us. Events like this, filled with celebration and reflection, move us closer to being the society we strive to be. Staying at the cabin with Joe served to remind me that preservation is only partly about buildings – it’s mostly about people. Some of them lived long ago and some of them share these stories today.

Geneva Richardson Flora (“Candi”): Videographer / Performer

As I lay curled up in front of the fireplace,

the wind was whistling and carrying the sounds of a pack of howling wild dogs in the distance.

Wondering of the days that so many slaves were met with resistance

and seeing that freedom lay way off in the distance reminds me of a poem,

When Will My Freedom Come?

From slave ship to being ripped

From your mother’s hip;

Sold to the man with the big whip.

Horses are fed and laying on hay beds,

Yet here I lie chained, cold,

And half starved dead,

Praying and looking for the day to come;

Wondering when will my freedom come?

Naomi Mitchell Carrier:  Texas Center for African American Living History

(Naomi had the added responsibility of accompanying me throughout the trip, picking me up at the airport in Houston and delivering me to the hotel in Austin)

Historical Reenactor Naomi Mitchell Carrier    at Seward Plantation, Independence, Texas.

Egypt Plantation Slave Cabin Memoir

I lay awake drinking in the sound of the wind

Howling yesterday’s mysteries;

It was a night of a blue norther.

Inside the tiny cabin was a warm intimate destiny with yesterday;

A journey come full circle with our enslaved ancestors;

A link in the chain of memories’ connecting us to both the past and to the future.

How be it that history has so twisted the truth

That we have forgotten ourselves?

But we shall know when the appointed time has come

When we are one with the spirit of yesterday and tomorrow.

Joe McGill

Historical Reenactor Naomi Mitchell Carrier on  Auction Block, Idependence, Texas

The Texas stays certainly did not disappoint. It is always extra special when I find that private owners have spent the time and resources to restore the outbuildings on their properties especially the former slave dwellings. Thank you Bud Northington of Egypt Plantation for letting me stay and inviting the local community and one local school to interact with me. Thank you Hank and Peggy Ward of Seward Plantation for giving me the opportunity to have dinner with a descendant of the owner and a descendant of the enslaved. 

For those of you who have been following these blog posts, you know that there is often something that moves even me, as in the time my colleague Terry James decided to sleep in shackles.  Knowing its emotional impact, Hank Ward of Seward Plantation decided to show us a slave auction block just as we were about to leave the plantation sending Naomi and me into another emotional outburst.  That was a profound reminder of why this project must continue.    

In the early 1900s, the Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767 was a center of African American cultural life in the Sol Legare community on James Island in Charleston County, South Carolina. One of many mutual benefit societies in the Lowcountry, the Seashore Farmers' Lodge provided a safety net of support to community members - help with home and family during illness, help with seed when crops failed, help with burial expenses when a member died.

Now, some 25 years after it fell into disrepair, the James Island community has come to the aid of the lodge, preserving it and restoring it to its original condition. After its grand re-opening April 16, 2011, the lodge will serve as a museum and cultural center, telling stories of African American life on James Island in the early 1900s.

Fraternal Orders: Mutual Benefit Societies

Fraternal orders, or mutual benefit societies, were an important part of African American culture in the rural Lowcountry in the early 1900s. Along with the church, fraternal lodges were focal points of African American community life, places where members could celebrate holidays and happy times, or find community support when hard times or tragedy appeared.

Members paid dues and could purchase crop insurance, health insurance and life insurance. When a member fell ill, other members helped with home and family responsibilities until they were back on their feet. If a member's crop failed, the lodge would help purchase seed for the coming year. If a lodge member died, other members provided community support for grieving family members, and the lodge paid a death benefit if the deceased kept life insurance. Lodges maintained ties with other area lodges, further strengthening bonds among neighboring communities.

The Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767 served the community of Sol Legare, an 860-acre settlement on James Island, so named because planter Solomon Legare maintained a plantation there before the Civil War. After the war, the Sol Legare community was settled by primarily African American homesteaders who purchased land and planted truck farms, growing vegetables for sale in Charleston and other area markets. Many of today's residents of Sol Legare are descendants of the pioneer farmers who settled the community.

In 1915, the community came together to build the two-story lodge building on land owned by member Henry Wallace. For many decades, the Seashore Farmers' Lodge served the community of Sol Legare. But over the years, the lodge fell into disrepair. Hurricane Hugo further damaged the building and destroyed many of the Lodge's early records.

Now, history has come full circle as members of the local community, many of them descendants of community pioneers, have come together to restore and preserve the Seashore Farmers' Lodge.

The Restoration

After an extensive two-year restoration project, the Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767 will once again open its doors to the public, as a museum and cultural center. The lodge's grand reopening will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. As part of the Grand Opening, the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation will present a preservation honor award to the members of the Sol Legare community who worked diligently to restore this treasure of history. To learn more about the grand Opening, please visit the Seashore Farmers' Lodge website, where you will also find hundreds of photos that document the restoration of the lodge. The Seashore Farmers' Lodge is also on Facebook.

Learn More on Blog Talk Radio This Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

This Sunday, April 10, 2001 at 8:00 p.m. the Blog Talk Radio program Nurturing Our Roots will host three community members who were instrumental in restoring and preserving the Seashore Farmers' Lodge, Ernest L. Parks, Bill "Cubby" Wilder and Corie Hipp. Be sure to tune in to the episode, "Descendants of Community Preserve Seashore Farmers' Lodge." You can also call in to the live broadcast to speak with Ernest, Bill and Corie.

Below is a video created by the Seashore Farmers' Lodge restoration committee, which tells the story of the restoration from start to finish. We think you will enjoy it very much!

It was not your typical father-daughter outing - there was no dance, no barbeque, no scavenger hunt.

Instead, 14 year old Jocelyn McGill joined her father in an overnight stay at Middleton Place Plantation, to experience first-hand her father's efforts to preserve historic slave cabins.

Joseph McGill, Program Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sleeps in historic slave cabins to raise awareness of the need to preserve these sites of memory for African American history. On his most recent overnight stay, he was joined by his 14 year old daughter Jocelyn.

Here, they share their reflections on their stay at Middleton Place.

Joseph Says:

While I am anxious to tell the world all about what happened with the Slave Dwelling Project since my last overnight stay at Brattonsville Plantation on Saturday, November 6, 2010, I must respectfully restrain myself.

My most recent stay was Saturday, March 12, 2011 at Middleton Place in Charleston, SC. I was thrilled to be accompanied by my 14 year old daughter Jocelyn on that night.

The next three paragraphs will be her account of that experience. Unfortunately, her desire to stay far exceeded her desire to write about the experience so here goes.

Jocelyn Says:

When I got there I looked around the cabin we were going to sleep in. The cabin that we stayed in was one of the first buildings I saw when I walked in. I thought it was going to be very small and dirty, but it was actually spacious and clean.

While I was there I walked around to look at the animals. They had sheep that had some lambs, goats, Ginny hens, a mule, peacocks, chickens, ducks, a horse, water buffalos, and cows.

A reporter came and asked us some questions, and after he left, we started a fire and made some s’mores. A photographer came and took some pictures, and when he left we put the fire out and went to sleep.

When I woke up I went outside and sat in front of the cabin. The reporter came back, and asked more questions. We walked around and looked at the animals, and I got to pet the horse and the mule. They said there were bob cats, but I didn’t see any.

Joseph Says:

Jocelyn still has the desire to stay at other sites in the future but I do not know if an opportunity like Middleton Place will present itself in the future. I am just thrilled that we could spend that quality time together and hope that her participation will inspire a younger audience to be interested in the Slave Dwelling Project.

In this second year of the project, it will expand to the states of Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland and North Carolina.

The overnight stays are now interspersed with lectures and public interaction when feasible. At least two additional outlets will publish the blogs of each stay. Francis Marion University in Florence, SC has provided funding for a research assistant. The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor is assisting with researching extant slave dwellings within the corridor.

The Magnolia Plantation and Garden’s foundation has provided some funding for the project. A documentary about the Morris Street Slave Dwellings in Anderson, SC has been produced. A local artist is painting a picture that will interpret and benefit the project.

I am consulting with property owners on what should be done with slave dwellings that they possess. Several well capable property owners have offered to relocate dilapidated slave dwellings to their properties for restoration. The future for the Slave Dwelling Project looks bright.

Learn More About Joseph McGill and the Slave Cabin Project

Joseph McGill, a program officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a Civil War re-enactor, began the Slave Cabin Project to raise awareness of the need to preserve endangered slave cabins. Last year, McGill spent the night in eight cabins in South Carolina and two in Alabama.

This year, the project will expand, with overnight stays in Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas.

Listen:

From NPR's All Things Considered: Honoring Slaves by Sleeping in Their Cabins

View:

A One-Man Campaign to Save Slaves' Homes

It was not your typical father-daughter outing - there was no dance, no barbeque, no scavenger hunt.

Instead, 14 year old Jocelyn McGill joined her father in an overnight stay at Middleton Place Plantation, to experience first-hand her father's efforts to preserve historic slave cabins.

Joseph McGill, Program Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sleeps in historic slave cabins to raise awareness of the need to preserve these sites of memory for African American history. On his most recent overnight stay, he was joined by his 14 year old daughter Jocelyn.

Here, they share their reflections on their stay at Middleton Place.

Joseph Says:

While I am anxious to tell the world all about what happened with the Slave Dwelling Project since my last overnight  stay at Brattonsville Plantation on Saturday, November 6, 2010, I must respectfully restrain myself.  My most recent stay was Saturday, March 12, 2011 at Middleton Place in Charleston, SC.  I was thrilled to be accompanied by my 14 year old daughter Jocelyn on that night.  The next three paragraphs will be her account of that experience.  Unfortunately, her desire to stay far exceeded her desire to write about the experience so here goes.

Jocelyn Says:

When I got there I looked around the cabin we were going to sleep in. The cabin that we stayed in was one of the first buildings I saw when I walked in.  I thought it was going to be very small and dirty, but it was actually spacious and clean.               

While I was there I walked around to look at the animals. They had sheep that had some lambs, goats, Ginny hens, a mule, peacocks, chickens, ducks, a horse, water buffalos, and cows. A reporter came and asked us some questions, and after he left, we started a fire and made some s’mores. A photographer came and took some pictures, and when he left we put the fire out and went to sleep. 

When I woke up I went outside and sat in front of the cabin. The reporter came back, and asked more questions.  We walked around and looked at the animals, and I got to pet the horse and the mule. They said there were bob cats, but I didn’t see any.    

Joseph Says:

Jocelyn still has the desire to stay at other sites in the future but I do not know if an opportunity like Middleton Place will present itself in the future.  I am just thrilled that we could spend that quality time together and hope that her participation will inspire a younger audience to be interested in the Slave Dwelling Project. 

In this second year of the project, it will expand to the states of Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Maryland and North Carolina.  The overnight stays are now interspersed with lectures and public interaction when feasible. At least two additional outlets will publish the blogs of each stay. Francis Marion University in Florence, SC has provided funding for a research assistant. The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor is assisting with researching extant slave dwellings within the corridor. The Magnolia Plantation and Garden’s foundation has provided some funding for the project.  A documentary about the Morris Street Slave Dwellings in Anderson, SC has been produced.  A local artist is painting a picture that will interpret and benefit the project.  I am consulting with property owners on what should be done with slave dwellings that they possess.  Several well capable property owners have offered to relocate dilapidated slave dwellings to their properties for restoration. The future for the Slave Dwelling Project looks bright.

Learn More About Joseph McGill and the Slave Dwelling Project

Joseph McGill, a program officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a Civil War re-enactor, began the Slave Dwelling Project to raise awareness of the need to preserve endangered slave cabins. Last year, McGill spent the night in eight cabins in South Carolina and two in Alabama. 

This year, the project will expand, with overnight stays in Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas.

Listen:

From NPR's All Things Considered: Honoring Slaves by Sleeping in Their Cabins

View:

A One-Man Campaign to Save Slaves' Homes