Enslavement at Middleton Place: Sharing a More Complete American Story

FAIN: ZPP-283845-22

Middleton Place Foundation (Charleston, SC 29414-7200)
Jeff Neale (Project Director: May 2021 to present)

Planning and implementation of updates to two permanent exhibitions at Middleton Place: Eliza’s House and the Stableyards.

For decades, Middleton Place Foundation has been engaged in telling the stories of the Africans, African Americans, and Europeans who lived and worked at Middleton Place for over three centuries. A pioneer in the interpretation of slavery, the Foundation is constantly undertaking new initiatives that allow audiences to explore and examine themes to inspire a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other through our shared American history. This project will engage the descendant community in strengthening the ongoing slavery interpretation in two existing permanent exhibits – Eliza’s House and the Stableyards. The project, which was put on hold due to financial constraints as a result of the pandemic, will provide the public the opportunity to examine a more complete story of our complex American history with the hope to create empathy and build a more inclusive society.

Media Coverage

Middleton Place adds new signs to tell stories of plantation's enslaved (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Megan Fernandes
Publication: Post & Courier
Date: 1/21/2024
Abstract: Visitors to Middleton Place will notice new displays near the stableyards to share the previously untold stories of the enslaved people who once worked there.
URL: https://www.postandcourier.com/business/charleston-middleton-place-international-african-american-museum/article_dec51fa0-b17c-11ee-845f-975aeb63e84b.html

Associated Products

Stableyards Interpretive Panels (Exhibition)
Title: Stableyards Interpretive Panels
Curator: Caitlin Smith-Anderson
Abstract: The Stableyards has historically served as the “educational heartbeat” of Middleton Place. In the 1970s and 1980s, the space served as an outdoor education area, displaying artifacts related to the tasks that enslaved people would have carried out. In the 1990s and 2000s, when Eliza’s House opened to the public, it served as an avenue to talk about the institution of slavery and how it functioned in the greater Lowcountry and Middleton Place. Today, the Stableyards continue its tradition of innovation with new interpretive paneling that highlights enslaved people like Kouli-Kan, Quaco, John Baptist, Thomas, Molly and Beck. These names are critical to include in the conversation about Middleton Place, its legacy, and how we can enact positive change through our shared American history. Made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Year: 2021
Primary URL: https://www.middletonplace.org/news-and-events/take-a-look-at-the-new-interpretive-paneling-in-our-stableyards/

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