Historic Stagville - Durham, NC

by Donna L. Watkins

Historic Stagville contains the house of the Bennehan family. By the end of the 18th century, Richard Bennehan, a merchant from Virginia, ranked among the region's wealthiest planters. He owned 4000 acres and 40 slaves, raised livestock, and grew crops such as tobacco and grain. He and his wife, Mary Amis, controlled their estate from this vernacular Georgian-style Bennehan House (built 1787 and 1799).

Kitchen Garden - Historic Stagville, Durham, NC

On the eve of the Civil War, the NC plantation holdings of the Bennehan and Cameron families were among the largest in the South. Approximately 900 slaves worked the land, which totaled almost 30,000 acres by 1860.

The homestead area includes outbuildings, a kitchen garden, and a cemetery. I enjoyed the free-roaming chickens that were people friendly, no doubt because people have given them handouts along the way.

There's a visitor center here and a gift shop and beautiful woods with nature trails to enjoy. View the photo album which gives more historical information on the photographs.

Sponsored by The Herbs Place - Wholesale Prices Always
On Sale Now * Women * Men * Children * Essential Oils * Cleansing * Weight Loss