Near Middletown in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Plantation Slavery
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
In the Shenandoah Valley, small family farms were the norm but plantations did exist, including Belle Grove. Major Isaac Hite, Jr. and his family recorded 276 enslaved people that they owned between 1783 and 1851. Some worked raising crops of wheat, corn, flax, and other grains or tended livestock. Others worked in Hite's industries, of which there were a blacksmith shop, saw mill, grist mill, and distillery. Enslaved workers were involved in every household task or income-producing venture and their labor was critical to the plantation's success.
[Caption:]
Isaac Hite kept detailed records of his enslaved workers. Note the annotations in the far right columns: "runaway," "sold," "given to ," "died."
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1783.
Location. 39° 1.281′ N, 78° 18.239′ W. Marker is near Middletown, Virginia, in Frederick County. It is on Belle Grove Road (Route 727) 0.3 miles south of Meadow Mills Road (Virginia Route 624), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown VA 22645, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. Old Hall at Belle Grove (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named Old Hall at Belle Grove (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Additional keywords. slavery, forced labor, slave labor
Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 409 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 24, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
