Historic Haile Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation
N 29° 35.554 W 082° 26.027
17R E 361146 N 3274497
A historical marker about the Historic Haile Homestead is located on Archer Road in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM39QX
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/02/2008
Views: 42
The marker text reads as follows: "One of the oldest houses in Alachua County, the Historic Haile Homestead was the home of Thomas Evans Haile, his wife Esther Serena Chesnut Haile and 14 of their children. The Hailes came here from Camden, South Carolina in 1854 to establish a 1,500-acre Sea Island Cotton plantation which they named Kanapaha. Enslaved black craftsmen completed the 6,200-square-foot manse in 1856. The 1860 census showed 66 slaves living here. The Hailes survived bankruptcy in 1868 and turned the property into a productive farm, growing a variety of fruits and vegetables including oranges. Serena Haile died in 1895; Thomas in 1896. The Homestead, which passed to son Evans, a prominent defense attorney, became the site of house parties attended by some of Gainesville's most distinguished citizens. The Hailes had the unusual habit of writing on the walls; all together over 12,500 words with the oldest writing dating to the 1850's. The Homestead was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. A restoration was completed in 1996. Still partly owned by descendants of Evans Haile, the Homestead is one of the few remaining homesteads built by Sea Island cotton planters in this part of Florida."
Homestead Tour Hours & Cost:
Saturday: 10am-2pm
Sunday: 12pm-4pm
Tours are $5 per person, children under 12 are free.
Marker Number: F-548
Date: 2005
County: Alachua
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Historic Haile Homestead and the Florida Department of State
Website: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.