This North Carolina plantation had over 900 slaves and was bigger than most American cities today

Historic Stagville

Three generations of the Bennehan family turned a small tobacco farm into North Carolina’s largest plantation empire. By the 1860s, Stagville held over 900 enslaved people who worked 30,000 acres across four counties while owners lived in luxury.

Enslaved families developed their own communities, religions, and survival methods even as the Bennehan and Cameron families sold their children and split up marriages for profit.

Here’s their story of resistance and survival, told at the historic buildings you can tour today.

Richard Bennehan Establishes the Plantation

Richard Bennehan came to North Carolina from Virginia in 1768. He first ran William Johnston’s Little River Store, which served as a trading post and bank.

In 1787, he bought land from widow Judith Stagg. This became the start of his growing plantation.

By 1778, Bennehan owned 31 enslaved people who grew tobacco, grains, and raised farm animals. Their work built his wealth. His land grew to over 3,900 acres before he died in 1825.

The Cameron-Bennehan Alliance Forms a Plantation Empire

When Rebecca Bennehan married lawyer Duncan Cameron in 1803, her father gave her 300 acres and 26 enslaved people as a “gift.” Duncan joined his father-in-law in business.

This team created huge wealth by forcing people to work without pay. Their farm system became one of the largest in the South. After Richard’s son Thomas died unmarried in 1847, Stagville went to the Cameron family.

Paul Cameron Expands the Forced Labor Empire

Paul Cameron took over Stagville in 1847 after his uncle Thomas died. He quickly grew the plantation’s size and profits.

By 1860, Cameron owned nearly 30,000 acres across four North Carolina counties. He also bought farms in Alabama and Mississippi for cotton growing.

His wealth, built on slave labor, made him the richest man in North Carolina. The Cameron family owned more than 1,000 enslaved people when the Civil War began.

The Forced March to Alabama in 1844

Paul Cameron bought cotton land in Alabama in 1844. He then forced 114 enslaved people to walk from North Carolina to this new plantation.

This harsh journey, now called “The Trek” by families today, made men, women, and children travel 500 miles on foot. They crossed rivers while pulling wagons of supplies.

The Hargress family suffered through this move with many others. This was part of the “Second Middle Passage,” when owners moved about one million enslaved people to cotton states.

Daily Life and Labor of Enslaved People

Enslaved people at Stagville worked from dawn to dusk without pay. They grew corn, wheat, tobacco, and cotton while also raising farm animals for the owners’ gain.

Many worked as skilled craftsmen. They became carpenters, blacksmiths, barrel makers, millers, and metal workers.

Living spaces were small and crowded. At Horton Grove, 8-10 people shared each room. The large barn at Stagville shows the skills of enslaved carpenters who built it in 1860.

Acts of Resistance by Enslaved People

Despite harsh punishments, enslaved people found ways to fight back.

One enslaved woman tried to burn down the Cameron family home with people inside. She was sent to another plantation as punishment.

Mary Walker became one of only three people who escaped from Stagville. Her path to freedom meant leaving family members behind.

These brave acts happened even though the huge size of the plantation made escape very hard.

The Horton Grove Slave Quarters

Enslaved people built the Horton Grove homes between 1851 and 1860. These buildings were different from normal slave housing.

These two-story, four-room buildings are the only two-story slave quarters still standing in North Carolina.

There are two ideas about why they were built this way. Disease outbreaks may have forced better housing, or the Camerons built them to impress visitors who criticized slavery.

Digging around these buildings found old roads, paths, and tobacco barns that linked the community.

Skilled Workers Among the Enslaved Community

Stagville relied on the skills of enslaved craftspeople. Their knowledge kept the plantation running and making money.

The “Great Barn” built in 1860 shows the talents of enslaved carpenters who built it without modern tools.

Enslaved blacksmiths made tools and hardware. Barrel makers created containers for farm goods. Masons built structures, and textile workers made cloth.

These skills later helped some formerly enslaved people start businesses after gaining freedom.

Emancipation Comes to Stagville

Union soldiers came to Stagville in April 1865. The Cameron family had already run away.

Cy Hart, only 8 years old then, later told how soldiers asked his mother to cook them food. After eating, they told everyone that slavery had ended.

Some people held parties when they heard about freedom.

Others felt unsure about this sudden change. After generations in bondage, many knew nothing beyond the plantation.

Life After Slavery for Stagville’s People

Freedom brought hard choices. Some left right away to find family members sold to other plantations or to build new lives.

Those with useful skills moved to nearby towns. Brick layers, blacksmiths, carpenters, and others found work in Raleigh, Durham, and Hillsborough.

Families like the Harts started sharecropping with the Camerons. This gave them food but often created new forms of debt.

The Hart family later opened a store. A son moved the business to Durham’s Black Wall Street, a center of Black business.

Visiting Stagville State Historic Site

You’ll find Historic Stagville at 5828 Old Oxford Highway in Durham, North Carolina. The site preserves four original slave dwellings, the Bennehan house, and a massive timber-framed barn.

Take a guided tour to see inside the buildings and learn about the lives of enslaved people. Self-guided outdoor tours let you explore the grounds at your own pace.

The genealogy research program helps visitors trace family connections to Stagville. Check ahead for special events like Juneteenth commemorations and Emancipation tours.

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