Tour Poplar Grove Plantation in Wilmington, North Carolina

The Poplar Grove Plantation is among the oldest peanut plantations still is existence in t North Carolina. Poplar Grove located near the "Old Port" city of Wilmington, was owned by the Foy family for six generations. Land was purchased to build the plantation in 1795 and sustained operations until through the middle of the 1970's. The plantation is listed on the National Register of Historic Homes and operates as a museum offering public tours throughout the year.

History

The 628 acre Poplar Grove property was purchased by James Foy Jr. in 1795. The plantation relied on the work of nearly 64 slaves, which tended to the beans, corns and peas grown on the grounds. A fire swept through the original family manor in 1849. Joseph Mumford Foy salvaged as much as he could from the residence along Futch Creek and rebuilt the home at it's current location. Poplar Grove Plantation saw many years of prosperity until the onset of the Civil War. Damage caused by Union soldiers

Joseph M. Foy's son, Joseph T. persevered after the war year by planting peanuts along the fields of the plantation. Peanuts were once considered a "lowly" crop and not worth the effort of successful plantation owners. The plantation thrived under the management of the of the industrious younger Foy. Joseph went on toe become a civic leader and played an integral role in the development of the Onslow and East Carolina Railroad system. Water transportation of crops and goods past Figure Eight Island allowed Foy to make it to market in a remarkably quite time - six hours.

The Foy heirs sustained the plantations role in the local economy until the 1970-'s. The plantation manor consists of twelve rooms, each with a fireplace and boasts 4,284 square feet. Joseph T. Foy, who fancied himself an amateur architect designed the home in a classic Greek Revivalist style.

Slavery

Tours of the Poplar Grove Plantation offer the chance to not only glimpse the past, but to learn about the era through interactive craft shops, a blacksmith's shop and basket weaving areas.

Slave labor is intricately linked to the agricultural system of North Carolina during the 1800's. According to historical records, it is believed that the first slaves reached the Cape Fear Coast in 1526. A Spanish explorer turned slave trader attempted to create a permanent colony along the Cape Fear River. The failed colonization attempt left the surviving members of the 500 colonists and nearly 100 slaves to fend for themselves in the new land. Many of the former slaves were able to escape as the colony floundered and went to live among the local Native American tribes.

A group of Puritans from the Massachusetts area, and their slaves arrived in the Cape Fear lowlands in 1662. Their attempt to create a permanent settlement also failed and the group ventured back further north. A group from Barbados arrived in the Cape Fear River region in 1664. The colonists and their slaves attempted to make homesteads in the area now known as Brunswick County. After three years of battling with Native American tribes, the group fled the area.

A band of more than 500 Virginians landed along the banks of the Cape Fear River in 1663. The colonists enlisted the aid of Barbados residents who had additional slaves and knew how to work a plantation. By 1712 there were an estimated 800 slaves working on plantations in the area. By 1767 the estimated number of slaves owned by Cape Fear colonists had grown to 40,000. According to the figures garnered during the first United States census poll in 1790, 100,572 slaves lived in North Carolina.

The plantation owned by the Foy's included 22 slaves, according to census figures. According to "Bills of Purpose" on display at the Poplar Grove manor, and related historical documents, the Foy's kept slave families together and allowed them to earn money and purchase goods. During the 1850's the Foy's found themselves "land rich and money poor" and reportedly borrowed money from their slaves to pay the growing property taxes on the plantation. Foy later repaid the funds he borrowed from his slaves. Slaves on the Poplar Grove Plantation learned skilled trades and passed along their skills to their children and grandchildren. The working plantation include a blacksmith, turpentine still master, miller, brick making works, a cooper and a sawyer.

Joseph Mumford Foy died prior to the first shots being fired in the Civil War. In his will, Foy stated he wanted his slaves to be freed upon his death. North Carolina laws at that time did not permit such an action. Local laws required the owner to take the slave outside of the state to be freed and the slave was then not permitted to re-enter North Carolina. To get around the law, the Foy family allowed the slaves to work on the plantation as tenant farmers, unofficially freed for the duration of the Civil War. The former slaves created "Foy Town" along the edge of the property, with many of the families taking surname Foy.

Peanuts

The Foy's were the first to grow a large crop of peanuts in North Carolina. Foy's slaves taught him how to grow the seeds underground. The unusual looking crop was often referred to as ground peas or goober peas. Peanuts are a native African and South American plant. The Swahili name for peanuts it goobers, hence the chorus to the song originating on the plantation - "...goodness how delicious eating goober peas." Due to the many uses of the peanut discovered by former slave, George Washington Carver, the crop remains among the top five largest cash crops in North Carolina.

Manor House

Visitors to the plantation walk back in time when exploring the rooms and grounds on the plantation. The preserved rooms make you feel as if you are a character in a John Jake's novel, awaiting a cold glass of lemonade on the veranda or a family performance in the formal parlor. Walk past the summer kitchen and cellar which preserved the spring and summer harvest for sustenance during the winter months. The wooden tenant houses are stocked with furnishing and utilities common during the Civil War era. A pallet filled with corn shucks or sweet grass was often used as a mattress on a metal framed bed.

Grounds

As with most plantations, Poplar Grove was a self-sustaining environment. Nearly everything the Foy's needed to exist was grown or made on the property grounds. Watch as the blacksmith shows how the tools of the trade worked in the late 1800's. Plantation blacksmiths routinely made and repaired tools and fixed farm equipment. Sharpening of farm implements and blades were also a part of the seasonal chores a blacksmith would have been responsible for on a Civil War era plantation. The tradition of basket weaving was important to plantation life. While some baskets were creative in nature, they all served a purpose and were considered necessary to safely story food stuffs and supplies. Baskets were created from material on hand, such as cane, birch bark, palm leaves, grass and pine. Watch as skilled crafts people weave baskets and spin wool in the traditional methods employed by woman and slaves during the 1800's.

Nature Trail

The Margaret Abbey Foy Moore memorial nature trail encompasses 67 acres in the Coastal Land Trust. Enjoy the serenity of unspoiled trails, bird watching opportunities and the soft trickle of a clear spring while walking along the trail.

Tours

Tour of Poplar Grove Plantation occur year around, for a nominal fee. Senior citizens and members of the military receive discounted admission. Group rates and school programs are also available. Picnic areas, a restaurant, gift shop and play area are located on-site. Special events and art and music workshop often occur during warm weather months.