DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Along Old Oxford Highway in Durham, North Carolina, two descendants of enslaved Americans walk sacred ground. Ricky Hart and Beverly Evans survey the vast expanse of Historic Stagville Plantation, where their ancestors’ whispers echo through ancient trees and weathered buildings.
“Our currency was hope for a better day,” Hart says softly, standing before a white house at Horton’s Grove — the very place where his family’s American story began.
For Hart and Evans, this isn’t merely another historical site. Every building and pathway tells the story of their ancestors who lived, worked and died here in bondage. “It’s an honor to stand here,” Hart reflects. “Every time I come to this plantation, to Horton Grove, walking down this road, I always wonder: what would they be doing today?”
Stagville stands as a testament to one of America’s largest antebellum plantations, where the Bennehan and Cameron families built their fortune through enslaved labor from 1771 to 1865. At its peak in 1860, the plantation encompassed more than 30,000 acres, with over 900 people of African descent enslaved on its lands.
“These houses are the heart of our site,” explains Vera Cecelski, Stagville’s site manager. “Each house would often shelter four families simultaneously, all sharing the limited space inside.”
Preserved as a state historic site since 1978, Stagville’s grounds include the Bennehan family house (built around 1799), four slave dwellings at Horton Grove (built around 1851), and a massive timber-framed barn (built around 1860). The site also features an excavated foundation of an enslaved family’s house, the Bennehan family cemetery and the remains of a kitchen building.
What distinguishes Stagville is its authenticity. While the interior furnishings are recreated, the dwellings themselves are original, built by the enslaved people who lived here. Their fingerprints remain visible in the handmade bricks of the chimneys, an indelible mark of their craftsmanship and presence.
The buildings have endured because of continuous habitation. After emancipation in 1865, many formerly enslaved families remained, their descendants occupying these homes well into the modern era. Hart’s uncle, Ephraim Hart, was the last to leave Horton’s Grove in 1975, marking the end of a family presence that stretched back to 1812.
Stagville’s influence extended far beyond North Carolina. In the 1800s, hundreds of enslaved people were forcibly marched from these grounds to Hale County, Alabama, to establish another plantation. Recently, descendants from both locations gathered for a service of remembrance and reunification, organized by the Descendants Council formed by Hart and Evans.
“They will know part of it,” Hart says, referencing an African proverb, “but they won’t know our side. The hunter always tells his story, but the lion has a different story.”
Today, Stagville evokes profound emotions in visitors. “This is a place that provokes powerful emotion,” Cecelski notes. “Some feel outrage and injustice, others sorrow and grief. Many find a sense of deep affirmation and rootedness, knowing their ancestors survived this place.”
For Hart and Evans, who lead the Descendants Council, their mission extends beyond preservation. “My biggest part is to reunify families, bring them together, let them know their history and tell our side of the story,” Hart explains.
That sense of rootedness, connection and love runs through each cottage and blade of grass. “The spirit of our ancestors is here,” Hart affirms, his words carrying both the weight of history and the promise of remembrance.
Historic Stagville welcomes visitors Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, and self-guided tours allow guests to explore these handbuilt homes at their own pace, learning about the people who built them and the descendants who keep their stories alive.