Somerset Plantation

The second place we visited yesterday was Somerset Plantation. Somerset Plantation is one of the oldest and most prosperous Plantations of North Carolina. It is always weird to visit a plantation and to view the contrast of beautiful and stately contrasted very starkly with something grim and sad. This is the third plantation that I have visited and it was still a very unnerving feeling. Although it is funny to note that although Somerset Plantation was the most prosperous in NC , it definitely does not compare in size or scale to the Plantatins I visited around New Orleans some years ago. The Somerset Plantation is situtated on the shore of Lake Phelps and we were lucky enough to be able to join a free tour.  I learned about plantation life both from the point of view of the enslaved community and the owners.  Somerset is also well known because throughout its lifetime the Plantation had 800 slaves and now once a year their descendants gather at Somerset to reunite and learn about their roots. It was a huge learning experience for me and I was transported back to the Antebellum days for the afternoon.

The Main Entrance

J looking at the Stocks and detail. Our tour guide informed us that the stocks were used when members of the enslaved community were sold and that was the punishment that was most feared.  I took this photo to remind myself that the past is not always rosy and we that there have been some grim and gruesome incidents in our history.

Slave quarters and a view of the Slave hospital.

Bottles of Medicines at the Slave Hospital and a view of an old inventory list from the old Plantation ledgers.

This a view of the formal gardens of the plantation from the third story of the owners house. This is one of my favorite pics in a while. I love the contrast of the imperfections in the pane and the formal planned “perfect” gardens.

Me on the front porch of the owners house with a view of the support buildings in the back. The little cabin like structures in the back are the dairy and the laundry room.