Somerset Place Plantation, NC (12-31-13)

Somerset Place State Historic Site, located in Washington County of eastern North Carolina, preserves what was one of the largest antebellum plantations in the Upper South. Beginning operation in 1785, Somerset eventually grew to encompass some 100,000 acres of farmland where everything from rice to corn to oats to wheat and even lumber were cultivated and produced. As was the practice in that time period the primary labor source at the plantation was African slaves. Over its 80 year existence some 850 individuals were enslaved here. Somerset Place was owned by the family of Josiah Collins who, along with the two generations who followed him, became some of the wealthiest men of their time in the Carolina's due to the success of the plantation. At its height Somerset was both an industrial and residential complex consisting of over 50 buildings. Located on the property were gristmills, a hospital, a church, numerous barns, some 26 slave homes, and other auxiliary structures.

Unfortunately for the Collins' the Civil War cut their success story abruptly short. With the defeat of the Confederacy, Emancipation became the law of the land and it didn't take long for most of Somerset's slaves to move away. Financially ruined, the plantation was soon thereafter shut down for good. For the next 80 years the property passed through a series of owners and most of the original buildings disappeared. In 1939, what was left of the plantation was incorporated into Pettigrew State Park and a process of preservation was begun. Today all seven of the surviving structures have been restored (the Collins Mansion should re-open sometime in 2014) and numerous other structures such as the hospital, slave dwellings, and overseers house have been reconstructed. Overall I found the site to give quite an interesting (in both good and bad ways) view back to the time of the antebellum south...

A shot of the plantation from the Carriage Trail which leads from the neighboring campground of Pettigrew State Park. All the existing buildings can be seen. The parking area for the site is off the frame to the left while the main Collins Mansion can just be seen through the trees to the right...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Somerset Place Plantation Site Map
Overseer's House
This building is a perceived reconstruction of what the Overseer's House may have looked like at Somerset. Eleven people lived in this two story structure located at the end of the main entrance road to the plantation...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Ration Storage Foundation & Stocks
Adjacent to the Overseer's House is the site of the old Ration Storage Building which, as the name implies, housed foodstuffs for the slave population at Somerset...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lake Chapel
Built around 1837, the structure located here housed religious ceremonies for the slaves of Somerset. According to what I've read it was quite a busy place, during its 25 year existence saw 55 marriages and on the order of 700 baptisms...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Outdoor Hearth & Kitchen
Meals were prepared here for the enslaved workers of Somerset. The open, or outdoor, hearth is a common feature of homes in the south of this era as cooking indoors in the summer would have been all but unbearable...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lake Hospital
Testament to the wealth of Somerset Plantation was the existence of an on-site hospital. Here medical concerns ranging from minor injuries to childbirth to surgeries were addressed. This structure is a reconstruction based on similar structures of the region from that time period...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lake Hospital
The building was, unfortunately, locked up when we visited but I managed this shot of the interior through the window. If this is, indeed, what the interior of the hospital looked like at the time it was quite well furnished and modern for the period...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Sucky Davis Home
Adjacent to the Lake Hospital is another large, two-story building which served as a quarters for a female slave by the name of Sucky Davis who was purchased in 1786. This reconstruction of the home that once stood here is one of three similar four-room structures at Somerset. It is unclear why Mrs. Davis warranted such a large dwelling aside from the fact that she lived here with quite an extensive family, numbering 18 people. By the time the plantation closed operations in 1865, 123 people could claim direct lineage from Mrs. Davis...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Sucky Davis Home
As with most of the buildings this day, the Sucky Davis Home was locked up so I had to once again be happy with a couple shots through the windows...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
The lane heading north from the Sucky Davis House away from the main compound was the location for the homes of the slaves at Somerset. Another of the large, four room slave dwellings would have been located between myself in this shot and the Davis home...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Slave Cabin Sites
The open lawn along the lane to the north of the Sucky Davis Home would have been the site for other slave cabins...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Goat Pen
First off this isn't a historic structure, just a representation of one of the types of animal that would have been kept at Somerset. As it is, it's a nice spot for the kids to stop and have some fun feeding the goats...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lewis and Judy's Home
This reconstructed slave cabin is representative of 23 such cabins which were once located at Somerset Plantation. This particular 16'x16' cabin, aside from Judy and Lewis, housed 8 other people. Typically such homes housed between 3 and 15 people...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lewis and Judy's Home
A look inside the sparse interior of the reconstructed slave cabin at Somerset. As far as slave cabins go in the region, this one is actually pretty nice...the walls and roof are solid and it even sports a wooden floor...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lewis and Judy's Home
A look inside the sparse interior of the reconstructed slave cabin at Somerset. As far as slave cabins go in the region, this one is actually pretty nice...the walls and roof are solid and it even sports a wooden floor...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Lewis and Judy's Home
Looking north from Lewis and Judy's front door you would have once seen nearly two dozen other cabins along this lane where the nearly 300 other slaves of Somerset lived...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
This panorama from the northwest corner of the owners compound shows nearly all the buildings of the current park...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Owners Compound
The eight buildings of the owners compound are neatly surrounded by an attractive picket fence. These buildings were the residences and workplaces of the Collins family itself and their paid white employees...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Owners Compound
Entering the main compound the Colony House is on the left while the Collins Mansion is straight ahead...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Colony House (ca. 1820's)
This historic structure was built by Josiah Collins II as the primary residence for his family. It was soon decided that this home was simply too small for his lifestyle and construction was begun on the Collins Mansion. Today, this building houses the visitor center for the historic site...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
The Dairy
Believe it or not this simple little structure is an original. Located alongside the Colony House it, as its name implies, was a storehouse for cool storage of dairy products...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Above-ground Drainage
Running in between the buildings of the owners compound are these brick drainage ditches which I assume helped channel away rainwater and waste from the surrounding buildings...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Kitchen & Laundry
Another of the original structures at Somerset, a carving in the wall inside dates the building back to at least 1808. The purpose of the building is self-explanatory other than that it was for the exclusive use of the Collins Family and not the slaves...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Kitchen & Laundry
An exposed bit of wall inside dates the building back to at least 1808...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Kitchen & Laundry
Inside, looking at the large brick hearth on the kitchen side of the building...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Kitchen Rations Building
Behind the kitchen and laundry is the small structure where bulk foodstuffs were stored...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Kitchen & Laundry
A look inside where a number of items one might have found here are on display...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Looking towards the Sucky Davis House through the narrow walkway in front of the Smokehouse (to the right)...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Smokehouse
Inside the smokehouse which, according to the brochure, was a big one for the time with three hearths. Apparently the Collins's liked them some smoked pork as records indicate as many as 172 hams were stored here at one time!
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Salting House
Before refrigeration salting meat was the primary method of preservation during the warmer months (which was pretty much year round in these parts). This small barn could store over 100 barrels of meat used by the Collins' and to feed the slaves...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Salting House
Before refrigeration salting meat was the primary method of preservation during the warmer months (which was pretty much year round in these parts). This small barn could store over 100 barrels of meat used by the Collins' and to feed the slaves...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Bath House
The last in the collection of so-called 'Domestic Dependency Buildings' behind the Kitchen/Laundry is the Bathhouse. I have found no good description of just what this building was used for but I assume its name is self-explanatory...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Bath House
The last in the collection of so-called 'Domestic Dependency Buildings' behind the Kitchen/Laundry is the Bathhouse. I have found no good description of just what this building was used for but I assume its name is self-explanatory...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Posers
Posing as historic structures, these two buildings house the modern restrooms of the park and have no historic significance whatsoever. However, the green Magnolia Tree in the distance is a living witness to the heyday of Somerset Place, beginning its life in the mid-1840's...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Yet another huge old tree which may very likely date back to the days of the plantation spreads its arms above the Hospital and Overseers House in the distance. The large open lawn here and beyond the tree was originally the site of a large garden and orchard area...
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Collins Family House (ca.1830)
Replacing the smaller Colony House, the Collins Mansion was constructed by Josiah Collins III and contained 14 rooms in its 6,809 square feet of living space. The largest and most luxurious home in the region, the Collins Mansion was the beating heart of the Somerset Plantation. In addition to Josiah and his family the home played host to numerous visitors over the years who would often stay for months at a time. The home has undergone renovation in recent years and, as it was during our visit, has been closed to tours. It is due to open later on in 2014.
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Collins Family House (ca.1830)
Replacing the smaller Colony House, the Collins Mansion was constructed by Josiah Collins III and contained 14 rooms in its 6,809 square feet of living space. The largest and most luxurious home in the region, the Collins Mansion was the beating heart of the Somerset Plantation. In addition to Josiah and his family the home played host to numerous visitors over the years who would often stay for months at a time. The home has undergone renovation in recent years and, as it was during our visit, has been closed to tours. It is due to open later on in 2014.
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton
Collins Family House (ca.1830)
Replacing the smaller Colony House, the Collins Mansion was constructed by Josiah Collins III and contained 14 rooms in its 6,809 square feet of living space. The largest and most luxurious home in the region, the Collins Mansion was the beating heart of the Somerset Plantation. In addition to Josiah and his family the home played host to numerous visitors over the years who would often stay for months at a time. The home has undergone renovation in recent years and, as it was during our visit, has been closed to tours. It is due to open later on in 2014.
Antebellum slavery Civil War plantation rice State Park histoic site Pettigrew Albemarle Pamlico Lake Phelps emancipation Plymouth Edenton

dwhike

Somerset Place Plantation, NC (12-31-13)