Plantation culture. Civil War. Emancipation. Legacies. These are the four themes featured in the “Beyond the Plantation” exhibit at the Oaklands Historic House Museum beginning May 1.
The exhibit will focus on the lives of blacks who lived as slaves and freedmen on and around Oaklands plantation. Organizers said the exhibit will serve as a timeline of the institution of slavery and will incorporate letters, photos and artifacts to depict what life was like for slaves.
The idea for the exhibit was conceived as a project for graduate students enrolled in a course called Museum Management taught by Dr. Bren Martin, associate professor of history at MTSU.
“It began a few years ago when the Oaklands Association Board of Directors became interested in placing a memorial marker in Evergreen Cemetery, where the Oaklands slave cemetery is believed to be,” Martin said. “That sparked a broader interest in telling the African-American story associated with Oaklands, which led to this current project.”
Public history students from MTSU have worked on the project since last August and conducted research into the lives of the men and women who worked on the plantation. John George, project manager of the exhibit, said he believes the research has paid off.
“We have been able to unearth a number of documents that illustrate the contributions of African Americans in Murfreesboro’s history,” George said. “This includes a rare photograph of black Civil War soldiers made in Murfreesboro and records of land ownership after the war.”
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places both for its architectural significance and its rich historical associations, Oaklands Plantation was built by Dr. James Maney and his wife Sallie Murfree Maney on 274 acres and used slave labor to grow tobacco, cotton, vegetables and other crops.
George said an exhibit such as “Beyond the Plantation” has been a long time coming and he believes the home’s history, the role of blacks on the plantation and the willingness of those at Oaklands to address the controversial topic makes the museum an exceptional place to hold it.
“Most plantation museums avoid the topic of slavery because they are either hold to an ideological interpretation of slavery that downplays slavery or because they are afraid that they will offend people with such a difficult topic,” George said. “To Oaklands’ credit, the museum board and staff have been very welcoming to this project and want to have a more inclusive interpretation of Southern history at their site.”
Although the exhibit will focus largely on plantation life and emancipation, the “Legacies” portion of the display will offer insight into life after emancipation and how former slaves and their descendants have influenced public life in Murfreesboro.
“There have been a number of people that have helped with this project, most notably, Elma McKnight, a local elementary school teacher who is a direct descendant of people who were enslaved at Oaklands,” George said. “She has provided family stories and photographs, which will be a major part of the exhibit.”
“Beyond the Plantation” will open May 1, with an opening reception from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and a presentation at 7 p.m. The Oaklands Historic House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (615) 893-0022 or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.
