To different people, it was a different treasure: the creation and development of historic Stagville, 1976-1981

To different people, it was a different treasure: the creation and development of historic Stagville, 1976-1981 Public Deposited

Last Modified

Creator

Deiss, Kristin
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History

Abstract

As a state-owned historic site, Historic Stagville was not originally intended to be a site that interpreted its plantation history and slavery for visitors; rather, it was to be a Preservation Center that emphasized preservation education. This essay seeks to understand that decision through analyzing Stagvlle's development from its acquisition by North Carolina in 1976 to its organizational transfer in 1981. The relationship between Stagville and its place and time, namely Durham County in the late 1970s, makes clear the power that local influences had in shaping that decision. Furthermore, an examination of this process enables historians to gain a better understanding of the contours and contestations of public history, especially that which involves slavery. And though Stagville may have been a unique case among other historic sites in the state, its early years provide further insight into the conditions of public history during the late 1970s in North Carolina.

Date of publication