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Though difficult to imagine today, there were open fields surrounding the structure when the slaves first raised the barn. Once could have easily seen Horton Grove just up the road, as well as the Bennehan House up on the hill. The barn was built during the summer of 1860 from huge timbers felled and milled on nearby plantation land. Paul Cameron oversaw the construction, which was carried out by slaves. The structural members of the barn were hand hewn, while the flooring and siding were prepared in the sawmill. The barn still features this skillfully executed and seldom-seen complex joinery. The barn served primarily to house mules, which operated the farming equipment and wagons on the plantation. It was a source of great pride to Paul Cameron, who wrote to his father-in-law, Thomas Ruffin, in September 1860, "I have a great wish to show you the 'best stables' ever built in Orange (at Stagville) 135 feet long covered with cypress shingles at a cost of $6 per thousand." The barn was the last major structure built on the plantation and represented the culmination of Paul Cameron's construction efforts throughout the 1850s. It is a testament to the land's agricultural potential, the Cameron's prosperity, and the skills of the enslaved craftsmen. |
