Horton Grove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Horton Grove Complex
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Slave quarters at Horton Grove
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | North of Durham on SR 1626, nearDurham, North Carolina |
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| Area | 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001946 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 1978 |
Horton Grove was a group of houses where enslaved African-American people lived. It was part of a very large farm called the Bennehan-Cameron plantation complex. This huge farm, which included Stagville Plantation, was located in Durham County, North Carolina. The powerful Bennehan and Cameron families owned the land and the people who lived there. In 1860, about 900 enslaved people lived across this entire complex.
What Was Horton Grove?
The houses at Horton Grove were built by enslaved craftspeople around 1850. These homes were a big improvement compared to older slave houses on the farm. They were considered the best type of homes built for enslaved people at that time.
Special Buildings
The buildings at Horton Grove are very unique. They are the only two-story homes for enslaved people still standing in North Carolina. These special houses had windows with shutters. They also had brick chimneys and strong stone foundations.
Life After Slavery
People continued to live in these houses for a very long time. Some families stayed there until the 1970s. After the American Civil War, many formerly enslaved people remained on the property. They worked as sharecroppers, which meant they farmed the land and shared their crops with the landowner.
A Place of History
Horton Grove is important because of its history and how its buildings were made. Because of this, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This list recognizes places that are important to American history.
Archaeologists have also studied the site. They have found clues about how people lived there. Their discoveries show that some African traditions continued at Stagville. This includes things like special cooking practices shared by the community.
