From Slavery to Freedom

African-American slaves lived and worked at Magnolia Plantation for more than 250 years. Sit inside a representation of a 19th century slave cabin while one of our guides discusses the role of Slavery in the Lowcountry and what they were doing at Magnolia Plantation. From the trans-Atlantic slave trade through emancipation, the interaction between the slaves and the Drayton family over the centuries illustrate how life on a Southern plantation was experienced.

In March of 2006 a large press conference was held at Magnolia Plantation on the site of four mid-19th century former slave cabins and one turn-of-the-century worker’s home. Charleston Mayor Joe Riley was present along with Magnolia’s Managing Director Taylor Drayton Nelson and project manager Craig Hadley of The Living History Group. Together they unveiled a large scale project to both preserve and partially restore these former slave cabins, but with a unique perspective.

These slave cabins have a unique history, in which they have been utilized from the time of antebellum slavery, through emancipation, and into the 20th century by both enslaved and free African-Americans. Because of its unique history and almost constant occupation of these buildings, Magnolia Plantation will be restoring and preserving all five of the buildings to reflect the different time periods of occupation based on each cabin’s state of current preservation. The time periods will reflect the following:

• CABIN A:             1850 Slave Cabin
• CABIN B:            1930 Gardeners Home
• CABIN C:            1969 Leach Family Home
• CABIN D:            1870 Freedmen’s Home
• CABIN E:            1900 Gardeners Home

An Exhibits Building will be built to accompany the interpretation of the cabins. This building will house various exhibits including interactive models, archaeological artifacts, and archival materials.

Magnolia will also create an interpretive program for the public for this site as well as an extensive interactive educational program for school children once the project is completed.

While other historic sites have restored similar slave cabins and houses in the past for interpretation, no site has ever restored a series of structures that interpret African-American history from slavery to freedom and beyond. Magnolia has the unique and exciting opportunity to show the arc of African-American history and their contributions to our culture. The project is slated to be completed by the end of 2007.

For more information on this project, feel free to contact the project manager Craig Hadley of The Living History Group (www.thelivinghistorygroup.com) at craighadley@aol.com.