Historic Stagville Durham, North Carolina Tour Guide Training

Historic StagvilleDurham, North Carolina

Tour GuideTraining

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.

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.

The Cameron’s

• Duncan Cameron, married to Bennehan’s daughter Rebecca, added to Stagville’s 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

Bennehan House

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.

Domestic Slave Cabin Remains

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.

Kitchen Remains

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.

Horton Grove

Facts• Named for the Horton family who first settled the

land. Richard Bennehan bought their house and land.

• Paul Cameron, Bennehan’s 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.

Stagville’s Slave Quarters

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.

The Great Barn

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.

Comprehension Check

Using the facts generated by our discussion- write

a brief historical overview of Historic

Stagville.

Runaway Slave Notices-18th to 19th centuries

Plantation Slave Records ca. 1835

Personal Letters-19th century

Bill of sale for a slave ca.1835

Survey map for purchase of property ca. 1860

WPA Slave Narratives ca. 1930s

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

Tour Guide Duties• Site Tour

• Encourage visitors to sign guest book

• Describe site facilities

Planning a Guided Tour

Step One: Visitor Preparation

• adapt tour to visitor's interests

• Encourage interaction

• Explain rules of site and safety concerns

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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

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

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.

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.