plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and ...
Charlotte County, Virginia
Charlotte County is a United States county located in the south central part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Charlotte Court House. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 11,529. Charlotte County is ...
. The property includes two cottages and a
smokehouse
A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is curing (food preservation), cured with Smoking (cooking), smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.John Randolph (1773–1833). an ''Accompanying photo'' /ref>
More than 300 enslaved men, women, and children were manumitted their freedom in Senator Randolph's will and were to inherit thousands of acres of fertile farmland in
Mercer County, Ohio
Mercer County is located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 42,528. Its county seat is Celina, Ohio, Celina. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1824. It is List o ...
. Upon his death in 1833, his will was contested, and the plantation workers did not gain their freedom for another 13 years. Once they were finally free, they first attempted to relocate to Mercer County, Ohio where land had been bought for them by the provisions of the will and included at least ten acres of land for every man over 40 years of age. Armed, racist white settlers refused them. The freedmen would ultimately scatter and settle into smaller communities across Ohio. Notable descendants include James P. Humphrey, Sidney's first black mayor.Humphrey, Jim and Rich Wallace. "Randolph Slaves." ''Shelby County Historical Society.'' February 1997. http://www.shelbycountyhistory.org/schs/archives/blackhistoryarchives/randolphbhisA.htm
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...