The couple went on to have more children and continued to work in the cane fields on Evergreen Plantation. Despite the fact that the Ward family was one of the most powerful and wealthy families in South Carolina at the time, the plantation eventually fell into their hands. Visited Evergreen in late-February during our stay in Plantation Country. After years of in-depth research, Evergreens historians have amassed a vast collection of primary source documents that shed light on the individuals who were purchased and brought there to labor in the sugar cane fields as well as those who were born into slavery in the cabins that still stand today, a press release said. Heidel, a French Creole, founded Evergreen Plantation in 1886. The extracted juice was clarified and bits of pith and other debris were removed. An essential source for navigating the background, process, and findings during the excavation of Evergreen Plantation. Evergreen is the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register, including 22 slave. The plantation is located in the present-day city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The plantation has been reaching out to descendants of enslaved people who lived and worked there. In addition to tours that allow visitors to learn about the plantations history and how its crops are grown, the plantation is still in operation and is open to the public. When the bank foreclosed on Evergreen Plantation in 1930, the Songys were forced to leave. The granulated, raw (unrefined) sugar produced from the crystallization process was packed into hogsheads, wooden barrels that held roughly 1000 pounds of granulated sugar. It is in studying their lives that the nuances and complexities of the past can begin to be understood. complex has been the extensive fabric replacement evident in the slave at all. An 1835 document lists a total of 54 slaves at the plantation. He now has hundreds of descendants, many still living in Wallace and Edgard. There is very little documentation on these buildings, although Aimes older sister was considered a mulatresse, but her younger siblings were all listed as negroes. These steps of boiling took place in series of large to small open kettles, often referred to as a Jamaica train. The most skilled slaves were chosen for the dangerous job of working close to the open kettles during the boiling process. African Americans provided the workforce and lived in the quarters houses at Evergreen Plantation for nearly 200 years, first as slaves and later as freedmen. 18, in Wallace. The Evergreen Plantation is one of the oldest plantations in the United States, having been established in 1752. In the event that a birthdate isunknown, some have been classified in others ways. We are open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and tours are not permitted the following holiday week. She was born at Evergreen and went on to have 10 children, 51 grandchildren, 148 great-grandchildren, and 88 great-great-grandchildren. Interested in getting more preservation stories like this delivered to your door monthly? Address: 4800 South Carolina Highway 187, Starr, SC 29684 GPS Coordinates: 34.396680,-82.792005 What else should I see? They bring to life the identities of real people who lived and worked on this specific site. Ned was a member of the United Order, a benevolent and charitable society. The plantation grows a variety of crops, including cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane. American origin signifies that the individual was enslaved in one of the Upper Southern states, such as Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Maryland, and was sold south to Louisiana. Want to search back even further? Evergreen Plantation is the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. The number of slaves fluctuated over the years, but there were always at least 300 slaves working on the plantation. Heiress and businesswoman, Matilda Geddings Gray (18851971)[5] sponsored the restoration project in the 1940s, and it is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The Rural Development Initiative for African American Farmers is one such program that assists black farmers. In 1944, when Mrs. Gray purchased Evergreen Plantation, the double row of slave cabins was occupied primarily by sugar cane workers. Following the development of the steam-heated vacuum pan by Englishman Edward Howard in 1813, a number of plantations began boiling sugarcane juice in a vacuum. The research remains ongoing, and the database will be updated as new discoveries are made. The plantation continued to produce sugar cane under the direction of the bank that owned it, and it is still a working sugar cane plantation today. 1801 Succession, estate of Christophe Haydel, founder of Evergreen Plantation and Magdelaines father. More | Next Site. Most enslaved individuals did not havesurnames. . Aime was described as a griffe, indicating that she was of mixed race. Becnel and his brother, the then owners of the plantation, as having Evergreen Plantation is the only one in the South still standing. He also built a brick home located near a spring. In his later years, Ned was supported in part by a pension from the federal government for his service in the war. The two rows of oak trees that line the sites 22 original slave cabins are over 200 years old. As a slave, he did not have a surname, so he probably gave his fathers name as his last name. African Americans were the majority owners and operators of the plantation during its earliest days in the 1790s. Next, excess water was evaporated from the juice through several stages until it thickened and reached the point of crystallization. The main house was constructed mostly in 1790, and renovated to its current Greek Revival style in 1832. The gates will remain open for tours until 1:45 p.m. on weekdays, and until 10:30 a.m. on weekends. Heidels home on his plantation in 1835 was built with a mixture of French, Caribbean, and African influences in order to reflect the climate of southern Louisiana. There are 37 structures still listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cabins and oaks, upriver (east) side of quarters. The original structures where enslaved people lived can still be found on the property. Evergreen Plantation has been rated as a 90-minute tour in our review. Evergreen Plantation (Wallace, Louisiana), U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Louisiana African American Heritage Trail, National Register of Historic Places listings in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana, Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, "Matilda Geddings Gray and Evergreen Plantation", "Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' begins filming at the Evergreen Plantation in Louisiana on Monday On Location Vacations", Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail, Louisiana Digital Library Evergreen Plantation, History of the National Register of Historic Places, List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state, List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places, University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places portal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evergreen_Plantation_(Wallace,_Louisiana)&oldid=1084343937, Museums in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, Houses in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, National Register of Historic Places in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, Slave cabins and quarters in the United States, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 23 April 2022, at 23:15. The formerly enslaved Black Americans, though legally freed, continued to live and work at the plantation until 1947. Monetary contributions to Preservation Resource Center are tax-deductible as provided by law. His wife is from the Caribbean, and he brought many of her cultures influences with him from home. On some plantations, slaves worked in eight-hour shifts, called watches, and adult slaves worked two such shifts each day during grinding season. Call 985-497-3837 to arrange a visit. Call 985-497-3837 to arrange a visit. Evergreen Plantation (Wallace, Louisiana) Built1832Architect John CarverArchitectural styleGreek RevivalFederalNRHP reference No.19100386Significant dates 11 more rows. Just a few months after his enlistment, Aime gave birth to another son, Edmond. The oldest plantation in Louisiana is the St. Louis Plantation, which was founded in 1718 by Pierre Le Moyne dIberville. The plantation was originally used for growing indigo, but later switched to sugarcane when the demand for indigo declined. 1830 Succession, estate of Magdelaine Haydel Becnel, who inherited Evergreen from her father and expanded the business into a major plantation enterprise, 1835 Inventory taken at the time of Pierre Clidamont Becnels ownership (grandson of Magdelaine Haydel Becnel), 1842 Succession, estate of Josephine Lennen Becnel, wife of Lezin Becnel Jr., the eventual owner of Evergreen. Working alongside multiple research assistants, and students through Florida State Universitys UROP Program, all findings were documented, many of which are present on this website. 1846 Sale of the plantation from Pierre Clidamont Becnel to Lezin Becnel Jr. 1851 Succession, estate of Fanny Baconnais Becnel, wife of Lezin Becnel Jr. 1854 Succession, estate of Pierre Clidamont Becnel, 1856 Succession, inventory taken by Lezin Becnel Jr. included in his papers at Tulane University, 1858 Partnership formed between brothers Lezin Becnel III and Michel Becnel, sons and heirs of Lezin Becnel Jr., to operate the plantation together. She had been staying in the iconic big house on occasion, but after the property opened its stately gates to the public in 1998, she moved to a cottage. Establishing a new plantation required workers with certain capabilities and expertise, and it is likely that each of these slaves was chosen specifically by Becnel to perform the types of work for which they were described. Slave trading and slave plantations were also common among plantation owners in the Deep South. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. DONATE TODAY! Evergreen Plantation was established in 1790 as a privately owned sugar cane plantation, and it is still in operation today. Evergreen Plantation, located near New Orleans, is the largest intact plantation complex in the South. Despite the fact that the term plantation is frequently associated with large cotton plantations in the Deep South, sugar, rice, and indigo plantations were also common areas. The house was extensively restored during the 1940s, with 300,000 bricks from the demolished Uncle Sam Plantation used in the restoration.[3]. Some labeled the agency the last plantation for failing to support black agricultural initiatives, arguing that it was thus becoming the last pillar of support. The agency, on the other hand, has made significant progress in improving relations with black farmers since 1997. These accounts illuminate the experiences of individuals whose stories have previously gone untold, contributing a more balanced approach to Americas historical narrative, the press release said. In addition to her regular quarters, the plantations owner, Lake Charles, La., businesswoman Matilda Gray Stream, lives there on occasion. reservation only. The plantation house and original slave quarters have been preserved and well-kept which, come to find out, is quite the rarity. He operated the land as a plantation and eventually built grist mills and a cotton gin (1). [citation needed]. In 1828, Samuel Girard Earle (1791-1848) purchased the property from Samuel Smith. Evergreen Plantation, located in Edgard, Louisiana, is one of the most intact slaveholding sites in the South, dating back to 1790. EVERGREEN PLANTATION - 166 Photos & 80 Reviews - Landmarks & Historical Buildings - 4677 Hwy 18, Edgard, LA - Phone Number - Yelp Evergreen Plantation 80 reviews Unclaimed Frequently Asked Questions about Evergreen Plantation How is Evergreen Plantation rated? The only known historic map of the plantation The survey aimed to uncover more information about the lives of enslaved persons previously living on the plantation, promoting use of the slavery database by Evergreen Plantation, and ultimately uncovering new information about the site. Elias lived on the plantation in a different house than his father's. The loads of cut cane stalks were crushed between rotating steel rollers to extract the cane juice. 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