WINSTON WEEKLY©^[1]

July 20, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 29

PLANTATION SNIPPETS[2]

What makes a plantation rather than a farm? In North Carolina, the answers are as varied as the plantations and the farms. Historically, farms focused on subsistence agriculture, and plantations focused on cash crops. Others claim that plantations are only those consisting of at least five hundred acres that once employed hundreds of slaves. Regardless of definition, farms and plantations are a significant part of North Carolina’s history and the modern-day economy.

Stagville Plantation, established in 1797, was once one of the largest plantations. Sitting on nearly 30,000 acres, it housed more than 900 slaves. In 1976, it became Historic Stagville, a state property that includes the 1799 Benneham family house, the 1851 slave dwellings at Horton Grove, and the 1860 timber-framed barn. The site offers a variety of educational programs for students in 4^th through 12^th grade, focused on teaching the history of plantation slavery. Historic Stagville, a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, also administers research, genealogy, and descendant engagement.

Much smaller than Stagville Plantation, but part of North Carolina’s pasture-raised chicken and egg farming, is the Jireh Family Farm operated by the Jarvis Family. A member of Tuck Business School’s Diverse Business Certification and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Jireh hosts a summer agricultural camp for kids ages 5-12. An ideal mix of fun and education is provided, including animal husbandry, gardening, arts and crafts, pool time, and scavenger hunts. Lead Camp Counselor Makayla Jarvis is a fourth-generation farmer and a teacher at Durham Public Schools. She is also a volleyball coach at Southern High School.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

How many plantations and farms can you locate in North Carolina? As you research the number, identify three similarities and three differences between them. A good starting point is The University of North Carolina Press.

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[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2] Resources: www.jirehfamilyfarm.net; www.historicsites.nc.gov; www.sitesofconscience.org; https://uncpress.org.