Liberty Hall (Kenansville, North Carolina) facts for kids
Liberty Hall is a historic house museum located in Kenansville, North Carolina. It was built in the early 1800s. This house was the home of James Kenan, who was a state senator for North Carolina and a general in the local militia. The town of Kenansville is named after him. General Kenan led local soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.
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History of Liberty Hall
The First Liberty Hall
The very first Liberty Hall was built by Thomas Kenan in the late 1730s. This home was on a place called Turkey Branch Plantation, near what is now Turkey, North Carolina. Thomas Kenan was the first person from the Kenan family to come to the United States. He sailed from Ireland in 1736 and arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina, that same year.
Thomas Kenan lived on this large farm until he passed away in 1766. His wife, Elizabeth Johnson Kenan, continued to live there until her death in 1789. After her passing, the home went to their son, General James Kenan. He named the house Liberty Hall because many important political meetings and gatherings happened there during a time of great change in American history. This first Liberty Hall had furniture brought from Europe and also special pieces made in America, especially from North Carolina. This home unfortunately burned down before the year 1800, but some of its valuable furnishings were saved.
Building the Current Liberty Hall
In the late 1700s, Thomas S. Kenan built the Liberty Hall that stands today in Kenansville. In 1833, he and his wife, Mary Rand, and their two youngest children moved to Selma, Alabama. Thomas S. Kenan passed away there in 1860.
Owen Rand Kenan, who was Thomas and Mary Rand's oldest son, stayed behind. He had his own large farm and family. Owen Rand married Sarah Rebecca Graham, and they made Liberty Hall their home. They made some changes to the house, like adding two porches and connecting the kitchen to the main building. Owen Rand and Sarah had four children: Thomas S. Kenan, James Graham Kenan, William Rand Kenan, and Annie D. Kenan. All the children received a good education and loved playing music.
Liberty Hall often had many visitors and guests. A saying that became linked with the house was once stitched and hung in the hallway: "He who enters these open gates never comes too early or leaves too late." This showed how welcoming the home was.
The income from the Liberty Hall farm mainly came from selling timber, tar, and turpentine. Between 20 and 50 enslaved people worked on the plantation.
During the American Civil War, Liberty Hall was lucky and avoided damage, even though Union soldiers were sometimes in the area. Owen Rand Kenan's three sons also survived the war. They came home, got married, and moved away. Owen Rand Kenan passed away in 1887, and Liberty Hall was left to his unmarried daughter, Annie D. Kenan. She lived out her life at Liberty Hall.
Liberty Hall in the 20th Century
In August 1901, Liberty Hall hosted a very special wedding. Annie's niece, Mary Lilly Kenan, married Henry Flagler, who is known as the "Father of Miami." Henry Flagler was one of the wealthiest men in America at that time. He helped start the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller and built the railroad through Florida. The wedding attracted attention from all over the world, and many famous people attended.
Mary Lilly's father had grown up in Liberty Hall, and Mary Lilly herself had spent many summers there. She loved the house because of all the happy memories she made there. One of Henry Flagler's wedding gifts to Mary Lilly was a beautiful white marble mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, called Whitehall. Today, Whitehall is open to the public as a museum.
In April 1906, Annie Kenan passed away. The old home was then closed up, along with all its history and treasured family collections. Annie left Liberty Hall to her niece, Mary Lilly. When Mary Lilly passed away, she left the house to her nephew, Owen Hill Kenan. Owen Hill was a survivor of the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania, a famous ship.
The Kenan family always cared deeply for their family home. However, it was not until Owen Hill's death that Frank H. Kenan took the home and the land around it. He gave it to the Board of Education, hoping the home would one day become a museum.
In 1965, the Liberty Hall Restoration Commission was formed. Liberty Hall was strong and still held many priceless family items, but it needed a lot of work before it could open to the public. In 1968, Liberty Hall officially opened to the public. It was decided to decorate the house in a Federal style, which was popular around the time of the Civil War. Tom Kenan is currently in charge of the Restoration Committee and oversees everything related to Liberty Hall. He also manages several family funds that pay for all the upkeep and staff at Liberty Hall.
Visiting Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall is open for visitors to explore. The admission fee is $5, or $2.50 for children under 6 years old. You can also take a special candlelight tour for $10.
See also
- List of museums in North Carolina
- List of plantations in the United States
