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Yesterday we discussed Jupiter and Lucreecy Phelps Pailen. Their son George Pailen (1875-?) left Creswell for Washington, D.C., by 1900, where he opened a successful barber shop. He sent this photograph to his brother Llewellyn some years later. #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #History

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1/3 The town of Creswell was founded in 1875 by newly freed African Americans who left Somerset after the Civil War. These individuals included Jupiter & Lucreecy Phelps Pailen, who began living on the land of a formerly-enslaved man from Somerset named Washington Bennett in 1867. #History

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Here are some pictures from the recent winter weather we had last week.

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Town Creek will operate on a regular schedule today, 9am to 5pm, Saturday February 22, 2025. We’ll see you at the Mound!

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In 2001, archaeologists from the Diachronic Research Foundation investigated and removed the remaining brick features of the Large Slave Quarter and Plantation Hospital in preparation for future reconstructions. Learn more by watching our video! youtu.be/pLdKuGy01oQ #History #AcademicSky

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1/2 Have you enjoyed Somerset Place’s wonderful events, such as our Christmas Open House? Or have you been here for any of our educational programs? Our nonprofit support group, Somerset Place Foundation Inc. provides the resources for our events & programming, and they need your

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1/2 An influenza outbreak began in the enslaved community #OnThisDay in 1853. Communicable diseases like the flu spread easily during the cold winter months due to cramped living conditions in enslaved households. Dr. Hardy Hardison visited the Plantation Hospital daily through #History #AcademicSky

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With the winter weather, we figured we'd share these photos of snow we received in 2021 for this #ThrowbackThursday.

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Due to inclement weather, Somerset Place will be closed tomorrow, February 19. Hope Everyone stays safe and warm!

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1/2 Ever wonder what dishes were included in the meals enslaved cooks Grace Bennett and Lovie Cabarrus Harvey prepared in the Kitchen for the Collins family. One of them was hare soup, a first course dish with English origins that neighbor Jane Pettigrew described #OTD in 1857 as #History

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Between 1998 & 2001 Somerset staff oversaw a restoration project on the Dairy. Historians, archaeologists, & scientists investigated the Dairy & developed a plan for restoring it to its antebellum appearance. Learn more by watching our video, linked below! youtu.be/1HlyAxvHh5o

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1/3 #OTD in 1800, Josiah Collins I & II were appointed trustees of the Edenton Academy, a private school reorganized from one chartered in 1770. The Edenton Academy became a premier school, w/ highly esteemed teachers & a courseload that included Greek, Latin, math, & geography. #History

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(1/2) Cold and flu season is well-underway, and enslaved peoples at Somerset treated illnesses like these with herbal remedies. Oral history interviews done with descendants of the enslaved community indicate that their ancestors used wild plants in teas. #BlackHistoryMonth #History

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1/2 After not being able to pay off the debts she was left with after the death of Josiah III, Mary deeded over Somerset Place to her nephew William B. Shepard #OnThisDay in 1867. William did not register the deed until October 1870, which perhaps gave Mary or one of her sons a #History #Academicsky

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1/4 With the end of chattel slavery in 1865, the formerly enslaved community at Somerset Place wanted to remain on the land as paid laborers or tenant farmers. However, the heavily indebted Collins family refused; they wanted to reimpose the prewar power structure of slavery. #History #AcademicSky

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In 2001, the Kitchen Laundry building at Somerset Place underwent a historical restoration after a team of historians, architects, and scientists made significant discoveries regarding the structure’s features. Learn more by watching our video, linked below! youtu.be/0iYFmK6pqco #History

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1/3“Despite all I have written about the history of the herring fisheries, these photographs from Plymouth still stood out to me. They may not be as grand and awe-inspiring as some of the photographs, drawings, and paintings I have seen of the seine fisheries that flourished on #History #Academicsky

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1/2 Enslaved field workers like Ellick Bennett spent much of the month of February plowing fields in preparation for spring planting. In each field, they plowed ridges 4-6 ft wide with water furrows between each ridge. The furrows were a few inches deep and drained off surface #History #AcademicSky

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The Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis) in front of the Colony House are starting to bloom. They received their common name because they typically bloom during Lent. #Flowers #Garden #Flowerbed #Roses #Lent #LentenRoses #Rose #Flower #InBloom #Blooming #February #Gardening

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1/2 “Black History Month wasn’t always a monthlong celebration. In February 1926, historian and author Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week. It was a weeklong celebration in an effort to teach people about African-American history and the contributions of Black people. #History #AcademicSky

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Our nonprofit support group, Somerset Place Foundation Inc. provides the resources for our events and programming, and they need your help! Please consider joining the foundation or making a monetary donation. For more information call or email us. (252) 379-6020, [email protected]

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The Small Slave Quarter was reconstructed in 1997 after an exhaustive interdisciplinary research project involving experts in archaeology, history, historic preservation, and architectural history. Learn more by watching our YouTube video, linked below! youtu.be/XRFZzeosBqg #History #AcademicSky

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1/2 Today is #NationalFredomDay. National Freedom Day is observed to honor the signing of the joint House and Senate resolution that would become the 13th Amendment by Abraham Lincoln. #History #AcademicSky

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1/3 In January 1790, the Lake Company paid John Allen for building mills at Lake Phelps. Allen, paid for 206 days of work, was just one of several free & enslaved workers involved in the construction of the sawmills. A survey was made in 1791 showing a 50 ft-long, 40 ft-wide #History

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Valentine’s Day is swiftly approaching! If you are looking for a gift for your loved one, look no further. We sell a variety of jewelry in our gifts shop in both adult and children's sizes. Stop by today to see what we have in stock. #Giftshop #Nonprofit #ValentinesDay #Gifts

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1/3 Winter is here, and one our favorite things about the season is seeing and hearing the many tundra swans that make this area their winter home. Waterfowl have long been a sight to behold at Lake Phelps. Writing in 1844, Somerset resident Frederick Fitzgerald said “wild ducks live #History

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