It is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public for tours. Information contributed by Russ Burriss, a Earle family descendant, from. on State Hwy. The family also owns a number of slaves, who work the plantation. Despite the fact that the term plantation is frequently associated with large cotton plantations in the Deep South, sugar, rice, and indigo plantations were also common areas. Evergreen Plantation is the only one in the South still standing. urchinTracker(); South-Carolina-Plantations.com Evergreen Plantation, Anderson County, SC, Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XIV, South Carolina Narratives, Part 3, Historical and Architectural Survey of Anderson County, South Carolina, The Harrisons of Greenville County, South Carolina, John Baylis Earle Family Cemetery Document, Current status Privately-owned event site, 1848 Samuel Girard Earle passed away and willed the plantation to his oldest living son, Elias John Earle. Unpacking the history of the largest plantation in the southern US, and its people. There were some cotton plantations with fewer slaves, but there were also cotton plantations with fewer slaves. Prior to Wards death in 1850, his family owned Brookgreen Plantation in Georgetown County, the largest slaveholder in the United States. His son, Julius Richard, was born here on September 11, 1929; the family later added a second floor made of wood. Originally the term was used for a slave with some Native American ancestry, but by this time designated a child with one quarter European ancestry. The loads of cut cane stalks were crushed between rotating steel rollers to extract the cane juice. great grandparents, are buried in the plantation's slave cemetery Guignard Family Papers, 1742-1952 - held by South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC Arney R. Childs, . As a result of their work, they were directly responsible for the spectacular economic growth that Louisiana's River Road area experienced during the first half of the 19th century. [citation needed]. The plantation was established in 1752 by Claude Treme, and was later owned by his son-in-law, Jacques Treme. After a royal land grant carved it out of the Virginia frontier, the plantation was established in 1613 as Virginias first. There are only a few antebellum sugar plantations left in the United States, and the property is one of the few remaining in the South. Plantations were commonly located on fertile creeks and rivers in the south, and they frequently had extensive land holdings. American origin signifies that the individual was enslaved in one of the Upper Southern states, such as Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Maryland, and was sold south to Louisiana. Evergreen Plantation, a National Historic Landmark, is located Estate inventories, succession records, sale records from the New Orleans Notarial Archive, as well as sacramental records from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, were used in the research. More | Next Site. 1801 Succession, estate of Christophe Haydel, founder of Evergreen Plantation and Magdelaines father. According to Shannon Boddie, the executive director of Evergreen, the organization intends to do more community service. Become a member of the PRCfor a subscription! complex has been the extensive fabric replacement evident in the slave The plantation was originally used for growing indigo, but later switched to sugarcane when the demand for indigo declined. All rights reserved. The carts traveled to the cane mill for processing. Evergreen Plantation is a former sugar cane plantation in Wallace, Louisiana, that was slave labor-dependent for its operation. Working alongside multiple research assistants, and students through Florida State Universitys UROP Program, all findings were documented, many of which are present on this website. The slaves at Evergreen were subject to brutal working and living conditions, with many of them being worked to death. Some could trace their ancestry back multiple generations to the first slaves brought to the plantation. By 1850, the Ward family had owned over 1,000 slaves in addition to being one of the most active slave trading families. When Is The Best Time To Start Mowing Your Lawn In Sioux Falls South Dakota? They attended the Second African Baptist Church. The terrifying Candyland plantation, run by the brutal Candie, is also featured in the movie. Enlistment Papers under the alias Edward Edmonds, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Ned was sold away from his family, friends, and home and was forced to board the ship Cyane in Richmond, Virginia, on November 18, 1851. The Evergreen Plantation was founded in 1752 by the family. Mowing The Lawn While Pregnant: Is It Safe And What Precautions Should You Take? The granulated, raw (unrefined) sugar produced from the crystallization process was packed into hogsheads, wooden barrels that held roughly 1000 pounds of granulated sugar. _uacct = "UA-1070054-1"; Creole indicates that the individual was born in Louisiana. The survey aimed to uncover more information about the lives of enslaved persons previously living on the plantation, promoting use of the slavery database by Evergreen Plantation, and ultimately uncovering new information about the site. 18, in Wallace. Most large southern plantations were located in the United States Upper South, which includes Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and the Deep South, which includes South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform, Library of Congress. Becnel paid $6800 for the six enslaved men, which would be approximately $232,000 today. Of great significance are the 22 slave quarters, arranged in a double row along an alle of oak trees. Evergreen Plantation still owns and operates as a privately owned sugar cane plantation today. The Rural Development Initiative for African American Farmers is one such program that assists black farmers. Search the Preservation in Print archives. Another relic of the plantation is an original garconnire, which young men used as sleeping quarters during their time on the plantation. 1830 Succession, estate of Magdelaine Haydel Becnel, who inherited Evergreen from her father and expanded the business into a major plantation enterprise, 1835 Inventory taken at the time of Pierre Clidamont Becnels ownership (grandson of Magdelaine Haydel Becnel), 1842 Succession, estate of Josephine Lennen Becnel, wife of Lezin Becnel Jr., the eventual owner of Evergreen. His physician attributed his death to arteriosclerosis. Neds children and grandchildren continued to live and work at Evergreen Plantation for decades to come. Call 985-497-3837 to arrange a visit. We are open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and tours are not permitted the following holiday week. The Evergreen Plantation Archaeological Survey was led by Dr. Jayur Mehta, excavating a large portion of land on Evergreen plantation. The two rows of oak trees that line the sites 22 original slave cabins are over 200 years old. Hogsheads of sugar were transported down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and then on to other markets. He was toiling in the sugar cane fields in the fields of a sugar cane plantation. There are 37 structures still listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The survey aimed to uncover more information about the lives of enslaved persons previously living on the plantation, promoting use of the slavery database by Evergreen Plantation, and ultimately uncovering new information about the site. These birds are currently not seen standing quietly under the two rows of live oak trees that surround them. The number of slaves fluctuated over the years, but there were always at least 300 slaves working on the plantation. Tobacco was once produced on the plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, and shipped throughout the colonies to England. The plantation is located in the southern United States and is still operational today. Call 985-497-3837 to arrange a visit. Evergreen Plantation has 4.5 stars. The oldest plantation in Louisiana is the St. Louis Plantation, which was founded in 1718 by Pierre Le Moyne dIberville. Most enslaved individuals did not havesurnames. He married Aime, a 17 year old girl enslaved on the plantation with her mother Katty and siblings. Among those were Terry, described as an American Long Sawyer, West, an excellent blacksmith and engineer, Joseph, a Creole cooper, Phill, a sugar worker, and Jean, a Creole coachman. 19th-century barns. The main house was constructed mostly in 1790, and renovated to its current Greek Revival style in 1832. Exploring The Pros And Cons, Exploring The Pros And Cons Of Adding Carb Cleaner To A Gasoline-Powered Lawn Mower Fuel System. Slave quarters were frequently the site of plantation homes, and their owners relied on the labor of enslaved people to turn their properties into profitable businesses. No longer anonymous, the men, women, and children who called Evergreen Plantation home provide a window to the past and enhance the historical narrative. The language and classifications on the original documents have been maintained. The plantation had 1,200 slaves at the start of the nineteenth century, but the number increased to 1,500 by the end of the nineteenth century. The grounds include 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including 22. [2][4] The house is open for tours every day except Sundays; tour times are at 9:30 am, 11:15 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:45 pm. Evergreen Plantation, a National Historic Landmark, is located on State Hwy. Ned first appeared on an Evergreen Plantation inventory in 1858. On some plantations, slaves worked in eight-hour shifts, called watches, and adult slaves worked two such shifts each day during grinding season. Heidel, a French Creole, founded Evergreen Plantation in 1886. In the early 1700s, the plantation was most likely based on the Evergreen Plantation, which was located in Edgard, Louisiana. Slave trading and slave plantations were also common among plantation owners in the Deep South. Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, Louisiana's Must See-It-To-Believe-It Festivals, Dont Miss the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, Louisiana State Parks Offer Cabin Getaways. These steps of boiling took place in series of large to small open kettles, often referred to as a Jamaica train. The most skilled slaves were chosen for the dangerous job of working close to the open kettles during the boiling process. Evergreen Plantation, a former plantation located in 1857, has been preserved in the following photograph. The original structures where enslaved people lived can still be found on the property. Featuring the documented images collected by students Abbigail Sproul and Jacob Johnson. Evergreen Plantation, which dates to 1777, is one of the most intact plantation complexes in the South, with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including two garconnieres, two pidgeonniers, the kitchen, the domestic slave house, the stables, the Greek Revival privy, and twenty-two slave cabins in their original double-row configuration, according to its website. Evergreen has its country's highest historic designation and joins Mount Vernon and Gettysburg in being granted landmark status for its agricultural acreage. Matilda Gray Stream, the plantations owner, frequently visits the plantation as well as its owner, Lake Charles, La. On August 20, 1864, Ned joined the 80th United States Colored Infantry. This data provides insight into the enslaved communitys scope of skills, kinship networks, family relationships, and places of origin. Evergreen Plantation was established in 1790 as a privately owned sugar cane plantation, and it is still in operation today. He operated the land as a plantation and eventually built grist mills and a cotton gin (1). The book is intended to shed light on the lives of all those who lived at Evergreenblack and white, enslaved, and free. During the antebellum period, the plantation housed 200 people; everyone working at Evergreen was housed there. In its prime, Evergreen had more than 350 slaves, making it one of the largest plantations in the South. Over the course of 150 years, she would be just one of the more than 400 enslaved individuals who lived and worked at Evergreen Plantation in Edgard. In the event that a birthdate isunknown, some have been classified in others ways. Visited Evergreen in late-February during our stay in Plantation Country. Evergreen has its country's highest historic designation and joins Mount Vernon and Gettysburg in being granted landmark status for its agricultural acreage. 18, in Wallace. One of his grandchildren, Olivia Simon, lived to be 100 years old. Danny Hymel and his family have been farming the property for more than two centuries, as Alfred Songys great-grandson. reservation only. Evergreen Plantation was one of the largest plantations in the Southern United States, with more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land and over 150 slaves. The Nottoway Plantation, also known as the White Castle, is thought to be the largest remaining antebellum plantation in the American South. Aime died in 1882 when she just a little over forty years old. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Evergreen Plantation is owned by a family who has resided in the area for generations. All content 2023Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. The plantation operated until about 1930, when the Depression resulted in the owners abandoning the house. Constructed in 1790, Evergreen remains one of the most intact plantation sites in the South. After Neds death, his widow was given a pension on his behalf. Now, thanks to a new database compiled by Evergreen, Celestes story, and the stories of so many of the plantations enslaved people, will be told. Aime was described as a griffe, indicating that she was of mixed race. Over the decades, the most serious change to Evergreen as a plantation You do not have to input all fields. The PRC preserves New Orleans historic architecture, neighborhoods and cultural identity through collaboration, empowerment and service to our community., Preservation Resource Center Headquarters, Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, Search the Preservation in Print archives, Returns, Refunds, Exchanges, and Shipping Policy. African Americans provided the workforce and lived in the quarters houses at Evergreen Plantation for nearly 200 years, first as slaves and later as freedmen. The Catholic Church in Louisiana completely embraced family alliances when it came to marriage. The sub-tropical climate, particularly the intense heat and humidity that characterizes much of the year, along with the epidemic diseases such as cholera and yellow fever, took their toll on the overall health of Louisiana's African-Americans during antebellum times. Examples: born before 1800, young, adult, and child. Ned remarried on February 12, 1887. Evergreen Plantation was one of the largest and most successful African American-owned plantations in the antebellum South. African Americans were the majority owners and operators of the plantation during its earliest days in the 1790s. This digital archive will serve as a resource for teachers, students, historians, genealogists, and visitors. In addition to the database detailed biographical essays on the lives of enslaved individuals also are featured on the website, containing significant data obtained from the Civil War pension files of slaves who joined the Union army. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. See other South Carolina Barns & Farms LOUISIANATRAVEL.COM is the official travel authority for the state of Louisiana. The 400 acres of Evergreens sugarcane fields are still productive. This new technology had the advantage of being a more controlled method of boiling, where lower temperatures were required and less fuel was needed. Although our doors are not open for tours, we do provide educational and research opportunities. Mills operated around the clock processing sugarcane. Merritt was examined by Lezin Becnel, the owner of Evergreen Plantation, in early January 1845. Evergreen Plantation - from SCIWAY with the following references: - Work Projects Administration, Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XIV, South Carolina Narratives, Part 3 (A Public Domain Book) - Historic Properties - Downtown Anderson organization There is very little documentation on these buildings, although Evergreen Plantation has been a family home since the late-18th century. An 1835 document lists a total of 54 slaves at the plantation. . Aimes older sister was considered a mulatresse, but her younger siblings were all listed as negroes. Much of the sugar produced on Louisiana's plantations was consumed in such East Coast cities as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The enslaved lived in the cabins as free people until the end of the Civil War; they were slaves for many years. Replication not permitted without express consent. Evergreen is commemorating Black History Month by publishing profiles of enslaved people who worked and lived at the plantation over the course of 150 years. Despite being established in the 1930s to assist black farmers, the agency is now regarded as the last plantation due to its refusal to assist black agricultural initiatives. A seemingly endless cycle of planting, hoeing, weeding, harvesting, and grinding comprised the work routine on Louisiana's sugarcane plantations during the 19th century. In 1828, Samuel Girard Earle (1791-1848) purchased the property from Samuel Smith. He was disabled due to a serious oblique inguinal hernia that had gone untreated for decades. The plantation includes 37 contributing buildings, all but eight of them antebellum, making it one of the most complete plantation complexes in the state and the South. Elias lived on the plantation in a different house than his father's. By December, he was locked in a slave jail in the largest slave market in the United States. Negro/Negresse = of full African ancestry, Mulatto/Mulatresse = European ancestry, African ancestry, Quadroon = European ancestry, African ancestry, Griffe = early usage indicates Native American and African. The gates will remain open for tours until 1:45 p.m. on weekdays, and until 10:30 a.m. on weekends. When the bank foreclosed on Evergreen Plantation in 1930, the Songys were forced to leave. 2023 Louisiana Office of Tourism. No longer anonymous, the men, women, and children who called Evergreen Plantation home provide a window to the past and enhance the historical narrative. There are only a few plantations in the South that are as intact as the Evergreen Plantation, with 37 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. 66 were here. His name was recorded as Edward Edmonds. Interested in getting more preservation stories like this delivered to your door monthly? African Americans served as Evergreen Plantations workforce and lived in quarters there for more than 200 years. Evergreen Plantation is the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. He also built a brick home located near a spring. Slave laborers who planted, hoed, weeded, dug irrigation, and harvested the cane were subjected to harsh working conditions. Where is Evergreen Plantation located? He was described as "an American negro age 25." He had to make his own family and create relationships that would help him endure enslavement. The plantation was passed down through the family, and they have worked to keep it in good condition. 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